by Amy McKinley
He gave a wary nod.
Her lips twitched. “I have no idea where she came from, but she saved me from being chased by one of the guerrillas. So what could I do when she gave me an ultimatum to return the favor? The alternative was getting shot. It wasn’t ideal, but she assured me you would help me get out of this place safely. She knew your general location. Imagine my surprise when it was you hanging from the tree.”
His gaze stayed riveted on her face, and he fought the urge to reach out to her. “She did, huh? What did she tell you about me?” His voice sounded harder than he would’ve liked. No matter what she told him, he still searched for the truth behind her words. He hunted for anything that would be the key to unlocking his past. As for being his wife, he’d trust in the reactions they had to each other, and in her word.
“Not much. Although, it’s apparent you’ve met before, or at least you worked together. How else would she know where you were?”
Hannah had to be involved in why he was here and why he was injured. Where does that place Mari? “There is that. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she knew where I landed.”
Shrugging a shoulder, she remained stoic, her expression giving nothing away. “Yeah, well, that crossed my mind too, but I have no idea. All I know is that she told me to get you back to health, and you’d help me escape. As your wife, I’d hope you’ll honor that.” Under her breath, she whispered, “Unlike before.”
At her words, his attention sharpened. Did she tell me this before? “Where was it you’d planned to go?”
“Across the border. Anywhere that’s far away from here. I’m done with this place.” Sadness and bitterness coated her words, even though it appeared that she tried to bite them back.
“Care to share why you’re in the jungle, alone?”
“Care to share where you were?” Pressing her lips into a firm line, she glared at him. She slipped her hand around her back and raised an eyebrow at him.
Anger pricked him at her softly spoken question. He knew she had a gun there, where her hand was around her back. Un-freaking-believable. “Why would I threaten my wife? I have no intention of harming you in any way. Answers are the only thing I want right now, Mari.”
She waited a moment before she nodded.
“I need to figure out how Hannah knew where to find me.”
“I have no idea. I’d never met her before she helped me.”
A dark cloud sailed into his thoughts and conjured a fierce frown on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mari shift uneasily.
“If she’d told me anything about you, what reason would I have to hide that?” Mari challenged.
Silence fell around them. The only noise came from the incessant buzz of insects. She knew something else, and he could sense it.
The battle that waged across her features saddened him. Am I one of the reasons she had originally fled her home? It didn’t add up. But still, badgering her with questions seemed too much of a gamble, at least just then. He chose to follow his instincts where she was concerned and trust in the awakening feelings he had for her, even if he didn’t understand them. Because if they were married, he knew there was no way he’d willingly leave this woman, unless something had physically kept him away. Too much about her feisty personality appealed to him.
In contrast, nothing appealed to him about Hannah. He remembered the moment she hovered over him in the canoe. There was an animosity between them. There was history, possibly deadly history, given how he’d reacted. He’d have to figure out more about the connection between Hannah and Mari. With the way Mari spoke of her, he had to assume a connection existed. “Mari, I’m not upset with you. It’s the thought of the danger you were in that bothers me.”
A small smile touched her lips, and he watched the pulse in her neck speed up ever so slightly. He rubbed at his forehead in an attempt to ease the pounding pain that occurred when he tried to force himself to remember his past.
“Hey. Stop trying so hard. I’m sorry I can’t fill in more blanks for you. I’m sure it’ll come back, probably when you least expect it.” She stood and closed the distance between them. “Are you feeling better?”
He grunted just before she lightly touched his forehead.
“Good, the fever is gone.”
“What happened to make you want to run away?”
She flashed him a sad smile as she lightly traced the side of his face. “So much time had passed. If things hadn’t gone south while I lived with my aunt... But that’s what happened, and it was time to leave. There was nothing there for me anymore. After everything I’d been through, I just...” She shook her head. “My life became mine alone, not for a man to own.”
“I’d never own you, Mari. Where’re you getting that?” Unease made him lightheaded. There was a story behind her words, one he didn’t think he’d known about during their time together. What’d happened to her after they’d parted ways?
“That’s a story for another time. Are you hungry? We have some of that dried meat left, or MREs, and I can pick some berries.” Rooting around in the pack, she pulled out the plastic bag that held the jerky.
Seconds passed while he debated pushing her, but instead he gave her space with the change in conversation. “I’m starving. But not for that.” He shoved himself to his feet and swayed a little. Shock and fear rounded Mari’s eyes as his action leached the color from her face. He knew his height and size were intimidating, and for some reason him looming over her set her fear loose. Why?
She inched back, her fingers grazing the hilt of a knife. “Easy.” Cautious words stirred Mari from her near panic, and she blinked several times. In slow increments, the color returned to her features.
“I’m going to go out and get us something fresh to eat. Hand me that knife, will you?”
Curling her hand around the knife strapped to her thigh, she withdrew it and handed it to him hilt first.
His raised eyebrows were the only thing indicating he was aware it was his.
