Sweet Revenge

Chapter 29

The woman needed a reassurance he couldn’t give. “Right. But if I don’t make it, I promise you’ll be all right.” If it was the last thing he did, he’d make provisions for her safety. Somehow. “So you getting on the helicopter is our primary focus. Got it?”

She didn’t agree nearly soon enough.

“Laney?” he asked, lifting his head. Her stubborn chin came into focus first.

“We stick together.” She met his gaze levelly, the firelight caressing her pretty features.

Shit. She hadn’t agreed at all. He rose up on his elbows, his body caging hers. “Now isn’t a good time to disagree with me.” He allowed steel to enter his words.

She shrugged, her breasts sliding against his chest. “This is a perfect time. You look like a relaxed, lazy lion in the firelight.”

His eyebrows lifted of their own accord. “Lions bite, baby.”

“So bite me.” She grinned.

He frowned, distracted. “I think I already did.” He peered closer at the love nip at her shoulder. While he should probably apologize for his actions, the sight of his mark on her filled him with a primal satisfaction. An inappropriate throwback of a satisfaction. “I didn’t break the skin, but, ah, my bite is there.” For a few days at least.

“You’re smiling.” She tangled her fingers through his hair. “Neanderthal.”

His woman had a point. “Good. We understand each other. I give an order and you follow it.” Life would be so much easier if she’d agree.

“No.”

Damn it. He needed to convince her. “I’m on board with equal rights, with trusting each other to make the right decisions.” He sounded like a jackass who’d never been in a relationship. Hell, he had never been in a real relationship.

“Good.” She stretched against him.

His cock perked up. “Except in battle.”

This time her eyebrow rose. “Hmmm.”

The fact that his temper roared so quickly after such amazing sex was proof of the danger in their current situation. He stamped down impatience. “Yes. In battle, one person has to command, or we all die. I have more battle experience, and right now, as we’re fighting for our lives, you will obey.” The o word was a mistake, and he knew it the second he said it. “Promise me.”

She sighed. “If we’re attacked by a squad of soldiers, I promise I’ll follow orders to survive.”

“But?” It couldn’t be this easy.

“I’m not leaving you. Ever.” Her eyes softened to the color of a summer meadow. “I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about, and I’ve never loved somebody like this. I can’t lose it, and I won’t lose you.” Determination lived in the lines of her fragile face. “This has nothing to do with equal rights or trust. This is life, and you’re mine.”

His heart swelled to the point his ribs hurt. Needles poked behind his eyes. Couldn’t be tears, because he didn’t cry. So he lowered his head and kissed her, accepting all she was giving. “I love you, Laney.”

“I know.” She hugged him, her arms not reaching around his back.

The idea of losing her terrified him, even as happiness he didn’t deserve flowed through him. He ran his hand through her hair, marveling at the softness. He wanted to pet her forever. “I’ll never let you down.”

She murmured sleepily into his skin.

He rolled to the side and tucked her close. “Get some sleep. Nate will be here any time, and we’ll need to head into the storm again.” The fact that the storm had only increased in power was a lucky one. In his life, luck never lasted. So they’d have to run.

“Okay.” Laney snuggled her tight butt into his groin and was asleep within a minute.

He loved that she could fall asleep so easily… She trusted him. Matt held her closer, breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair. The need to protect her coursed through him stronger than any drug the scientists had plunged into his veins with their experiments. This need, he’d follow. Arguing with her was a waste of time, yet he couldn’t be anybody other than who he was. He’d make sure she made it to safety, even if he had to sacrifice himself to do it.

A sound in the distance perked his ears.

Thunder. Lightning. Rain slashing down. A footstep.

He went cold, all senses focused a hundred yards to the east. More rain, more thunder, and more pine needles slashing into trees.

Another footstep.

Careful and cautious—loaded down. Probably with weapons and tactical gear. Definitely not Nate.

Matt swung his legs from the bed, careful not to awaken Laney. Quick strides had him across the room, where he yanked on his jeans before dialing Nate with his cell. No answer. Either Nate had gone dark, or the storm was messing with his phone. While Matt had a satellite phone, Nate’s was a burner phone.

