Without a Trace
Page 11
Speaking of the hike, they needed to get moving. He shouldn’t have slept this long, but his body had given out on him. He didn’t know how much of a head start they had on the kidnappers, but he had no doubt they’d be coming for them. He’d killed three of their men. They’d want revenge.
His sole focus was getting Amelia safely to the airport and flying her the hell out of this God forsaken country. She’d probably argue with him about abandoning her duties, but the way he figured it, all bets were off. She’d been abducted and tossed into a rustic prison. The staff at the hospital she’d been assigned to had been massacred. As far as he was concerned, her mission was complete. He prayed she felt the same way.
A soft sigh and the cool hand on his stomach made him forget all about his various aches and pains. Amelia was curled up beside him, sound asleep. His body was now fully awake and throbbing. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. She was the most incredible woman he’d ever met. Though she wasn’t one of his coworkers, she was as strong and capable as Maggie McQueen, as tough and fearless as Kayla Hepburn. He trusted her to have his back.
He watched her reaction when she started to wake. It would be impossible for her to miss the massive erection the black boxer briefs couldn’t begin to contain. He didn’t remember undressing, so she must’ve removed his clothes to make him comfortable. And…there it was. Her blue eyes widened and then flew to his.
He wasn’t even embarrassed. She did this to him.
It wasn’t the first time he’d awoken to Amelia in his arms. She’d spent many nights with him while he was recovering from the bomb blast. They binge watched television shows and caught up on recent movies, all the while talking and laughing. There was lots of laughter. She had an incredible sense of humor. They talked about their families. His mum would love her, and he told her so. It brought a sweet blush to her cheeks. He’d vowed then and there to get her to Australia to meet his family. She told him about her parents—both doctors—who retired to an island off the coast of South Carolina but ended up opening a clinic to cater to the people on the island. The love she felt for them was obvious and he had no doubt they were proud of her. She was an only child like him, though he did have stepbrothers. They’d love her, too. Nigel and William would nudge each other and giggle, all the while they’d be envious of their elder sibling for snagging the most fetching woman on the planet.
After their long nights, she’d end up in the bed beside him and they’d fall asleep cuddled together. Even injured, she’d caused the same reaction in him, but he’d been able to hide it with strategically arranged covers. There was no hiding it now.
He felt like he’d been searching for Amelia his entire life. The perfect woman who challenged him, set his pulse racing and made his heart happy. Suddenly he couldn’t wait any longer. He slid his arms along her sides and brought her on top of him. Then he used his hand to anchor her head in place while he feasted on her lips. She tasted like sunshine and happiness. Like the very essence of life. The soft moan almost did him in, but he resisted rolling her over and sliding into her…for now. His fingers curled into her hair and he was the one groaning when she rocked against him. Oh hell, he almost lost it. He had just enough rational thought left to ask about the man they’d rescued from the cell. He was almost past the point of caring, but he knew Amelia wouldn’t want an audience. She wasn’t the exhibitionist type.
“I sedated him a couple of hours ago so he’d rest,” she said before attacking his mouth again. Wyatt tugged the hem of her shirt, dragging it up her body. She lifted up enough for him to pull it off. The bra came next and he groaned. This close, there was just enough light for him to see her. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured, fingering the dusky pink tips. A startled gasp escaped her lips when he flipped them over so he could feast on her perfect breasts.
“Wyatt, wait.”
He dropped his forehead against hers. It might well do him in, but if she wanted him to stop, he’d stop.
“I don’t want you to stop.” Apparently, he’d said the words aloud. “But you’re still recovering from serious injuries, not to mention being shot and a rough trek through the jungle yesterday carrying another human being, for crying out loud. Your body needs rest.”
He lifted his head to gaze into her eyes. “Babe, the only thing my body needs is you.” He backed up the words by rocking his pelvis against her core, causing her to shudder. Then he kissed her again, luxuriating in the delightful press of her lips against his. He blazed a path down her neck to taste first one breast, giving it the proper attention it deserved, and then the other. She thrashed against him, her hands anchoring his head in place.
He wanted to go slow. Explore all the dips and valleys of her body, but he couldn’t wait a second longer. Levering off her, he eased her panties down and then ripped off his boxer briefs. With a solid thrust, he slid inside, his eyes rolling back in his head at the exquisite feel of her body intimately gripping his. She gasped at the sensations and arched against him.
Wyatt’s eyes popped open. One of the reasons the feelings were so intense was because there was nothing between them at all—including a condom. “Bloody hell, Amelia, I’m so sorry.” He started to pull out.
Her nails clawed his back and her heels dug into his buttocks, securing him in place. “Don’t you dare leave me, Wyatt.”
“Condom,” he gritted out, sweat breaking out on his forehead from the effort it took not to move. “Don’t have one with—”
“It’s okay,” she said, tapping a finger against his lips to silence him. Then her hand curled against his cheek. “I have an implant and I’m clean.”
