Adrenaline beats in my veins, and I motion for her to come with me. I put my arm around her waist to lead her, and she jumps back. I murmur, "Sorry, ma'am. Not trying to scare you."
She nods and takes a deep breath. We continue to walk through the camp quickly.
When we get to the wooded area, I reach for her wrist, but she pulls it back and winces.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" I whisper.
"No. I'm okay. I can get through the woods myself."
"Ma'am, it's too dense and dark out. Please let me help you. The ground is very uneven." I look down and to my horror, realize she doesn't have shoes. "You're barefoot."
"Yes."
"Ma'am, please let me carry you."
"I'm okay." She tries to convince me.
"I promise I won't hurt you, but you can't walk through this part without shoes. I'm going to pick you up, please don't scream."
"Do I look like a screamer?" Her lips twitch.
At first, her comment throws me for a loop. Then I realize she's teasing me.
Please let me make you scream.
I scoop her up off the ground, and when her face is next to mine, I reply, "I feel like that's a trick question."
She ignores my statement. "Where are you taking me?"
"To our camp."
"Another camp," she murmurs.
"Sorry?"
"N-nothing."
"It's just until we receive the coordinates where the plane will be to get you out of here."
"Then where are you taking me?"
Where? For the first time in ten years, I don't know where I'm dropping a target off.
"They haven't sent that information yet, ma'am."
But you can warm up my bed in any part of the world you want.
Stop! She's a target. Not appropriate.
I push a branch forward and duck under it. Within a few more steps, we're back at the Jeep. My partner, Dirk, is in the driver's seat, and the woman he rescued, Zoe, is in the back.
I set Vanessa down and lean in to pull the buckle over her shoulder.
"I can do that."
"I got it." I snap the metal together and give her one last glance. Her blonde hair hits below her shoulder and her blue eyes sparkle in the dark night. Long lashes, high cheekbones, and plump red lips couldn't be more perfect if an artist drew them.
"Get in." Dirk snaps me out of my trance and I jump in the front. He takes off right as gunshots ring through the air.
"Crap," he mumbles.
"Get down," I yell to the women.
I pull my gun out, hold onto the top bar, and spin so I can make sure no one from Santiago's crew is following us.
The gunshots become fainter, and we drive a bit farther until we are back at camp.
Dirk and I both jump out of the vehicle. I unbuckle Vanessa's belt and pick her up.
"Whoa. I can walk."
"No, ma'am. You're going into the tent until we can find you some shoes."
"I can—"
"There's no point arguing, ma'am. You can't be out here. You'll step on twigs and get hurt."
She snorts and mutters, "I've had a lot worse done to me than that."
I freeze. A rage I've never felt before bubbles. "What did they do to you?"
She quickly looks away and replies, "Nothing. I'm fine. Can you put me down?"
"Let me get you inside." I finish carrying her in and gently set her on the floor.
"Thank you," she quietly says then twists her fingers together.
"It's not the Ritz, but it's probably better than the pit," I say to lighten the atmosphere.
She smiles then points to my face. "Are you going to take those off so I can see what you look like?"
My heart bangs in my chest. "Sure." I slowly remove my goggles.
Her eyes widen. Her stare is a direct hit of lightening right to my soul. A zing rushes to my core, and it's a bit harder to breathe.
"Hi," she whispers.
"Hi."
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
My pocket vibrates. I pull my phone out while still locking gazes with her. "Ma'am. I have to take this."
"Okay."
I put the phone to my ear and continue to fixate on her.
"We've got a flat. Santiago took off by foot," Kalim states.
"On our way. Send your coordinates."
"Will do."
"I have to go. I'll check on you when I return."
"Oh...okay." She smiles.
Yep. She's a flower. A rare, stunning flower.
She's a target.
"Ma'am." I nod and rush out of the tent.
Andre is the first person I see when I exit.
"Lòpez, we need another vehicle to go back," I yell. "There's a flat."
I jump in the driver's side, and Andre gets in the passenger seat.
Every moment being away from her seems like an eternity. We pick up the rest of the team, and when we arrive back at camp, I go right to the tent to look for her.
The other women are hanging around and eating.
She's talking to Naomi, the woman who was kidnapped the previous day, and the reason why Interpol was called in. Her sister, Emilia, was kidnapped as well and is sitting with Malin.
Why wasn't Interpol called in to save the other women sooner?
Why was the focus only on Naomi?
As I survey the women, I notice that Vanessa is the only one with extensive bandaging around her ankles and wrists. She also holds the back of her neck as if in pain.
What did they do to her?
Naomi walks toward Andre, and Vanessa turns.
"Hey. Did you eat anything?" I ask.
"No. I'm okay though."
"When did you eat last?"
Disgust crosses her face. "At my dinner with Santiago."
Her dinner with...
My gut flips. Why didn't I kill him? Did he touch her?
Stay calm, don't freak her out.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. I got fed well. The other girls...well, give them my food."
The tent suddenly feels suffocating.
"Do you want to get some air?"
"With you?"
"Yes. Ummm...unless you're not comfortable, then I can have someone else go with you."
"I was teasing."
"Oh. Sorry."
Get a grip.
"Yes."
I glance at her feet. "Hold on a minute." I go to where my backpack is and pull out a pair of socks and flip-flops. I bend down to put a sock on her.
"You don't have to do that. I can do it."
"It's not a problem." I place my hand on the back of her calf, and she jumps. I glance up. "Sorry."
She blinks hard and takes another step backward then holds out her hand. "Thank you for the socks. Is it okay if I put them on myself?"
"Sure." I hand them to her and she tugs them on.
I drop my flip-flops on the ground.
She softly laughs. "I think my feet are half the size of yours."
"True. But you can wobble around. I'll make sure you get shoes tomorrow."
"All right. Thank you."
I take my blanket out of my backpack and hold it open. "Put this around you. It's not super cold, but the bugs will be out."