Chapter 14
14
T he Saints met in the wee hours of the morning, having given up their night’s sleep to help with whatever Cam would need from them.
Luke, talking to Marc, said, “They should hit the beach soon at the rate they’re traveling. With the speed of the current after the storm, they will land near the Gulf within the day.”
“I can get my hands on a seaplane—at least that’s what my contact says. I have yet to see it, but he swears he can get one by tomorrow.”
Chad, following the river’s path, added, “They’ll beach north of Topolobampo, which is good. Too much drug violence there so we know the cartel could be looking for the two of them.”
Bart rubbed his hand over his face, “Jesus, you’d think the cartel would assume they’d be dead somewhere and not traveling down a river in the middle of a storm with a big-ass waterfall to traverse. Hell, after the earthquake and then this huge storm, the cartel should have their fuckin’ hands full without trying to chase down these two.”
Blaise, former DEA, explained, “Doesn’t matter, Bart. Cartel’s got money, contacts, and they’ll stop at nothing to try to keep Cam and Miriam from escaping with the information they’ve got.”
Monty looked at Jack, knowing how close their boss was to Miriam’s brother. “You talk to Jobe recently.”
Jack sighed heavily before responding, “Yeah. He’s been calling every day and I feel like shit when I can’t give him the answers he’s looking for. But I told him a few hours ago that they’re heading to the coast.”
“How’s the family?” Monty asked.
“His family’s close. They’re taking it hard. I need to keep him placated so he doesn’t go off the charts.”
“Shit, boss, we don’t need him going rogue.”
“I know. I’ve called his boss, Tony, and made sure his boys are keeping a tight rein on Jobe. They reminded him that he needs to be there for his parents and other sisters and let us and Cam get Miriam out safe.”
Luke, still on conference call with Marc, confirmed the seaplane landing area and added, “As soon as we have a lock on their location when they’re at the coast, we’ll let you know, and you can get in and get ‘em picked up.”
Marc agreed, then asked, “What happens when they get back?”
Jack took on that question. “We’ll get them to family, and they’ll be interviewed by CIA, FBI, and DEA for a while.” He added, “I’ve been in contact with Cam’s family also. They don’t know where he is but that he’s on a mission undercover. I told them that I’ll let them know as soon as I hear something.”
Bart added, “Jack, I’ve gotten tight with Cam and his family. If you need me to deal with them while you deal with Miriam’s family, just let me know.”
Jack nodded, grateful for the offer. Glancing around the table, he discovered that his dream had come true. A group of like-minded individuals, each with their own special skills honed from their various military and agency backgrounds, coming together to take care of what was handed to them.
Sucking in a deep breath, he said, “Okay, Marc. Hang tight and as soon as Cam gets to the Gulf, we’ll get you the coordinates.”
On track with that mission, they turned their attention back to the rest of their business.
Several times during the day, Cam had Miriam lay flat in the canoe when they were paddling past villages. People were beginning to go about their normal activities, and he could see men and women at the edge of the river, getting water, washing clothes, or working in the fields. When the trees lined the riverbanks, she could be up but as soon as they passed an area that appeared to be populated, he forced her down.
The first time, while immediately obeying, she asked why.
“Cartel probably has put out feelers for anyone seeing a large man and woman traveling together. ”
“Do you think they put us together? I mean, it’s not like we were ever together before,” she asked, lying in the bottom of the canoe staring up at him as he paddled.
Glancing down as he paddled, he could not help but notice her stretched out on her back, her head almost at his feet and looking up at him. Her dark brown eyes were moving over his body, and he hoped she liked what she saw. He knew he did.
“We were too close together and both new to the area. No way they won’t put two and two together and figure that I got to you.”
He heard her sigh deeply and wanted to take the worry from her. “Tell me more about yourself,” he said.
She giggled and asked, “Why? You buying more kisses?”
“Maybe,” he joked. Then added, “But maybe hoping I don’t have to buy them anymore.”
He held his breath for a second, wondering how she would take that. He did not have to wait long. Her smile lit her face and she said, “You don’t have to buy them at all.”
