Chapter 45
“The fucking compound is on fire!” Clay said through the ear-piece to Travis.
But he didn’t need the update. He was staring at the compound in horror.
Disbelief enveloped him.
They . . . they couldn’t be in that inferno. Could they? He didn’t even know how it had gone up so quickly. It was like someone had set off multiple ignition points and the entire place was fucking exploding.
“Nooo!” he screamed as took off.
He ignored the yells of people behind him and in his ear. He could barely hear them over the manic-sounding screams around him.
Who was making that noise? It sounded like they were in agonizing pain whoever they were.
Fuck.
Was it him? As he grew closer to the compound another explosion went off, sending him flying to the ground. It felt like all the hairs of his face were singed as a wave of intense heat washed over him.
Then something heavy landed on him and refused to move. Was he being crushed by something?
“Fuck!”
“Stay down, motherfucker!” Hunter screamed.
“Get off! I need to help them! They’re in there. They’re in there!”
They were dead.
How would he go on without them? He couldn’t. It was that simple.
If she was dead then so was he.
“They’re not in there!” Hunter yelled.
“Get off!” He didn’t need Hunter’s lies. He didn’t believe him.
“They’re not in there, you fucking ignorant dick! Gray has them.”
He froze. “What?”
Hunter might lie. Gray wouldn’t.
“Gray has them. I don’t know how but he has them. And if you go running off, then you’re the one who is going to be dead because I ain’t saving you again. Cady will kick my ass if I come home in pieces. Not that I’m scared of my wife.”
“They’re safe?”
“Come on, man. Let’s get you to them.”
She opened her eyes slowly. The intense light hit her eyeballs, frying them instantly.
“Bright light! Bright light!” she cried.
“Fuck, shit. Sorry, baby. That better?”
Opening her eyes cautiously, she glanced around. “Where am I?” And why did her entire body hurt?
“You’re in a hospital in Tanzania.”
Her gaze focused on the person speaking. A gasp left her as she took in how terrible he looked. “What happened to your eyebrows?”
“What happened to your ribs?” Travis growled back at her.
Her ribs?
Oh. My. God.
It came rushing back. Aadan. Tyler. The General. And then . . . the fight to survive.
“Aadan’s men. They kicked me when I jumped over Tyler to stop them from hurting him.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Travis continued to repeat the one word on a loop.
Oh hell.
He’d finally lost it.
“Travis! Snap out of it!”
If anyone was entitled to fall apart it was her.
To her surprise, he actually listened. Huh. You could teach a stubborn Neanderthal new tricks.
Who knew?
“Tell me everything.”
“First, is Tyler okay? Second, how did you get here? Third, can I have some water? And fourth, a hug?”
“Shit. Fuck.” He sat on the bed and helped her sit up slowly. It hurt so bad but she held in her whimpers as he drew her close.
“I’m so sorry, baby. This should have been the first thing I did. This. And this.” Leaning back, he grasped hold of her chin and kissed her gently. “I love you so fucking much. And I am never letting you out of my sight again as long as I live.”
“Well, except to pee, right?” she said with a laugh that she instantly regretted.
The look he gave her told her that he didn’t find that funny.
Bloody hell. She might be in trouble here.
“I thought you had died. And I knew that if you were gone, so was I. Because I don’t want to live in a world without you. Which is why we’re getting married when we get home. We’re not waiting for a big wedding or anything else. Except for you to be well enough, of course. Vegas. Wed. Done.”
“And people say romance is dying,” she said dryly.
“I am not up to jokes, Caren.”
She winced. “Sorry. Could we maybe elope, then have a big wedding later?”
“You want this?”
“Well, not a really big wedding. Just with our close family and friends.”
“That’s acceptable. As long as you are mine for good before the week is done.”
She slowly reached up and cupped his cheek. “I’m already yours. Forever and ever.”
Travis closed his eyes. Then, as he helped her drink, he told her everything, including the role Isabel had to play which made her sad. She’d liked the younger woman. How could she do that to her? And why?
He also told her that Miranda and Charles were here and needed to speak to her.
Bollocks.
“I have to tell you everything now,” she told him after he finished. “Because I don’t think we should tell the FBI or Interpol and I need your advice.”
“All right,” he said. “Tell me.”
She told him everything up to where the General left her in that room. When she’d thought it was all over and he was going to have her killed.
Getting up, Travis started to pace. “Fuck. Fuck. How did you escape then?”
“After the General left some time passed. I don’t know how much time, I was too busy freaking out.
Then a different guy walked in. He was quiet and he didn’t say anything to me.
But he drew out this needle. I tried to scream, but he muffled it and injected my neck.
I thought the General had ordered him to kill me.
But when I came to, Tyler was shaking me awake and we were in the middle of the forest. He said the same thing had happened to him.
Someone drugged him and dumped him with me. ”
“The General?” he asked.
“That’s the only person it could be. He must have decided that he didn’t want to kill us.
I don’t know why. We just got up and moved as quickly as we could away from the compound.
Then the explosions started and Gray found us.
I think I must have passed out because that’s all I can remember before waking up here. ”
“You did. Fuck. You can’t tell anyone about the General.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” If she did and the General found out . . . he might not be so forgiving next time. “But what do I say?”
“Just leave that part out entirely. They’ll never know and Tyler never saw him so his statement won’t incriminate you. Can you do that, baby?”
“I can do anything as long as I’m with you.”
There was pure frustration on the agents’ faces.
“So you didn’t see the General?” Miranda asked.
“No,” she lied.
“He wasn’t there?” Charles asked.
“I don’t know. Aadan didn’t say.” She swallowed heavily. “Do you know what happened to him?”
“We’re still liaising with the local authorities. But it seems like several bodies were in the burning buildings. We just need to identify them,” Charles told her.
God.
She hoped that poor servant had gotten out.
“But why would someone drug and release you?” Miranda repeated.
“I really don’t know.” Her head was starting to throb. “Why didn’t people get out of the buildings?”
“The doors were chained and the fire ignited quickly,” Charles explained.
Oh God.
“I’m going to be ill.”
“That’s enough,” Travis repeated, leaping up and grabbing a pan to put under her mouth “You need to finish up now, she’s been through enough.”
She gagged but nothing came up. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate.
“All right,” Charles said. “But if you remember anything else, let us know.”
They both left the room.
Sitting back, she breathed shallowly. Even with some painkillers in her system, her ribs still ached. She stared up at Travis, grasping hold of his hand. “Do you think Aadan was in there?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, baby. I think he probably was.”
Relief and sadness mingled. “So it’s over?”
“It better be. Because I can’t take anymore.”
“I’m sorry I’m so much hassle,” she told him. “Bet you wish you had a simpler, easier girlfriend who never got into trouble.”
“Goldie, I don’t want anyone but you.” He wiped her face for her. “I could never want anyone else for as long as I live. Although if you do want to live a simpler, easier life, I won’t object.”
“To a simpler, easier life with no crazy ex-boyfriends, fires, or warlords. Not too much to ask for, right?”
“Not too much at all.”