Olivia didn’t respond. She just sat there, staring back at him. Jake hated that he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
He watched as her chest rose, her lungs slowly filling with air. She looked as though she wanted to say something meaningful, but instead, she laughed it off nervously.
“Yeah, well, how’d that work out for ya?”
Damn. She’d been on the cusp of revealing something big. Jake was certain of it. Whatever it was, Olivia wasn’t quite ready to share.
Going along with her flippant attitude, he joked back, “Not very well, apparently. Of course, you never could stay out of trouble for very long.”
She gave him an adorable smile and looked down at her lap. It reminded him of when they hung out back home, and he’d tease her about something. Speaking of home—
“We should get some more rest. I want to move out of here in a few hours.”
“Okay.” She started to lean back and close her eyes, but then spun her head around and grabbed his forearm. “Wait! I can’t believe I haven’t asked before now. Where are we? Exactly, I mean. I know we have to be pretty far from Toamasina because I studied a map of Madagascar a little before coming here. If I remember right, there was a large jungle area to the south of the city and another one on the opposite side of the country. Which one is this?”
Jake paused briefly, unsure of how she’d react to what he was about to tell her. “Neither, actually. We’re in the southwest region of Venezuela.”
She looked at him as if he’d grown two heads. “Venezuela? As in, South America?”
Jake nodded. “We’re in an unpopulated area east of the Rio Caproni River. It’s safe to assume the men who took you drugged you, and then flew here while you were unconscious.”
He didn’t allow himself to picture Olivia so completely defenseless at the hands of such monsters. If he did, Jake knew he’d fucking lose it.
“W-who are they?”
Jake’s gut reaction was to lie. His visceral need to protect this woman was fierce and powerful. It had been the driving force behind every decision he’d ever made when it came to her. Not because he didn’t think Olivia could handle the shit life threw out, but because Jake didn’t want her to have to.
There were plenty of lies he’d have to answer for later, but he’d be damned if he was going to keep adding to that already fucked-up list. That shit stopped now.
“The men who took you are part of the Cetro Cartel. I believe the one you call Scarface is Javier Cetro, the group’s leader. As for the why…cartels are ruthless, Liv. Guess I don’t have to tell you that, though, do I?”
“No.” She looked at him in earnest. “No, you don’t.”
“You mentioned an auction. These guys deal with all kinds of trafficking. Drugs, weapons…”
“Human,” she finished for him.
Jake gave her a single nod. “My guess is you were the only one in the group who fit what they were looking for.”
“Lucky me,” she whispered.
It still gutted him to think of how close she came to being sold. Too close, baby. Way too fucking close.
For a solid minute, all he heard was her breathing. When it slowed to a steadier pace, she asked, “So, the hotel you mentioned. Where is it located?”
“Near the town of Uriman. It’s on the other side of the Rio Caproni. A boat will be waiting to take us over, and then, we’ll meet the team at the hotel.”
“So, we’re what, taking the scenic route there?” She forced a smile.
Jake smiled back, but only for her benefit. “That’s one way to put it.”
Scenic, his ass. Thanks to the two fucknuts who’d chased them, they’d been forced to travel south from Cetro’s camp and then west. The complete opposite direction of Jake’s team and their chopper.
Before stopping for the night, they’d changed course and had moved north for about two hours. Tomorrow, they’d turn and travel back east, toward the river. Jake just prayed they’d be able to make it there without incident.
“So, your guys were going to go back to your helicopter and fly it to Uriman, but what about Coop? He was the one who got shot, right?”
Jake schooled his expression. Sean knew what he was signing up for, as they all did. That still didn’t keep Jake from feeling guilty as fuck that the guy had been injured on his watch.
“We flew over on a private jet. Coop, and I’m assuming one of the others, would’ve used that to get back to the States, where he could be treated.” She still looked weary, so he added, “We have protocols in place for this sort of thing, Liv. I’m sure he’s fine.”
They sat silently in the quiet night. Jake was just beginning to think Olivia had fallen asleep when heard a soft, “Thank you”.
He turned his head, looking at her questioningly. “For what?”
“For being honest with me. For not sheltering me from the truth. I know you always think you need protect me, but something like this…I needed to know the truth. So, thank you.”
Jake sensed more than saw her shivering again. Without a word, he opened his arms as he’d done earlier, and she scooted in against him once more. He ignored the magnetic pulse from where her body met his, and tried to forget how good it felt to hold her like a lover would. To kiss her like he had every right to.
“I know this is a lot to take in, Liv. You doing okay?”
He felt her nod against his chest. “Yeah. Thanks, Jake.”
Tipping his chin, he kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek there. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.”
Chapter 11
Olivia woke with a start to find Jake crouched in front of her, whispering her name. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up straighter.
“Jake? What’s wrong? Did I have another nightmare? I’m sorry—”
He shook his head, his eyes alert and focused. “You didn’t have a bad dream. I heard something, and need to go check it out.”
She got up, her movements stiff from both sleep and sore muscles. Jake stood with her. The way he was looking toward the raised ground behind her was frightening.