He grinned down at her and then said, “Well, all right. So, tell me more. Tell me about being a nurse.”
“Well, there’s really not much to tell. I always liked taking care of people and it’s the only profession I wanted to do. I work in a hospital but have to admit that last summer I had the chance to help with Jobe’s mother-in-law who had a stroke and really liked that.”
“Mackenna’s mom?”
“Oh, that’s right. I keep forgetting that you met Mackenna. Yeah, her mom had a stroke and by the time I met her she only needed a little care, but I loved that chance to really connect with a patient. So often at the hospital, even though I treat every patient as important, they’re usually in and out so quickly that I have no chance to bond with them.”
“So do you think you’ll stay at the hospital?”
“I’m sure not going to go overseas with the Red Cross anymore!” she exclaimed. She heard him chuckle and then sobering, she added, “But that kind of sucks also.”
“How so, babe?”
Rolling over to her side so that she was still hidden in the bottom of the canoe but could lean her head on her hand while propped up on her elbow, she focused on his face. “I had such high hopes for this trip, Cam. My parents were totally against it, and I thought Jobe was going to have a fit. I wanted to do something special. Go somewhere different. Challenge myself.” Sighing deeply, she said, “But my plans all went to hell.”
Cam glanced around and said, “You can sit back up, carina .”
“My great adventure turned into a great disaster. I could have been killed, or raped, or tortured, or?—”
“Stop,” he ordered. “Stop right there.” He maneuvered the canoe over to the side of the river, where he could pull it in under the low hanging branches of a tree. Tying it off there, he scooted to the center of the craft and sat close to her.
“Don’t go there,” he warned. “First of all, none of this is your fault. That blame lies squarely on the asshole drug cartel that kidnapped you. You did nothing to bring this on yourself. Second of all, you were a valuable commodity and none of those things were going to happen.”
“I saw,” she whispered, her eyes large and filling with tears.
His brow wrinkled in question as he took in her ravaged expression. “Saw what, babe? What did you see?”
Licking her lips nervously she looked out over the water, her mouth opening and closing several times without speaking, trying to find the words to describe the horror.
“Dr. Villogas took me to a village to help when a building collapsed. On the way back, there was um…it was…I…” she could not get the words out, but a tear ran down her cheek.
Moving gently so as not to tip the canoe, Cam grabbed her hands and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around hers.
“There were bodies on the side of the road. I’d seen bodies before,” she said, looking up at his face. “When we first came to Los Mochis there were bodies piled up from the earthquake. But these were…cut up.” Her face grew even paler as her eyes closed as though to force the image from her mind.
He had seen a similar sight and knew what she was trying to tell him. Fuck! She’s seen the cartel’s way of dealing with those who break ranks—using hatchets to get their point across.
“Oh, baby girl. No one should have to see that, especially not you. I’m so fuckin’ sorry. If only I’d gotten to you sooner!” he bit out.
“It’s not your fault,” she exclaimed, cupping his square jaw with her hand, feeling the three-day old stubble underneath her fingers. “It’s just like you told me. The fault is theirs.”
“I’d have given anything to have kept that from you, Miriam,” his ragged voice said.
Dragging in a breath, she nodded. Just then, they the heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance. Her eyes brightened as she jerked around, still in his arms.
“Your friend! He must have found a way to get to us,” she exclaimed, starting to push back from his embrace.
“No!” he growled. Grabbing the oar, he pushed them back further into the river’s embankment, deeper under the overhang of the trees. Seeing her wide-eyed expression at his outburst, he explained, “Don’t know who it is, but we don’t want to be seen by anyone.”
“You think they’re after us? Just like you were afraid of?”
“It could be a private chopper carrying someone important since roads may be washed out. Could be someone from the government checking out the earthquake and storm damage. Could be any number of people doing any number of things.”
She sat quietly as the sound became louder as the helicopter traveled directly over the center of the river and then passed them by. Waiting until it was long out of sight, she looked back up and asked, “But it could have been someone looking for us, couldn’t it?”