Instantly switching into hunter mode, Matt pulled on his shirt and stuck the unloaded gun in his pants. Planning ahead, he grabbed the two steak knives out of the drawer. They were as useless as the weapon, but he donned his boots and tucked a knife into one.

Turning, he stared at Laney.

The soft light from the fire turned her skin to burnished gold. She breathed softly, sleeping peacefully. He could leave her, take care of the threat, and arrive back at the cabin before she awoke.

Or he could be walking into a trap, might get killed, and she’d be sleeping in bed, completely defenseless.

Both options sucked.

He didn’t want to do this, but survival was all that mattered. So he retrieved her wet clothes and approached the bed. “Laney? Get up and get dressed, baby. Now.”

She blinked and sat up in bed. “What?”

He set down the clothes. “Get dressed.”

Her eyes widened, and she jumped from the bed to yank on the still-dripping clothes. Her hands shook when she tied her muddy tennis shoes. “What’s going on?”

“I heard somebody to the east.” He tossed one knife on the bed. “Take the knife, and if you need to use it, don’t hesitate.”

“How far to the east?”

“At least a hundred yards.” Way too close. He tried to appear reassuring.

She frowned. “Your hearing is that enhanced?”

“Yes. All senses are.” He needed to get her moving.

“Okay.” She grasped the handle, her eyes way too wide in her pale face. “We’re going to fight, then?”

He paused. “Ah, no. You’re hiding, I’m fighting.”

She glanced in slow motion down to the knife in her hand. “Why do I have a knife?”

“Just in case.” He moved toward her and grasped her shoulders. “I’d like to leave you in the warm cabin, but if something happens to me, they’ll find you. We need to put you someplace else while I go take care of whoever is headed our way.”

“B-but I don’t want to hide out in the storm.” Her knuckles turned white on the handle.

“I know, baby.” He dropped a soft kiss on her head. “I’ll hurry back and get you warm.”

She shook her head and pushed him. “No, I mean I don’t want to hide while you fight. I can help. We’ve been training.”

“No.” He allowed no softness or understanding to enter his voice. “This is what’s going to happen. We’re going into the storm, and we’re going to find you a place to hide near the lake. Nate or Shane will know how to find you if something happens to me.” Taking her arm, he propelled her outside.

The wind slapped them hard, while rain cut through oxygen like it was pissed. He tried to shield her as much as possible as he led her down to the lake. Yeah, he thought so. He pointed down the shoreline to the west. “About ten cabins down, there’s a shed near the dock. Crouch down as much as possible under the eaves, and I’ll be back soon.” Kissing her hard on the mouth, he stepped back. “Do what I say, Laney. If you see anybody headed this way who’s not me, I want you to get in the lake and swim under the dock.”

God, he hoped he made it back.

She glanced at the churning lake and swallowed. “Okay.” She grabbed his shirt and yanked his head down. “Come back to me. I love you.”

He deepened the kiss, taking over, trying to put everything he felt into it. “I love you with everything I am.”

She wiped rain off her face as the wind battered her. “I’d try to go, but I’d just get in your way. One week of training probably won’t do much against those guys.”

He forced a grin. “I don’t know—you’re fairly tough. Now go.”

She nodded and turned, her feet slipping in the sand. But she lowered her head and fought the wind.

Matt waited as long as he could to make sure she was all right, but the sense of urgency at the base of his neck finally took over. Pivoting, he ran full bore to cut off the men headed toward his woman.

Laney clamped her hand around the knife handle and crouched down against the wooden boards. The small shack most likely held inner tubes and life jackets. She could kick the door in—maybe—but then she’d be trapped inside if the commander found her beach.

The storm continued to bluster, throwing sand to pelt her. Whitecaps smashed waves against the shore, and the nearest dock pitched wildly in the blackened water.

She’d never survive hiding under the heaving planks. No way.

Movement near the closest cabin caught her eye. She squinted through the darkness, her breath catching. The wind propelled a mass of leaves onto the porch. She relaxed.

A dark figure came into view.

Her heart clutched. So much for it just being the wind.

She couldn’t discern his face, but he was big. He held something in his right hand—probably a gun. She peered around him for other soldiers. It was too dark.

Tightening her grip, she huddled back against the building.

