Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Marlowe opened her eyes, but all she saw was darkness. She hated that feeling. It reminded her too much of being in that solitary cell. And upon hearing the fear in Kendric’s tone as he informed her that he’d also been held captive once, the odd feeling of relief that swept through her made Marlowe feel like a horrible person.

How could she be glad that he’d been through anything similar to what she had?

She adjusted in his arms, wrapping one hand around the side of his neck. She didn’t interrupt his story, but hopefully her touch let him know she was listening.

“The mission was shit from the start, and we all had a feeling it was going to go sideways. It did. We fought back as long as we could, but eventually we ran out of ammo, and rather than die, we chose to surrender.”

Marlowe gasped quietly. She could only imagine how horrible that must’ve been. To give up, knowing you could be killed or tortured.

“I think our captors thought they were being cruel when they put my friends and I all in the same cell. But it was the best thing they could’ve done. Yes, we all had to listen as they beat on one of us outside the cell, but together, we were four hundred percent stronger than if we’d been chained up by ourselves.”

“Being alone is the worst,” Marlowe agreed softly. “It feels as if you’re the only person in the world. Like everyone has forgotten you. Like you’re less than human.”

Kendric’s arms tightened around her, and she felt him nod before he went on. “Honestly, Chappy, JJ, and I didn’t have it all that bad compared to Cal. Once our captors found out who he was, they concentrated most of their attention on him. That was harder to bear than being tortured ourselves.”

When he paused and didn’t say anything else, Marlowe asked, “Who was he? Why did they focus on him?”

“He’s a member of the royal family of Liechtenstein. Those assholes were so thrilled to have royalty in their clutches, they did their best to break him. They wanted him pleading for his life on film.”

“They filmed it?” Marlowe asked, horrified.

“Yeah. And sent that shit out on the web. There are still videos out there of Cal being sliced to ribbons. It’s sick. And the worst was not being able to do anything to help him. But Cal being Cal, he didn’t say one damn word. Didn’t give our captors the satisfaction of even one grunt of pain. When they rechained him to the wall after a session, he’d bleed so badly, a river of blood would literally snake down to the drain in the middle of the room. And all we could do was beg him to hold on.”

“I can’t imagine,” Marlowe said, feeling as if her words were woefully inadequate.

“Good. I wouldn’t ever want you, or anyone, to experience that hell.”

“When I was put in solitary, I was still in shock from everything that had happened,” Marlowe admitted. “One minute I was on the dig site, minding my own business, and the next I was being handcuffed and thrown into a police car. I had no idea what was going on.”

“What can you tell me about what happened?” Kendric asked.

Marlowe sighed. “Not much. I mean, I have my suspicions, but because I don’t understand Thai, I have no idea what was said during my interrogation.”

“Did they hurt you?” Kendric asked in a tight, very dark tone.

“No. But . . . I thought they were going to. They yelled a lot. Hit the desk. Even pressed me up against the wall. That’s why I ultimately signed that paper. I figured they would do whatever it took to make me sign it. I’d read a lot of horror stories about foreigners in custody, women especially, and what happened to them.”

Kendric’s arms tightened around her almost to the point of pain. Marlowe rubbed her thumb back and forth on the skin of his neck, trying to calm him. “I’m okay,” she soothed. “They didn’t do anything.”

It took a minute or two, but eventually Kendric asked, “What are your suspicions? How did those yaba pills get in your stuff?”

“You don’t think I was selling them?” she asked, genuinely curious about his answer. She wouldn’t blame him if he did. Everyone else thought the worst of her. Why wouldn’t he?

“No.”

That was it. Just no.

His belief made a previously unnoticed tension ease inside her.

