by Dale Mayer
Arianna shuffled slightly and moaned.
He groaned as her rounded bottom slid across his groin.
It was going to be one fucking long trip.
Chapter 13
She dozed, shifted to get comfortable, surfaced then dozed again.
When she finally woke it was to see a different terrain outside the truck window. She sat up and heard Shadow’s gasp, then groan.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she cried out in a hushed whisper as she tried to wiggle into a better position.
He grabbed her hips and stopped her movements.
“Is that better?”
“Yes,” he said between gritted teeth. Then he took a deep breath. “Just stop your damn wiggling.”
She glared at him. “Are we back to that? Remember I said there was no room in here for me.”
“Are we back to that,” he said perversely enjoying getting her riled up again. “I said there was enough room for you.”
She sighed and collapsed down again. “You’re getting into your mean mode again.”
He hugged her close. “No, I’m not.”
She was quiet for a long time. “Where are we? I thought we’d have reached the next town by now.”
“Shouldn’t be much longer. Although there is some concern that there isn’t much there. Apparently, small Canadian towns in the north are often only a collection of houses and not much else.”
“I remember that from last time. Nowhere close enough to drive to. It’s like six hours to the main center.”
“Right. If need be, we can do that.”
She sighed. “I hope we don’t have to. I’m getting awfully hungry.”
“You’ve still got your chocolate bar,” he reminded her. As she perked up and looked around for her bag, he added, “Don’t bother. It’s in the back with the rest of the gear.”
He reached for her hips to stop her from moving too much, but she didn’t notice. Her sore leg was stretched across Cooper’s legs, giving him no room to go anywhere. Poor Cooper.
Shadow reached into his pocket and pulled out her bar. “Here. I pulled it out earlier.”
With a beaming smile she took it, opened it, and carefully broke it into seven pieces.
He watched her as she handed out a piece to everyone. One piece was slightly larger than the others and one was slightly smaller. The small one she kept for herself, and she gave him the biggest piece.
Of course she did. He was looking after her so well. She wished she could give him more.
But there wasn’t anything else to give him. At least not here.
She studied the small town as they drove past. There were a few houses dotting the highway from miles out. Normal in a way. If you were a loner and preferred wilderness to city, like these people did, they all wanted to live on the edge of town. No matter how small the town was. And as small towns went she’d have said this was the smallest she’d seen. Barely a community and not big enough to be considered a township.
There was a small store in the center and before they knew it they’d passed it. Mason slowed and pulled off on the side of the highway. “Did anyone see a store or medical center or…anything? What’s the chance we haven’t hit the main town yet?”
“I saw a store,” Arianna said, twisting to look behind them. “But nothing else.”
Several others confirmed the store.
Mason had the truck turned around and pulled up to the store, which appeared to double as a gas station, except from the ancient pumps in the back, she wasn’t sure she trusted anything that came out of these machines.
But a bathroom would be good.
The door opened behind her, and Shadow exited with her in his arms, somehow making the movement natural and graceful.
“Any chance of a bathroom?” she whispered, studying the gas station.
“Likely inside.” He held her steady as she regained her footing and hobbled around a few steps to keep the blood circulating.
The air had a freshness to it she loved. She took a deep breath. She hadn’t had a chance to notice the air this morning with everything going on but now on the way home…she sniffed happily. “Smells nice.”
“Not in here it doesn’t.” Mason stepped back out of the store.
She turned slightly to see him. The grim visage had her heart and stomach plummeting. “What’s wrong?”
“The store owner is dead.” Mason nodded to the interior behind him. “Been dead at least a day.”
“Shit,” she heard Shadow mutter. He dropped her arm that she’d been using for support and said, “I have to go look.”
Arianna watched mutely as Shadow disappeared into the store. Swede, being the guy he was, had stepped into Shadow’s place, but he’d opened the back of the truck first and was now armed. She took a deep breath and let it out carefully.
“I’d hoped this was all over,” she said in low tones.
“It was,” Swede said. “Until we found another dead man.”
“Do you think he was killed by the kidnappers?”
“Likely, but we need to find out for sure. Can’t guess on this one. And that means talk to anyone here who is left to talk to us.”
She gasped and turned to him. “You don’t think they are all dead.”
“No. I don’t.” He immediately shook his head. “But the storekeeper was killed yesterday, that’s enough time for others to go into hiding.”
Yet his voice didn’t match his words. He stared behind the vehicle and studied the houses across the road. One small house on the corner in particular. And the fluttering curtains in the window. “Think they are in there?”
“Oh yeah, the question is who and are they wary naturally or did they see something that has terrified them,” he muttered, shifting to study the other buildings.
She looked around. There were a dozen homes all centered near the store but not a sign of anyone. As her gaze swept past the store, the door opened and Dane and Cooper… Shadow walked out. The dark overcast and chiseled faces said so much. She wanted to hobble closer, reach out and let him know she was here, but the look on his face said he wouldn’t likely recognize the support if she did. It made her sad. She watched him disappear around the corner of the building. That reminded her she needed a bathroom. She looked for a restroom sign but didn’t see one.
