***
Twenty minutes later, Ethan walked toward the building housing the general’s office with Kimberly at his side. Grayson and Blake were with them, Blake clearing the path in front of them, and Grayson on their heels. It was overkill, perhaps. They were on a supposedly secure base. But Kim had been kidnapped. Even with security at the gate and military personnel all over the place, she’d been taken.
“Welcome back!” a woman said as she rushed by.
Kim nodded but politely continued on, smiling without commenting. It happened a few more times. U.S. servicemembers no doubt recognized her image from the videos. She’d pulled her hair back into a tight bun, but everyone recognized her face. And most people probably assumed his SEAL team had rescued her. They might not know they were SEALs, but no doubt most of the people on base recognized they were Special Forces.
The people watching Kimberly unnerved him. Ethan would feel better when they were wheel’s up, on their way out of the country. Normally, he never felt wary when on an op like this—not on a forward operating base, and certainly not at a large base like Bagram.
Kimberly stuck close to him, much like when they’d hiked down the mountain. This time she kept her chin up, her gaze assessing. He figured it must be uncomfortable for her to be back here. They’d avoided going anywhere near her old building, and if she asked about it later, he hoped to deter her.
He clenched his fists, watching as another group passing by swiveled their heads to look at her. Good God. Didn’t they realize she’d been through a traumatic ordeal? His protective instincts were soaring, and they hadn’t even met with the investigators yet.
A group of Afghanis who worked on base as translators walked by, heading toward a different building. He noticed Kim stiffened slightly but kept walking. Their own group approached the building they were headed toward for Kim to give her statement, when suddenly she gasped and clutched onto his arm, panic crossing her face.
They stopped, and Blake and Grayson instantly moved closer, looking around for any danger.
“What is it?” Ethan asked, following her gaze. There were two women chatting near the corner of the building, both in camo uniforms, but they looked nonthreatening. Other people were walking around, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“I thought I saw someone over there. A man.”
Ethan exchanged a glance with Grayson, and then Grayson was moving toward the women, looking down the narrow gap between the buildings. They briefly looked at him but then continued on with their conversation.
“What do you see?” Blake called out, frowning.
“Clear!” Grayson said.
“I thought—it looked like—” Kimberly shook her head, clearly frustrated. She didn’t let go of Ethan’s arm though, and he didn’t miss the way she slightly trembled.
“Ghost checked it out,” he assured her. “There’s no one there.”
Blake began moving toward Grayson, and the two of them stood there, scanning the area. Other people walking by looked at them curiously, but Ethan didn’t give a fuck. He’d spend however long was needed to make Kimberly feel comfortable. They’d look under every goddamn rock if they had to.
“They’re waiting for me,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “The investigators. We should keep moving.”
Ethan gazed down at her, not liking the look of fear in her blue eyes. “They can wait. Who did you see, sweetheart?”
“It looked like the guy—the one that hurt me,” she whispered.
Understanding washed over him. He was angry as hell that one of the men who’d kidnapped Kimberly had forced himself on her. He knew it could’ve been so much worse, that she could’ve been raped daily or by multiple men. Knowing she’d been hurt by even one of those assholes made his blood boil though. None of them had any right to touch her or hurt her. Now they were safe on base and she was scared just remembering them. “They’re not here,” Ethan assured her. “We left those bastards up on the mountain. Some of them didn’t even escape with their life.”
“I know, I just—I could swear it was him. The guy that first night—he was missing part of his ear.”
Ethan stiffened. Could she really have seen that detail from where they’d stood? She was scared, and her mind could simply be playing tricks on her. It seemed impossible that the man who’d raped her would be here on base. The group of interpreters they’d seen had walked off toward a different building. People were steadily streaming by, going about their business. He didn’t like the inquisitive glances they got. He didn’t like her being scared though either.
“You’re getting ready to speak with the investigators. Maybe your mind was just playing tricks on you. You were thinking about it subconsciously.”
“No. Maybe.” She shook her head, flustered. “Sorry for grabbing you,” she said, letting go of his arm. She straightened her back, standing tall.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. The guys and I will keep an eye out. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Okay,” she said, letting out a breath. “Let’s keep going so I can get this over with.”
Not caring that anyone around them was watching, Ethan took her hand, leading her toward Blake and Grayson. She clutched his hand, and his chest tightened at the feel of her small fingers in his. She was feminine and fragile, so much smaller than him even though they were both in the Armed Forces. He knew Kimberly was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but he didn’t let go of her hand until they reached his teammates, he simply guided her forward.
Both men looked irritated as they looked around, but they schooled the expressions on their faces as Ethan and Kimberly walked up.
“We didn’t see anyone,” Blake said needlessly.
She nodded. “Thanks for checking.” None of the men missed the slight tremble in her voice. The four of them continued on toward the general’s building, shielding Kimberly as they moved. Ethan stayed closer to her than was probably necessary, but he wanted her within reach. He’d protect her with his life if he had to. And if he ever saw an Afghani man on base missing part of his ear, Ethan swore he’d rip his heart right out.