“I worked with a guy, his name is Ian West. He’s younger than me and was new to the dig site. He seemed okay enough. A little overenthusiastic. And he liked to drink on his time off. Which is fine. I mean, each to his own. Anyway, as you know, it’s hot here. I mean, really hot. The temperature combined with the humidity makes it unbearable at times. One night, I couldn’t sleep because of the heat. I was walking around the dig site, which wasn’t uncommon for me. It was better than sweating in my bunk. And I saw Ian in one of the trenches we’d been working on earlier that day. We do dig at night, especially when grant funds are running low or a dig season is ending. But we use lots of floodlights, we stop at a certain time, and no one works by themselves. Ever.

“I watched him digging for a minute, about to approach to find out what the hell was going on, when he held up something to the light. He laughed quietly, stood, and put whatever he’d found in his pocket.

“I was shocked. That’s not something you do on a dig. Take something you found. Anything we discover belongs to the country in which we’re working. We’re just the hands that unearth stuff, none of it is ours.

“He quickly walked away, never even saw me standing nearby. Probably because he was using a single lantern, and he took it with him. I always keep a small flashlight on me when walking the dig site at night. After he went back to his tent, I walked over to the trench. I don’t know what I expected to find, maybe evidence of pottery shards or something. But I looked in . . .

“Coins. He was stealing coins. There were about two dozen still sitting in the dirt in the trench, waiting to be tagged and collected. There’s no way the team would’ve left them there like that, so I’m guessing Ian must’ve found them earlier in the day and didn’t tell anyone. I have no idea why he didn’t take them all. Since no one knew they existed, no one would miss them. I may never know the answer to that question.”

She sighed heavily. “I didn’t want to believe he was a thief. I tried so hard to justify what I saw, but it was impossible. When we find something, there’s a protocol to follow before an item’s extracted. Pictures taken, data collected, et cetera. And it goes without saying we use gloves to handle artifacts. And he put the coins in his pocket! As if they were just quarters or something.”

Marlowe took a deep breath, trying to get control over her emotions. Every time she thought about what happened next, how stupid she’d been, it enraged and embarrassed her.

“What did you do?” Kendric asked. She felt his hand slip under her shirt, his fingers lightly stroking her lower back, as if he was trying to soothe a wild animal. His touch felt wonderful. And surprisingly, she felt her anger waning.

“I was an idiot,” she said with a sigh. “I went to his tent and confronted him. Told him I saw him take the coins. He sounded genuinely panicked. Said he was sorry, acted so contrite. Told me he just made a rash, stupid mistake. I insisted he go to the site leader and tell him what he’d done, show him the coins so official steps could be taken to record the find. He promised he’d do so in the morning, kept apologizing and begging my forgiveness.

“I was going to go straight to our project leader—and I should have. But it was the middle of the night after a long workday. I didn’t want to disturb him, and like a moron, I trusted Ian when he said he’d make things right.

“I went back to my tent, finally fell asleep . . . and in the morning, the police were there. They found the drugs in my tent, and I was hauled away.”

“You think Ian planted the pills in your stuff after you went to sleep?” Kendric said.

“Yeah. And despite the theft . . . I think I hate that part even more. I mean, there were only three Americans on the dig, and we all usually hung out together.”

“No one spoke up on your behalf?” Kendric asked.

“Ian had gone to the project leader before I even woke up, as promised—and accused me of attempting to steal coins. They found one of those in my tent as well. And just one could fetch hundreds of thousands from the right buyer. They searched Ian’s tent at my insistence, and of course, they found nothing. After that . . . everyone just kind of turned on me. The project leader let the police take me away without another word.

“I was so shocked, I could barely speak. No one took my great work history or reputation into account. Instead, they took the word of some newbie. And I couldn’t believe Ian would betray me like that.”

“I can,” Kendric said with a small shrug. “Sounds like those coins are worth a lot of money.”

“But at the expense of my life?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, yeah. What do you think he’s going to do with the coins?”

“Sell them,” Marlowe said. “He probably has already. He was only scheduled to be on the dig for a month, and at the time of my arrest, he had less than two weeks left. It was an internship for him, part of his master’s thesis. It would’ve been fairly easy to smuggle them back to the States.”

