8. Chase

I collapsed beside Mercy,cursing myself for taking her so hard. I couldn't help it. She drove me crazy, made me do things that I would never do to a woman. But the way she looked at me, I knew she wanted it just as much.

Breathing heavily, I rolled toward Mercy, pulling her against me. She was still warm even though the night was cooling down. That didn't surprise me. I was burning up. Still, after a few minutes, she would be shivering. I dragged my ass off the stone and rebuilt the pile of firewood. I'd never gone to such lengths for a woman, but I had a feeling everything was different with Mercy.

After getting it started, I laid back down, pulling Mercy back into my arms. For just a moment, I allowed myself to consider what it would be like if she were in my arms every night. She was a doctor. She could get a job anywhere, and now that my house was done, I'd have a home for us.

Christ, I was getting away from myself. I barely knew this woman and I was already considering shacking up with her. I didn't move that fast, not even with my high school girlfriend. And after seeing all the problems Asher had, it would be smarter to take the slower route, to really get to know Mercy before throwing bachelorhood out the window for someone I barely knew.

Besides, Mercy was a free spirit, always wanting to try new things. Hell, she came all the way to the jungle to experience something new. And what could I really offer her? I worked a lot. It wasn't like we took a lot of jobs in our area. She probably wouldn't be happy with someone coming and going from her life.

Which also meant that having a long distance relationship was probably out of the question as well. It just didn't look like there was a good answer to any of this. Thankfully, I thought this all out in my head before saying any of it to her.

Still, as I watched the flames burn through the wood, I wished there was some way to keep her in my life, even if only for a little while.

The sound of shivering woke me from a dead sleep. I hadn't even realized I passed out until the chattering teeth beside me woke me up. Rolling over, I cursed myself for not covering up Mercy before I fell asleep. I pulled her body toward me, but swore when I felt how hot her skin was. I was on my knees in an instant, leaning over her as I pressed my hand to her forehead.

"Mercy."

She didn't respond. Her body just kept shaking as the fever tore through her.

"Mercy, I need you to open your eyes."

Still, she didn't respond.

"Son of a bitch," I muttered, snatching her clothes off the ground. Dressing her was impossible when she was nothing more than a limp rag. Not to mention that I was fucking scared out of my mind when I felt her forehead. She said she was at risk for infection, but I hadn't really realized how fast she could get sick. I didn't know anything about heart transplants, and now I was kicking myself for allowing her to run through the jungle. I should have carried her or tried to find another way out. Maybe if I had insisted Patrick find another way, we'd already be in a hospital right now. And then I went and fucked her when she was already under the weather. I was so fucking stupid.

I finished getting her dressed, then pulled out my phone and dialed Patrick again.

"This better be fucking important."

"I need the chopper now. I don't care what you have to do. Mercy has an infection."

"Pick up is in a few hours. She'll be fine."

"She has a fucking heart transplant!" I shouted. "She's burning up. I need you to get on the horn with whoever's in charge and make it happen!"

"Geez, alright. I'll make it happen. But you'd better get your ass there in time. I'm not traipsing through the jungle looking for you."

"I'll be there," I snapped. I hated that he used humor as a defense mechanism. I never knew how to respond to it.

I turned off the phone and shoved it in my pocket, then grabbed Mercy by the arm, hauling her across my shoulders. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it was more important to get her out of here. I stomped the fire that was nearly out, then hauled ass out of there, leaving everything behind that wouldn't fit in my pockets. The only thing that mattered right now was her.

I raced through the jungle, only stopping to make sure I was going in the right direction. My arms were aching from carrying her across my shoulders, and my legs burned with how hard I was pushing myself. It wasn't until I got turned around when I lost the moon through the trees that I finally set her down.

Carefully, I laid her on the ground, supporting her head as I lowered her to a mossy bed of rocks. I leaned forward and brushed my lips across her forehead. "Just hang in there. I'll get you out of here."

But she didn't respond. Her skin burned hotter than before. I needed to cool her body down, but had no idea how. That's when I heard the faint sound of trickling water.

