Page 6 of Maddog

“You’re right. This is what the cartel does.”

“But… no one uses that road other than supply vehicles. And those only come once a month at most. The villagers know to stay off the road and it’s the wrong time of year for the cartels to be moving their products north.” She rubbed at her head. “This should have been relatively low risk.”

I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her that no place in Columbia was “relatively low risk,” but didn’t think now was the time. Once she’d had time to process everything that had happened, and accepted my claim on her, I’d have plenty of time to address her life choices. And I was afraid this one wasn’t going to go away any time soon. She’d taken ten years off my life.

Instead, I leaned in to brush a kiss on her forehead, wrapping an arm around her. She rested her head on my shoulder, but didn’t quite relax. She still didn’t let go of my hand, but other than that small gesture, she didn’t move. I thought she might be close to falling asleep, but she slowly pushed away from me. With a sigh, she let go of me and laid her hands in her lap.

“Talk to me, Holly. I’ll make everything all right if you’ll tell me what you need.” I meant it too. She was breaking my fucking heart.

“This is all my fault.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“What’s your fault, honey? You’re not making sense.”

“That you’re here. This plane. All that money everyone spent. This time because I did something stupid.” Tears had been streaming down her cheeks in a steady flow since I found her. The only time she seemed to be able to fight them off had been unloading the Badger.

“Honey, I’m here with all this shit because I will always come for you. By any means necessary. Bad choice on your part or not, I willalwayscome for you.”

She sucked in a small sob but held on to her emotions by the tiniest of fingernails. It wouldn’t take much for her to shatter.

“Hey, man!” The angry demand came across from me. I wanted to drive my thumbs into his fucking eyeballs. “I’m filing a formal protest against your company when we land.” Fucking Chris Alistair the fucking Third. There was every possibility either me or him wouldn’t make it to Lake Worth alive. And he was too big a pussy to even think about taking me.

“For doin’ what? Savin’ your sorry ass? I can see how that could get me in trouble. Especially if you’re as big a pain in your old man’s ass as you’re starting to become in mine, but also because you weren’t my problem or my job. Holly is the only person I was authorized to spring. I’m beginning to think it might be best to remedy that mistake right now.”

“You left that whole village with no way to get food or supplies! If they die, it’s on you. And I’ll tell every reporter I come across that you committed genocide.”

“Do you have any fuckin’ idea what you’re talkin’ about?” Razor plopped down in a seat on the other side of Holly putting her solidly between our wall of protection.

Alistair gave Razor a withering look. “I know exactly what I’m talking about,” he snapped. “It’s the only road in or out of that village! How are they supposed to get supplies without that road?”

Razor chuckled. “Fuuuuck. Did you know they made ‘em this stupid, Jax?”

“I mean, I’ve heard stories.” I shrugged like it was really no big deal. “Not sure I believed ‘em. Till now.”

“Son, the villagers that close to the Amazon want nothing more than to be left alone. They couldn’t care less if people show up with stuff they’ve never heard they needed. They distrust the few things that could make their lives better. No. Those trails you call roads are made by the cartel. If you went into this situation and didn’t bother to find out, you really are fuckin’ stupid.”

Razor waited until Alistair finally dropped his gaze before speaking to me. “Got you guys a small space with a little privacy if you want to look her over. Make sure she’s not injured and in too much shock to feel it.”

“If anyone gets a private room here, it’s me, you asshole.” Alistair piped up again. “I’mthe important one here. I don’t care what you say, I know you were sent to find me. Not her. She’s nobody! You’re supposed to do what I say!”

“Hate to tell you, bro,” I took over before Razor lost his cool. I could practically see steam coming out the other man’s ears. I felt pretty much the same way, but Razor was bigger than me and his punch was harder than my punch. “But real life don’t work that way. No one knows you guys were missing. The only way your father knows now is if your body man got a message off to him, and my boss ain’t sayin’ nothin’ if he did. Nothin’ gets by Cain. No matter how recent the development. So you’re on your own. No one knows you’re in trouble. Nobody is sending you help. Nobody.” The threat wasn’t even thinly veiled. Razor was ready to do his worst, and I was right behind him.

“Of course they knew! They sent me help! You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Yep,” I continued. “Becauseherfamily hadn’t been able to speak with her in several hours, and I wasn’t willing to wait another two or three hours they’d agreed upon before finding out whereshewas. Like I told you in Columbia. You’re only here because it was of no benefit to her at the time for me to leave you behind. I don’t give a good Goddamn who your daddy is.”

“OK.” Razor stood. “That’s our cue to leave before I have to explain to our boss how a senator’s son accidentally smashed his face and fell out of the plane on the way home.” He wasn’t joking. The only question was which one of us would follow through first. Looked like it would be a tight race.

The room Razor took us to wasn’t much. Just a small conference type room someone had furnished with a cot in addition to a desk. There wasn’t room for more than two large men or maybe three small women, so adding the cot to the room made it tight. On the desk was a basin of water and some washcloths. On the cot was a change of clothing for both of us and a couple of blankets and pillows. Other than these added luxuries, the whole plane was spartan. ‘Cause, you know, military cargo and troop transport. The Hilton, it was not.

“It’s not much, but we can wash the worst of the mud and grime off us, change clothes, and get a little rest. Got another five hours before we get home. I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.” I wanted her to understand I wasn’t leaving her here by herself, but didn’t want to be obnoxious about it. She might not want to admit it to anyone, including herself, but I know her well enough she needed me with her right now.

“Yeah.” She picked at her clothing. She was smeared in mud, but I thought I could help her get the worst of it off. The trick was to take charge and do what needed doing without seeming like I was taking charge. That was the quickest way to get Holly to completely withdraw and push me away, and there was no way I was letting that happen. She sighed and looked over her shoulder. “Thanks for coming after me, Jax. I owe you one.”

“I told you, Maddog. I’ll always come for you. No questions asked. I will always be there.” I tried to use the road name she and Blade had come up with to help her be strong for a little bit longer, but I knew she was done. She’d had all she could take.

Tears that had slowed now flowed freely again, but Holly still held on to her control. She was trying to fight me when she didn’t really want to.

She put a washcloth in the basin and left it there. Then she pulled off her tank and stepped out of her shorts. Her shoes and socks followed, and she stood facing away from me in nothing but her bra and panties.

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