Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Beckett stole another glance at the woman walking behind him as he led her toward the cave’s carved entrance. He was in awe at how well she’d handled herself so far. Sure, she’d fought him like mad when he’d pulled her into that room, but who could blame her?

At the time, there was no way Evie could’ve known who he was or be aware of his intentions. If anything, her reaction to being manhandled after days of captivity had impressed the hell out of him.

Rather than crumble into a weeping, hysterical mess, the woman had fought with everything she possessed. Granted, her blows were nowhere near strong enough to overpower him, but even in her weakened and bruised state, the pretty schoolteacher had made it clear she’d been prepared to break free…

Or die trying.

Fury he fought to contain raged within him as he thought about the bruises and dried blood marring the skin on her beautiful face. He’d seen those same types of markings countless times in the past.

On hostages. His teammates. Hell, he’d personally suffered enough black eyes and busted lips to know exactly how painful they could be. Not to mention whatever damage had been done to her ribs.

The grip on his M27 IAR tightened as he tried like hell not to envision the type of abuse the poor woman must have endured. God, he’d love the chance to blow a few more rounds into each and every one of the terrorist assholes.

At this point, however, it would just be a waste of perfectly good ammo. And guys like the ones they’d taken down…they damn sure weren’t worth the bullets.

“Are they all dead?”

The soft question ripped Beckett back into the present. Belatedly, he realized Evie was referring to the men he and his team had taken out before breaching the cave.

“Yes.”

He didn’t insult her intelligence by trying to sugarcoat the situation as they stepped out into the night through the hellhole’s arched entrance. Nor did he attempt to shield her from the carnage, as she’d already proven earlier the strength she possessed when coming face-to-face with death.

“Your team did this?”

“We did.”

There was a slight pause before he heard her sweet voice give a resounding, “Good.”

Beckett couldn’t help but smile as the two made their way past the slain terrorists. A few yards up ahead, he saw Digger and Apollo walking down the hill toward them.

“Falcon and the kids are secure and on the bird,” his team leader announced.

Before Beckett could make introductions, Shadow’s voice suddenly filled the comms.

“Nice work, Bones,” the mysterious woman commented. “Though, I have to admit, you were inside a bit longer than I would’ve liked.”

He put a hand to his ear to adjust the small mic still nestled there. “Sorry ’bout that. Ran into our fifth hostage and needed to make sure we were clear to exit.” Looking back over his shoulder at Evie, he found her still following his directions to the letter. “You don’t have to hold onto me anymore if you don’t want to”—he veered from his current conversation and addressed her directly— “but if it makes you feel safer, you can hang onto me until we reach the helicopter.”

Without a word, the newly freed woman released his belt loop and began walking at his side. The void from her touch created a sense of disappointment, which was confusing, to say the very least.

“I’m going to assume that’s Evelynn Mitchell you’re talking to,” Shadow commented. “The others already filled me in on eliminating the single tango guarding the girls. Is she good to make it to the extraction point, or does she need a medical evac from your location?”

“She’s good.” He glanced down at her and smiled. “A little banged up and dehydrated, but she’s…good.”

His assessment of her condition might be a bit embellished, but they wouldn’t know the extent of her injuries until they could get her to a hospital for a thorough check-up. He could, however, get a jump-start on the issue of dehydration.

As Shadow continued speaking, Beckett grabbed the military-grade water bottle each man carried with him in the field and handed it to her. “It’s not cold, but it’s wet. Just be sure to take small, slow sips so you don’t get sick.”

“Thank you.” She took the bottle and immediately began to unscrew the top.

He watched her closely to ensure she didn’t gulp down too much too quickly, but like all the other orders he’d given up to this point, Evie followed his instructions and took her time.

“That’s great, Beck,” Shadow responded to his assessment of Evie’s condition. “Any additional casualties I should be aware of? And none of that plausible deniability BS you guys are always trying to pull.”

“Ah, come on now. You know we’re just lookin’ out for our favorite techie.”

“Well, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, it makes my job a hell of a lot easier when I have all the intel in my arsenal. I can’t protect you if I don’t have all the facts.”

“You’ve got ’em all this time,” he assured her. “Trust me, if there were more to share, I’d tell ya.”

“Good. Now, how many tangos did you encounter inside?”

