Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

Aiden slept fitfully.He enjoyed holding Chalisa close but didn't like thinking about the questions she'd raised. What if he couldn't do something on his own?

He was Captain Aiden Porter, son of Eisenhower Porter III, brother of Ike Porter, and second top security specialist in the world. He could conquer anything.

Yet he couldn't conquer the separation from her, and it was creeping closer by the moment.

Finally, the sky lightened a fraction. He could move and not just stew on hurting Chalisa and himself by a vow he'd sworn at eighteen and reaffirmed when his dad died.

He gently slid out from under Chalisa. She sighed and cuddled onto her side. She was so beautiful. If only …

Aiden shook his head, edged to the bag, and pulled out one of the GoPro cameras with the head strap. Kingston had explained they had to wear the GoPros this morning. Thankfully, they'd had last night alone.

He turned it on and put it on.

There had been no stipulation that Chalisa had to kill or clean the turkey. Hopefully his prey was close by like Kingston had said. Slipping into his shoes and tying them, he pulled out the knife and slid it in his pocket, then strapped the rifle over his back.

Standing, he searched the woods, his eyes already adjusted, and then he slowly started moving. Time to find their breakfast. The wild turkeys nested in trees just like the ones down river. He would win this challenge, and then he'd have to say goodbye to the only woman he'd ever love.

The sky was still barely pink. Aiden had already found a young turkey in a tree, slit its throat, cleaned and skinned it, and had it roasting over a small fire a few feet away from Chalisa. He'd dug a Dakota fire hole, another small hole with a tunnel close to the fire to reduce the smoke. With any luck Lemuel and West wouldn't realize he had the jump on them until too late.

She was still sleeping. He was glad she could rest. He washed up in the nearby river, filled up the waterskin and slung it over his back, and gathered some berries.

Returning to the fire, he rotated the meat. It was almost done. They would eat and hike out of here the moment the sun crested the mountains. He hadn't heard any shots to indicate Lemuel and West had found and killed a turkey, but they may have used a knife and a fire hole like he did to keep them guessing. If they had, he and Chalisa were in trouble.

Aiden gently nudged Chalisa about twenty minutes before the sun would rise.

"Morning," she whispered.

"Good morning."

She looked around. "You've been busy."

He shrugged. "I figured we'd get a head start. Ready to eat and run down a mountain?"

"Let's do it." She smiled sweetly and sat up, stretching.

He forced himself to look away. He had plenty of desire for her inside already. No need to make it worse.

"I'm going to sneak into the woods," she murmured.

He smiled and stood, grabbing the pile of woolly lamb's ear that he'd gathered. He placed it in her hand. "Toilet paper."

"Thanks. Nice headband." She smiled at the GoPro mounted on his head.

"I've got one for you that matches it."

"I can't wait."

He smiled and watched her disappear into the trees. He busied himself ripping some meat off and blowing on it. He tasted it. Gamey, but not as tough as Prince Darian had said. It was cooked, and they could eat and be on their way the moment a bit of that sun appeared.

Chalisa came out of the trees, her face sparkling and wet. She wiped her hands on her joggers. "I washed up," she said proudly.

"Good girl. Now can you eat up?"

"I guess. Gamey and tough?"

"It's not bad. I killed a young one."

She pulled a face at that. He handed over some meat and kept pulling pieces off for both or them until she held up a hand that she was done. He handed her a leaf filled with berries. "Dessert."

"Perfect."

They both ate the berries, drank from the waterskin, and then he doused the fire that he'd let burn low with the rest of the waterskin. He helped her put on her own GoPro headband.

"Cute."

"I'm sure."

She was cute, beautiful, angelic, irresistible.

He kept the knife in his pocket and slung the waterskin across his chest, but he didn't plan on taking anything else with him. Kingston had explained to just leave the gear all together and Samson would come clean it up and carve up the meat they hadn't used to take to someone who needed it.

"Can we go?" she asked.

He studied the mountain, waiting for that sun. Finally, a ray. "Let's go."

They headed for the river and started jogging at a quick pace down the side of it. They were making decent time, and he didn't see any smoke from a fire or hear anything from Lemuel and Hays. He knew they were farther up the river, and unless they'd cheated and started before the sun rose, there was no way they were ahead of them.

He heard a shot and then multiple squawks. He smiled as Chalisa jumped.

"What was that?" she whispered, quickening her pace.

"Lemuel and Hays found their turkey and scared the entire flock."

"We're ahead of them?"

"For sure."

"Sweet."

"When they come, they'll come fast. Let's keep up our pace."

"All right."

As they jog-walked down the path, they talked about her charity and her family. They drank from the waterskin and listened for footsteps behind them. They also had a chance to talk like they'd never had. She told him more about her dad's cancer and death, and then she told him Kingston and Reagan's story.

"I can't wrap my mind around this," he said, even after she'd finished with Kingston rescuing Reagan from ‘Snake Tattoo' as Princess Leah, Wes's wife, had originally named him. "You are telling me the truth that Kingston—stoic, untouchable, never said a curse word in his life Kingston—lost all control and slept with your sister on their first date?"

She laughed. "Yep. Sadly, we can't tease him about it. Well, maybe you could. You can actually beat him in a fistfight."

"Yes! Do you realize the ammo you've given me?"

"You wouldn't." She glanced at him. "I know Kingston seems all gruff, but he'd be humiliated if you teased him about that."

"I know." He turned serious. "I'll never say a word unless he brings it up."

"He won't." She took a drink from the waterskin and handed it to him.

He took a long drink, strapped it back on, and they resumed a jog. Over two hours had passed since they'd left and at least an hour and a half since they'd heard the shot.

