Library

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

January 24 th

8:00 P.M.

One second, she was out on the patio, one of Raul's men gripping her bicep in a crushing hold while his other hand fumbled its way into her pants.

The next, a shadowy figure was flying at them.

When it connected with them, it knocked both her and the man assaulting her to the ground.

Pain zinged along her broken arm and battered body at the impact, but honestly, by this point Lucy was so used to being in pain that it barely even registered.

Not when there were other more important things to worry about.

Like the fact that Zander was currently beating a man to death right in front of her.

Violence had never been part of her life. She'd been lucky to grow up in a family where they were comfortable, not well off necessarily, especially with five kids, but her parents had good jobs and were able to provide everything their family of seven needed. School had been tough because of her epilepsy, but it hadn't been physically dangerous in any way. And her work at Prey was mostly lab work with occasional field trips with some of the guys.

No danger.

No violence.

Nothing like what she had experienced over the last few days.

Nothing like what she was witnessing right now.

There was so much anger rolling off Zander as he delivered blow after blow to the man who had assaulted her. It didn't seem to register to him that the man had long since stopped moving, that he was nothing more than a bloody pulp of flesh, likely already dead.

If they were found like this by any of Raul's men, it would be game over. Zander's cover would be blown, they'd discover in a day or so that the formula she'd given was a fake, and they would both be killed.

Despite a little lingering anger toward Zander for lying to his sister and hurting her by pretending to be dead, Lucy didn't want him to die. Whatever his reasons—he'd shared only that he was here because his team had been murdered and he wanted to catch the people responsible—for faking his death, they ran deep, she could see the pain he was in. He needed this mission to be successful if he was going to have any chance at healing.

Scrambling on her backside toward the two men, Lucy tentatively reached out a hand and laid it on Zander's back. He was in the zone, focused only on unleashing his anger, and he might not react well to her touch, but she sensed his need for a connection in this dark moment, so she trusted her gut and left her hand there.

"It's okay, Zander. He's dead now. He can't hurt me or anyone else," she whispered soothingly. With her heart hammering in her chest, and her fear that they could be discovered at any second, it wasn't easy to cling to calm, but Zander needed her, and he'd been there for her earlier when she needed him so it was only fair that she return the favor.

"He touched you," Zander growled as his fist slammed into the man's head again.

"Yes, but you stopped him before he did anything more than put his hand in my pants," she assured him. Only by a second, she'd felt the man's finger prodding at her entrance right as Zander had come flying out of nowhere. "Please stop. I'm scared, Zander."

Making the admission wasn't easy because she had clung to the idea that she was strong enough to survive this ever since those men found her in the jungle. Scratch that, she'd been playing the strong game ever since that alarm went off in the plane and she realized they were going to crash.

But it was just that.

A game.

Because she was nowhere near as strong as she believed herself to be.

Right now, she needed someone. Needed the only person around who she trusted. That person was Zander. He was risking everything to get her out of there alive and she didn't want him to lose his life because of it.

Unresolved anger aside, Lucy … felt something for this man. Always had. And while she had no idea if there would ever be a time when they could explore it, at the very least, she wanted to know that he was alive and living his best life, whatever that looked like for him.

"I need you," she added, uttering the words aloud that she hated down to her very soul. After spending an entire lifetime adamantly denying that she needed anyone, in this moment, she had no choice but to admit that she was vulnerable.

Like those words flipped a magic switch, he froze mid-strike. With his fist still in the air he looked over his shoulder at her. There was confusion on his face as he stared at her. "You … need … me?" he asked like the words were foreign.

Inching closer, she swept her hand up his back to his shoulder, allowing her fingers to betray her shaky emotional footing by curling into his T-shirt. "Yes. I need you. Please stop. He's dead, you saved me. I just want to get out of here."

There were still hours to go before they were going to make their escape, and with blood all over his clothes and dotted on his skin, plus his torn knuckles, she had no idea how Zander was going to maintain his role. But the thing was despite everything, she trusted this man. Yes, he lied, but she was sure if she knew the whole story she would understand why, this undercover job was taking a massive toll on him, and deep down he was a good man. A trustworthy man. One you could rely on.

"We should leave now." His hand moved to grab hers, pulling her to her feet along with him.

"We can't. It's not midnight." Midnight was the plan. Once the guys passed out drunk, he was going to sneak her out and into some tunnels that supposedly ran from the house out into the jungle.

"Don't care. Not having you hang around here a second longer. I won't risk that happening again," he said fiercely. It was clear by the expression on his face that Zander had switched into warrior mode and was running scenarios in his head.

"I can handle it," she said, although she had to swallow a lump of fear to get the words out. If it meant them both surviving, she would handle anything she had to.