“Is there a big market for that kind of thing? I mean, how easy would it be to find a buyer?” Kendric asked.

“If you know the right people, probably not too hard,” Marlowe admitted.

“And does he? Know the right people, I mean?”

“I have no idea. But considering his major, and the fact that he had connections enough to get on that dig to begin with, probably.”

“So he planted the pills and called in the tip to the authorities, knowing how hard Thailand has been cracking down on the sale of drugs in their country,” Kendric mused.

“I don’t know for sure, but that’s the only thing I can think of. He was frequently assigned to the evening crew, and he always seemed . . . I don’t know the right word, but . . . hyped up, maybe? Yaba is basically a combination of caffeine and meth. I figured taking the pills kept him awake on the job. I’m sure you know, yaba pills are super cheap and readily available, and I’m guessing locals were probably more than willing to sell to him.

“But the police weren’t interested in my side of the story. They wouldn’t listen to me, no matter how much I begged. I told them about the coins and how Ian was stealing, but it was like I wasn’t even speaking. They seemed to have no problem believing Ian when he said I was selling drugs. It was . . . awful,” she finished lamely.

“We’re not going to let him get away with it,” Kendric said firmly.

Marlowe simply shook her head. “I don’t care anymore. Honestly, I just want to go home. Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything.”

Maybe it was the darkness. Maybe it was how they were wrapped around each other. Maybe it was because she couldn’t forget the look in his eyes when he’d said “I do” earlier, in such a reverent and intimate way. Whatever the reason, Marlowe found herself admitting something she’d never said out loud to anyone, not even her brother.

“I don’t love being an archaeologist.”

Just saying the words felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I kind of fell into it, was too far along in my studies to change my major without losing a ton of credits. Tony was helping pay for my college, and I didn’t want to disappoint him or cost him any more money. I also didn’t know what else I might like to do, and I loved the history aspect.” She shrugged.

“Anyway, I got my first job on a dig in Montana right after I graduated, and things just kind of steamrolled from there. I was a hard worker, minded my own business, didn’t cause any trouble, and my supervisors just kept recommending me for other jobs. I ended up going to Egypt, Jordan, China, Turkey, Korea, and of course Thailand. Tony seemed so proud. So jealous that I was getting to see the world. But I was always homesick. I love meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, but . . . I honestly never really liked digging in the dirt.”

She held her breath, waiting to see what Kendric would say. What he’d think.

She was startled when he started to laugh.

“I’m sorry,” he said between chuckles. “I’m not laughing at you. But the idea of an archaeologist who doesn’t like digging in the dirt? That’s funny as hell.”

Marlowe smiled. Her face was pressed against his neck, and he smelled so good. Like the herbal soap they’d used in the shower. And . . . male. It was warm in the hole, and she could feel herself beginning to sweat. Just as Kendric was. And somehow, the combination of his own musky scent with the soap he’d used was both comforting and a turn-on.

“I know. It’s ridiculous,” she agreed with a small shrug.

“So what now? I mean, when you get home?” Kendric asked.

“I . . . I’m not sure. I mean, when you’re told you’re going to live the rest of your life behind bars, you don’t really think much about the future. It was all I could do to get by day to day.”

“I’m getting you home,” Kendric said earnestly. “You can do whatever you want. Live wherever you want. Be whoever you want.”

“How did you end up in Maine?” she asked. He’d told her at some point in the last few days that he and his friends lived in the small town of Newton.

“When we were held captive, JJ decided he was done with the military. We played rock paper scissors to decide where to live once we were out, and what we’d do for a living.”

“Seriously?” Marlowe asked.

“Yup. It was really to get our minds off the pain more than anything else. I was going to vote New York City, but I lost my round,” Kendric said.

“I can’t see you in a big city like that,” Marlowe said. “I don’t think I’d like it. I’m an introvert at heart, and having all those people around all the time . . .” She shivered for dramatic effect.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not sure I would’ve either, but Maine has also been a bit hard for me.”

“How so?”