“Just the one guarding the room where they’d been holdin’ Evie and the girls. Dig took him out shortly after breaching. He and Apollo stayed behind to watch the entrance while Falcon took the girls to the chopper, and I finished clearing the remaining rooms. That’s when I found Evie. Other than her, the rest of the place was like a terrorist ghost town.”

Beckett didn’t mention the part about Evie fighting him like a wildcat or kicking him in the balls. Not because it would embarrass him but because it might embarrass her.

It didn’t make a lick of sense given that they’d only just met, but Beckett felt extremely protective of this woman. More so than any other hostage he and his team had rescued in the past.

And he had no earthly idea why.

“Well, we can’t ask for a better scenario than that,” Shadow noted. “As for now, satellite imagery shows you’re in the clear. There are still two tangos guarding the cave’s back exit, but they appear to be oblivious to your presence…or the fact that their asshole friends are dead.”

“Guess we should probably hit the road before they make that particular discovery.”

The woman in his ear agreed. “If Miss Mitchell is good to go, then yes. Get your sweet heinies moving so we can get you all home and put this one behind us.”

“Copy that, Shadow.” Beckett confirmed. “The four of us are headed to the extraction site now.”

“I’ll keep an eye out from my end and let you know if there’s any trouble along the way. Until then, no news is good news, so unless you hear otherwise, stay on course. I’ll notify both Falcon and the pilot that you’re on your way.”

“Hard copy, Overwatch,” Digger also gave confirmation he’d heard and understood the order.

With Shadow temporarily offline, Beckett finally had a moment to introduce his teammates. “Evie, I’d like for you to meet Digger and Apollo. Dig’s our team leader, and Apollo, well…he’s whatever we need him to be. They’re both former Navy SEALs and two of the best men I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Mitchell.” Apollo held out his gloved hand for her to take.

“Likewise.” Evie shook Apollo’s hand. “Apollo and Digger…I’m assuming those are nicknames?”

“You assume right.” Apollo nodded.

“I’m also guessing you’re really good at fighting, and you’re really good at…” She turned her pointed finger toward Digger and guessed, “Digging holes?”

Beckett threw his head back and laughed as Evie handed him back the water bottle. He softened his tone when he told her, “That’s a story for another day.”

This wasn’t the time to explain the other man’s nickname stemmed from Dig’s number of enemy kills, and it wasn’t his story to tell. Aside from that, the woman had already borne witness to enough violence and death. He wasn’t about to pile even more onto the haunting images she’d already be forced to live with.

“Do you have a nickname, too?” Evie glanced back up at him.

He nodded. “The guys call me Bones.”

“Bones?” The light chuckle that shook her shoulders was like music to his ears. “Are you a doctor or something?”

“Or something.” He shrugged. “Among my many, many other talents, I also serve as the team’s medic.”

“Bones.” Her full lips curved, and her adorable twin dimples deepened beneath the moonlit sky. “I like it.”

The woman was filthy and bruised, her clothes and hair in total disarray, and dried blood was still present beneath her cute as hell button nose and the corner of her mouth. And still, she was the most beautiful, intriguing woman Beckett had ever seen.

She’s also just survived being kidnapped and held captive by a bunch of Taliban pricks. So maybe don’t be a dickhead by thinkin’ of her in ways you shouldn’t.

As usual, his inner voice was right.

A few short moments later, they fell into a comfortable silence as the four of them followed the same path Beckett and his team had previously taken. As he studied Evie’s attire, he considered how much cooler the desert had grown since he and his men had first arrived.

She was dressed in skinny jeans that were so dirty they looked more brown than blue, a stained white V-neck t-shirt that was torn at the collar and seam of one shoulder, and a pair of brown lace-up boots. But it was getting colder by the minute, and he worried she might be frozen by the time they reached their ride.

“Hey, hold up a sec.”

Without question, both Apollo and Digger halted their forward movements. Beside him, Evie stopped in her tracks, her unspoken question in her furrowed brow.

“You’re cold,” he muttered low as he slipped his rifle strap up over his head.

Understanding erased the adorable lines between her brows, and Evie quickly tried to politely decline. “That’s really nice of you, but I’m okay.”

“You’re shivering.” Beckett motioned to her exposed limbs as he secured his weapon between his thighs before making quick work of his protective vest. With efficient movements, he removed the vest, and then the Multicam Crye G3 combat field shirt he was wearing. “It’s dirty and probably smells like sweat”—he held it out for her to take—“but at least you’ll be a bit warmer.”