Eyes softening, Zander pulled her closer, snuggling her against his hard chest as one of his hands cupped the back of her neck and the other arm wrapped around her waist. "I'm not going to let you get raped just to buy us a few more hours, baby. As soon as I get you out of here this role is blown and the op is over. A couple of hours earlier isn't going to change much."

Lifting her hands to place them on his pecs, she shook her head as she looked up at him. "I can't let you ruin your mission for me. I'm just one person, whatever you're doing here is more important." It sucked to say the words, but they were true. What was her life in comparison to the hundreds or thousands that would be saved if Zander's op was successful?

Darkness flared in his eyes and then the next thing she knew, his mouth was branding hers in a fiery kiss. "Don't say that again, Lucy." There was a warning note in his tone that confused her. She'd always sensed that the attraction she felt wasn't one-sided, but she'd never thought there was more to it than that.

But the way he said that made it sound like there was more.

Something that ran deeper than chemistry.

"But—"

"I've been doing this for almost a year. I have enough intel gathered to lead us to the men we were looking for, the group that killed my team. I was hanging around because I wanted to be part of the takedown. But … vengeance isn't more important than your life."

Emotion swelled in her chest. That was so sweet of him to say, however, she couldn't help but feel that this vengeance was something he needed. "Zander, that's so sweet, and I appreciate it, but I understand …"

"You don't. Because I don't even understand it. For eighteen months all I've been able to think about was getting my revenge on the men who tortured and killed my brothers. I would have sworn it was all I needed, only now I know there's something I need more than that. I need to know you're safe."

Without giving her time to process any of that, Zander started moving, pulling her along with him as he reclaimed his grip on her hand.

They headed away from the house, out into the dark jungle. Zander moved purposefully, confidently, like he knew exactly where he was going and what he was doing. Since she had nothing of value to offer, she just followed.

As he led her down into a tunnel, Lucy was suddenly swamped by a sick feeling she was unfortunately well acquainted with. It was hard to explain, kind of like you were riding a rollercoaster, only the rollercoaster was huge, going right up to the stars, and the sickening feeling in her stomach matched it. A headache creeped into the back of her skull as well, and combined there was no way she could ignore the warning signs. Despite this being the absolute worst timing possible, there was no denying the inevitability of it.

Some time within the next twenty-four hours she was going to have a seizure.

January 24 th

9:02 P.M.

Barely an hour had passed since he killed the man assaulting Lucy and fled with her.

The more distance they put between them and Raul's house, the safer he should feel, but for Zander, it seemed like the opposite.

Something was wrong with Lucy. That much he was sure of. There was a lethargy about her that had him on edge.

Of course, after the ordeal she'd been through it was normal that she have an adrenalin crash. Hopped up on the arousal drug as she'd been for the last thirty-six hours or so, he doubted she had gotten any meaningful sleep, and before that she'd been in a plane crash and hiked, injured, through the jungle.

Totally normal that she would be exhausted and lethargic.

Should be nothing to worry about other than the basics of dealing with the fallout of shock.

But it was more than that.

He knew it in his gut. Felt it.

"You doing okay?" he asked for what had to be the hundredth time since they'd first entered the tunnels, and he'd sensed a change in her.

"Hmm? Oh … yeah … fine," Lucy mumbled. There was a flatness to her voice that he didn't like one little bit, and he wanted to growl out his frustration only he was afraid he'd scare her if he did.

There was no way to hide the anger that lurked inside him. She'd seen it with her own eyes. Watched as he killed that man with nothing but his fists. He would have sworn it was impossible for her to feel anything but terrified of him, and yet …

She'd told him she needed him.

Needed him.

How was that even possible?

Didn't she know how dangerous he was?

Didn't she understand the myriad of sins he had committed?

Didn't she get that he could never atone for those sins?

Why did she believe he could save her when all evidence pointed to the contrary? He hadn't saved his team and gave them only a fifty-fifty shot of getting out of Mexico alive.

Less if what he suspected was going on with Lucy was true.

Stopping, he turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders. When she stared stubbornly at his chest, he sighed and hooked a forefinger under her chin, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"You're lying to me," he said softly, keeping his voice gentle so she knew he wasn't angry with her. While she might trust him to get her out of this mess alive, that was as far as it went. Even though he knew it would take time to gain her trust, Zander couldn't deny that he wished she would give it to him.

"We have to keep moving," Lucy said, her gaze skittering away but not before he saw the fear lurking in her baby blues.

"We're almost to the end of the tunnels," he assured her. If he hadn't had to modify his speed for her, they'd already be out in the jungle. Not that he was blaming her or upset with her about it. Lucy was giving him everything she had to give and that was all he could ask of her.

"But they have to know we're gone by now, they'll be looking for us," she protested.

