Page 5 of The Hero's Bride
He shook his head and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Not at first. Then I saw your picture, and it hit me.”
“This feels…unreal.” She gestured toward the tattoo. “That’s not…is that?”
“The iguana we found?” His lips curved up and she stared in disbelief, sure her mouth was hanging open. “Yeah. Tiny. That’s what I called him.”
“I didn’t expect you to keep him.” How many times had others lied to her? Promised one thing only to do the exact opposite? But the boy—the man, now—had stayed true to his word, and that sucked the oxygen right out of her.
“I told you I’d take good care of him for as long as I could.” He chuckled. “He’s an old man now. About twenty years.”
The shuffle of dried plant pods littering the ground had them whirling and Mason maneuvered her behind him.
“Just me, Red.” Another man, this one even larger and taller than Mason approached, and she stiffened.
“It’s okay,” Mason soothed. “This is Sully. He was inside checking the house when I found you in the shed. He won’t hurt you either.”
“Is this her?” The man with blond hair and warm brown eyes inclined his head.
“Yeah. It sure is.” Mason looked over his shoulder at her and the expression on his face warmed more than just her cheeks. One of disbelief and awe. Exactly how she was feeling in this moment.
Mason directed his gaze back to Sully. “The other men?”
“Dealt with.” Sully’s jaw went tight before relaxing again.
“Thank you for coming for me.” She stepped forward but stayed at Mason’s side and Sully’s face broke into a wide grin.
“I should be thanking you for saving my friend’s sorry ass when he was just a scrawny kid. I’ve heard a lot about you, and it’s an honor to meet you.”
She was shocked by Sully’s words. She couldn’t believe that her actions had such an impact on Mason that he’d tell his friend about what had happened to him so many years ago. Mason swung his backpack off and opened it, taking out a bottle of water and handing it to her. “When was the last time you ate or drank?”
“I’m not sure. Yesterday, maybe the day before that?”
Mason’s face hardened. “Take it slow then. Little sips so you can keep it down.”
“The Jeep isn’t too far from here,” Sully added. “We have protein bars and electrolyte drinks. We’ll put some distance between us and Colima and then stop for the night once we find a safe resort area.”
She bit her bottom lip. Colima wasn’t the safest place in Mexico, and she’d grown up with very little. After her mother died, it was just her and her father. He was a dock worker who barely made enough to feed them, but he was always kind and worked hard for them. He’d developed a chronic cough before he’d sent her away. He was convinced he was at the end of his life and thought she would have a better chance in America. It was unlikely that he was still alive after all these years, but part of her still wondered what had become of him.
“What is it, Thalia?” Mason asked.
She was quiet for a moment, the only sounds were bird calls and buzzing insects. “It’s nothing.”
He turned to face her, blocking Sully out and dropped his voice to a low whisper. “You can tell me. I know this is overwhelming. That you’ve been abducted and held against your will only to wind up in the place where you grew up.”
She nodded, impressed that he easily followed her private thoughts. “I was thinking about my father. Wondering if maybe he was still alive. He was ill when I left Colima. It would be unlikely, but—”
“Of course you’d want to check. I get that. You told me he worked at the docks. Do you think anyone there would know him?”
“I’m not sure.” She peered up at his eyes.
“Sully, Thalia wants to inquire about her dad. Based on the situation in the house, is she still in danger?”
“It’s hard to say, but we can keep her safe.”
“Okay then. Docks first. We’ll go from there.” Mason stepped back and swung his backpack over his shoulders.
“Thank you,” she whispered glancing from Sully to Mason.
“You’ve been through hell and your body is depleted of nutrients,” Mason said, concern etched on his face. “I’m happy to carry you.”