“It’s so . . . staid. Don’t get me wrong. I love working with my buddies and meeting the people we lead on hikes on the Appalachian Trail. But I missed the excitement of the missions we went on in the Army.”

“Which is why you’re here with me now,” Marlowe said, a little disappointed, though she didn’t fully understand why.

“Yeah. I got connected with this FBI guy who works in certain government circles. He sets up rescue missions.”

“And he somehow knows Tony.”

“That’s my guess.”

“What do your friends think of what you do? Do they ever join you?” Marlowe asked.

“They don’t know.”

“Wait—what? What do you mean, they don’t know?”

“I’ve been lying to them. Telling them I’m visiting a sick aunt,” Kendric admitted.

Marlowe went up on an elbow and tried in vain to see through the dark. “Are you serious?”

“Yup.”

“That’s . . . that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” she blurted. “Kendric! Those are men you literally would’ve died for. You’ve been through things together that I couldn’t even imagine. You decided as a team to quit the Army and start your own business. And you haven’t told them? Why not?” Marlowe knew she was being rude, but she literally couldn’t understand Kendric’s reasoning.

“I don’t want them to feel guilty that I’ve been feeling unsettled. That I needed more excitement.”

Thank goodness he didn’t sound upset with her for yelling at him. Marlowe tried her best to calm down. “They wouldn’t have felt that way,” she said with conviction. “I don’t know them, of course, but from everything you’ve said, they would’ve supported you. Now, I’m guessing they won’t be happy when they find out you’ve been gallivanting around the world, risking your life without letting them have your back.”

“They won’t,” Kendric agreed. “Which is another reason why I haven’t told them.”

“How long did you say you’d be gone this time?” Marlowe asked.

“Two weeks.”

“What’s going to happen if you don’t return?”

“They’ll be worried. They’ll try to track down my aunt, and when they discover she doesn’t exist, they’ll freak out. Probably call a friend of ours, a computer genius, and demand he find me. Tex will tell them where I am and what I’m doing. He’ll probably get them in touch with my contact, who may give them even more details, and possibly link them up with your brother. Then they’ll get on the first plane to Thailand to track me down personally. Their wives will be stressed out, and I’ll feel guilty as hell about interrupting their lives and having to shut down Jack’s Lumber while they’re out of town.”

“Holy crap. Really? Is any of that an exaggeration?”

“No.”

“Kendric?”

“Yeah?”

“You really are an idiot.”

He chuckled. “I know.”

“I mean it. You have this incredible group of friends. People who have your back no matter what. You shouldn’t have lied to them. If you need more excitement in your life, I’m sure they would’ve supported you. They’ll probably feel guilty for holding you back. I’m sure they would’ve encouraged you to do what you needed to do.”

“You’re right.”

Marlowe sighed. “So . . . if they find out, what happens when you get home? After you apologize and grovel for their forgiveness? Another mission?”

“I’m not sure,” he said.

“Not sure about what? They’ll forgive you, I know they will. That’s what friends do.”

“Oh, they will. They’ll give me hell, and I’ll be hearing about this for the rest of our lives, but that’s not what I’m unsure about. I’m not sure I want to keep doing this. The rescue missions.”

“Why not?” Marlowe asked. This man fascinated her. She felt as if she could ask him a million questions and still never feel as if she’d learned everything.

“I don’t know. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, the people I’ve helped, but . . . I can feel myself changing. The adrenaline rush I’ve gotten from these missions fades faster and faster. It doesn’t feel as exciting as it used to. And I’m not getting any younger.”

“Oh please. How old are you?” Marlowe asked.

“Thirty-five.”

“Really? Me too,” she said with a smile.

“I know. And it’s hard to explain, but I think I’m finally beginning to understand the appeal of living a quiet life.”

“What changed?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“So many things could’ve gone wrong on this mission. I’m not saying this to scare you, but the fact that you’re here in my arms, and not still in that prison, is literally a miracle. That in itself is enough to make me rethink attempting another harrowing mission.