The SEALs would catch them. Soon. They were both still on active duty and in top shape. They'd run down the route he and Chalisa had been walking slash jogging. He didn't want to push her, but this was about winning the money for her charity and admittedly a little about his pride. He'd given them a great head start. Would Chalisa be able to double time? They had to be less than a mile and a half out. They'd kept a quick pace, but nothing like Lemuel and Hays were capable of.

Before he could ask, she said, "When you fought Kingston, you were taunting him the entire time. Why didn't you taunt Jagger or Hays when you fought them yesterday?"

He glanced at her. "I taunt everybody when I fight. Unless I need to keep quiet like when I took out Jorge and his guards."

"That's what I suspected. You love to taunt and joke. Were you too focused on winning?"

He thought about the fights yesterday and why he hadn't taunted. "Usually I like to get in somebody's head and prove that I can joke and still be the top fighter, but yesterday …" He looked at her and admitted, "I only cared about winning for you and I didn't want to waste any time."

"Thank you." She gave him a brilliant smile.

He nodded and knew he should probably delve into why he'd acted differently when he was fighting for Chalisa. "Can you double time?" he asked, getting more anxious by the moment.

"Do you hear them?" She looked spooked.

"Not yet, but they'll be coming at double our current pace." He could feel their lead being eaten up. "They're trained to run for miles wearing all their gear and carrying equipment and weapons. Running downhill like this, with no added weight, will be a piece of cake for them."

"I'm not really a runner, but I can definitely try." She picked up the pace and raced off at a near sprint down the riverbank.

Aiden smiled. He caught up to her and easily kept pace with her. Within minutes, she was breathing heavily.

"Slow down a bit and get into a rhythm," he coached. "Focus on running smooth and let the decline help you. Lean into it."

She listened, and though they slowed their pace, it wasn't significant. Her breathing didn't sound quite as laborious. He didn't want to push her too hard, but he wanted her to win the money for her charity. Knocking a couple of SEALs down a peg or two would just be a bonus.

He could see the castle spires through the thick trees, and he started feeling even more optimistic, and then he heard it … footsteps. Racing toward them.

"They're coming," he said.

Chalisa let out a cute little squeal and ran faster. He kept pace with her. Maybe a quarter mile was all they had left. The footsteps were louder behind them. They were gaining.

"Chalisa, climb on my back."

She kept running. "You can't go fast enough holding me," she panted out.

"Oh, yes I can." He grabbed her arm and tugged her to a stop. She swung onto his back, clinging to him.

"There they are," West yelled.

"Hoo-yah!" Lemuel crooned.

Aiden didn't waste his breath throwing a taunt back. He took off at the fastest sprint of his life with Chalisa wrapped around him. Precious cargo for sure, and he had to beat the SEALs for her.

Lemuel and West's pounding footsteps came behind them, louder than the river, but Aiden had been at a slow pace, not an almost-sprint for over two hours like they had. Now his muscles were warm, and he had plenty of reserves of energy. He also had more motivation to win. The SEALs were only fighting for their pride. He was fighting for the woman he loved.

Aiden reached the bridge that led into town and pounded across it. His footsteps slapped loudly on the cobblestone street. Seconds later, he heard Lemuel and West's footsteps change to cobblestone as well. He upped his pace, each step a bit different than the last. Dangerous, but he overcame danger every day.

It was still early, but the streets were lined with people. They cheered loudly for Aiden and Chalisa. Aiden used their cheers and Chalisa's weight to fuel him even more. He flew across the cobblestone and toward the final bridge leading to the castle. There was no pain in his legs, no shortness of breath that could slow him down. He was a machine, just like his dad had taught him to be.

He darted across the bridge, the SEALs both hot on his heels. He couldn't hear their footsteps over the yelling of the crowd, but he could feel them.

Faster, faster.

He raced through the courtyard, seeing the surprise and joy in the faces of Kingston, Stuart, and Wes as they pounded up the castle steps and he almost slammed into the castle wall. He and Chalisa each slapped a hand on it.

West and Lemuel collided with the wall a fraction of a second later.

The crowd went insane. Everyone pressed in around them. Aiden slid Chalisa around to face him, slid off both of their headcams and handed them to somebody, and he kissed her. Nothing else mattered to him but her. Nothing.

They broke apart, gasping for air, and everybody wanted to talk to them, touch them.

"More kissing later," Chalisa said into his ear.

"That's a great plan." He grinned and winked at her and then took her hand and faced their well-wishers.

After Kingston gave him a surprising back-slapping hug, Reagan and Chalisa's mom sweetly hugged him and told him thank you, Stuart, Wes, Mercedes, Shawn, and a bunch of the princes and princesses congratulated him, Stuart crowing that he'd taught him everything, and then he came face to face with Captain Lemuel.

The guy shook his head and stuck his hand out. "I don't know that you're human."

Aiden laughed and shook his hand. "I'm not. I'm the Bionic Man."

"Makes sense and helps my pride a fraction."

"To be fair, I found a turkey and slit its throat a first light. We had a good head start on you, and I'd been walking or jogging for almost two hours. My muscles were warm and ready to sprint."

"We could not find a blasted turkey. Once we did, we cooked it, ate a few bites, and sprinted down that path. To think you sprinted with an extra hundred and twenty unstable pounds on your back and beat us." Lemuel shook his head again.

Aiden smiled and glanced down at Chalisa. She'd been talking with Princess Addie, but she looked up at him. Her blue eyes captivated him.

"That's where you're wrong," he told Lemuel. "That extra hundred and twenty pounds wasn't unstable. That weight was the most important person in this world to me."

Chalisa's eyes widened and then brightened.

He bent down and kissed her. Soon he'd have to figure out how to walk away, but not right now. Right now, he would celebrate the win and savor being close to her for as long as he could.