"I doubt Raul is aware I know about the tunnels, he'll be looking in the jungle around the house."

"When he can't find us there, he'll check the tunnels."

"Probably. But we'll be further away by then."

"Only if we keep moving."

"We'll go as soon as you tell me what's wrong. I know you don't trust me, Lucy, but I'm here and I'll help in any way I can." If she needed to talk through what had happened, he'd listen, if she needed to cry she could go right ahead, if she needed to scream at him he'd stand there and take it.

"I don't not trust you, Zander." Her tone was serious, and she met his gaze squarely so he knew she was telling the truth.

"Then let me help."

"You can't help," she said softly.

"Whatever you need I'll give you." Lucy was the only person other than his sister who brought out this protectiveness in him. Of course, he'd joined Delta to try to make the world a safer place, but that was only one reason, and not even the top one. Earning his parents' love and respect had been number one, proving to them—and maybe himself, too—that he could do it was another.

But Lucy reminded him of the importance of men like him doing what they did.

There were a lot of monsters in human skin out there, and while there would always be another one pop up for everyone you eliminated, at least you were doing something, saving someone in the process.

"This is one thing you can't give me, Zander. No one can."

Heart stuttering in his chest, he asked the question he'd dreaded since he noticed the change in her. "Your epilepsy?"

"Yeah," she whispered, sounding so defeated his chest ached. "It's not well under control at the best of times. But I haven't taken my medication in days, and whatever was in the drug Raul was giving me will likely react badly with my system, a lot of medications do."

"You think you're going to have a seizure soon?" When he'd first met Lucy and learned from Scarlett that she had epilepsy, he'd read extensively on the topic. Why he wasn't completely sure, it had just seemed like important knowledge to have. He knew that epileptics could sometimes tell when they were going to have a seizure. The prodrome stage could be as much as a few days before a seizure, followed by the aura stage. He needed to know if Lucy knew which she was in so he knew how best to act.

"I know I am. I'm sorry," she quickly added. "I know the timing sucks big time, but if one is coming there's nothing I can do to stop it. Even if I had my meds I wouldn't be able to. At best, they offer some control over it."

It didn't sit well with him that she felt like she needed to defend a condition she had zero control over. Had her family or childhood friends made her feel like she was somehow less because she had a medical condition?

Still holding her chin, he pinched it lightly to make sure he had her attention. "Don't be sorry, baby," he ordered, a command in his tone because he wanted to force her to see herself the way he saw her. Fierce, brave, strong, loyal, beautiful, and intelligent. Lucy was an amazing woman, and the fact that she'd been battling a condition since she was a toddler only made her that much more amazing.

"It's not great timing."

"It's not," he agreed. No point in lying about it. A seizure now would slow them down as they'd have to stop, there was a chance of complications, and Lucy would be weak and exhausted after it. But it was what it was. "I'm going to carry you for a while. We can go faster that way, put as much distance between us and them, plus it will let you regain a little strength that you're going to need if you can rest for a bit."

Without giving her time to argue—because he absolutely knew his stubborn, independent girl would argue—he scooped her into his arms and began jogging through the last of the tunnels.

Instead of arguing, Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her head on his shoulder, and gave the sweetest of sighs as she snuggled closer.

The puff of warm air against his neck shifted something in his chest.

Loosened the ropes he'd tied around his heart to lock it away and protect it.

What was she doing to him?

Zander knew he couldn't keep her even if she was willing to try a relationship with him, but he now knew what it was like to crave the same things his sister had all their lives. A place to belong, unconditional love, happiness, and peace.

Minutes after he'd picked up Lucy, they came out of the tunnels and into the jungle. Despite the late hour it was still muggy, and the final rays of sunset lit the sky. Running with Lucy in his arms was still easier than going at the slow pace her weak body had dictated.

Maybe thirty minutes later, Lucy suddenly went completely tense in his grip.

"You need to put me down," she said, voice tight.

Quickly locating a clear space where she wasn't going to hit something, he knelt and laid her down on her back. "I got you, babe."

Lucy gave a small nod then her entire body went stiff. He could almost see her muscles stretching before all of a sudden, she began to jerk. Since he'd read up on epilepsy and seizures, Zander knew not to try to hold her down, but it went against every instinct he had. She was hurting her already bruised and battered body with each jerking movement, and he wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her still, and cushion her limbs.

The best he could do was pull off his T-shirt and bunch it up, placing it under her head to at least cushion that as she continued to jerk as her muscles spasmed.

It seemed to go on and on.

Seconds ticked by so slowly, and a full two minutes passed before she finally sunk down against the ground.

After checking she was breathing, he rolled her onto her side since she was still unresponsive. Then Zander did the only thing he could. He prayed that God wasn't going to take from him the only woman he'd ever wanted.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.