Page 25 of Provoking Bryan

She cracked one eye open, her lips quirking into a faint smile. “Lucky’s not the word I’d use.”

“Stubborn, then,” he muttered, sitting back on his heels.

She tried to push herself up, but Bryan placed a firm hand on her shoulder, holding her down. “Rest,” he commanded.

“I’m not some helpless female the big strong man needs to take care of, Bryan,” Sara snapped, her voice sharper than her strength allowed.

“And I’m not treating you like one,” he countered, his tone steady. “But right now, you’re injured, and I’m not letting you push yourself to the point where I have to carry you out ofhere. So you’re going to sit there, let me handle things, and rest. Understood?”

Sara’s lips parted, likely to argue, but something in his tone stopped her. Instead, she leaned back against the rock, exhaling sharply. “Fine.”

The silence that followed was intense, the feeling between them simmering just below the surface. Bryan worked efficiently, checking their supplies and scanning the horizon for any signs of pursuit. Finding none, they pushed on, as Bryan’s map had shown a small army outpost attached to a fishing village. It wasn’t ideal, but it would give them shelter, and perhaps he could trade his service for sanctuary.

They moved slowly along the coast, finally locating the army outpost from the map. The village elders greeted them with news that the army had left earlier in the day for patrol but would return tomorrow afternoon.

“We know their commander would offer you shelter, as will our village,” said the elder.

“We’re on the run from the cartel,” said Bryan. Sara punched him in the arm—apparently telling the elder they could be taking on a lot of trouble was not something Sara approved of. He slanted her a look. “That’s five you owe me.”

The myriad of emotions that passed over Sara’s face was almost comical: shock, lust, outrage and curiously, acceptance as she nodded her head.

“We are no friends of the cartel. What is the saying—the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Come, eat with us. Tend to your woman.”

The elder turned away, and Bryan wasn’t sure if tending to Sara meant just her wound or the discipline she was due. They were shown into a hut, and Bryan was able to get Sara to sit still long enough for him to tend to her wound. As soon as he helpedher to the sleeping pallet they would share, she used her satellite phone.

“Sara? It’s Seth. Are you both all right? Are you at the safe house?”

“No, the cartel found us,” she said. “We’re in a fishing village. Can we get an extraction?”

“Absolutely. I’m scrambling a team now. There’s a really good landing pad just outside the village.”

“The local militia,” said Sara. “And according to the village elder, they’re out on patrol until tomorrow.”

“You’ll be long gone by then. Anything you need us to bring?”

“Any fishing supplies you can find. And Bryan is indicating simple medical supplies—bandages, disinfectants, et cetera. These people have been kind to us. They didn’t have to take us in.”

“Understood. Hang tight. We should be there in a couple of hours.”

Bryan returned with two steaming plates of some kind of delicious-smelling fish stew. When he finally sat beside her, the intensity of what they’d been through during the day crashed over him like a wave. His body was tired, but his mind was sharper than ever.

“That smells great. Cerberus has a chopper with an extraction team headed our way.”

“Good.”

Sara frowned. “What’s up?”

“You don’t trust me, do you?” Bryan said sadly.

“I do.”

“No, you don’t and I’m trying to understand why.”

“You’re a doctor Bryan, not an operative.”

“I don’t deny that. But you think I’m just a civilian—a liability you have to protect. But I’m more than that, Sara, and I think I’ve proven it.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he wasn’t finished. “I’ve been in combat zones, I’ve made life-and-death decisions under fire, and I’ve saved more lives than I can count. I’ve been with you every step of the way since we bugged out. You’re so caught up in your own need to control everything that you can’t let anyone else share the load.”

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