“What are you looking for?” Swede asked, an intent look in his eyes.
She scrunched up her face. “A bathroom.”
“I’ll look.” He motioned toward Cooper who walked closer. Then Swede took off around the building. She smiled at Cooper. “Hey.”
He grinned. “Hey back. How’s the leg?”
“Fine.” Then she shrugged, admitting with a wry grin, “As long as I don’t try to use it.”
He chuckled. “You’re coming due for more pain killers if you feel the need.”
She frowned, considering. “I’m not too bad at the moment”
“Good, then we’ll leave it for a little bit longer. What we don’t want is to leave it so long that you end up suffering until the new meds kick in.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound like fun.
But the pain killers knocked her out and made her thinking fuzzy, forcing others to carry her sorry ass around until she was awake again. “Maybe when we get this mess settled…” She motioned to the town around them.
“This has nothing to do with you. If we can’t determine that you’re safe here then you’re not staying. We’ll figure out another way to get you home.”
“Are you guys going home?” she asked cautiously. “Maybe I could go with you?”
“Maybe,” he said cheerfully. “I’m all for it. Then at least we know you’re safe. But you need medical attention now, not in a few days when we get there.”
“Seems like we’re always against the clock.” She hoped the damage to her leg was minor but had no way to know. Cooper’s good drugs kept her from having to worry about it too much. But she wanted to have the full function of it.
�
��So we need a hospital to check you over and then we can make plans.”
Sounded good. But she suspected she’d soon be parted from these men. That was sad. She was so proud to have known them. They were heroes. And they’d done right by her. If they needed her to buck up and be left behind so they could carry on tracking her kidnappers then so be it.
Swede arrived. “Found it. It’s at the back.”
He didn’t give her an opportunity to protest but swooped her up into his arms and carried her laughingly protesting around to the back of the building.
The door was open. He set her down inside then stepped out and closed the door. She wanted to laugh at the look on his face. He’d been dying to ask if she wanted help but knew she wouldn’t take it kindly. He was a good man. Just like the rest of them.
Privacy and a real toilet, and look, running water. She smiled with joy. Oh the simple things in life. She quickly used the toilet then set about to wash the rest of her…at least what she could reach. The paper towels were scratchy on her neck and face but the warm water was a delight. When she finished she opened the door and hobbled out.
Into Shadow.
“Oh,” she stumbled back and cried out as sharp pain radiated up her leg.
He reached out to help stabilize her. She took several breaths and managed a smile. “Sorry.”
His eyebrow shot up. “For what?”
Yeah, she didn’t know. For being an idiot and walking with her head down. For not seeing him standing there? For getting shot. “I don’t know, it was a stupid thing to say.” And fell silent.
Thankfully he let it go. “Ready?”
She nodded and took a step forward. And stopped, shuddering. Why the hell hadn’t she taken the pain killers when Cooper had offered? She bit her lip. Now she’d have to wait for them to kick in before she’d feel better.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Shadow for help when he scooped her up into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck happily. “You’re a good man.”
He shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Really? Why, because I’m a woman? Because I’m injured?”
“Because you don’t know me,” he snapped, his voice harsh.
She stilled and stared up at him. What was going on inside that massive intelligence of his? And why?
“You don’t scare me,” she whispered, realizing that they had reached the truck. “No matter what you’re thinking, you’re not bad – you’re good. Honorable. Stalwart. Capable.”
He slanted her a long look of disbelief.
She beamed up at him. “It’s true.”
“You’re living in that sunny world of yours again.”
“I always live there,” she said in a low voice as he set her down on the bench seat. “You could come visit me.”
He went to back away, but she reached up and tugged his face down toward her and kissed him ever so gently. As she slowly withdrew she added, “You don’t have to live in the shadows, maybe it’s time to experience a little sunshine for yourself.”
*
Shadow returned to the dead man’s side. He ignored the grins of his fellow SEALs. They were all idiots. Then, so was he. He didn’t even know what to think about Arianna. He felt drawn to her side all the time. He needed to focus on his work, the job at hand, instead he found himself constantly looking at her, to check that she was okay. Be with her. There was a hunger inside he didn’t recognize. Not a sexual hunger, although that hummed constantly below the surface too, and that’s the part that surprised him. She was gorgeous and he’d do pretty damn much anything to take her to bed, but there was something else going on inside. This need, this wish to be with her, to understand her view and her life that she kept giving him little glimpses off. It was…different. He hadn’t seen it right away. Then the circumstances were hardly normal. Then he’d thought she might have been joking about the sunshine and rainbows, but she really seemed to be like that, and he didn’t get it. Didn’t understand how it could be. She’d not had such a perfect life that she’d only seen the good in life. She’d been born unique, special, and somehow that part of her had survived the trauma called life.