Her words unleashed his control. “I’m clean, too…as you know since you’re my doctor.” He shoved his arms under her legs and draped her knees over his forearms, opening her to him. Then his body took over. He stroked into her in long, powerful glides. He’d never felt anything as incredible as the sensations that engulfed him in intense waves. He couldn’t hold back. One teensy part of his brain told him to be gentle, treat her like the priceless work of art she was, but his baser instincts had him giving her everything he had, every bit of his passion. He was blind with need, racing towards a bottomless cliff without a parachute.
#
If Amelia was asleep, she didn’t want to wake up. This was the best dream ever. Wyatt Hollister was making love to her and it was everything she’d dreamed and so much more. First, he’d kissed the ever-loving daylights out of her. Wow. It’d been all she could do to keep up. Then he proceeded to worship her from head to toe before joining their bodies together in sublime ecstasy. All it took was him sliding into her, all massively huge and tantalizingly hot, and she was flying apart into a million tiny shards. The event was so blissfully rapturous, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to find all the parts to piece back together.
She loved that he hadn’t treated her like a delicate flower. She so wasn’t. She didn’t want to be coddled and swaddled in bubble wrap. She wanted everything he had to give, every bit of his unchecked lust. He’d released his wild side and she loved him for it. Having no barrier between them made the experience even more extraordinary. She might be sore from the encounter—Wyatt was huge everywhere—but it was so worth it to experience Wyatt Hollister unleashed.
Good grief, she only thought she was in love with him before. Now she was sure of the feelings. It might be the effects of a spectacular sex fog but knowing how well they fit together was the last piece of the puzzle, one she could no longer deny. Love. She loved him.
He collapsed on top of her as if his arms couldn’t hold him any longer. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight, their bodies still joined. What a perfect world if they could stay like this forever, their harsh breaths mingling, their hearts beating in sync.
She gasped and clutched him tighter when he suddenly flipped them over until she was on top.
“Sorry,” he mumbled sleepily. “Didn’t mean to crush you.”
She rested her head on his broad chest, the steady beat of his heart lulling her into a deep sleep.
#
Wyatt sifted his fingers through Amelia’s silky hair, reveling the feel of the golden tresses as they brushed against his skin. It felt surreal to have her lying against him, skin to skin. How many nights had he fantasized about this very thing? Too many to count.
Though he didn’t have a watch, he pegged it as the middle of the day judging from the light outside. They needed to get moving and put more distance between them and the group chasing them. He hoped they’d stopped to rest, too.
Maybe it was a good strategy spending most of the day hidden away in the cave. It’d throw their pursuers off course. He definitely needed the break. Amelia had checked on the patient and though he was still unconscious, his vitals were good, but he needed sleep, too.
It would take all his strength to protect Amelia and that meant a well-rested body. The thought of her being tossed in the cell all alone and frightened made his gut tighten. As did the flashback to the scene he’d stumbled upon. “I was so damn scared when I arrived at the hospital and found the carnage.”
Her head whipped up from where she’d been cuddled against his chest. “What are you talking about? What carnage?”
She didn’t know. Damn. Wyatt studied her face, wondering if he should add more worry to her shoulders.
“Wyatt? Answer me. What carnage?”
He shouldn’t have said anything. With a resigned sigh, he told her everything. “When I arrived at the hospital, there were two women inside. They’d been murdered.”
Amelia shot straight up and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Two women?” At his nod of confirmation, she asked, “What did they look like?”
“One was African American with short silver hair. Mid-fifties, I’d guess.”
“Ieshia,” she murmured. “She ran the hospital and lived there full time. I just met her, but she was sweet and kind. She didn’t deserve to die. She devoted her life to the people who call the rainforest home.” She swallowed heavily. “What about the other one?”
“She was younger, maybe late twenties or early thirties with black hair.”
“That could be either Jody or Marin. Did you get a look at her face?”
He grimaced. There hadn’t been much of a face left. Amelia read his expression, her mouth tightening in sadness. She cleared her throat. “Just the two?”
“Yeah. I cleared the place. There was no one else. How was it that you were away when it happened?” And thank God for that.
She collapsed on top of him, as if her muscles couldn’t hold her up any longer. “A boy came to the hospital. His mother was in labor and she sent him to us. Marin, one of the nurses, asked me to accompany her since the pregnancy had been difficult for the woman. It was touch and go, but the mother delivered a healthy baby girl. As we were getting the mother settled, a young girl asked me for assistance with her father. He’d cut himself deeply. I went to tend to him while Marin finished with the new mother and baby. She was supposed to join me, but she didn’t show. I returned to the hut where we delivered the baby and they said she left right after I did. I couldn’t find her anywhere, so I had to make the trip back to the hospital by myself. The boy who came to get us led me back. As I approached the building, I could tell something was wrong. The air felt, I don’t know, evil, I guess. It’s a strange thing to say, but it was as if the particles were shifting and malice hung heavy in the air. I thanked the boy and sent him away. Before I could investigate, someone hit me on the head, and I woke up in the cell.”
