Page 6 of The Hero's Bride
Thalia immediately shook her head. She didn’t want to be perceived as weak. Growing up in Colima, weakness made you an easy target for gangs and other people looking to take advantage of someone else.
Mason gave her an assessing gaze, then nodded. “Tell me if you get tired. There’s no shame in needing help.”
Her cheeks heated and she was even more determined to prove she could walk to the Jeep on her own.
“We’ve had many situations where one of us has carried the other out of a mission.” Sully smiled gently.
“You’re soldiers?” she asked as they began walking. She’d forgotten how beautiful the rainforest was with its glossy canopy of leaves still damp with dew.
“Navy,” Sully answered but didn’t elaborate.
She’d never expected to be rescued, and she had so many questions about the men and her friend Vivienne, but both were moving silently, so she did her best to follow their lead. Occasionally the sound of an animal clattering through the dense foliage distracted her. Everything seemed so surreal. Her legs burned from the effort of moving but she gritted her teeth and pushed harder. The forest abruptly ended, spitting them out onto a dirt road. Just as they’d said, a Jeep was parked amongst the trees, concealed by loose brush. Mason and Sully made quick work of clearing the vehicle and pulling it onto the road. Sully climbed into the driver’s seat while Mason rounded the Jeep and opened the passenger-side door to the back. He offered his hand, steadying her. Mason hadn’t been wrong—she was drained from days of being restrained and denied adequate food and water. Her legs quivered as she tried to lift herself onto the seat. She swallowed the hard wedge lodged in her throat and tried again. Her face felt impossibly hot as she struggled, something that had nothing to do with the morning heat and humidity.
“I’m going to lift you, yeah?” Mason’s deep voice rumbled through her. Despite what had happened in the shed, his closeness comforted her. There was a thickness in her throat as Mason scooped her up like a small child and placed her gently on the seat. Then he went a step further and reached across her body to buckle her seat belt. Prickles spread over her cheeks. So much for being tough.
As if sensing her humiliation, Mason crouched in close, so they were eye level. “You did amazing out there. I’m impressed you were able to walk so far and without a single complaint, although no one would’ve faulted you for that.”
She wasn’t used to tender words, and they made her eyes burn. Thalia gave Mason what she hoped passed as a smile and dropped her chin to her chest.
“I see you don’t believe me.” His voice dropped so low, she doubted Sully could hear Mason’s words. “But Thalia? You’re a gladiator. Strong. As. Hell.”
Mason shut the door and rounded the back of the car while she made a mental note to check the meaning of the word he’d used. Gladiator. When the door on the other side of the car opened, she jerked out of her thoughts. Mason slid into the Jeep across from her and pulled a new T-shirt from a bag at his feet. She kept her gaze trained out the window as he dressed. Part of her half expected to see men burst through the trees searching for her; after all, someone must have paid a price for her. Otherwise, she was no one.
“What are you thinking?” Red asked as the Jeep jerked into motion. She glanced over at him. A shirt like the one he’d taken off his back for her to wear now covered his large frame.
“I was thinking if anyone would come after me. If the man who had me in the shed was the only person who’d…invested in me, I should be relatively safe. It’s not like I would be worth ransoming. I’m no one important.”
A growl of displeasure rumbled deep in his throat, startling her. “Bullshit.”
She glanced away, watching the landscape of her country fly by. So green and vibrant, teeming with life and riches that had nothing to do with monetary value and yet in other ways had been desolate, lonely, wrought with violence and poverty. “I meant I don’t have a family. Vivienne was the only person who knows I’m missing. Well, the only person who would try to get me back. What became of her parents? Her fiancé?”
“The last we heard, police were questioning not only your disappearance, but the presence of many undocumented workers at the family estate. Her older sister is in custody after trying to kill both sisters.”
She spun in her seat, gripping Mason’s arm. “What? Are they hurt? Is—”
“Both fine. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so careless with my words. Regina hurt Hannah, but she’ll be fine. Vivienne was shot at, but our friend Iron had her back. After Vivienne gave her statement to the police, she left Texas for Virginia. She’s waiting for an update from us.”
She released a shuttery breath. “Oh, thank God.” It was another moment before she realized she was still holding on to Mason’s arm. He glanced down, but instead of shaking her off, he crossed his arm over his chest and enclosed her hand between both of his. Mason’s palms were warm and wide, and she leaned back against the seat. Maybe it was because she remembered him from her past or because he’d been the one to rescue her from the attack in the shed, but his touch steadied something inside her, making her feel much less alone. It wasn’t something she was going to begin to count on. He was only helping Vivienne to get her to safety because of the connection to his friend. Still, for the moment, it felt nice to not be on her own.
Chapter Four
Red scanned thesmall boatyard, hanging back just enough to give Thalia a chance to inquire about her father. Close enough that he could intervene at a moment’s notice. When he’d come upon the shed and saw that piece of shit standing over a struggling woman, especially with the knowledge that it might be Thalia, his control had snapped. Control that had been honed through intense training and tested on every mission. He was good at locking down his emotions, but for the first time in the field, fear knifed through him. Even now, he was uneasy. Eager to move Thalia out of Colima and into a more touristy area. There was no doubt that Mexico was a beautiful country. After working for years with Sully on a task force assisting Mexico’s military with special ops training, the knowledge that many areas were wrought with violent crime ran deep. Because of their frequent trips in and out of the country, they’d made contacts with good men and women who were on the right side of the law and wouldn’t hesitate to assist them if needed.
He narrowed his gaze as a few men let their eyes wander over Thalia as they lugged nets and buckets into one of the smaller boats. One looked up and caught his glare, quickly looking away to untie the nylon rope tethering the boat and pushing away from the dock. Two small groups mulled about packing and cleaning their catches. Nothing seemed amiss, but that could change. The air was warm, intensifying the briny scent of the open water or maybe it was the clusters of barnacles clinging to the weathered wooden docks. Thalia was speaking to an older man sitting on a crate, untangling nets. He was focused on the task at hand and didn’t meet her eyes, but every now and then, he’d silently gesture at her to continue talking. Before they’d left the car, he’d slipped a small comm unit into his ear so he could still communicate with Sully, who kept watch of the situation and their getaway vehicle. Another man approached and leaned in to whisper something to the old man, and Mason’s shoulders tightened, prepared to jump into action. The elderly man abruptly stood, knocking the crate back with such force, it tumbled into the water behind him. Neither man spared Thalia a glance as they quickly strode away.
Mason didn’t waste time moving to Thalia’s side. “What happened?”
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, confusion clear on her face. “I have no idea. I was explaining who I was, that I was looking for my father. Then the other man came over. I’m not sure what he said, but they were in a hurry to get away from me.”
The few workers and fishermen who had been on the dock were beginning to leave and the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. He was about to suggest they get the hell out of there when his earpiece crackled. “Red, police are headed toward the boatyard. They’re looking for something. Over.”
“Roger. Get out of the parking lot. When it’s clear, double back. Over.”
“What’s going on?” Thalia slipped her hand into his. He didn’t have time to think about how good it felt linked with his or that she sought his touch for comfort.
“Police headed our way.”
Thalia drew in a quick breath. “The person who took me at the border was an officer. I was held in his house for days before waking up in the shed where you found me.”
