She'd spent two weeks getting ready for the wedding withAaron. He'd been focused on training her on self-defense and she'd been focused on him. Every time he’d touched her, taught her how to handle herself and a gun, she’d been so fixated on him she hadn’t noticed anything else. By the time the actual wedding rolled around, she’d been so hot her panties should have melted.
Celine lifted her fingers to her lips, remembering the one time she'd taken matters into her own hands.
“So, he just walked out? Nothing else?”
Celine drew in a calming breath, trying to force out the painful memory. “It’s no big deal. I think he was embarrassed by his commander catching us in the act.”
“No big deal? Did he get in trouble for not staying on post? Did he get yelled at by his CO?” Caroline’s quiet voice barely penetrated the hot embarrassment flooding her cheeks.
“I don’t know. I don’t care. All I know is he got one taste and didn’t want anymore. He didn’t have time to waste on useless relationships.” He’d left Celine with the feeling of a rusty nail fermenting in her chest and a longing so intense she shook from the unquenched need.
Caroline coughed. “He said that?”
He’d chosen his Team over her, just like everyone else in her life. “Not so much talking as walking.”
“Doesn’t make sense for him to just ghost on you like that, not after he specifically requested you for my ceremony,” Caroline said.
“So, what does make sense then? He got what he wanted out of me,” she snorted derisively, “and he didn’t even have to work that hard to get me. I was hot and waiting.”
“A man like that, I can’t blame you, but I think it’s gotta be something else. If his commander caught you two together when he was on patrol,” Caroline clucked her tongue, “You know how soldiers are. They’re so orderly, so strict. I’d be willing to bet you money his commander reamed his ass andthreatened to have him evicted from the mission if he got off task again.”
Hope, that pesky little bitch, reared her beautiful head. Something about Aaron Speirs completely flipped her world upside down. The first time he’d walked into her little salon back in Mercy, Mississippi, she’d nearly sliced off the tip of her finger giving him a trim, her hands had shaken so bad. He’d never taken his eyes off her, given her his full and direct gaze in the mirror’s reflection, like he could see how wild her heart hammered in his presence. “You are losing it.”
“Are you kidding me? The man was practically drooling on your heels. I’ve been around military my whole life. My father is head of Joint Special Operations Command. I know soldiers. I had a huge crush on one of my bodyguards a couple of years ago and tried to kiss him. The guy nearly went into a full-blown panic attack over losing his job.”
A trickle of laughter bubbled up inside Celine at the image of the petite Caroline tackling a big, burly guard.
“Exactly. I bet he would have been at your doorstep the minute I married the general…” Caroline’s words trailed off.
“Your father should never have tried to marry you off to that old man just to boost his own agenda.”
Caroline let out a sob; broken and painful to hear. “You might be right, but if I hadn’t pulled a runaway bride, we might not be here. Kate might not be dead.”
Celine squeezed her friend’s hand with all her might. “She’s not dead.”
“We haven’t seen her once.”
“She probably escaped. Of us three, she was the only trained operative. I can just imagine her fighting her way out.” Watching Kate train with Ethan, Aaron’s teammate, the week leading up to Caroline’s wedding had been an absolute treat. Kate Richards, former CIA operative, had taken the SF soldier to his knees.
“What if…” Caroline’s words trailed off in the darkness.
“What if she did escape and she’s with the rescue team right now, ready to bust down that door and pull us the hell out of here?”
Footsteps shuffled outside the door, pacing faster than normal. It was their captor, whom the girls had simply called ‘him.’ He didn’t speak English, but he got his point across clearly - make any movement and get punished.
They were being held captive buy a ring of men, all of them more powerful than him. He rarely came into their room by himself after the one time. She’d gotten brave and stood up to him.
Her ribs were still sore from that failed attempt. But that wasn’t what worried her. It was the way he’d leered at them when he shuffled into the room, hands free of water or food. He just stared at the women with a calculating gleam in his gaze.
“You think that’s them now?” Caroline asked.
Celine slowly shook her head. The door knob rattled, clicked and then creaked open. A thin slice of light cut into the darkness beside them and Celine, closest to the door, cowered away.
Their captor’s shadow smothered out the light. Breathing harsh, he pushed the door wider and stepped into the room, staring down at them, his eyes filled with hate and lust.
And he was alone.
The men who usually stood in the back ground seemed to be in control of him. He watched them carefully each time. He never touched or jeered when they were there.