Cam hesitated, not wanting to cause her any more stress, but he refused to lie to her. Ever. “Yeah, they could have been looking for us.”
He watched the range of emotions play across her face. Sadness. Fear. Anger. Fuck, she’d better not ever play poker, ‘cause her face tells it all. Then, fascinated, he watched as the final expression settled on her beautiful face. Determination.
Pushing to a seated position once more, she stated, “Well then, we’d better get a move on and get the hell out of here so that your friend can pick us up.”
Meeting her gaze, he could not help but smile. “ Mujer de acero, babe. You got a will of steel. ”
Finally, by the end of the long day, they could see the shoreline covered with sand instead of mud and the thick trees along the edge thinned out leaving more scrub brush. They had thankfully made it to the inlet near the gulf and had not been bothered by any more flyovers, nor had they had to pass any more villages. The evening shadows exposed large coral reefs and what appeared to be huge outcroppings of rock formations along the beach front.
“This is perfect for hiding,” Cam said, pushing the canoe to the beach. Turning to assist Miriam, he reached out to pluck her from the craft instead of just offering her his hand. Knowing they had been in the canoe for longer hours today, he assumed that she had sea-legs and did not want her to fall. Hell, who am I kidding? I just want to fuckin’ hold her !
She did not mind and laughed as he twirled her around in the sand. She gazed into his face, his white smile stark against his tan skin, as his dark eyes met hers. Closing her eyes against the intensity of his stare as she grew dizzy from twirling, she could almost imagine being on a beach vacation with Cam. Not in the middle of a drug cartel’s zone and running for their lives.
Her eyes popped back open as reality slammed back into her, but all she could see was his face. His dark eyes still staring at hers. His strong arms still holding her tight.
“Where’d you go, baby?” he asked softly. “For a few seconds you were a million miles away.”
“I…um…”
Giving her a little squeeze, he gently ordered, “The truth.”
“Is this part of the do what I say when I say it speech to keep me safe?” she quipped.
Squeezing her again, he smirked replying, “Nope. This is me wanting to make sure you’re all right and wanting to know what’s going through your mind so that I know what I need to do to take care of you.”
Blushing, she admitted, “It was a nice thought, actually.” His stare implied that he expected more. Huffing, she said, “Okay, fine. I was thinking that I could almost pretend that this was a gorgeous beach and you and I were on vacation. Not running for our lives.”
His smile was her reward, and she was blinded by its intensity. Embarrassed, she tucked her face into his neck and felt his chuckle rumble from deep inside of him. He gave her a squeeze again but did not set her down on the sand. Instead, he kept her enveloped in his tight embrace.
“Can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing, carina , than be on a vacation with you.”
She pulled her head back in surprise and saw nothing but sincerity in his face. She watched as his handsome face came closer just before his lips latched onto hers.
The kiss was deep. Wet. Intense. He slipped his tongue inside her warmth, exploring the recesses of her mouth, tangling with her tongue as well. The world fell away, their cares and worries with it, lost in their connection.
He reluctantly moved his lips away from hers, his cock swelling painfully in his cargoes. Scanning her face, he saw her eyes still hooded with desire, lips swollen with his kiss.
Slowly letting her slide down the length of his body, he steadied her with his large hands on her shoulders before letting them slide down to her waist. Leaning down to kiss her forehead, he said, “Come on babe. Let’s get the canoe hidden and find a place where we can be under cover.”
After dragging the boat to a small rock outcropping, they explored their private beach. The water was brilliant blue in the inlet, and they walked around the beach until they were at the ocean side of the little peninsula. There, the waves were higher, but the water was just as clear.
“Cam? ”
“Right here,” he answered, holding her hand as they walked.
“How will your friend get here?” she asked, looking up into his face, squinting in the bright sun.
Up until now, he kept her informed about what was happening only to the level she needed to know. “You worried?” he asked.
“Yeah. I mean, no. I…oh, I don’t know.”
“The plan is that tomorrow morning he’ll have a seaplane. The group I work for will have the exact location for us through the tracking chip that’s embedded in me.”