He grinned at the phrasing. He didn’t really believe growing up and surviving this world was a trauma. Neither did he believe anyone survived unscathed. But whereas most people might walk through life and hide away the hurts and hide away from those who hurt them, Arianna had this sunny, that’s okay I know it won’t happen again attitude.
It was likely to reach around and bite her in the ass sometime soon.
“So, buddy, that’s quite the facial expression. Kind of like you don’t know what hit you and not sure what to do with the blow,” Dane said in a low voice. “You okay?”
Not wanting to get into anything personal – like hell he was going to discuss any of this – Shadow nodded. “Fine.”
“Right. So you’re not but you don’t want to discuss it. Got it.”
And Dane gave him a mock salute and with a smile he walked toward Mason who was on his phone trying to make arrangements to collect the body.
Shadow studied Dane. He’d been struck by lightning on one of their trips. Been completely sideswiped by meeting Marielle and had been pretty grumpy about it for a while too. But he’d walked forward regardless, and now he was so damn happy it was sickening.
And made Shadow realize just how possible this all was.
Maybe.
Arianna might like Shadow as a rescuer – but as a man? That didn’t mean there was anything more to it than simple attraction.
Shadow had been seriously disappointed in his life. He knew exactly how easy it was to not get what he wanted in this world, so he’d made it easier on himself by choosing to not want much. He kept his life simple now. Straightforward.
Until he hit a wall called Arianna.
Now he knew there was something he really wanted and most likely couldn’t have. So he could go for it and possibly have his hopes dashed or not bother because he knew the outcome already.
He studied the interior of the store while his mind was already busy tracking the events of what had gone on, almost like a weird psychic ability, his mind could put the pieces together and show him what had happened. The store owner, living out where he did, had likely been too talkative on a day the kidnappers couldn’t afford to talk to anyone. They’d taken the simple route.
And he’d gotten a bullet for being friendly.
Too bad he couldn’t get Arianna to learn the same lesson. She was going to get seriously hurt one day.
Swede stepped in front of him with a determined look on his face as Shadow tried to refocus on their next step.
Shadow frowned. “What?”
“You’re not going to break that girl’s heart are you?”
“Of course not.” He gave Swede a good frown. “She’s not in any danger of having it broken.”
Swede shook his head. “Don’t be so blind to something special right in front of your nose that you hurt your chances at happiness because you think she’s better off without you.”
That made him step back mentally. Outside he narrowed his gaze at his best friend and warned him to back off.
The problem with Swede was now that he’d found happiness he wanted to see everyone around him happy. Well, given that only Shadow and Cooper were still single on the team… “Go tell that to Cooper,” he snapped.
“She’s not interested in Cooper,” Swede said calmly. “Although he might be interested if you aren’t.”
“I thought you said she wasn’t interested.” Shadow could feel his shoulders hunching in on themselves. He hated this stuff. And never did heart to heart – especially not with his buddies.
“If he’s there for her, and you’ve turned her away, then she just might head in that direction. It’s natural to go where you are wanted. She can only keep butting up against the rejection for so long before she turns to another for comfort.”
His gut
twisted.
“You’re gonna have to make a decision soon.”
“No decision to make. She’s a senator’s daughter and sees me as her rescuer. Like anyone in her situation, she’s grateful.”
Swede studied him for a long moment. “And you don’t want gratitude, is that it?”
Shadow shot him a hooded look. “Would you?”
“Nope. But I think you’re wrong. I think Arianna doesn’t give a shit about where you are from, or your lineage or lack of it, or that you saved her ass a couple of times, she saved yours a time or two as I recall, I don’t see you bending over with gratitude…” Swede crossed his arms. “I do however think she sees something in you that you don’t see yourself.”
Shadow had already turned to join the others. At Swede’s words, he froze. Slowly, he turned back to face his friend. “What is that?”
He hated that he could hear that tiny bit of hope weaving through his voice. But it was there damn it. Swede would know. He missed nothing. Shadow had been off his mark since he’d met Arianna. Like what was with that? He couldn’t let her distract him so much but thoughts of her filled his mind. Wouldn’t let go.
Swede walked past and reached out to smack him on the shoulder. “You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”
And he refused to say any more.
Chapter 14
Arianna lay down on the back of the truck, her leg throbbing. Shit. It was better then worse, with the worse part building. She still hadn’t gotten more pain medicine. And she was getting weepy. Was there anything worse?
She already felt so damn female when surrounded by all these macho men. And weepy just seemed to go along with being hurt. She wanted to be strong and capable beside them. Hated to think she was doing her sex an injustice. That all the women in the world were looking at her like she’d let them down. Everything had been good until she got hurt.
Cooper’s head popped over the back seat of the truck. She wasn’t even startled. There were so many men in and out and around always looking after her she never knew who it would be next.