“Is it them?” Olivia didn’t care whether or not he could tell she was scared.
“That’s what I need to find out. Here.”
She glanced down at the small, black gun he was holding out for her.
“Take it.”
Olivia looked back up at him, not moving a muscle toward the weapon. She’d noticed the extra pistol holstered to the side of his leg yesterday, but never dreamed she’d ever have the need to hold it, let alone possibly fire it at someone.
“No. I…I want to go with you.”
“Sweetheart, listen to me. I need to know if it’s them, and I can’t be distracted because I’m worried about whether or not you’re safe. That happens, I run the risk of getting killed, and I am no good to you dead. If I know you’re hidden here and able to protect yourself, I can do what needs to be done to make sure we’re both safe.”
His words sent a shockwave of panic through her system. Memories from the day before assaulted her. Jake leaving her behind that large bush. Gunshots and explosions. The flashbacks and her overwhelming fear.
Olivia didn’t want to go through all of that again, but Jake was right. He needed to be one hundred percent focused on what he was doing. If he got killed because he was worried about her, she’d never be able to live with herself.
Ignoring her fear, she took the gun from his hand. Between her dad and Mikey, she’d learned at a fairly early age the proper way to handle and respect a weapon.
“Safety?”
Relief filled his eyes, and his muscles relaxed. “Here. It’s on. Just flip this down. The mag is full, and there’s already one in the chamber, so it’s ready to shoot. I’m going to climb up this way and check things out. If you see anyone who isn’t me, do not hesitate to pull that trigger. Got it?”
“Okay.” Her confirmation came out a lot shakier than she liked.
“Just make sure you
don’t shoot me,” Jake added with a wink.
Lightning fast, he wrapped his free hand around the base of her neck and kissed her forehead. He was gone before she could react.
Forcing long, slow breaths into her lungs, Olivia stood still, listening for any sign that Jake was in danger. It was impressive how silently he moved.
He was up there, somewhere behind the tree, yet the only thing she heard was the occasional chirp or click from bugs and other critters she had no desire to get to know.
The longer she waited, the more nervous she got. For just a moment, Olivia considered going up there to check on him, but given the way she’d reacted when he snuck up on her last time, she was afraid she’d accidentally shoot him. The fear of that happening kept her where she stood. Frozen…again.
Other, unwelcomed memories swirled. Horrifying images kept popping into her brain, and the fear clawing its way through her body felt as fresh as the day it all happened.
No! Not this time.
Olivia blinked the images away. She had to stay alert and focused, and stop thinking of all the things she couldn’t change. Things she didn’t try to stop.
Damn it, Bradshaw, this isn’t helping Jake! And he was what mattered, now. He was all that mattered, and she refused to let him down, too.
A few minutes passed before she heard someone walking close by. She glanced around, but couldn’t see any movement.
After putting the gun in her left hand, Olivia wiped the sweaty palm of her right one onto Jake’s boxers. Then, just like Pops and Mikey had taught her, she took her stance and pointed the weapon toward the direction of the sound.
Keeping her finger off the trigger, Olivia held her breath as the footfalls became more prominent. Her heart felt like a jackhammer, pounding against the inner walls of her chest.
This was it.
If she saw anyone other than Jake, she’d be forced to shoot. Could she do it? Could she take a life when she’d vowed years ago to do all she could to save them?
Yes. The answer came instantly and without question. She would kill in a heartbeat, if it meant saving Jake.
A dark figure stepped around the base of the tree, and Olivia’s trigger finger twitched a millisecond before she saw Jake’s face.
He still had his gun in his hand but holstered it as he walked toward her, which meant there was no immediate threat.
She sighed loudly, her shoulders sagging with relief. Her hand shook as she flipped the safety back on and lowered her weapon, the solace she felt from knowing he was all right mixed with the stream of other emotions. As her internal fight to regain control continued, Olivia did her best to school her expression, praying Jake couldn’t see just how completely messed up she’d become.
“We’re clear.” Jake secured the snap on his holster. “It was just an animal. I saw a few small tracks in the dirt close by, but none were human.”
Olivia gave him what looked like a forced smile. “Good. That’s good,” she answered too quickly.
Jake swung his legs over one of the large roots. Hating the fear in her eyes, he asked, “You okay?”
Moving toward her, he zeroed in on the way she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. As he got closer, he noticed her entire body was shaking as she fought for control.
Swearing under his breath, he closed the distance between them. In a series of swift moves, he took the gun from her hand, checked the safety, and secured it in his tactical thigh holster. Then, he pulled her into his arms.
“I’m sorry I left you alone.”
Jake had thought it was the right decision, but fuck-all if he even knew what that was anymore.
Olivia hugged him back at first, but then abruptly pushed against his chest and backed away. “I’m fine.”
Jake frowned, the move and her sharp tone taking him completely off guard. He could practically see the wall she was putting up between them, and damn if that didn’t hurt.