“Are you sure you’re well enough to do this? Concussions aren’t something to mess around with.” She waved her hand at him. “And you’re still black and blue.”
He cast her a reassuring glance before he parted the branches and stepped out of their hiding place. The light rustling behind him indicated that she’d followed him. “You could build the fire pit while I’m hunting.”
“Why would we risk a fire?”
He waited for her to stand by him before he walked over to the area he had in mind. “This is a little different. It’s called a Dakota Fire Pit. It’s what’s used when in enemy territory, and it’s relatively safe.” He knelt not too far from the tree and waved her over. Once she joined him, he cut the top portion of the ground away and dug it out, placing it at the base of the tree so they could put it back when they wanted to hide the evidence of being there. The diameter was about ten inches. The air tunnel leading out would need to be ten inches from the pit.
As he talked to her, he dug the main hole for the fire pit. “It burns hotter than a regular fire. With it being under the tree, the leaves will disperse any smoke that’s created. While I’m gone, if you can dig the air tunnel, starting from that point over there, that would be great. Fill the pit with some kindling, but not too full.” Handing her a curved, wide stick, Chris showed her how to dig the air tunnel. Once she looked like she had it under control, he left their camp perimeter to hunt.
With his usual stealth, something he’d come to realize he did without conscious thought, he slipped back into the slight clearing by their fort. Dizziness and nausea still hounded him, but he could do it, if only for a short period of time.
It didn’t take too long—maybe about an hour—for him to find game, kill it, and butcher it. As he made his way back to her, he slowed to a stop along the border of their camp near the river. Just for a moment, he paused to watch her.
Mari had her back to him, her long hair unbraided and falling to an inch or two above her wa
ist. She’d combed it out, and it shimmered in the early light.
His gaze lingered on her as he made his way to the fire pit he’d partially dug. She was lovely. As she stood from the riverbed, turned, and made her way back to where they were camping, his muscles locked down from the expression on her face. She hadn’t seen him. Because of that, he witnessed her unguarded demeanor. Fear pulled her features taut. A sixth sense told him there was more to the story she’d told him.
What surprises should I expect?
Chapter 9
Chris
Chris ran his hands over his face and tried to scrub the sleep away. Another night had passed, and he was feeling marginally better from his injuries. Not a hundred percent, but given the terrain, that wasn’t to be expected. A sound of frustration from Mari had him looking over at her as she worked a knot out of her hair. With deft fingers, she braided the thick strands. He couldn’t stop looking at her, every chance he got.
They’d shared a kiss. If he could remember any others, he’d swear it was unlike any he’d experienced before. Out from beneath the mosquito net, he waved away a few pesky insects. The heat was already unbearable, giving a clear sign that the afternoon would be brutal. At least their hiding place offered shade, and the nearby river was a modicum of relief if they chose to risk lying in it.
They munched on the bananas and berries they’d gathered for breakfast. It wasn’t enough, but it would have to do. He could only manage hunting once yesterday. The new day would be better.
“Do you think we can leave today? We have the canoe… It wouldn’t be too difficult to ride in there for as far as we can.” Mari tugged on her braid before flinging it over her shoulder and straightening her spine.
In two strides, he was at the small opening they used to go in and out of their shelter. Tension crackled as he checked the grounds he could see for any movement. Looking over his shoulder, he caught her studying him. The more he moved about, the more she’d stumble or her posture would stiffen. It didn’t add up.
Rather than rub his aching forehead, he kept his hand at his side. She’d caught him doing that too often—it was his tell for attempting to remember. Even so, he tried over and over again to piece together who he was, why he was there, and what Mari and he had meant to each other once. An impenetrable wall blocked him, but determination shot through him. He’d break it down. As for the way he moved and the precautions he took, that came naturally. As did handling weapons—they were an extension of him. That told him something. It had to.
His lips twitched as he took in Mari’s stance. She looked like a rabbit, frozen and trying not to attract attention. It was time to peel back some of her layers. “Tell me something about our past, about how we met.”
The slight lift of her shoulders was the only movement she made. “I lived in Venezuela, and you were there on holiday, in Caracas. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew my world was about to change.” She grinned. “I was walking out of a restaurant where I’d eaten with friends. The city has changed. At night, past eight, the atmosphere shifts, and fear is almost a scent in the air. That night, I was in a hurry because it was getting late.”
As she spoke, he drifted closer. “Why didn’t you stay with your friends, leave together?” A vein pulsed along his neck at the thought of the risk she’d taken.
“I wasn’t thinking, I guess. I had work in the morning and wanted to get home.” A quiet, self-mocking laugh filled the space between them. “I wore a new pair of stilettos, and they were quite high.”
He moved even closer, her voice hypnotic to his senses.
“My heel caught on the sidewalk and I would have face-planted.”
With the pads of his fingers, he glided over the soft curve of her cheek. “Would have?”
“You were there, coming from the opposite direction. You caught me.” Her voice took on a breathless quality, and her pupils dilated. “You swept me off my feet. For some reason, you always seem to be exactly where I need you, when I need you.”
