Invincible

10.

We took Annie straight to the yacht and got the fuck out of Aruba. Kyle started up the boat and we headed back to Curaçao. I was grateful that I didn’t have to be alone with Annie. I wanted to focus on her recovery and not any feelings she might develop toward me since I’d rescued her.

She hadn’t said much on the car ride, just sat there dazed and crying. Overwhelmed, no doubt.

Once we boarded the ship, I took Annie up to the living area. “Annie, these are my friends, Kyle and Vic. Vic’s a medic; he’s going to help detox you. I bought you clothes and supplies.”

She blinked rapidly, scanning the tiny room. She wore a tattered shirt that skimmed her thighs and black panties. She was skinny, almost deathly so. She swayed with the movement of the boat, a little disoriented, probably in shock, confused. Her flat black hair hung around her face and she hugged her arms tight to her chest. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper and cracked with emotion. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I can’t ever thank you enough. I never, ever thought . . .”

She bit her lip in an attempt to stop the tears that shone in her eyes. She looked vulnerable and doll-like in the soft light of the room. I pulled her to me and just held her close, her small frame tucked into my large one. She felt fragile in my huge arms, breakable. I took a steadying breath to stem the rising urge to keep her there, a feeling that pissed me off as much as it confused me.

“Hey, why don’t you take a shower? We aren’t going anywhere.”

She didn't respond for a few moments, instead she tucked herself more closely into my embrace. I was loath to let her go, enjoying the feel of her soft body against mine when she took a step back. She walked slowly into the bathroom and shut the door.

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I don't know what the fuck I’d expected her reaction to be. I guess I thought she’d be running around ecstatic, kissing and hugging me, but her dull calm threw me. I had to remind myself that she was an addict, and that the reality of her freedom hadn’t sunk in for her yet.

I opened my duffel and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, throwing back a quick shot straight from the bottle. What the fuck had I gotten us into?

If this had been a movie, we would’ve whisked her to the embassy, her parents waiting to greet her. I’d have a hero’s welcome. We’d profess our love to each other and go on to live happily ever after.

But this wasn’t a movie. This rescue was off the books. There was no embassy in Aruba—the closest one was in Curaçao—and it was closed because it was the middle of the night and on a weekend. And our victim was a heroin-addicted prostitute.

Vic took meds out of his bag. “So it’s going to be rough, especially for the next seventy-two hours. We’ll keep her comfortable.”

I heard the shower water run. What was going through her head now? Her family, her friends, me?

Kyle laughed. “Dude, you pulled this off. Do you get how crazy this shit is? I mean, she’s been missing for five years, presumed dead. I never doubted you. Are you going to claim the reward?”

Three hundred thousand dollars. I made around sixty thousand a year. A pittance considering the fact that I risked my life every day. Killed for my country. Could die for my country. I could use that money. I could buy my mom a nicer house. Maybe save up some for my retirement, when I’d probably be so physically and mentally fucked up that I wouldn’t be able to hold down a job. But I didn’t want a cent. That's not why I did what I did. Why any of us did.

“Nope. Not going to touch it. I hope to hell Annie will keep our involvement out of the press. But I’m prepared to face the consequences if our command finds out.”

“Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of your teammates.”

We’d already covered this ground—I wouldn’t have brought them into this if I were going to go shouting about it from the rooftops—but it was done now and they needed to know I was committed to that.

“Well, I doubt they’d discipline us for saving an American girl who was sex trafficked. The media would have a field day with that. ‘Navy SEALs punished for saving America’s Sweetheart.’ I say you collect the reward. I’ll take my share. I need a new truck.”

“What-the-fuck-ever, man. You’re loaded with all your NFL money. Anyway, not going to happen.”

“I do not advertise the nature of my work nor seek recognition for my actions.”

Annie emerged from the bathroom, her hair wet, her skin bluish. She sat at the table and ate some chips we had out.

Kyle, Vic, and I just sat there in silence, staring. What the fuck do we do now?

After a sip of water, she burst in tears.

I went over and sat next to her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. I don’t know what to do, who I am. I mean, I’m a drug addict. I’m a prostitute. My family won’t want me back. Look at me! To get a clean vein I’ve been shooting up in my feet! What man is ever going to love a former hooker?”

Fuck. I had mentally prepared myself for her anxiety and detox, but I didn’t want to give her any false hope. Being rescued was the easy part; she would need to rebuild her life.

I took a deep breath, knowing that I needed her to hear me. “No man is going to judge you for something that was beyond your control. And your parents love you. They’ve been looking for you non-stop. I’m sure they’ll help you every step of the way. We’re going to detox you here; I have this boat for two weeks. Then I’m going to take you to the embassy. But we need to get you healthy first.”

Her chin quivered. “I can’t. I need it.”

I pulled her chair to me. “You survived five years of unspeakable hell. You can do this. We’re going to help you. I won’t leave your side.”

Vic took her into the bathroom, tested her for STDs, HIV, and pregnancy. The tests gave instant results, and we were all grateful and, well, shocked when she tested negative for everything. Vic rationed out her drug cocktail: immodium, suboxone, Xanax, vitamins, potassium. He gave her the first dose and she downed the pills with a glass of water.

I held her hand. “I think you should sleep if you can.”

She nodded her head and leaned into me. I picked her up off the chair and carried her to the bedroom with the queen bed. I’d planned to crash on the floor next to her. I pulled a blanket from the closet and set it down on the floor for me.

“Patrick, can you hold me?”

I couldn’t say no. It was her first night free in five years. She needed me to get her through her transition. “Sure.” I wrapped my arms around her and she cuddled up into my chest and fell asleep. I felt like if I moved at all, I’d break her. She was fragile, small, and weak. She rolled over and I was spooning her, her tight ass grinding against my cock. This was going to be a long night.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spent the night in bed with a woman instead of darting away in the middle of the night. I fought sleep as long as I could, looking over at the slight girl in my arms, praying that she would be okay.