Chapter 13
Two hours later, Kim finally finished meeting with the investigators. She knew there’d be many more details to discuss and people to meet with once she returned home, but at the moment, she had a pounding headache and just wanted to get out of there.
Ethan and Blake were both waiting when she exited the room, their gazes immediately locking on her.
“How’d it go?” Ethan asked, walking toward her with concern etched across his face. Blake was right behind him, seemingly ready to move her out of there.
She scrubbed a hand over her eyes. “It was draining. And if I’m honest, kind of awful to relive all of it.” Tears smarted her eyes as both men frowned, and then Ethan pulled her close for a quick hug. It didn’t last nearly long enough, and she probably shouldn’t have been standing around engaging in any sort of physical contact with him, given that they were both in uniform, but she was exhausted. Both mentally and physically.
She inhaled Ethan’s clean, masculine scent and briefly buried her face in his neck, wishing she could stay in his arms, before she pulled back.
“They kept you in there too damn long,” Blake muttered.
“I needed to talk to them,” she assured the SEALs. “I want them to catch those assholes.”
“We should’ve taken them all out ourselves,” Ethan said, his gaze narrowing. He hovered close to her, and she felt eyes on them as other people looked over.
“Let’s head back to your room,” Blake said. “We’ll bring some food to you. I’ll touch base with the CO, but I think we’re good to fly out at nineteen hundred.”
“Okay,” she said, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’ll feel better when we’re out of here.”
“Kim!” a woman shrieked, rushing over to her.
“Oh my God, Ashley!” Kim said, turning toward the brunette.
They hadn’t known each other long but had been living in the same hallway of the building before the explosion. After a brief hug, Kim pulled away.
“I wanted to come say hi in the hospital, but they said you couldn’t have visitors.”
“I couldn’t. I had an MP right outside my door.”
“Jesus. I’m just so glad you’re back. We were all so worried about you.”
“So you escaped the fire okay?” Kimberly asked, wanting to change the subject. The last thing she needed was to talk about her kidnapping again. She’d just spent hours going over every single detail of it.
“Luckily, yes. I ran down the stairs and out an emergency exit. It was so chaotic with people running in every direction that I don’t even know what happened to some of the women. A few were taken to the hospital and then medevac’d out. I never saw them again.”
“God, how awful.” Kim said.
“We should go,” Blake said, exchanging a glance with Ethan.
“Yeah, we should. It was great to see you,” Kim said. “I’m glad that you’re okay.” They said their goodbyes, and then Ethan placed his hand on the small of her back, escorting her out the door. She appreciated the gesture. She felt grounded by his touch in a way she could hardly explain given that they barely knew one another. She knew him, of course—she’d spent more time with Ethan than anyone since they’d rescued her. But she felt more attached to him than she should. Did she have some sort of damsel in distress complex? She’d latched onto him because he was the one there?
“Are you all right?” he asked in a low voice as they walked out the door. His hand remained on her back, the large feel of it calming her. With Ethan’s muscular frame behind her, she felt safe. She could breathe easier than she had in the past several hours when she’d been alone with the investigators.
“Yeah. Fine. Let’s just get back to our rooms and get out of here.”
“Roger that, ma’am,” Blake said from behind them.
“We’ll take you back, and then one of the guys will grab us something to eat. We’ll be on our way home before you know it.”
“Thank God,” she murmured softly.
Blake edged around them, leading the way back. There seemed to be even more people around now, heading to the mess hall or to one of the fast-food places to get something to eat. Bagram was huge, and there was constant activity all around them. It was overwhelming in many ways. She’d spent two months relatively alone and in fear of her life. Now her gaze tracked back and forth at all the people, sights, and sounds.
It would be even stranger back in Virginia. She only had a one-bedroom apartment, so she’d probably spend a few days with her parents or sister and brother-in-law. DC was busy and noisy at times. How would she handle being around crowds?
Kim shuddered, and Ethan glanced down at her.
“I’m okay—just thinking about going home.”
“It’ll be overwhelming at first I’m sure. We’ll do whatever we can to help you—especially when we land at Andrews.”
“None of this feels real,” she said. “I keep thinking I’m dreaming and am going to wake back up in that damn cave.”
“Clarissa had nightmares for a while,” Blake said, glancing back over his shoulder at her. “She wasn’t held nearly as long as you.”
“Maybe I would like to talk to her sometime,” Kim hedged. “If you think she wouldn’t mind.”
“She wouldn’t,” Blake assured her. “And everyone knows about your story. Even before it became a media sensation, Hailey told the others about you. The team was there in Bagram when the explosion happened.”
Kim swallowed, her eyes watering. “Maybe I will come visit the west coast soon. I really want to talk to Hailey since she was there with me when everything happened. She wasn’t kidnapped of course, but I spoke with her right before the explosion. And I’d like to meet Clarissa.”
“You should come,” Blake said.
“Absolutely,” Ethan agreed. “And I know Ghost and Hailey invited you to stay with them, but I’ve got a house that I’m renting. It’s got two bedrooms and a small office. There’s plenty of space if you want to come.”
