Chapter 9 #4
Aspen pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly.
“Akhund?” Vandine asked.
It was Trigger who answered him. “In the wind. Spence and the others went after him, and I’m sure he’s long gone by now. But we’re gonna get him,” he said with confidence.
Vandine nodded. “Once we’re out of the way, you mean,” he said with a small chuckle.
“Damn straight,” Grover said. “As long as he’s free, no one’s safe.”
The truck slowed, and Aspen tensed.
“Easy,” Kane said, putting his hand on her arm. “We’re at the gate.”
She nodded. For a second she had visions of them being ambushed. They’d really be sitting ducks in the back of the truck.
Within a minute they were moving again, and Aspen could see the familiar sights of the base passing behind them as they raced toward the hospital. She knew Holman and Vandine would be checked out and stabilized as much as possible there before being flown out to Kuwait, and then on to Germany.
The truck came to a stop in front of the tent being used as the clinic/hospital, and Aspen readied to help her patients inside. She looked back down at Vandine and saw that he’d fallen unconscious once more. It was probably better, considering his condition and the treatment that was ahead.
When she looked up again, she saw a crowd of doctors and nurses were waiting at the truck. There were three gurneys as well.
“Three?”
“You’ve been shot,” Kane said by way of explanation.
She frowned. “I’m fine. I’m not going in on a gurney. I need to debrief the teams on my patients.”
It was Kane’s turn to frown. “Aspen—”
“No,” she said firmly. Then gentler, she continued, “It hurts, but it’s not life threatening.
I’ll get it looked at after I make sure my team is taken care of.
” Then she scooted forward on her knees, keeping her hand on Vandine’s chest as he was moved to the back of the truck.
She observed as he was transferred to the gurney and whisked inside.
Then she turned her attention to Holman. “I can walk,” he protested as the nurses and doctors were attempting to put him on a gurney.
“Of course you can walk,” Aspen reassured him. “But we need to let the doctors earn their keep, right?”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, but he sat on the gurney.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Aspen turned to grab her pack, and saw that Kane already had it over one shoulder. “I got it,” he told her.
Thankful for his help, Aspen started to climb out of the truck but hesitated. Her leg had really started throbbing, now that the adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins had dissipated somewhat.
A nurse pushed the third gurney closer, but Trigger and Grover intercepted him. “She’s got this,” Trigger told the man under his breath.
Kane hopped out of the back of the truck and held out his hand. “Lean on me,” he ordered.
In any other situation, she might’ve complained about him ordering her around, but she was too grateful for his help at the moment. She took his hand—and it felt as if a jolt of electricity arced between them.
Surprised, she glanced up at him…and saw a look of possessiveness so strong in his gaze, it made her stumble. But Kane didn’t let her fall.
His other hand went to her waist and he all but lifted her out of the truck.
He gave her a moment to catch her balance then dropped her hand, but his arm didn’t fall from around her waist. He walked at her side as they made their way into the tent.
Aspen knew she was limping, and hated that show of weakness, but somehow the man next to her made her feel way stronger than she was.
If she’d been by herself, she knew she’d be worried about what everyone was thinking, how they’d gotten separated from the team, where the rest of the Rangers were, what exactly had happened. But with Kane and his team at her back, she felt almost invincible.
It took about twenty minutes to debrief both teams of doctors about Vandine and Holman’s injuries.
She explained what she’d done in the field and how much ketamine both had received.
She gave her professional opinion about how bad she believed their injuries were and then, just like that, her job as a medic was done.
Kane and Oz led her into an open exam room while Trigger went to find someone to finally look at her own injury. Lefty put her pack on the floor and got to work straightening the contents after she’d rummaged through them in the alley.
Grover asked if she was hungry, and even though she said she wasn’t, he said he’d go find Sierra and see if she could prepare something for her. Doc offered to go to Aspen’s tent and bring her something to change into, because it was obvious her pants were a lost cause.
Tears sprang to her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Kane asked urgently.
Aspen just shook her head. “I just…why are you all still here?”
Kane took her head in his hands after she sat on the side of the examining table. “This is what a team does, chérie.”
“I’m not on your team,” she whispered.
“The hell you’re not,” Kane retorted. She swore his head started to lower, but just then, a doctor entered the room and he had to take a step back.
“I heard you were shot,” the doctor said curtly. “Let’s see the damage.”
Aspen turned onto her stomach and let the doctor and nurse cut her pants leg so they could see her calf.
