Page 31 of No Man Left Behind

He shook his head. “We weren’t even the first ones to alert to the presence. If you recall, we were happily occupied.” Because the kiss had been all-consuming.

Her lips quirked, and finally, she made eye contact. “We really were.”

He lifted her hands and kissed them. “I’d like to do that again sometime.”

“Me too.”

Good to know. “Can you talk about it? Can you tell me why you think someone is following or watching you?”

Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she pushed out a breath before she looked at him. “I’m not even sure it’s happening. It’s just a feeling I get sometimes.”

“Those feelings should never be ignored. In the army, we’re trained to believe them and to act accordingly. Those feelings have saved my ass more than once. Don’t discount your gut. It’s usually right.”

Her eyes misted, but no tears formed. “I thought no one would believe me. I thought people would think I was being a drama queen.”

That made him laugh. “You’re about as far from being a drama queen as it’s possible to get. You’re so grounded, Elina. Bright and happy. Kind and helpful. You’re no drama queen.”

She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

He kissed her hands again. “Tell me about the times you’ve had the feeling someone was watching you.”

She smiled softly. “I used to get it all the time when we moved to new countries. Even with our Latina skin, we usually looked different from the people who lived there. Our clothes and shoes were different. We didn’t move the same way, didn’t make eye contact in the same way either.”

She was so perceptive. She needed to believe her instincts.

“I’m used to being watched. Used to strangers looking at me. But those feelings rarely made me afraid. A little uncomfortable, and like I didn’t belong, but not afraid.”

He nodded and waited. She looked off into the middle distance. “After your team was called away, the Suraih villagers and I headed to a nearby village. It usually takes a few days to walk there. We slept in a group with the men on the outer edges of the circle.”

Marcus forced himself to absolute stillness, letting none of his own fear show.

“I woke with a start one night. I was terrified even before I was fully awake. I knew someone was watching me. Before I could decide what to do, a hand covered my face, and a knife skimmed along my throat. A man leaned down and spoke into my ear. “Make a sound, and the knife will sever your head.”

Hell.

“I froze, and hands lifted me to my feet. I started to fight them, but someone sliced a knife from my shoulder to my elbow. Another voice said, ‘You wish to die?’”

Marcus squeezed her fingers but didn’t interrupt.

“Someone gagged me and put a hood over my head. Another tied my wrists in front of me. They tugged until I followed them. We walked for hours. Every time I stumbled or fell, they kicked me and hauled me back up to move again.”

No wonder she was aware of eyes on her.

“Eventually, I was thrown to the ground and kicked for a while. Then I was left alone but I could feel them watching. If I moved my hands or feet, someone would return to kick at me or hit me with a stick. No one spoke that I heard. Not a word.”

She closed her eyes briefly, and he rubbed her fingers. “I’m so damn sorry.”

She nodded and opened her eyes to look at him. “I wasn’t raped.”

“I’m glad. I can’t imagine how horrific that experience was. You went through sensory deprivation and torture. Tell me what happened next.”

He was glad when she kept her gaze on him. Let him see her. He hoped the connection helped her as much as it helped him.

Elina kept her eyes locked on Marcus. His presence helped steady her enough to finish it. She’d told the difficult part, and he didn’t think she was a coward.

“My brain couldn’t judge time, but it felt like I was in that place for many days. Later, we figured it was six days, maybe seven. At one point, I heard gunfire in the distance. I thought I was hallucinating at first. Reality and dreams had blended in my head, and I wasn’t sure it was real.”

His fingers continued to rub hers, offering comfort and a connection to the present.

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