Page 35 of Fighting for Ella

Raul wasn’t the kind of man who just gave up.

Not when he’d spent a month trying to get his hands on this drug. It was about principles. He wasn’t going to miss out on something he wanted, wasn’t going to lose, and definitely wasn’t going to be bested by four women.

Before returning to the tree, he spotted another three men approaching him. There was no way he could take them out silently. If he used his weapons, he risked bringing in every other guard anywhere nearby, and if he thought he was outnumbered three to one he wouldn't like the odds when it was five to one, or ten to one, or worse.

At least Ella wasn’t with him.

If the guard she’d attacked had made it back to the house, maybe he hadn't hung around long enough to watch as Miguel pulled her out of the water.

Could he use that to his advantage?

Allowing himself to be captured could buy time for the team coming in to find and rescue Ella. She still had the tracker which meant they’d find her, and if Raul believed that he and Ella had been separated then they wouldn't need to search this area to see if she was nearby.

They’d just take him in and leave her behind, giving her a fighting chance at surviving.

CHAPTER TEN

February 8th

12:17 A.M.

Ella was torn.

Part of her wanted to hide where she was at least relatively safe. At least safe for being stuck in the middle of the Mexican jungle, up a tree, with men with guns hunting them. The other part of her felt it was cowardly to hide and leave Miguel to fight for their lives alone. Especially since he was only there because of her.

These last twenty-four hours had actually been nice, and it was only because of the company.

Miguel had held her while she slept, making her feel secure in the knowledge she wasn’t going to fall out of the tree while asleep. When she was awake, he talked with her, sharing pieces of his life so she didn't lose her mind to the terror of being up in a tree so far off the ground with no choice but to endure something she hated.

She’d known it was because of her they were hiding out there. Because she was weak and exhausted and needed the rest.Because she wasn’t going to be any help as they made their way through the jungle.

As badly as she wanted to get to the exfil spot and get out of Mexico, there was also sadness at leaving Miguel behind. Just because he hadn't said the words didn't mean she wasn’t well aware of what was going to happen. Once he handed her off, he’d be gone, and she was going to miss him.

The fear she felt for him now, knowing he was down there, doing anything he had to to keep the men away from her, was almost more than she could handle. How would she deal with it if he was killed because of her?

That would have hurt enough twenty-four hours ago when they were shot at as they escaped. But now, after they’d bonded and gotten to know each other better, see each other as real people and not just the SEAL who was saving her, and the woman he’d come to arrest, it would make the loss so much deeper.

Which was silly because she still didn't really know him.

She just felt him.

Like an imprint on her soul or something.

Likely it wasn’t as romantic as she was making it out to be. He’d saved her life on several occasions now, of course she was going to feel an attachment to him. This was not an everyday occurrence for her, while for him saving victims was what he did for a living.

Only this timeshewas the one who needed saving, and it felt wrong just to sit there and let him risk his life for her.

The other team would come, she knew they would. While she was hazy on the details, hadn't felt the need to push because Miguel would have it under control, and she couldn’t handle another responsibility right now, she knew that the plan had been for them to meet at the extraction point. If she and Migueldidn't show up on time, she knew the team would follow the tracker until they found her.

But if she waited it could be too late for Miguel.

How far away were they from the exfil site?

How long had it been since Miguel left her?

How long would the team wait before coming looking for them?

So many questions and for each one that popped into her head and had no answer, her anxiety began to mount. She wanted to go home, hug her family, and forget all of this had happened. If there was one thing she had learned over the last few days, it was that she did not do well in a high-stress situation.

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