Evie’s hazel gaze lifted to meet his. “You didn’t have to do that.” She slid her arms in the oversized sleeves. “Thank you.”

With hurried movements, Beckett replaced his vest, securing the Velcro straps easily, before repositioning his weapon. The cool night air felt refreshing on his dampened skin, and though he knew he’d be cold by the time they reached the chopper, his muscle mass and natural body heat would be enough to get him there with relative comfort.

Regardless, knowing Evie would be more comfortable made being cold totally worth it.

Her hands trembled as she struggled to get the buttons through their designated holes. Without saying a word, Beckett stepped directly in front of her, moved her frigid fingers out of the way, and finished the task for her.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly. “I guess I’m a little colder than I realized.”

“Adrenaline dump doesn’t help.” He secured the top button near the shirt’s collar. Rather than releasing it, he left his hands there as he stared down into her big, beautiful eyes. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through, but you’re going to be okay. You and the girls are safe now.”

“I feel safe.” Evie held his gaze. “With you.”

Beckett grinned, but her eyes grew wide. Almost as if she realized what she’d said could be misconstrued as something more meaningful—and crazy as it was, part of him wished like hell she had—she immediately slid her focus away from him and over to where Apollo and Digger waited.

“I feel safe with all of you,” Evie clarified. “And I know it’s not nearly enough, but I just wanted to say…” Those eyes found his once more as she uttered a heartfelt, “Thank you.”

They were standing in the middle of an Afghanistan desert after leaving a slew of bodies in their wake, and damn if Beckett’s heart didn’t feel fuller and more alive than it had in maybe forever.

It was a simple act of kindness and appreciation from a woman he’d probably never see again. And that one thought—over all those racing through his mind—created a sense of disappointment and longing he couldn’t begin to understand.

The fact that she was now wearing his field shirt only made matters worse. It was about three sizes too big, and she looked like she was swimming in the damn thing. But that didn’t keep all sorts of uninvited fantasies from forming inside his sex-deprived mind.

His dick twitched behind the zipper of his BDUs as he imagined her wearing nothing but his shirt.

Down, boy. You’re not out of the woods…or rather, the desert…just yet. Better get your ass moving before the terrorist’s friends decide to show back up.

“Come on.” Beckett listened to his inner voice, dropping his hands back down to his weapon before stepping away from her personal space. “Let’s get you and the girls the hell out of here.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

The small snort that had bubbled up from somewhere deep in her throat sent a wave of humor and awe racing through him. From the moment he’d spotted her hiding in that literal hole-in-the-wall room to now, she continued to amaze him with her resilience and ability to overcome.

Most hostages they’d rescued—both men and women alike—usually broke down into a puddle of tears. Rightfully so, mind you. He found no shame in outwardly expressing one’s relief and life-altering gratitude. But there was just something about this hostage…this woman …that spoke to him on a whole other level.

Whether it was her refusal to cower down to the men who’d taken her captive, the perseverance and inner strength she’d shown when she thought he was the enemy, or the fact that the first thing she’d thought of when she realized who he really was had been her young students, he wasn’t sure. But there was one thing Beckett did know with utter certainty…

Evelynn Mitchell was one of a kind.

Staring down at her, he suddenly found himself wishing like mad they’d met under different—and much better —circumstances. But the simple truth was that all the wishing in the world wouldn’t change the fact that they hadn’t.

She’d been a hostage his team had been sent to rescue. They’d done their job, and once they got her and the girls back where they belonged, that would be the last he’d see of the pretty brunette with the bouncing curls and cute-as-hell dimples.

They fell back in line behind Digger, with Apollo taking up the rear. For a while, they walked in silence, carefully traversing the rough and uneven desert terrain. Several minutes in, Evie’s sweet voice sounded again.

“Before, you said Apollo and Digger were former Navy SEALs. Does that mean you’re no longer in the military?”

“All three of us served. Those two went Navy, and I chose Marines.”

“But you’re not a Marine anymore?”

Apollo let out a loud, exaggerated cough, but Beckett ignored his teammate and recited the old adage, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

“Jesus, man,” Apollo scoffed as they continued moving. “You can never just let that one slide by, can you?”

Evie’s gaze turned a tad wary. “Did I…say something wrong?”

Before he could put her mind at ease, Digger grumbled his own version of the truth as he led them through the night.

“Bones always get butthurt anytime someone tries calling him a former Marine. As if those guys are above the rest of us or something.”

