Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Tarzan would be proud. I just hope this vine holds because I’ve got some shit to tear up.
Justice ducks like a pro.
My feet take out the first guy wearing tactical gear, my shoulder slams into the second, sending him flying.
“What the fuck?” Axle dodges out of my way, swiping Allison with an arm, taking her to the ground in a loud crash.
The final impact of my arc is my elbow crashing into the head of some jackass wearing a polo shirt.
Snap!
Weightlessness hits me.
Oh shit !
I’m sailing through the air and not in a good way.
The vine broke, hurtling me into a gigantic fern, right on my ass.
All the air knocks out of my body as I crumple to the jungle floor.
Behind me, there’s a scuffle. Grunts and shouts.
For a beat, I’m useless.
Fuck, that stung.
I hate when you land on your ass and jar your brain.
With a slow roll of my neck, I climb to my feet and charge toward the sound of Axle yelling, “Point a gun in my face again, you motherfucker!”
Axle is still Axle. And just as expected, his voice is followed by more grunts of pain.
But I’m only worried about one thing.
One person .
Her. The woman who makes me feel alive.
And I almost lost her.
Seeing Allison climbing to her feet, wiping her muddy hands, makes my heart catapult into my throat.
A band of emotion snaps around my chest, rendering my voice nearly useless. “Ally!”
Her eyes are like an owl’s, her legs are unsteady, but she bounds toward me, leaping into my bloodied arms.
“Sweetheart, fuck,” I rasp against her tangled hair. “What did they do to you?”
“You’re alive!” Her whole body trembles in my arms as she leans back to look at me. When her palm rests on my cheek, my Adam’s apple refuses to budge.
The moment freezes.
It doesn't matter where we are. What has happened. She’s in my arms again.
Christ.
I lean down and plant my mouth on hers, tasting the salt of her tears. Wishing like hell I could erase all her pain. Years worth and wiping away whatever just happened.
“Baby.” I’m shaking, my scraped-up arms are bleeding all over her. “You’re alive. God. I thought—Fuck! I didn’t know what happened when the river took you.”
Those soulful, smart eyes soften more until they are all heart. “You saved me. Again. Now, you big maniac, shut up and kiss me.”
“You got it, Doc.”
I’ll take that order any day. Everyday.
I’m already lowering my mouth and the softness of her lips steals the last of my breath.
This woman. I’m so done for.
Doctor Allison Westerly kisses me back like there’s a fire in her that only I can put out.
Not just a slide of lips, but a desperate searching of my mouth as if to test whether I’m really alive.
The deep French kiss is reckless, wet. Hot as fuck. Downright animalistic.
Holding her tight against my body, as her legs tighten around my waist, the world stays on the periphery.
I tune out the growled orders of my brother and my teammate and take what I need.
God, do I need.
I need her to breathe. The heat in my chest grows so bright and big, I wonder if I will split in half.
How has she done this to me?
It’s like Allison was sent to me. To fit her puzzle pieces into the gaping holes in my soul.
When we become desperate for air, I break free, pulling her closer, cupping her forehead to my neck as I close my eyes.
She’s safe.
We’re alive.
Those fuckers didn’t hurt her.
“I thought you drowned.” Her voice is small, but her hug is fierce.
“Nah, I got loose. Did you get to shore?”
“Ahem!” A deep throat clearing makes me peel my lids open to find my brother staring at me. At us.
That motherfucker.
The heat in my chest turns to a supernova of anger. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the country. When I ran into some of the Agile team, I heard you were missing.”
He just had to stick his nose in my fucking business. Again.
We stare at each other. Mirror images. Only his hair is longer, and the lines in his face are deeper. Probably fucking guilt.
It’s been months since we saw each other. It’s done nothing to ease the hate for him. Don’t suspect anything ever will.
He doesn’t move. But when his eyes fall to Allison, a possessive monster tears through me and right out of my mouth on a roar.
“Fuck off, Axle. Don’t ever look at Allison again.”
“Some thanks that is for fishing her out of the ocean. Oh yeah, and carrying her on my back while we searched for your sorry fucking ass.”
“You touched her?”
His eyes just glint below his red headlamp. Fitting as fuck.
Evil shit inside those dark pupils makes him look right at home bathed in the color of blood.
Allison stiffens against me, and before I can do anything, she’s scrambling down, out of my arms. Aiming her furious glare at him, she puts her small frame in front of me. “Why are you talking to your brother like that?”
“Don’t.” I wrap my hand around her upper arm, pulling her back until she’s flush against my chest. “Leave this between us. It runs deep.”
Fire continues to build behind the eyes that match mine, his scowl tightens and then he airs our dirty laundry.
“Mack is angry because I was Hope’s friend.”
Familiar rage erupts in my veins, turning my blood to lava. “Don’t ever say her fucking name again, or I’ll slice your tongue out.”
“Good to see nothing has changed.” Axle spits on the ground. “And you're welcome for saving your girl, little brother. Try not to get this one killed, too.” He spins on his boot and stomps off.
I make a move to follow him, but Ally wraps herself tightly around me.
She’s still shaking after the scuffle.
“Let him go,” Justice says while zip tying Thomas and his buddies extra tight. He removes anything from their pockets that could be used as a weapon or to free themselves as he goes, tossing them into a pile in my general direction. Standing, he activates his coms as he finishes. “This is Justice. Over.”
“Beast here. Over.”
“Found Truck. I'm sending you a pin. We have three tangos that we'll need additional transport for. Over.”
“Alive or dead? Over.”
“Alive,” he grumbles. “Unfortunately. Over.”
“You’re going to be sorry if you don't let us go,” snarls one of the guys in ops gear.
“Not as sorry as you'll be if you don’t shut up.” Justice lifts his leg and knocks the guy out with one well-placed boot.