Nauti Intentions (31 page)

wanted to touch him. Oh God, she needed to touch him, to make it stop, and she didn’t dare move.

He had already proven he would shield her from death, take it himself first. If she distracted him and caused him to be hurt more or, worse, kil ed, she

couldn’t live with that.

So she capped her hand over her mouth as she had learned as a child. The tears fel , but she kept the sobs inside. She kept the fear and the pain

inside, hid it where it couldn’t distract him, couldn’t cause him to be hurt worse.

She used to do that when she was smal . Sobbed inside while she held everything back. Dayle didn’t hit Natches as hard if she didn’t cry. If

she didn’t seem to care.

But she couldn’t stop the tears now. Alex was bleeding, and he was bleeding bad. He had been hurt trying to protect her, just as Natches had been

so many times. The reasons why didn’t matter. The fact was, it was al her fault.

“Mackays are pul in’ in, Major,†Mark Lessing cal ed into the kitchen. “We have four coming in hel -for-leather, sheriff and city cops behind

them.â€

Janey could hear the commotion outside now. Tires screaming, sirens blaring. Alex was leaning against the doorframe, but he held the handgun easily

and his body was tense, on guard.

and his body was tense, on guard.

“Alex, we can go out now,†she whispered, swal owing back the tears that would have fil ed her voice.

“Not yet.†His voice was hard.

“You’re bleeding to death on me,†she snapped. “Stop being so stubborn.â€

“I know what I’m doing, Janey.†His voice was hard, forbidding.

A sob escaped her. She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t hold it back. “Alex, please,†she cried, her voice ragged with pain. “Please,

Alex, don’t bleed to death on me. Please.â€

Alex turned slowly. The dim light from the refrigerator shadowed across her face. Tears ran from her eyes like smal streams. The green was darker,

fil ed with horror and fear. And with pain. Because she could smel his blood, because she knew he was hurt.

She wasn’t sobbing; her breathing was rough, labored, but there were no sobs. The tears were al the more heartbreaking for the lack of sound.

“Come here, baby.†He angled his body, stil sheltering her, but al owing his good arm to wrap around her and pul her to his chest. “I’m

okay.â€

“Where is she?†Natches’s furious yel penetrated the dark room. “Janey!â€

The closet and refrigerator doors were jerked aside as Alex came to his feet, dragging Janey with him. Then a dark shadow reached for her. Hands

gripped her, trying to pul her away from Alex.

“No!†She couldn’t see who it was. A part of her knew it was Natches, knew he was trying to drag her away from Alex, but the insanity building

in her mind locked in place. “Alex!†She tried to hold on to him as she fought the hands dragging at her, kicking out, sobbing, trying to wrench away

and stay by Alex’s side.

“Dammit, Natches, let her go.†Alex curled his arm around her chest and jerked her to him.

Natches froze, the serious end of Alex’s Glock in his face, hard, brutal y flat gray eyes locking with his.

“She’s in shock. She’s terrified. Let her fucking go.â€

Natches released his sister careful y. He could see the other man’s pale features, the blood that ran down his arm, the glitter of pain in Alex’s

eyes. But he was holding Janey to him as though she alone could keep him on his feet.

“Hel !†Natches moved back, aware of his cousins, Sheriff Mayes, and the city cops behind them. “Zeke, we have to get them to safety.

He’s wounded.â€

“Ambulance is en route.â€

“No ambulance,†Alex growled, stepping from the closet, aware of his own bare feet, and of Janey’s.

“Mark, you and Tyrel have your ride?â€

“Right outside,†Mark confirmed. “Ready to rol .â€

“Natches, you and Dawg head to my place and secure it. Rowdy, you’l go in front of Mark’s vehicle, Tyrel wil cover from the back.â€

“Dammit, Alex,†Natches protested.

“Alex, the EMTs wil be here in minutes and we need your statements,†Zeke snapped.

“Then you can get them at my house,†he snarled, keeping Janey close with his good arm as he felt the blood trickling down his back. “Take a

look at this fucking apartment, Zeke. She’s not safe here and someone is deadly serious about this. My house is safe.â€

Natches and Dawg were already leaving. He could hear Natches cursing as they ran down the stairs, promising to gut and castrate him, but they were

going.