"I'll be right back," I murmured, pressing another kiss to her cheek before racing off through the trees in search of water. It didn't take long to find it, and I nearly slipped and fell on the slick rocks. When I broke through the trees, I knew it wasn't enough. The stream barely trickled over the rocks, but if I got my shirt wet, I could wrap it around her head to help bring her temperature down.

Tearing my shirt over my head, I soaked it in water, then ran back to her, wrapping the sleeves from the base of her skull to her forehead. There was nothing more I could do. I stared up at the moon, trying to orient myself once again. But in the thick tree coverage, I could barely make out anything. I was fucking lost again.

I pulled out my phone and tried to reach Patrick, but the signal wouldn't go through. "Goddamnit!" I shouted, tossing the phone in a fit of anger. I shoved my fingers through my hair, unsure what to do for the first time in my life.

"Are you lost?"

My head jerked up at the voice and I instantly pulled my gun. A man in some kind of jungle attire stood not far from me, carrying a machete and a pack slung over his shoulder.

"Who are you?"

"I'm from the village. We are not far from here."

I frowned, trying to remember any village nearby, but none came to mind. "There were no villages on the map."

He chuckled under his breath. "The village would not show up on any map you have."

"Why?"

"Because we are an ancient people, and we don't like strangers invading our territory."

I wanted to believe him, but something didn't sit right with me. If he was lying, it could put Mercy in danger, but if he really was from around here, he could help me find my way out, saving Mercy's life in the process.

He walked closer, his eyes locked on Mercy. I shifted in front of him, standing in the way. I wouldn't let him near Mercy unless I was dead on the ground, and even then I'd put up a fight.

"She is not well."

"No," I confirmed. "I'm trying to get to an extraction point. It's a clearing?—"

"Not far from here. The helicopter was here two days ago."

"We got lost."

"A terrible thing to happen in the jungle," he said under his breath. "Come with me. I will show you the way."

I hesitated as he turned away. I wanted to believe him, but if I was wrong, I might cost Mercy her life. But as I looked down at Mercy and watched her sweat through the rag I just placed around her head, I knew I didn't have another choice.

"There!"the man shouted, pointing into the distance.

He didn't need to point out the helicopter. I could hear the blades whirring in the distance five minutes ago.

"Good luck to you."

"You're not coming?"

"This is where we part ways," he said, bowing slightly.

"Chase!"

I spun around just in time to see Patrick running toward me before he was once again blocked by the trees.

"That's my friend," I said to the man who guided me, but when I turned back, he was gone. He said his village didn't want strangers, so this must have been his way of keeping his anonymity. I couldn't blame him for that.

Forgetting about the man, I raced through the trees, careful not to smack Mercy's head on the branches. Patrick met us halfway, waving at me to hand Mercy over, but despite my exhaustion, I just couldn't do it. I had to see this through for my own peace of mind.

He rolled his eyes at me and led me back to the helicopter, helping me to ease her inside. Once she was on the gurney, I strapped her in while Patrick slammed the door shut.

"Are we ready to do this?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

My gaze jerked to the front, but instead of Scottie, Max was sitting in the pilot's seat. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently, I'm flying this chopper. Not that I had a say in anything. It was either join the vomit comet or get sent to a prison in the Caribbean."

Then Scottie's head poked out from the co-pilot's seat. If I thought he was pissed before when he was forced to fly, it was worse now that he was riding shotgun. "I have absolutely no purpose here other than to make sure this one isn't drunk."

I nodded and turned back to Mercy, focusing all my attention on her.

"How is she?" Patrick asked.

I pressed my hand to her forehead, shaking my head. "Burning up. Let's get a line in her."

"On it."

Though none of us were medics, we all had basic medical training. I didn't know what to give her to counteract the fever. Were there certain drugs she shouldn't take as a heart transplant patient? An IV would have to do for now. I couldn't risk making her worse.

A slight moan left her lips, so quiet I wouldn't have heard it if I wasn't listening for any sound she made. I bent over, resting my ear just over her lips.

"Mercy, I'm here."

"Chase." Her whisper was barely audible.