He tried not to take it personally. Olivia had seen and experienced things no person should ever have to, and her emotions were probably all over the fucking map. Rightfully so, but still—
“You sure you’re okay? Because you seem kind of—”
“Just let it go, Jake,” she snapped, before adding a quiet, “Please.” The pain in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Ah, baby. She was hurting, and Jake wished like hell there was something he could do to make it better for her. Maybe there was.
“Look, Liv. I know it’s not easy, but I really think talking about what happened to you and your friends would help.”
She lifted her stubborn chin and looked him straight in the eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Damn it, she needed to. Easier said than done, though. Jake got it. Didn’t like it, but he got it.
Changing the subject, he said, “I know we’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep, but,” he nodded towards her wrapped feet, “if you feel up to it, it would be to our advantage to start moving now, rather than waiting until the sun is fully up. According to the map D gave us, there’s a cave along the way. We could use that to take a break from the sun and still make it into town by this evening.”
With that adorable chin still in the air, Olivia gave him a clipped, “Okay.”
Jake stared at her for another moment before grabbing his pack from the ground. Pulling out two protein bars, he tossed one to her. “Here. We’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us. We’ll need the energy.”
They both ate quickly and took turns with the canteen. Knowing she would still be sore this morning, Jake handed Olivia some ibuprofen before putting everything back into his bag and slipping his arms through its padded straps.
“We should be able to find some more water along the way.”
Her single nod only added to Jake’s frustration. She was definitely closing herself off. He just wished he knew why.
There was no way he’d misread her. Jake had never claimed to be an expert on women, but he could sure as hell tell when one was interested in him.
Even now, the interest was still there, hiding behind that damn wall she’d erected. What he didn’t understand, was why she was suddenly fighting it so much.
After a quick check to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, they each took turns relieving themselves behind a cluster of nearby trees. Afterward, they trudged on silently, both lost in their own private thoughts.
The first couple of hours seemed to drag on forever, but shortly after sunrise, it began to rain. Jake used the opportunity—and a leaf as a funnel—to fill the canteen and take a short water break. He turned, intending to hand the water to Olivia, and damn near choked when he saw her.
A clearing in the jungle’s canopy allowed the rain to fall straight down in a steady stream. Olivia stood beneath it, her head tilted back, eyes closed. She was running her fingers through her wet hair, looking just as he imagined she would while taking a shower, and…
Ho-ly-fuck! Unable to tear his eyes away, Jake stood back, soaking up the mouth-watering sight.
Water dripped from the ends of her long, dark hair. Strands of it stuck to her neck and shoulders as she smoothed some away from her forehead.
The wet t-shirt she wore clung to her breasts like a second fucking skin and, because she was braless, he could see their size and shape perfectly. Shamelessly, he wished he’d packed a white shirt, rather than the black.
Jake’s eyes slowly began to descend, and it was only by pure fucking will that he stopped himself before looking at what was below her waist.
If he caught sight of her pantyless in those wet boxers—which were white—he’d have her on the ground and be buried balls deep inside her before either of them knew what happened.
With his dick as hard as a sledgehammer, Jake pushed away his primal need to claim her. His eyes to begin their slow trail back up, pausing when they reached her chest.
Despite the fact that the rain wasn’t cold, the peaks of her nipples hardened beneath the dampened material.
Her breasts heaved forward with each breath, and Jake’s grip on the canteen tightened. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and squeeze the firm globes between his palms.
Difficult as it was, he forced his gaze to continue upward. When his eyes finally reached Olivia’s face, Jake knew he’d been caught.
He probably should’ve been embarrassed, but he wasn't. Even from a distance, Jake could see the heat flaring behind those beautiful, tormented eyes. All too soon, that heat was gone, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
Too late, baby. He’d already seen it, and it was in that moment that Jake knew.
When he finally got Olivia into his bed—and make no mistake, he would get her there—the earth wasn’t just going to move…it was going to fucking explode.
Olivia cleared her throat, and he quickly handed her the canteen. She took a few sips and gave it back to him with a murmured, “Thanks.”
Not wanting to speak, for fear he’d turn into a blubbering fool, Jake gave her a nod and put it back into his bag before moving out. They continued on in relative quiet.
The few times he did try to talk, Olivia kept her responses to short, non-elaborative answers. The farther they traveled, the more frustrated Jake got.
Olivia followed behind Jake, desperately trying to pretend that the heat from his blatant ogling hadn’t been damn near combustible. No man had ever looked at her with such pure, wanton lust.
She should be thrilled. Ecstatic, even. For years, she’d prayed to see that exact look reflected in his eyes. But now that everything was so screwed up—now that she was so screwed up—Olivia was afraid to enjoy it.
By keeping her part of the conversation to a minimum, she avoided any chance of faltering in her resolve. She’d always heard if you truly loved someone you’d want what was best for them, even if that meant letting them go.
When she was young and naïve, she’d thought it was one of the dumbest things she’d ever heard. Now, she understood it all too well. And though it might just kill her, Olivia knew she had to let Jake go.
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