Apollo chimed back in with, “To be fair, every branch always thinks they’re the best. But we all know the truth.”

Voice laced with a hefty dose of curiosity, Evie asked, “And what’s the truth?”

“The Navy’s the best there is. Although I bet our boy here could outdo any of us in a crayon-eating contest. Ain’t that right, Bones?”

With his booted feet keeping the same, steady pace and his eyes still scanning their immediate area, Beckett lifted a hand and gave his teammate the bird. From his peripheral, he could see Evie’s brunette brows arching high.

“Crayons?”

Digger grunted and Apollo began to chuckle, but Beckett ignored them and kept his focus on her.

“It’s a running joke between the branches,” he explained. “Marines eat crayons; Air Force is the Chair Force…because they don’t do anything but sit on their asses in the cool AC…SEALs are squids…” His shoulders lifted in a light shrug. “You get the idea.”

“What about the Army?”

He flashed her a grin. “They’re like the Little League of the military. They take anyone willin’ to join.”

As if they’d somehow planned it ahead of time, both Digger and Apollo let loose with a unified “Hooyah!” while Beckett went with the Marine’s cry of “Oorah!”

The smile that spread across Evie’s face seemed to light up the entire night sky. An impossibility, Beckett knew. Still, it did his soul good to know whatever those bastards had done, they didn’t break her.

A few minutes passed before she spoke up again.

“If you aren’t active duty military anymore, what are you?”

Normally, they’d work to keep as quiet as possible, but with Shadow serving as overwatch, if there were any heat signals nearby, she’d already have a bead on their location and would’ve given them the heads up.

Since their current threat level was low, and Evie was in the mood to talk, Beckett was more than happy to keep her mind occupied on something other than what she’d been through.

“In a nutshell?” Beckett glanced down at her. “We’re hostage rescue specialists. We work for a company called Tac-Ops. It’s short for Tactical Operations.”

“So you guys just go around saving people who’ve been kidnapped?”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow.” The woman sounded impressed. “That’s sort of…awesome.”

“Hell yeah, it is,” Apollo jumped back in.

Beckett’s chest warmed as he thought of the man his teammate had become. In just a few weeks’ time, the badass operative had gone from grump to groom. And ever since Apollo and Nicki got married, the once-surly man was suddenly more smiles and a lot less snark.

Come to think of it, Falcon was pretty much the same. Though the man was never as moody as Apollo had once been, the former Ranger hadn’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows, either. Not until he met Avery.

And Beckett was happy for both Falcon and Apollo. He really was. Though he had to admit, it was still pretty wild to think that two government-trained killers who still kicked down doors to rid the world of evil had fallen in love amidst danger and mayhem.

But they had.

Despite the circumstances in which they’d come together and the personal baggage each carried to the table, the two couples had somehow even figured out a way to build lives filled with love and happiness around a job as unpredictable—and dangerous—as theirs.

Yes, Falcon and Apollo had done it. They’d achieved the unachievable for guys like them. And if they could do it…

Maybe I can, too.

“I didn’t even know a job like yours existed.”

Evie’s comment dragged him from his sea of wishful thinking.

“There aren’t many companies like ours, but yeah.” Beckett looked over at her. “We exist.”

“Well, thank God, you do!” she exclaimed. “Although, I do have to ask…how did you know where to find us? Or that we’d even been taken?”

“We mostly take on private clients, but we also work the occasional government contract job.”

And by occasional, he meant a fuck ton of off-the-books ops only a very select few—the President of the United States included—would ever even know existed.

“Which one was I?” She asked a few seconds later. “Was I government or…private?”

The question—and her overt curiosity over what he would normally think was moot at this point—gave Beckett pause. In his experience, most people knew if their families had the kind of personal safety travel insurance Tac-Ops offered. Policies that guaranteed his team would locate and extract a client if said client found themselves in a hairy situation.

Taken captive was the most obvious, of course. But they also got people out of hot spots or areas where violence unexpectedly erupted. Civil unrest. Riots. Attempts to overthrow foreign governments. That sort of thing.

From the file he’d read on the way here, Evie had no such policy, and neither did her father. Which begged the question…why the question?

Maybe she thought her dad got coverage for her while she was staying in Afghanistan.

“This op was an official one.”

“So…government.” Evie gave a curt nod before glancing out into the night.