I jerked back, staring down at her. "Get me a cold pack," I snapped at Patrick.

"Get a line in. Get a cold pack," he grumbled, handing one over instantly. "Do the dishes, Cinderellie. You'd think I was your servant."

I ignored him and pressed the cold pack to her forehead. She whimpered in relief and her eyes fluttered slightly. I gripped her hand in mine and waited for her to come around. It took several minutes, but she finally opened her eyes and looked at me.

For just a moment, she stared at me as if she didn't recognize me. "Damn," she muttered. "I half hoped I would wake up to Henry Cavill's face."

The joke caught me off guard and it took me a second to react. A smile broke out on my face and I bent down to press a kiss to her cheek. "That's my girl."

"Henry Cavill's girl, but you'll do." Her eyes fluttered closed again, but she struggled to keep them open. "Where are we?"

"Flying to a hospital."

I knew she was confused, but still too sick to understand what was going on. She tugged lightly on my hand and I bent down, leaning in close to hear her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mercy."

That was the last thing she said before she closed her eyes and passed out. I kept switching out the cold packs until we reached the hospital, ignoring the bickering of the two pilots. A medical team was already waiting for us on the roof with a gurney, and the moment they took over, I was shoved aside. I barely had the chance to tell them what happened or the fact that she had a heart transplant. They were gone, and I was left standing on the roof not knowing what to do.

Patrick clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "You stink. We should go get a shower."

"You don't need a shower," I grumbled.

"No, but you do. You can't see your girl smelling like that. She'll run the other way."

"I'm not leaving."

"I didn't say you should leave. I said you should take a shower. They have those in the hospital."

I grunted and was about to head toward the doors when he slammed his hand against my chest. "You might want a change of clothes." He tossed a pack at me, then nodded. "I'll see you inside. Gotta make sure the pilots don't kill each other."

I nodded in thanks and headed for the doors, but once I was inside, I was completely lost. A shower was the logical next step, as Patrick pointed out, but all I could think about was Mercy and staying by her side.

"Her fever is going down,"the doctor explained. "And we have her on antibiotics for the infection."

"What about the heart transplant? Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor smiled at me reassuringly. "It's still too soon to tell, but given how long she's been on the immunosuppressants and how healthy she was before she caught the infection, we're hopeful that she'll be fine."

I breathed a sigh of relief and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you. Can I see her?"

"In a little bit. The nurses are just getting her cleaned up."

"Thank you," I said again, relieved that we made it in time. I sank down on a chair and dipped my head into my hands. I'd never been so terrified as I was in those hours racing through the jungle, praying she didn't die in my arms. And now she was safe.

"So, your lady love is gonna be fine," Patrick said, walking over with a chocolate bar and a coke.

"She's not my lady love," I admitted, unsure what she actually was.

"Yeah, I saw the look on your face," he grinned. "You like her."

I more than liked her, but I couldn't tell him that. And apparently, not saying anything was enough of an admission for him. His smile fell and he sank down beside me, shoving more of his chocolate bar in his mouth. "Holy shit," he said around the candy bar. "You really do like her."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"If you didn't like her, you would have said so, but you didn't. You really like her. Did you make a move?"

I scrubbed a hand down the back of my neck, remembering what it was like to be inside her.

"Fucking monkey balls. You slept with her."

My head whipped up to meet his gaze, and the glare I sent his way was enough to make him howl in laughter. "Shut up."

"You fucked her. You totally nailed that!"

"Would you keep your voice down?" I snapped.

But he didn't stop laughing. "How was she?" he whispered after his laughter died down. "Good?"

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "Best I've ever had," I admitted.

He swallowed a huge gulp of his coke and sat back, totally baffled. "Wow. I mean…wow."

"It's not a big deal. It's not like it can go anywhere."

"Why not? You like her, she likes you. What wouldn't work?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but now that I was sitting here with him, I couldn't remember the reasons I told myself it wouldn't work out.

"That's so awesome. I'm happy for you, man."

"Just hold on," I said, hoping to slow down the cheery train. "It doesn't mean anything will happen. She might wake up and tell me to fuck off."