The spell broke as she took a step back, and his hand fell away. He would’ve done that—caught her—but it wasn’t enough. He wanted the memories back—all of them.
“I’m going to go wash up.” Mari tried to slip past him, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“We’ll go together. I want to check the perimeter to make sure there aren’t any tracks.”
At her nod, they brushed the leaves aside and went out into the open. His gaze tracked every place he would’ve lain in wait for an ambush. When he cleared them, he did another general sweep as they walked side by side to the river.
Curiosity poked him, and he plied her for more answers. “Did we live together in Venezuela?”
She shook her head. “No, not really.” Her features hardened as she turned to him with the full weight of her stare. “It was a silly little fling, and we both got caught up in the possibilities of it. But the truth was, we were from different worlds.” She swept her hand to indicate his clothes. “You were from the U.S., and I was not. We got drunk one night, and a friend convinced us to get married. There wasn’t much needed beyond some easily acquired paperwork, and we went through with it. The problem was, we didn’t really know each other.”
Sitting back on his heels, he watched her as her face flushed with heat. Her posture and her tight lips told him she was done with the subject, but he had one more question. “And now?”
Her head jerked back. “Now, we’re both trying to survive. This time, our paths are on the same trail—one that ultimately leads to the States.”
He let it go, and they busied themselves with gathering wood for the fire, keeping their conversation light. Now and again, he rested, building his strength back up. They needed to leave, and he knew she was anxious for them to be on their way. Time moved swiftly, and before he knew it, lunch rolled around. The dizziness and nausea had decreased even more, so he went hunting, leaving Mari behind where it was relatively safe. If they were staying for even one more night, he needed to secure their area—to set up traps.
When he returned, he noticed her pinched features. Her hands were clenched on her weapons, and she had wide eyes. For all of her fierceness and bravado, her nerves got the best of her when he was away. The only thing he could do to ease her stress was to behave as if he didn’t struggle constantly with his lost past. He acted as though he accepted they were in the jungle together, and he gave her the support as her husband that she obviously needed.
“I’m back.” He grinned. “Check out what we’re eating, probably for dinner, too.”
Mari jumped. His voice caught her off guard, and her brows furrowed in irritation. “How is it that such a big man moves without sound?”
He waited for her to get her racing pulse under control before she realized what he’d caught, carried, fileted, and wrapped inside several banana leaves.
Her mouth dropped open. “That’s a lot of meat. What is that? Wild pig? Is that what that is?”
He laughed, and at his nod, she rushed forward to take a couple of the already-filleted pieces from his hands. “How did you catch it, and where did you butcher it?”
“No need to worry.” Amusement colored his words at her concern. It seemed to go against his nature not to take precautions. “I fileted it down by the river a ways then buried the remains. We’re good.” He set the rest down so he could get the fire going.
After picking up several green sticks they’d debarked and sharpened at the ends, she pierced the filets in a kabob. They placed the spitted meat over the high-temperature fire to cook.
Chris lowered himself next to her and pressed a kiss on her cheek. He monitored the food, turning it every so often. “I checked for any signs of people and didn’t notice anyone had come close to us. So far, we seem to be okay. But staying here too long is really risking detection. It’s been four days, and I’m healed enough. We should head out, at most, by tomorrow.”
Her smile stretched wide before she glanced behind her at the
shelter they’d been living in. “I have no idea why I’m sad to leave this place. It’s an inferno, and I do want to get out of here as fast as we can.”
“Probably because it’s been relatively quiet so far, and you’re feeling safe.”
She’d slowly let her guard down around him. They were making progress and establishing trust. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for her to travel through this jungle alone, because it would test a seasoned soldier’s resolve.
She leaned against him, heedless of the body heat they shared, which only amplified the high temperatures and humidity around them. Over the time they’d spent together, he noticed that his presence reduced her anxiety, and he liked it when she was close. That was all she’d give him, though. Maybe a kiss. If their intimacy went any further, she’d pull back with a guarded expression.
“I’m sure you’re right. I want to get out of here, to cross the border. I think I’m just afraid of what we’ll encounter.”
With another turn of the spit, he faced her and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Something about her brought out a fierce protectiveness in him. Of course, she was his wife, and that was only natural. “I’ll be by your side, Mari. We’re in this together.”
Lines appeared between her brows. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, really. Just the usual—I’m trying to figure out why I’m here and what it was that I was doing.”
She slipped her hand behind him and rubbed his back in a circular caress. “I’ve wondered that myself, many times, but whatever the reason, it’s probably best left alone. This place is dangerous. We’ll be lucky if we get out alive.”
“Sweetheart, I’m dangerous.”
“Well, yeah.”
Her eyes widened, and Chris grimaced. “Not to you, only to anyone who tries to hurt you. Try not to worry too much. I’m always assessing our situation. We’ll get out of here alive.” He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him. “I promise.”