“Alex, that shoulder’s bad,†Rowdy told him calmly, his dark green eyes concerned. “Let Mark patch you up in my truck and Tyrel can

fol ow us in. Zeke can wait for the investigator. After they finish going through everything, they can come to the house.â€

“Please.†Janey whispered the word against his chest. He could feel her tears, hotter than his blood, against his flesh.

“Let’s go!†He nodded before turning to Zeke. “Cover us to the truck. Bring the investigator when you’re finished here. First blast was

in the bedroom. Second was in the living room. He had time to run to the front after tossing the first device. First landed on the bed is my guess. Second

landed in front of the couch.â€

Janey held on to Alex as they moved for the door. She kept her arms around him, terrified he was going to fal on her, that he had waited too long, bled

too much.

But he didn’t let her go, and he wasn’t weak. Despite her efforts to help him, he practical y lifted her off her feet as he rushed her down the

outside steps. And he didn’t let her go. Not once did his arm relax from around her until he was pushing her into the back of Rowdy’s dual-cab

pickup fol owed by Mark Lessing and a blurr of orange fur as Fat Cat wailed plaintively and planted himself on the other side of Janey.

Mark had a heavy bag in his hand. No sooner had the door closed behind them than Rowdy was pul ing quickly out of the parking lot and Mark was

pouring something over Alex’s shoulder.

“You son of a bitch!†Alex went taut, every muscle screaming in pain as the antiseptic ran over his shoulder.

A light flicked on.

“I’m putting a clotting powder on it until we’re at the house.†The sound of a package ripping had sweat popping out on Alex’s head.

“We know how much you like this, Major.â€

Bul shit.

He jerked his arm away from Janey, clenched the back of the driver’s seat and the back passenger seat.

“Hurry!†he barked.

He kept his head down as agony lit every nerve ending he possessed. A growl tore from his throat and he heard Janey choke back a sob as the cat

hissed.

The clotting powder was hel . He nearly cracked his teeth holding back a furious yel as the pain lit a red haze in his mind.

“Fucker!†he bit out. “Your turn is coming.â€

“Like hel .†Mark grunted. “Tyrel and I got out of this shit for a reason. Remember?â€

He remembered. Hated it. But he remembered it.

Breathing in roughly, he lifted his head and stared back at Janey. She was paper white, her eyes dilated, but damn was she holding up. Her robe was

belted tight around her; she was shivering, but watching him with sharp, assessing eyes.

Her hair was mussed around her face, tears streaked her face, but by God, she was alive. She was living and breathing, one hand on the bunched

biceps curled against the seat behind her, the other pressed against his chest as her lips trembled.

“Don’t die on me,†she whispered, and another tear slipped past her eyes. “Please, Alex.â€

He forced his lips to kick up in a grin. “Can’t get rid of me that easily, can she, Mark?â€

“Hel no, Major,†Mark answered. “You’re like fucking Superman. Made of steel.†Mark’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.

“Ignore him. He’s jealous. He just wishes he had al my scars.â€

Mark snorted beside him.

“Come here, love.†He wrapped his good arm around her, pul ing her close. “Right here.†He kissed the top of her head, tucked her close,

and stared out at the night as the pickup erased the short distance between the restaurant and his house. “I have you, Janey. I’m not letting you

go, baby. I have you right here.â€

EIGHTEEN

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Natches and Dawg had the house secured when Rowdy pul ed into the drive and brought the truck to a stop at the back door.

Mark jumped from the passenger-side door, while Alex eased back, pul ing Janey with him as that damned cat cried out pitiful y.

“Here, Mark.†With his good hand, he lifted the surprisingly docile feline to the other man. “There’s cat supplies in the cupboard in the

kitchen. Never did get rid of the shit after Crista’s cat ran off.â€

So long ago. Hel , he could feel every damned year of his life weighing on his shoulders right now.

“Hold on to me,†he ordered Janey, lifting one of her arms around his neck as he gripped her waist with his good arm. His left arm was practical y

useless at this point. He suspected a nail was lodged inside it, though Mark hadn’t said anything either way. Alex could feel the shrapnel that was

going to have to be dug out.