"Or she might wake up and tell you she's in love with you. Think about it, falling in love on the run. Well, technically, you weren't on the run. But lost in the jungle doesn't hold the same appeal."

"I wasn't lost," I grumbled.

"Yeah, because the rest of us got out okay. The sun was pointing you in the wrong direction is all."

I grunted at his teasing.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she won't hold it against you."

"There was heavy tree cover and we were running for our lives. I was more focused on getting us away from the gunfire."

"Funny," he grinned. "I don't remember it being that difficult to get out. Then again, I was with a whiny baby. I wasn't distracted by long legs and boobs."

"That had nothing to do with—" I shoved a hand through my hair, refusing to discuss this with him. "I'm not doing this with you. You're just baiting me."

He clapped me on the shoulder, squeezing hard. "I'm happy for you, man. We all knew this day would come."

I shrugged him off and stood, finally smelling myself. "I need a shower."

"I think I told you that when we got off the chopper, but why would you listen to me?"

I glanced down the hallway, itching to get to her, but I didn't want her to see me like this. I should smell nice.

"Go ahead. She's not going anywhere."

I grabbed my bag, ready to hit the showers when I heard a ruckus coming from just outside the waiting room doors. Nick strode in, looking supremely pissed off, as the guy who was with Mercy followed him.

"I need to see her!"

"We're here," Nick snapped. "Stop bitching."

The guy hurried over to the nurse's station, asking about Mercy. I tried to tamp down the jealousy burning inside me, but it flared hot as I watched him worrying over the woman I was falling for.

"I can't believe you stuck me with that guy. He's a fucking pain in the ass," Nick grumbled.

"Hey, I had to rescue him. The least you could do was watch him for a while and give me a break," Patrick retorted.

"He wouldn't stop bitching about anything. He complained about the sheets and the water pressure in the bathroom. And then they didn't have his favorite kind of yogurt," Nick said. "I've never heard one man complain about so many things."

I watched as the man talked very animatedly to the nurse. He must be a very good friend to be so concerned. "He's a doctor?"

"Yeah," Nick snorted.

"What's his relationship with Mercy?"

Nick turned to me, his eyes narrowing on me. "Oh, he's in love with her."

"He is?"

"Yes, he told me right after I brushed his hair and painted his nails."

I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. "It was a serious question."

"One that didn't require a serious answer," he retorted. "I was there to watch him, not gab about his feelings for Mercy. Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't," I answered a little too quickly.

But Patrick never wasted a chance. "He likes Mercy. He's in love with her," he said in a sing-song voice.

"I'm not in love with her. I barely know her."

"He made magical love to her," Patrick continued, grinning the whole time.

"You slept with a client?" Nick asked, his eyes boring into me.

"Like no one else has done something like that," I snapped. "Besides, they were special circumstances."

"Right," Patrick grinned. "Like your dick wanted her and she was there."

"Do you have to be so crass about everything? She's a person."

"And I would never say anything in front of her," he chuckled. "But you're fair game."

"Jesus, I need new friends," I muttered under my breath.

"Technically, we're not friends," Nick said casually. "I just started working with you. I don't know you well enough to call you a friend."

"Wow, that's so heartwarming," I deadpanned. "I think I'll leave before the waterworks start."

I turned and headed down the hall with my bag. The nurse directed me to where I could shower. I hoped that offer was still valid and I wasn't intruding on anyone. Thankfully, when I opened the door to the locker room, it was blissfully empty.

I quickly shucked my clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash over my dirty skin. Memories of seeing Mercy naked in the stream flashed through my mind. I couldn't keep thinking about her like that. I didn't even know what would happen from here.

Snatching the bar of soap from my kit, I scrubbed furiously at my body, trying to wash away the best memories of my life. I needed to get my head on straight and remember this was a job. Until I talked with Mercy, I had to play it cool.

I spun around at the sound of Patrick crooning outside the shower. "No, I don't wanna fall in love."

I stepped into the opening and whipped the bar of soap at him, hitting him on the head. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and I went back to my shower.