She hadn’t said a word to him, but he’d understood her loud and clear. She was uneasy and scared out of her mind. She didn’t want him to touch her, and she doubted he was who he said he was. Once they were a relatively safe distance away from the rebel stronghold, he’d do what he could to reassure her on that front.
They’d been extremely lucky so far, and he didn’t want to push it. The second the embassy was open, they’d go and hopefully collect her passport and get the first flight back to Hawaii.
Phantom finally turned and watched Kalee struggle to make a decision about whether to come with him or go back inside. There was no way in hell he was going to let her go do the latter—but he wanted her to make the right decision on her own.
When she finally turned to follow him, Phantom felt as if a giant weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Then it settled right back down again. He was so proud of her, but it was unlikely that she would trust him once she learned it was his fault she’d been in the situation she was in.
When she found out that he’d had the opportunity to save her months ago, and hadn’t.
He waited until she caught up to him, then turned once more to head toward the hostel. He could’ve made it in thirty minutes, as he had on the trip out, but it was obvious Kalee wasn’t in good shape. He hadn’t missed the way she’d swayed on her feet. She was skinny, way too skinny. He’d also seen bruises on her face, in various stages of healing. That enraged him, and he’d had to force himself not to slit the throats of the two men in the room with her right then and there.
It took almost an hour to get back to the coast, partly because of the speed they were walking, but also because he’d been extra cautious. The last thing he wanted was someone seeing them and calling in the local authorities. Kalee was still wearing clothing that identified her as a rebel.
Phantom sighed in relief when the door to the hostel shut behind them. He had to force himself not to reach out and put his hand on the small of Kalee’s back to guide her. It was instinctive for him to want to protect her, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate being touched.
Gritting his teeth, he said, “My room is that way.”
She stopped in her tracks, put her back to the wall, and glared at him.
Phantom made sure to stay far enough away to avoid crowding her. “We won’t be here long,” he informed her. “Long enough for you to shower, change into some clothes I bought for you, and for me to prove to you that I am who I said I was. We need to get to the American Embassy when they open so we can pick up a replacement copy of your passport and catch a plane.”
Confusion settled in her eyes. She was still wary, and all the information he’d given her was obviously too much, too soon.
“Please, I’ll explain everything when we get inside my room. I don’t want to discuss anything out here where anyone can overhear us. I swear on my honor as a Navy SEAL that I mean you no harm. I won’t come anywhere near you. I won’t touch you. I won’t let anyone else touch you. You can trust me.”
She eyed him for a few seconds, then nodded.
Feeling more relieved than he was willing to admit, Phantom motioned for her to precede him into his room.
It wasn’t very big, boasting a twin-size mattress, a small dresser, a sink, and not much else. The showers were down the hall; everyone on the floor shared them. Phantom remembered hearing from Ace how much joy Piper and the little girls had gotten out of the warm water, and he hoped like hell nothing had changed and Kalee could still get a hot shower. But he knew before she would consent to getting clean, he needed to prove that she could trust him.
The second the door shut behind him, Phantom went to the backpack he’d left in the room. He’d traveled light, hoping he wouldn’t be in the country for long. He pulled out his naval military ID from a hidden inside pocket, along with his passport. He held them out to Kalee. She looked at his hand, then up at his face, then back down at the documents.
Internally sighing, Phantom took a step to the side and placed them on the dresser, then stepped back, giving her room to pick them up without having to come near him. As she moved, he began speaking.
He wasn’t ready to tell her about his role in what had happened to her yet though.
“When fighting broke out in Timor-Leste, your father pulled strings, and my team and I were sent over here to evacuate you. We found Piper and three little girls at the orphanage.”
She whipped her head around to look at him. Her green eyes were wide in her face and she stared with such hope, it almost hurt to see.
“They’re fine, Kalee. They’re back in California, safe and sound.”
She closed her eyes, and Phantom saw her swallow hard. Then she pinned him with her gaze again and opened her mouth. He thought she was finally going to speak to him, but nothing came out.
He went on. “Rani, Sinta, and Kemala were with Piper when we found her, right where you stashed them, and we couldn’t leave them behind. Piper married one of my teammates to make it easier to get them all out of the country, and they’ve fallen madly in love. They live in a huge house in Riverton, and she’s about to have another baby any day now.”
One tear fell from Kalee’s eye, but she immediately wiped it away and gestured for him to continue.
“The bottom line is that no one thought you survived the rebel attack on the orphanage. Your father…he didn’t deal with your passing very well and stopped taking his meds.”
Kalee’s brow wrinkled in distress.
“Yeah. He had an episode and thought Rani was you. He took her, and was going to go to Mexico and live happily ever after, but he came to his senses at the last minute. Rani wasn’t hurt, and Piper didn’t press charges. He’s doing good now, so I hear. He retired and spends most of his time at home.”
Kalee looked extremely concerned, and Phantom hated seeing it. He hurried on. “I’m telling you this so you know why it took me so long to come back to find you. Everyone thought you’d been killed. A computer expert friend of mine eventually figured out you weren’t…and I got here as soon as I could.”
Phantom knew he was leaving out a hell of a lot, but now wasn’t the time or the place to get into how badly he’d fucked up. He knew she’d never forgive or trust him if he told her right now, and he had to get her on a plane and back on US soil before she ever found out his role in her nightmare. But he also knew he needed to tread lightly with this next part.
“So, as I explained earlier, the plan is for you to get cleaned up, change into civilian clothes, and for us to get the hell out of Timor-Leste.”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“We’re going to Hawaii for three weeks, then we’ll continue home to Riverton.”
Kalee frowned in confusion.
“I know you want to go home immediately, but you’re going to have to trust me when I say that’s not in your best interest.”
Phantom could tell she wanted to protest, but she merely tilted her head and studied him.
“You need to decompress. The last thing you need is your loved ones in your face wanting to know if you’re all right, what happened, and wanting you to talk to them. Kalee…your car’s been sold. Your apartment is gone. Piper packed up some stuff she thought you’d like to keep, pictures, mementoes, that sort of thing, but she had to clean it out and sell or give away everything else. You’ve been through hell, and you need to come to terms with that—or at least start to come to terms with it—before you try to jump back into your life. I know I’m being very presumptuous, and you don’t know me, but I know what I’m talking about.”