Bastard. It could have been Janey’s tender flesh riddled with the sharp projectiles. If he hadn’t been there, that first homemade bomb would

have landed in her bed, taking her out immediately.

He had to fight back the fury at the thought of what they would have found. There would have been nothing left of the woman he held in his arms now.

“You can’t carry me, Alex.†Janey tried to pul back, tried to keep him from exerting the hard muscles of his back and shoulders as he lifted

her.

He did it anyway. His arm tightened around her hips, holding her to him as he nodded to Mark. Rowdy moved in front of them; Mark, carrying the cat,

took up the rear as another man moved from the vehicle fol owing them.

The back door opened quickly and Alex rushed her inside. He ignored Natches and Dawg’s expectant looks. “Mark, I need you and Tyrel with

us in the bedroom. Now.â€

“Fuck that.†Natches moved behind them. “You’re not keeping me out, Alex.â€

Alex kept going. He didn’t give a damn if Natches was there for now. Janey needed something, someone to hold on to, but God help Natches if he

suggested taking her out of the house.

“Do you need your team, Major?†Tyrel asked, his voice chil y as they filed into the bedroom.

Alex shook his head as he set Janey on her feet and glanced at the other man. “They’re on assignment.â€

He’d let the team go when he’d taken that last hit to his leg in Iraq. The missions were getting longer, the danger becoming less adrenaline-

and more ennui-infused. He was losing the drive and he knew it. As he looked at Janey, thought of the baby she could be carrying, he knew he wasn’t

going back.

“Sit!†Mark Lessing, medic’s bag in hand, pushed Alex to the heavy kitchen chair Tyrel had dragged in.

“Janey, fix us some coffee,†Alex ordered her as he straddled the chair, knowing what was coming.

“Come on, sis.†Natches wasn’t mocking or his normal y overbearing self. His arm went around her shoulders.

She shrugged it off and glared back at al of them.

“Natches can make the coffee.â€

Alex closed his eyes as he propped his good arm on the back of the chair and watched her. “You don’t want to be here for this,†he told her,

knowing what was coming, knowing that when Mark began detailing exactly what was buried in his shoulder she wasn’t going to be strong enough to

handle it.

She was a woman. Tender. Sweet. She had no business here. He looked at Natches. “Get her out of here.â€

“Try it and find out just how wel those self-defense classes I took work,†she warned her brother.

She wasn’t going anywhere. Janey moved slowly to her lover, staring at him, aching, hurting. She could feel the pain and the fear for him cutting

through her like a dul , jagged knife.

“Don’t make me leave,†she whispered as she stood in front of him. “I should be here.â€

His gaze was flat. His soldier gaze. Hard. His jaw like granite. His gaze sliced to Natches.

“I’l stay,†Natches said quietly behind her. “If she wants to leave, then I’l get her out of here.â€

Silence fil ed the bedroom as Mark moved behind Alex. “Here’s what we have.†The medic sighed. “You got whiskey, Major? You’re

going to need it.â€

“Kitchen cabinet.†He nodded to Natches.

The other man moved quickly back to the other room.

“We have two six-inch nails buried in, almost to the bone, I’m guessing. They have to come out. Looks like a metal shard protruding from the

fleshy part of your shoulder, deep, but thin. We have puncture wounds, no slicing. We have some shredding flesh, a few burns. We have to get the projectiles out first and we’l go from there.â€

Alex stared up at Janey. A tear slipped from her eye. A single tear as she touched his face with trembling fingers and Natches moved back into the

room, the fifth of whiskey in hand.

Alex grabbed it, tipped it to his lips, and took as much as possible in one gulp. Damn, he needed to be drunk. He pushed the boundary with the liquor,

consuming quite a bit of the liquid before handing it back to Mark.

“You should have gone to the hospital, Major,†Tyrel snapped.

“Too many reports,†Alex replied. “We can’t let the attacker know I’m weak. Get to it, Mark. Let’s get it over with.â€

“Alex.†Janey whispered his name as Natches pushed a chair to her.