Page 6 of Rescuing Nathaniel

“You did good, you know that, right? You remember that you got yourself off the boat?”

Off the boat?

Right.

For some reason Ava both knew she was in the life raft and felt like she was still back on the ship in her room.

“I remember,” she whispered. If she had enough energy left in her she’d be worried about the barely there wisp of a sound that was her voice.

“What you did was amazing, should have been impossible, yet you did it. Can you tell me your name, superwoman?”

The silly nickname drew a small chuckle out of her, and she tilted her head up to see the outline of a man looking back down at her. He was dressed in what looked like scuba diving clothes, but she doubted he was out playing in the ocean in the middle of the night.

“I’m Ava. Ava Hendricks.”

“Nice to meet you, Ava. I'm Nathaniel. I know you must be really scared, but I promise I will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe.”

Given that she worked for Prey Security, which mostly hired former military, including two of her Cyber Team members, there was not a doubt in her mind that Nathaniel was special forces, probably a SEAL because of what he was wearing and their location.

“SEAL?” she asked.

For a moment, he tensed. “Why do you ask?”

“I work for Prey.” There was no need to say more. Everyone in the armed forces world knew of Prey.

A small chuckle rumbled through the chest she was propped up against. “You don’t say. No wonder you found a way to get yourself out. Eagle Oswald would be proud.”

Eagle Oswald was the founder and CEO of Prey Security. The oldest of six siblings who had been raised off-the-grid until their parents were murdered. After an injury ended his SEAL career, Eagle decided to use his skills and the money he and his siblings inherited to start Prey. Now all six siblings were involved in various areas of the company, and Ava worked for the second oldest Oswald sibling, Raven, in the cyber division.

“Raven too,” she murmured, feeling what little strength she had left oozing out of her body.

As though sensing her decline, Nathaniel shifted her so she was lying flat on her back with him kneeling beside her. “Raven, huh?” he asked. “You’re part of the cyber team?”

“I am.”

“Prey looking into this organ trafficking ring?”

“No. I didn't even know about them until they grabbed me. But the SEALs know something.”

“Was here to plant a tracker on the ship after we got a tip,” he explained. “Then I saw the life raft and came to check it out. The last thing I expected to find was one of their victims.” His hands hovered above her stomach, but he didn't touch her. “Is it okay if I check out your wound?”

It was the first time in what felt like forever that someone had asked permission before touching her, had treated her like a real person and not just a body full of money, and the small gesture had tears once again burning the backs of her eyes.

When she gave a small nod, Nathaniel eased up her hospital gown to expose the wound. Since nobody in the trafficking ring cared about her in the least except about how much money she could make them, her comfort levels didn't rate at all. Because of that, she hadn't been given underwear to wear, so she was naked, her body now bared for this man to see.

Embarrassment added to the already flushed feeling of her skin, and she turned her head so she didn't have to look at Nathaniel. His hands were gentle as he probed the area around the wound, and cool, feeling wonderful against her overheated skin.

“Stitches popped, probably because the wound is infected. The skin’s all red and inflamed,” Nathaniel told her what she’d already guessed on her own. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a med kit on me. This was supposed to be a quick in and out. Put the tracker on the ship and leave. I wasn't expecting to find an escaped victim of the ring.”

If he wasn't expecting her, did that mean …

No.

The SEALs wouldn't leave her behind.

Especially now that he knew she worked for Prey. Even if he didn't, she had been on that boat, she had intel she could share.

For that reason alone, he had to take her with him.

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