“June and Cal are trying to get pregnant. Carlise and Riggs want a slew of kids. I can’t imagine not being in Maine when my nieces and nephews are born, if I’m on some mission. And no, I’m not related by blood, but those kids will be my family. So . . . I’m thinking I can find other ways to satisfy that adrenaline rush. Maybe I’ll build a zip line. Or a rock climbing wall. Something that will give me the excitement I need without having to risk my life quite so much.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Marlowe told him.

“But it means that people like you will be left hanging,” he said warily.

“Kendric, you can’t save the world. I mean, I know you’d try your hardest to do just that, but there will always be people who need help. There will always be jerks in charge of countries. Always be corruption. And there will always be other men and women like you, who do this sort of thing for a living. You’ve done your part. More than done it. In fact, I’m naming my first child after you. I pray I have a son first, otherwise my daughter’s gonna be real pissed to be called Ken.”

Kendric chuckled, and she felt his huff of breath against her scalp.

“No one’s ever reached out after they were rescued to thank me,” he admitted softly.

“Assholes,” Marlowe spat out.

“Wow. I think that’s the first cussword I’ve heard you say,” Kendric said.

“I try not to swear, Tony kind of drilled it into my head that ladies don’t cuss, but I think this situation warrants it. I’m sorry, Kendric. That’s awful. I understand why someone might want to put such a scary situation behind them, but if not for you, they wouldn’t be alive and able to forget in the first place. And I was serious about naming my firstborn after you. I’ve also already planned on sending Christmas presents, and flowers on our wedding anniversary, and random thank-you notes when you least expect them. Just a heads-up.”

He laughed again. “I wasn’t insinuating that I wanted or needed any thanks.”

“I know you weren’t, but seriously, that’s whacked. I don’t know the situations you’ve saved people from, but even if we don’t get out of the country, and I get thrown back in jail, I’ll always be grateful that you were willing to risk yourself to help me. And speaking of which . . .” Her tone became solemn. “If anything happens, you aren’t allowed to get caught. Understand me? I’ll willingly give myself up if it means you can get away. I can’t live with myself if you end up in jail too.”

“Not happening,” he said firmly.

“Kendric, I mean it. I—”

“Not. Happening,” he repeated almost angrily. “You really think I’d let you give yourself up so I can get away? I’ve never been that guy, and I never will be. You’re under my protection, Marlowe. Hell, you’re my wife, and I’m going to protect you with my last breath if need be. You will get back home.”

“It’s possible we aren’t really husband and wife,” she murmured.

“Funny, I remember standing in front of that officiant today, promising to honor and protect you for the rest of this life and beyond,” he said dryly.

“All I mean is that I have no idea if it’s recognized in the States. And I’m not going to hold you to it either way.”

“Why not?”

Marlowe was at a loss for words. What was he saying? That he wanted them to be married for real?

The pang of longing that hit her was surprising. Despite barely knowing this man, she wanted him for her own. She wanted to meet his friends. See those children being born. Watch him fly down that zip line she was sure he’d build one day.

When she didn’t respond, he said, “We’re both getting out of here, Marlowe. You remember what I said about my friends? How if I don’t get home when they expect, they’ll track me down? Even if we do get caught and put back in jail, they’ll get us out. Both of us.”

“But they don’t even know me.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re with me. That’s all they need to know.”

“Kendric . . . ,” Marlowe said, words failing her. She’d never had anyone, other than her brother, throw down for her like Kendric was. And it felt good. Really good.

“Tell me about your brother. Are your folks still alive?” he asked.

Relieved he was changing the subject, because she was feeling a little too emotional, Marlowe gladly talked about her family. “Tony’s five years older and has always watched out for me. Our parents died when he was nineteen, and I was fourteen. They were in a huge pileup on the freeway. He fought the state for the right to keep me with him. Put college on hold for a few years as we settled into our new normal. He’s married now, with two kids. He still tries to boss me around, but it’s hard when I’m not even in the country.” She smiled as she thought about her bossy brother.

