Page 43 of Healing Love
Her eyes skirted to the side, afraid that if she looked at him, he would be able to see her questions aboutthem.
Before she could deny that there was anything else on her mind, he asked, “You do understand about us, don’t you?”
At that, her eyes jumped back to his.
Before he could say anything else, his body tensed and moved quicker than she could have imagined he could move. With a shove, he pushed her further back into the rock formation and rolled so that his body was covering hers, with his front facing outward. Her hand grasped the belt of his cargo pants as she heard the roar of a speed boat engine moving along the coast.
“Who is it?” she whispered, but he did not answer. Afraid to speak again, she just huddled against his broad, muscular back.
Keeping his head lowered, he nonetheless managed to track the boat as it moved along the shoreline, a searchlight dashing around the beach. Several long minutes passed, neither of them moving, before the boat continued out of sight.
Shaking, afraid to speak, she wanted to peek over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming.I can’t go back. I can’t do that again.
Cam finally allowed his breath to slowly let out, feeling the tug on his belt and the quivering body of the woman behind him. Twisting his head to hers, he saw the terror in her eyes.
“It’s okay, babe,” he whispered, lifting his hand to cup her face.
“I…can’t…no…going back,” she stammered, eyes wide.
He rolled toward her, wrapping his arms around her still shaking frame. “No one’s getting you. They’re gone,” he promised.
“Were they looking for us?”
Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “Possibly. There’s no way to know for sure. But it’s dark. They can’t see us, and Marc will be here in the morning. I’ll contact him to warn him, but he’ll get us.”
Pulling her face in close to his, he whispered again, “Promise,cariña.”
Nodding again, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m not sure I can go to sleep,” she confessed.
“Just close your eyes and listen to the surf. Let it all go, babe. I’m right here.”
Breathing deeply, she found that his shoulder was infinitely more comfortable than the thin cot she had been sleeping on.What would it be like to have this always?And that was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep.
16
Cam slept fitfully, taking short catnaps during the night, staying vigilant, but there was no repeat passing of the boat.Had it been the cartel looking for them?He shifted slightly on the bed of sand knowing no comfortable position was possible. But what the hell? In his arms dozed Miriam.
He could barely make out her features in the dark but knew them by memory. Ebony hair, drying slightly curly, framed her beautiful face. Shadows were under her eyes making her translucent complexion seem pale in comparison. Her cheekbones were more prominent than the photograph he had seen, bringing her drastic weight loss of the past month to the forefront of his mind.
The idea of taking her out for a huge, expensive dinner filled his mind as he yearned to take care of her. Smiling, he knew from what he had learned from her, she would rather have a hotdog while watching a college baseball game.
His mind rolled back over the mission, pleased they had made it out, but knowing that without the fortuitous storm it would have been almost impossible. Sighing heavily, his hand moved to his chest where his St. Camillus medallion rested. Patron Saint and founder of the Red Cross.Jesus,he smiled, clutching the pendant knowing that they still needed all the help they could get to make it back home.
Miriam stirred next to him, snuggling her body closer to his in her sleep, tossing one leg over his as one arm landed on his chest, near his hand still holding the medallion.
He reached out gently and held her hand for a moment.This woman,Icould spend the rest of my life with.He watched her breathe slowly, her face sometimes twitching as she dreamed.But what of her? Can she love a man with my career? A man whose future is sometimes as uncertain as the missions I take.Unfamiliar doubt crept in, leaving him with a feeling of uncertainty.What’s better for her…fighting for her or walking away to give her a chance at a normal future?
He now understood his boss’ dilemma over the last year as Jack battled with the knowledge that he had fallen in love with his pretty neighbor, Bethany, and wanted to give her the white picket fence future. What seemed obvious to Cam at the time, was now just as confusing as it must have been to Jack.
As the early morning light began painting the sky with colors, he felt his phone vibrate. He slid quietly away from the sleeping beauty and walked away towardthe beach while still staying within the shadows of the rocks.
“Yeah?” he answered, knowing the call was from Marc.
“All’s good,” came the response.
“Thank fuck.”
“Got the plane and got it fueled. Alberto’s coming also in case we need some help.”