The man stilled, his body turning toward her. God. Had he heard her move through the storm? No way. Unless he was engineered, like Matt.

The guy’s shoulders went back, and he strode toward her through the billowing storm. She closed her eyes for courage, waited until he blocked the wind, and then lunged.

“Whoa,” he muttered, catching her by the armpits and taking her down to the sand. “Doc. Take it easy.”

She opened her eyes. “Nathan?”

“Yeah.” He hauled her up. “Sorry to scare you. Where’s Matt?”

“A hundred yards to the east.” She tried to brush wet sand off her legs and quickly gave up the fight. There was no getting dry.

Nate lifted his head, his gaze to the east. He frowned. “The east is quiet.”

“So the fight is over?” Hope flared in her chest.

“No. The fight hasn’t started.” Nate held a sawed-off shotgun in his left hand. “Can you move?”

“Sure. Any other weapons?” What she would give for a gun. Or an Uzi.

Nate shook his head. “Just this shotgun. Forces are moving in from the west and north, so I can’t leave you here. We need to find Matt and now.”

A ball of dread slammed into her gut. Even so, she turned to follow Nate along the shoreline, the sand sucking her feet deep. “They’re coming from all sides. We’ll have to fight our way out.” Against the commander and his armed forces, chances were too slim to calculate.

Nate turned and smiled through the rain. “I have a plan, Doc. No worries.”

“I’m not a doctor anymore, and I never will be. I’m a bartender.” She liked her life, and she liked her job. Being a doctor had been a goal to make her somebody, and she had trained hard for it. But would returning to the world of medicine make her lose who’d she’d become? A part of a community that cared?

“Barkeep isn’t as good a nickname.” Nate angled his body to the right and provided her more shelter from the wind trying to kill them.

“Laney is.” She put her head down to keep sand from her eyes.

“My brother, Shane, calls his wife Angel. Does Matt have a nickname for you?” Nate asked.

Nobody had ever considered her close to an angel. Laney wondered about the mysterious Josie. She must be the sweetest woman alive. Laney wasn’t jealous. Not at all. Plus, Nate was trying to distract her from their imminent death, and she warmed toward him. “Yes. Either smart-ass or baby.”

Nate chuckled. “I can’t call you those. Mattie would kick my butt.”

Smart-ass wasn’t nearly as nice as angel. Laney tripped in the wet sand and quickly regained her footing. “True.”

“What was your middle name—your real one?” Nate asked, his casual tone at odds with the at-attention set of his back.

“Um, Lou.” Her mother had named her after her maternal grandparents, Eleanor and Lou. Of course, they’d died by the time Laney had turned three.

Nate tossed her a look over his shoulder. “We’ve got it. Laney Lou it is.”

“Sounds like either a fat farmer’s daughter or a porn star,” Laney muttered, trying not to smile.

“Exactly.”

“Are we bonding or something?” She’d have thought Nate would want her dead.

He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“Um, because I was one of the doctors who worked for the commander.” These men confused her.

“Did you do anything to hurt me or my brothers personally?” Nate asked.

“No.”

“Well, life is too goddamn short for me to worry about who you might’ve hurt if it wasn’t us. And it’s too short to shove away love if it’s real. Plus, as much as I hate to say it, we all worked for the commander.” Nate eyed her.

“I guess.” She really wanted him to like her for some reason.

“I get the feeling you’ll fight with us, and I like that.” Nate lifted his head and listened for a moment. “Plus, Matt seems at peace. Even with all of us about to die, he’s found happiness. That’s what I’d want for him.”

Warmth bubbled through Laney, and she increased her pace. They had to win this.

Nate halted and held up a hand for her to stop.

She stilled, setting her stance to keep from falling over. Rain attacked her like they were enemies. When had she angered Mother Nature to such a degree? “What?”

Nate turned. “Twenty yards into the forest.” He eyed her. “Come with me as far as the tree line, and then you hide.”

Her knees wobbled, and her shoulders shook. She wouldn’t get in his way, but she was ready to fight to the death if necessary. Chances were, even if she held back, it would be. “Okay. Just bring him back in one piece, will you?”

Nate nodded. “Of course. Let’s find you temporary shelter.”