“He sounds amazing.”

“He is. Overprotective and a worrywart, but without him, I don’t know where I’d be today. What about your family?”

“My friends are my family,” Kendric said. “My parents weren’t . . . good. They didn’t care much about what I did. They didn’t even want a kid, they made that pretty clear, but it would’ve looked bad if they got rid of me. I went my own way when I graduated high school and haven’t looked back.”

“Do you talk to them at all?”

“No. But don’t feel sorry for me. I’m sure they’re living their lives, happy and free, and I have my family in Chappy, Cal, and JJ. And now their wives.”

“Tell me about them?” Marlowe asked, then yawned.

“You’re tired. You should sleep,” Kendric said.

“Please?”

“Okay.” His hand hadn’t stopped stroking her lower back, and his touch made Marlowe want to purr. “Our business, Jack’s Lumber, is named after JJ, because he had the idea to get out of the Army in the first place, and he’s the guy who keeps us all in line. He was a leader on the battlefield, and he still is, now that we’re out. April is our admin assistant that we hired a couple of years ago, and the two of them have a thing, but neither will admit they’re attracted to the other. It’s an interesting dynamic, and we’re all just waiting for the fireworks when they finally give in and admit they were meant for each other.

“Then there’s Carlise and Chappy. They met when she was trapped in his cabin in the mountains during a blizzard. She had a stalker who came to kidnap and kill her, but was saved by an avalanche and by hiding in an old, abandoned prepper’s bunker.”

“Um . . . what?” Marlowe asked. “Are you kidding?”

“Nope. And Cal and June are a real-life Cinderella story. Complete with a nasty stepmother and stepsister who hired a hit man to kill June, in the hopes that the prince would come running back to the stepsister to protect her.”

“Oh my God! And they’re all okay?”

“Well, the hit man managed to shoot June, and it was touch and go for a while, but she’s tougher than she looks. She pulled through and is thriving now.”

“Wow. And they still live in Maine?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Not in a palace in Liechtenstein? Will their kid be king or queen someday?”

Kendric laughed. “Not a chance in hell. Cal is like twentieth in line or something, and he wants nothing to do with ruling his country. But I suppose that, yes, their kids will be princes and princesses.”

“So if they’ll be your nieces and nephews, that makes you some sort of de facto royalty too, right?”

Kendric dug his fingers into her side, making Marlowe squirm and try to evade his touch as he tickled her.

“Not even close, woman!” he told her.

“Uncle! Uncle!” she cried through her laughter.

He stopped at once, smoothing his hand over her side where he’d tickled her. “Cal and June are truly something together. They got married when she was still in the hospital. I’ve never seen my friend so broken as when he wasn’t sure if she would survive or not. They had a whirlwind courtship, and he’d do literally anything for her. As would Chappy for Carlise. Come to think of it, they also came together extremely quickly. Like, in just days. I suppose living the kind of life we have . . . when you know, you know.”

Marlowe thought about that. Then immediately wondered what he thought about her. But she was too chicken to ask. She sighed and ended up yawning again.

“And now you really do need to rest,” Kendric insisted.

“They sound awesome,” she told him sleepily. “Your friends.”

“They are.”

“Kendric?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“Me? Why?”

“You aren’t sleeping enough. I want you to rest too. I’ll keep the bogeymen away. I promised to protect you too today, you know.” She was barely aware of what she was saying. The dark, the heat, and her full belly were finally catching up with her, and she was on the verge of falling into a deep slumber.

“I will,” he said.

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. You know what?”

“What?”

He sounded amused, but Marlowe didn’t care. “I’m glad I was thrown in jail.”

“Glad?” he echoed, sounding shocked.

“Yeah. Because if I hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be right here, right now. Safe. Married to you. Good night, Kendric.”

She didn’t feel his arms tighten around her, or the kiss he placed on her forehead, because she’d already fallen into a deep, healing sleep.