Nodding, she looked around at the beautiful landscape. “It’s gorgeous here, isn’t it? This is the Mexico you see in travel brochures.”
He twisted his head around also, appreciating the unblemished white sandy beach, blue water, rock formations jutting out around them. Privacy as far as the eye could see. Turning back to her, he said, “You wanna go swimming?”
Joy shone on her face as she exclaimed, “I’d love to!” Then looking down, she moaned, “But our clothes?”
“Your bra and panties probably cover more of you than I would see if you were in a bikini and my boxers will be fine. Afterward, we can go back up the river just a bit to wash the salt off since that’s fresh water coming in.”
Biting her lip in indecision for only a few seconds, she grinned up at him. “Let’s do it!”
They moved back to a small cove with a large overhang, giving them a bit of privacy, and quickly stripped down to their underwear.
Cam’s gaze slid head to toe, the view of her body making it hard to be a gentleman. Her eyes darted to the side, the blush starting from the tempting mounds at the top of her bra cups up to the top of her face. Grabbing her hand, he jerked his head toward the bay side. “Come on gorgeous, let’s go.”
The water was warm but deliciously refreshing. Miriam thought she would never want to be immersed in water again, but this warm swimming pool was not like the cold dunkings of the river.
Walking straight into the clear bay up to their waists, Cam snagged her around the waist and hoisted her out of the water. With a scream coming from her lips, he tossed her into the water. As she rose up, slicing through the surface, she appeared as a water nymph rising from the depths. He watched as her dark hair, smooth and silky, flowed down her back and water droplets fell from her face down toward her breasts. Catching her breath, she lunged at him, trying to dunk his head under the water, to no avail.
“That’s no fair,” she pretend pouted. “You’re bigger than me.”
“Just noticing that, baby?”
“No. I knew the canoe was tipping up on my side every time you got in!” she laughed.
“You’ll pay for that one,” he called as he moved quickly through the water as she tried to escape.
Within seconds he caught her around the waist again, but this time instead of tossing her, he turned her until she was facing him and captured her tightly against his chest. The amusement of the moment slowly morphed into something altogether different as her breasts pressed to his chest and his erection was held against her stomach.
She ran her hands through his hair, moving them downward until she grasped his strong jaw. Emotions swirling, she was overcome with the knowledge that he had come for her. And now he held her heart as much as he was holding her body.
Knowing they were not yet safe, the realization of what they had traversed to come this far jolted into their consciousnesses. Neither moved for a moment, each afraid to break the spell. Their eyes locked, hers wide with anticipation and his dropped to her mouth just before taking it.
The kiss was as desperate as the two young people alone in the ocean. One of his hands slid to cup the back of her head, angling her so that he could take the kiss deeper. His tongue easily slipped between her open lips, tasting, tangling…claiming.
She met him thrust for thrust as she wrapped her legs around his waist, still feeling his large erection pressed close to her core. All thought left her except for wanting this man at this moment.
Rubbing herself on him, she knew she could come just by dry humping…but she much preferred him being inside.
Her arms were wrapped around his neck, allowing him to move his hand to her bra, pulling the cup down. Bending his head slightly, he latched onto her nipple sucking deeply. Hearing her gasp, he continued to suckle before moving to the other side.
Throwing her head back, she jutted her breasts out further toward him making his access easier. The jolt from her nipple electrified straight down to her core. It had been a long time since she had been with a boyfriend, and she had never adopted the fuck buddy attitude. Her long-buried libido roared to life as she continued to press her hips into his erection.
Barely aware of anything other than the call of his dick, Cam walked them out of the water and back to the hidden cove where their clothes had been dropped. Kicking their discarded clothes into a pile, he laid her on her back on top of them hoping they would provide some cushion.
Her eyes, gazing up at him, filled with desire as he leaned over her body, stopping within an inch of her mouth.
“You sure, carina ? I want you to be sure,” he whispered, holding her gaze. “You need to understand this is no fuck ‘cause there’s nothing else to do. This means something. So, you need to be sure.”
A slow smile spread across her beautiful face. “Yeah,” she breathed. “I’m sure.”