She lay still as they cleaned and sutured the wound.
It hurt, but somehow having Kane in the room, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, watching over her, made it not quite as painful as it might’ve been.
When she was all bandaged up, she put on the uniform pants Doc had brought her. It was painful to put her boot back on, but since he’d also brought her a pair of flip-flops, she was good to go.
While she was being cared for, she learned that the base docs were moving both Vandine and Holman to Germany as soon as possible—and surprisingly, they were shipping her out with them.
When she’d heard the news, she opened her mouth to question it, but pressed her lips together when Kane shook his head at her. Aspen had no idea why she was being medically evacuated when she wasn’t all that injured, but Kane cleared it up when they had a minute alone.
“Vandine insisted on it,” he told her. “Said you were his teammate and injured as well. I think the base general was more than willing to send you home early after hearing from Holman about what happened out there today. He’s not happy with Spence, or about how the other men on your team left you guys behind.
I think he realizes that putting some distance between you and the others right now is probably best.”
“So I’m being punished for Derek’s actions. Great,” Aspen muttered. Then sighed and looked up at Kane. “What happens when we all get back to Texas?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Kane told her.
“You guys are staying, right?”
“Yeah. As soon as you leave, we’ll head back out for recon. We’re gonna get Akhund.”
“Of course you are,” Aspen said with conviction. “The top brass should’ve saved us all the time and heartache by sending you guys in the first place.”
Kane smiled, and once again, Aspen thought he might kiss her, but they were interrupted by a nurse who came into the room to clean it for the next patient.
The next thing Aspen knew, she was standing next to a huge medic evac helicopter, ready for the long journey to Kuwait, then Germany, then back to Texas. Doc had gone back to her tent and packed her things, and Aspen tried not to be embarrassed that he’d seen her underwear.
Trigger, Lefty, Oz, Lucky, Doc, and Grover were all standing behind Kane in their black pants and shirts as the helicopter was fired up. They’d already given her hugs and wished her well before saying they’d see her soon.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Kane.
“I’d say I’ll write, but there’s a chance we might beat you home,” Kane quipped.
“Be safe,” Aspen said, not quite able to joke. Not when she’d experienced the danger in the village firsthand. There had been several times over the last few hours when she’d thought that was it. That she’d be shot and the only way she’d go back home was in a body bag.
“I will,” Kane told her.
They stood silent there for several tense seconds. Aspen wanted to let him know how much she cared about him, but couldn’t find the words.
Then he muttered, “Fuck it,” and reached for her.
One hand went behind her neck and the other grabbed her around the waist. He pulled her into him, Aspen gasping in surprise. Her hands landed on his chest…and then his lips were on hers.
The kiss was even more intense and breathtaking than the one they’d shared in the bar so many months ago.
Aspen’s eyes closed, and she dug her fingers into his chest as he tilted his head to take her deeper. She’d never truly understood the allure of kissing until now. It felt nice, but she’d never gotten super turned on when she’d made out with past boyfriends.
But the second Kane’s lips landed on hers, it was as if her body had been plugged into a socket.
Every hair on her body stood up and she shivered in response.
Aspen knew she should pull away. That they shouldn’t be kissing in front of what seemed like half the base.
But she couldn’t take her lips from his if her life depended on it.
Way too soon, Kane was the one who lifted his head first. She watched as he licked his lips, and his fingers tightened momentarily on her neck.
“If you get shot, I’m gonna be pissed,” she whispered.
Kane chuckled. “Noted. Take care of that leg. Don’t let it get infected,” he told her.
“I won’t.” She knew she had to go. Had to get on the helicopter, but she literally couldn’t pull herself out of Kane’s hold. She felt safe there. As if nothing could hurt her while in his arms. Not Derek. Not the Taliban fighters. Nothing.
With a big breath, she took a step back.
His arms dropped, and she immediately felt bereft. She both hated and loved the feeling. Hated it because she’d always been independent. Loved it because having such deep feelings about a man was a new and exciting thing. And it was obvious that she wasn’t the only one affected.
Kane gave her a chin lift and backed away to join his team. All seven watched as she climbed into the helicopter and it took off. Aspen kept her eyes on the Delta team as long as she could, until they were too small to see anymore.
Only then did she close her eyes and rest her forehead on the small window next to her seat. She and Kane had only been in Afghanistan together for a few hours, but somehow, Aspen knew today had changed her life forever.