“They hit you?” Wyatt couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice. He wanted to make the bastards pay for laying a hand on her. His fingers gingerly probed her scalp, finding a small knot. “Does it hurt?”
“A little, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“That I don’t doubt,” he murmured. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”
“Please,” she scoffed. “Have you seen Maggie take on the other agents in the boxing ring? That girl packs a mean right hook. Or Kayla? She could single-handedly take down an Army of soldiers without breaking a nail. And no doubt has in the past.”
Wyatt sucked in a breath. Maggie. And Kayla. Oh, damn, he’d forgotten all about them. “Uh, Amelia? I might need protection when we return to the compound.” And they would return.
“Why would you need protection? Everyone loves you.”
“Not everyone. I sorta ditched your two enforcers.”
“Enforcers…oh, you mean Mags and Kayla?”
“Yeah, them. I might’ve neglected to let them know I’d be gone for few days.”
She whistled softly. “Not a smart move, Wyatt.”
“Tell me about it.” He’d deal with those two later. They might bark at him, but they’d never bite. Besides, they had more urgent worries to deal with first. “Anyway, about you being the strongest woman I’ve ever met, I don’t just mean tough in the physical sense. To do the job you do, and do it so well, that takes a different kind of strength.”
He felt her sigh as a breath across his stomach. “It’s hard sometimes. I love medicine and taking care of people, but there are parts that are almost too difficult to face, things you don’t think about when you’re young and dream of being a physician. Telling a family they lost a loved one, oh God, especially a child. Delivering a frightening diagnosis. Watching people refuse life-saving treatment because they can’t afford to pay. They’re gut-wrenching. Luke and Logan’s offer was perfect for me. I wouldn’t say I was burned out, but I was disillusioned—no, more like disheartened. Now I just have to make sure you adrenalin junkies stay healthy.”
He chuckled. “A momentous task, that.”
“Tell me about it.” Her head came up again. “How did they capture you? I can’t imagine anyone getting the jump on you.”
“I was scouring the inside of the hospital looking for you. I found your luggage, so I knew you’d been there but there was no sign of you. I started to dial the office to have one of the techs trace your phone. I was blind with worry and didn’t even hear them come up behind me.”
“Did the call go through.”
“No, and they took my phone and my watch with the panic button. The worst part is, no one even knows I’m here.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Not even Grant or Sawyer?”
“No. I told them I was visiting a friend, just not which one.”
Her head tilted to the side. “Why not?”
Because I wouldn’t have been able to hide the fact that I’m madly in love with you from my best friends. “I don’t know.” Thankfully she didn’t probe for a better answer.
“I talked to Maggie as soon as I landed and told her I wasn’t sure how often I’d be able to call and check in. She won’t be worried about me for several days.”
None of his coworkers would be worried either since he hadn’t given anyone an itinerary. “What about the people who operate Doctors International? Won’t they check in or something?”
Amelia shoved upright. “With everything that happened, I completely forgot.”
The outline of her body had his hardening again and he had to concentrate hard to focus. “Forgot what?”
“Donald Bainbridge, the grandson of Doctors International’s founder, sat next to me on the plane. From what I could tell at the orientation session, he’s the black sheep of the family. His grandfather founded the charity and his father and older brother are both doctors and h
elped grow the organization. Donald’s title is public relations director, but he’s an arrogant, self-entitled, pompous brat, if you ask me. His older brother Warren is strange, too. Anyway, when I made it clear Donald’s advances weren’t welcome, he got up and stormed off. They handed out bags of supplies at the orientation and in his huff, he grabbed mine. I didn’t notice until I arrived at the hospital. Ieshia thought I might be able to catch him before his plane took off since we hadn’t heard it leave. I hurried to find him but as I neared the airport, I saw him talking with a man surrounded by armed guards. It made my skin prickle, so I hid and started filming it on my phone. He gave the man a briefcase of money and the man instructed his goons to bring a box to him. He opened it and there were small bags inside. Donald tested the product and approved, so they loaded the plane with several more boxes.”
“Son of a bitch,” Wyatt said. “He’s using the charity to run drugs.”
“It appears so. But in the middle of the exchange, his phone rang. I swear he looked right at me, but I was hidden from view. Still, it was enough to spook me. I eased away and headed back to the hospital. I found a spot in the jungle to hide and go through his bag. I found a notebook detailing his operation. It’s not confined to Santigo, Wyatt. He has contacts all over the world. I didn’t have time to check, but I would bet they are all locations where Doctors International serves. There were dates, names and places with money exchanged and how much product and it was not only what he was buying but the distribution chain in the United States, too.”
“He keeps a hard copy, so he doesn’t leave a digital footprint,” he guessed. “Once you put something on the internet, it’s there forever and it can be traced.”
“That’s what I figured, too. I took pictures of the pages and then stuffed the notebook back inside the bag. When I returned to the hospital, I told Ieshia and the others that I couldn’t find him. Then I downloaded the video and pictures on a thumb drive and hid it in the bedroom before wiping the evidence from my phone. I didn’t know who I could trust because I’m pretty sure someone tipped him off.”