Page 13 of Weston

“You don’t know?” he asked, voice low, searching her face intently. She shook her head and swallowed hard. “I’m Wes.”

“I know that name, but…” She frowned. “I don’t remember you.”

“Murph, if she has amnesia, you can’t overwhelm her right now with stuff from the past,” Brandon stated, moving closer. “You could do more harm than good.”

Ellie chewed on her lower lip like she always used to when things became too much for her. Wes knew Brand was right, buthow was he going to take it slow when all he wanted to do was hold her until the end of time?

Fuck.Even though it was hard, he forced himself to back off. The fear in her eyes was killing him.

Corey reached over and squeezed Wes’ shoulder. “Why don’t you go clean up,” he suggested in a low voice and gave him a pointed look. “I’ll watch her.”

Wes glanced down and realized he was still covered in blood.Shit.No wonder she was so scared of him. He looked like he’d just murdered an entire family with an ax.Isn’t that what you are, though? A murderer?

“Yeah, okay.” Wes met Ellie’s unsure gaze. “I’ll be right back. Corey will sit with you.”

Wes stood up, reluctant to leave her. Now that he had her back, he didn’t ever want to let her out of his sight again.

“Do you want some water?” Corey asked, his voice low and gentle. His best friend had a soothing demeanor and a good heart. It was probably why wild animals flocked to him like some kind of freaking male Snow White. If anyone could help Ellie feel comfortable, he could.

As Wes turned away, Brand walked with him across the deck. “You okay?” Brand asked.

Still having trouble wrapping his head around Ellie being back from the dead, Wes forced a nod. “I can’t believe she’s here,” he whispered, glancing back over his shoulder, needing the visual reassurance that she was in fact really there and not just a figment of his imagination. Corey was still talking to her,probably reassuring her that everything would be okay. “It’s a miracle.”

“I’m so damn happy for you.”

Wes was having trouble gathering his thoughts and processing the situation, but he managed a nod.

“I think we need to get her stateside ASAP. But she needs to agree to go.”

Wes gave a sharp nod. “If she won’t get on the plane then I’m staying here.”

“Understood. Why don’t you and Corey take her back to her place, see if you can get her to pack a bag. The rest of us will return to the safehouse, pack up and I’ll contact the pilot. Mitch is already sending in a clean-up crew.”

“Thanks, Brand.”

“If you need help finding a good doctor, I can ask around. Especially if we’re dealing with amnesia.”

“Yeah, that would be good. Appreciate it.”

After quickly washing up as best as he could—it’s not like he had any detergent or a washing machine—Wes hurried back to Ellie. At least he’d gotten most of the blood off his hands and from underneath his fingernails. His forearm stung, the wound starting to bleed again from carrying Ellie through the jungle, but he ignored it. It was the least of his concerns, and worth every pain and scar that would result from neglecting it in favor of getting back to his wife.

Corey pushed him down into the chair closest to Ellie, muttering something about changing the bloody dressing. WhileCorey attended to his arm, Wes turned his attention to Ellie. She still looked frightened, but Corey had definitely calmed her down.

Pulling in a breath, reminding himself to take it slow, he placed his hands on his thighs, so he wouldn’t reach over and touch her. Leaning forward, dropping his voice, he said, “Please, don’t be scared. No one’s going to hurt you.” God, he had so many questions. “Do you remember anything? Your research trip? The pirates? Me?”

Even though she shook her head, she didn’t pull away this time. She also kept her storm-tossed eyes locked on his, as though he were her anchor in the chaos. “No,” she finally whispered. “Everything is fuzzy. I’m just…so confused.”

“Everything is going to be okay. I promise.” Wes shifted in his seat. “I want to take you home, Ellie. Back to your family and friends. But, if you aren’t ready…if you don’t want to go—”

Hell, he’d camp outside her place and keep watch day and night.

“I want to go home,” she said, voice firm and unwavering.

Relief flooded through Wes and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Okay, good. Corey and I can take you back to your place to pack a bag. We have a jet waiting.”

“Okay,” she whispered softly, putting on a brave face that made Wes’ chest tighten.

???

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