“You want me to stay with you?” she asked in surprise.
“I’d love for you to come stay with me,” he admitted. Kim didn’t miss the way Blake’s lips quirked in amusement, but he didn’t say anything, just continued walking ahead of them, giving them some space. “You won’t start back at work immediately. I know you’ve got to meet with the investigators again and see your family, and of course check on your own place. But you could fly out. Although we never know when we’ll be sent on an op, Hailey and the other women will be there. And I have to admit I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you.”
“God. Maybe.” Her pulse pounded at his suggestion, both in nervousness and excitement and also relief. She’d love to avoid returning to the real world. She could decompress out in San Diego, see her friend, and recuperate at Ethan’s house. That seemed a little absurd though—she’d just met the guy. If anything, she should stay with Hailey. Although it sounded like Grayson and Hailey lived in a small apartment.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Ethan joked when she didn’t say anything else.
“Just how impulsive and unlike me that would be. It would make more sense for me to stay home or at the very least fly out and stay with them.”
Ethan shrugged. “You don’t have to decide right now. You could even do both—stay at their place a few days, and if you’re comfortable, come crash at my house. I wouldn’t expect anything. I want you to have a chance to recover and wouldn’t mind spending some more time together.”
“And I appreciate your offer,” she said. “I really do. Can I think about it? I just feel so overwhelmed right no.”
“Of course. You’ve got to spend some time back in Virginia anyway. We’ll exchange contact info, and I know you’ll be in touch with Hailey. We’ll figure something out.”
She nodded as they kept walking, her mind whirling. It was ridiculously impulsive for her to even consider something like that. To fly across the country and stay with a man she’d basically just met? What would her family and friends think?
But now that the seed had been planted in her mind, she realized that she wanted to stay with Ethan. She wanted to spend time away from her old life—where people wouldn’t be asking her a million questions, where the press hopefully wouldn’t be hounding her. If what the guys had told her was true, everyone knew who she was. She’d noticed the looks she’d gotten here at Bagram as people recognized her. It was unnerving having so much attention focused on her.
Would reporters be calling her back home? Would they be at her apartment building?
She wished she could quietly fade away and resume her old life without all the unwanted attention. It was bad enough having to endure the months of waiting and wondering if she’d ever be rescued. Now she was already having anxiety about returning to regular day-to-day life.
“Home sweet home,” Blake joked as they walked into their building on base. The three of them headed to one of the rooms where the guys had been hanging out while they were gone.
“Everything go okay?” Jackson asked.
“It did,” Kim said. “It was kind of overwhelming, but at least that part is done. The first time telling my story was always going to be the hardest. Now at least whoever I meet with will have access to the original report.”
“You’re the strongest person I know,” Ethan said.
“I’m not,” Kim protested, but the other guys in the room all disagreed.
“Should we grab some food?” Logan asked. “We got word from the CO that we’re still good to go at nineteen hundred. Let’s eat and then bust this joint.”
“Amen to that,” Grayson quipped.
Ethan looked down at her. “What do you feel like? Pizza again?”
She flushed but nodded, smiling.
“Hell, sweetheart, you can eat pizza every damn day if
it makes you smile like that.”
“And I’d love a Diet Coke.”
Blake chuckled. “I need to talk to the guys. Why don’t you and Ethan go hang out in your room. Hurricane can go grab the food. Then we’ll eat and get you out of here.”
“Hurricane?” she asked, confused.
Ethan placed his hand on her back, guiding her toward the door. “We all have nicknames, remember? Logan is from North Carolina, but we started calling him Hurricane because he destroyed everything in his path.”
“Ha ha,” Logan said, punching him in the arm as he headed out to grab their food.
“And yours is Everglades,” Kimberly said as they walked to her room.
“Yep. I got that one almost as soon as I tried out for the teams.”
“Well, Ethan and Everglades does have some nice alliteration going for it.”
He snorted. “I’m not sure the guys in BUD/S gave a shit about that. But you’re right,” he said as they walked into her room. Kim sank down onto the edge of the bed while Ethan stayed closer to her doorway. She knew he was trying to give her space and appreciated it. She never felt uncomfortable when he was around though—just completely safe.
“What did Blake want to talk to the rest of your team about?” she asked.
Ethan’s dark eyes narrowed. “He’s going to tell them about the man you thought you saw earlier—the guy missing part of his ear.”
Kim bit her lip but nodded. If he somehow had gotten here on base or worked here or whatnot, it would be better for all of Ethan’s friends to know about him. That didn’t make it any less mortifying though.
“It’s just for your safety,” Ethan assured her in a low voice. The deep timbre of his words soothed her. Somehow, she would always associate his voice with safety. Maybe because he’d chased after her in the darkness that night. She couldn’t see him and had been frightened beyond words, but Ethan had been there every step of the way, his calm assurances comforting her. “It’s better for the team to be aware since he had such a distinguishing feature. It’s unlikely he’s anywhere near here, sweetheart. But I feel better that Raptor is filling them in.”
SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4) Page 10