Beckett watched her closely, wondering if he’d imagined the disappointment weaved within her soft tone. Feeling a sudden, inexplicable urge to give comfort, he did his best to cheer her up.

“I bet you’re excited to see your dad again.”

She turned his way and smiled. “Of course.”

It was a perfectly appropriate response and one he’d expect from anyone who’d lived days thinking they’d never see their family again. But while her words said one thing, the look in Evie’s weary eyes suggested something else entirely, which, much like the visceral reaction he felt toward the woman, made no sense whatsoever.

Why wouldn’t she be happy to go home?

He thought back to what he’d learned from the intel Shadow had provided the team. According to her file, Evie’s dad—Phillip T. Mitchell was the majority shareholder and CEO of Mitchell- Granger Investments. The prominent financial investment and advisory firm was built from the ground up by Mitchell’s father, Evie’s grandfather.

When the powerful patriarch died two decades before, he left the company, as well as the man’s entire fortune, to his sole heir. Since taking over the family business, Phillip Mitchell turned what had been a successful and lucrative, multi-million-dollar business into a major financial conglomerate worth fifty-four billion and change.

As for Evie, from what Beckett could tell, the woman had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth and designer everything in and around her charmed life. A far cry and worlds away from the upbringing he’d had as a child.

Both of his parents were retired now. His dad had spent the better part of thirty years as a beat cop working the streets of Dallas while his mom had spent her tenure teaching second grade at a small suburban school.

They didn’t have a lot, but as an only child, Beckett could never remember a time when he’d gone without. But when he compared his upbringing with what he’d read about the Mitchell family estate—including the massive mansion Evie had grown up in—he realized…

We couldn’t be more different.

“Does my father know I’ve been rescued?”

Beckett swung his gaze in her direction. “I’m sure by now, someone with authority has been in contact with the girls’ families. But you’re an adult, and as far as our intel shows, your father hasn’t put out a missing person’s report or contacted anyone within the government about an abduction. Plus, this op was off-books, which means very few people will ever know what happened here.”

She filled her lungs before exhaling slowly. “Okay. I was just curious.”

“If you want, I can try to get permission to let you use our satellite phone to?—”

“No, that’s okay,” Evie hurriedly cut him off. “I mean…it’s probably crazy early there, and I’m sure he’s still in bed, anyway.”

The woman had been kidnapped at gunpoint, taken against her will, and held captive for days with minimal food and water. She’d also clearly been beaten and must have thought she was going to die. And yet, she was worried about waking up her dad to let him know she was okay?

His gut churned with the feeling that something was way off with this whole picture. But he didn’t know Evie personally, and her family dynamics were not his concern. So rather than intrude on the part of her life that held no real influence on their mission, Beckett turned his focus back to…well…the mission.

“The men who took you,” he spoke again. “Did they ever tell you why?”

“What do you mean?”

“They ever mention anything to you about plans for ransom demands for you and the girls? Or were there ever any conversations you might have overheard about why the five of you were targeted?”

“I have no idea why they took us.” Evie gave a jerky shake of her head.

Her lips curved into a quick smile before she turned away, her focus homing in on the path ahead. Beckett had no reason to doubt what she’d told him, and there hadn’t been any sort of noticeable change in her expression, but still there was something there he couldn’t quite name.

Or maybe you’re lookin’ for somethin’ that isn’t even there.

Maybe. Or maybe there was more but she was too scared to say.

Fear could be a funny thing. Especially when it came in the form of terrorist assholes willing to kidnap—and often kill—anyone they believed could help with their cause.

Be it political, religious, or financial, it didn’t matter. Men like the ones who’d taken Evie and the girls were soulless, selfish monsters who usually hid behind some sort of justifiable agenda.

And they would do whatever it took in their search for success.

But the danger had passed, and they were less than half-a-mile from their extraction point. Evie and her students had been rescued, and soon, they’d all be far away from the place where nightmares lived. And still, it seemed as if she were too afraid to share the whole of what she knew.

Maybe she just needs more time.

Maybe his inner voice was right. Hell, it had been less than an hour since they’d freed her from the cavernous prison. What he really needed to do was to cool his boots where she was concerned and focus on doing everything he could to ensure she truly felt safe.

“Don’t worry,” Beckett rumbled low. “You’ll be back in the Hamptons before you know it.”

Evie took three full steps before glancing up at him with that same frozen smile. “Great,” she offered cheerfully. “I can’t wait.”