She rose up and turned with the knife as Yurgio crashed back into her like a freight train, his weight knocking her onto her back.Her hand holding the knife was pressed out, away from her.
Yurgio dropped his weight on her chest as he leaned over her to reach for the knife.He had two hands to use against her one.
With his weight shifted to the side, Allie bucked himoff of her, and she could use her second hand to keep her grip on the knife.
Yurgio released one hand from the knife and slammed a fist into the side of her face.Allie felt momentarily dazed.Her ears were ringing, and her head felt fuzzy.She had never been hit before.Even in mock fights with her brothers and dad, no one had ever struck her.
Yurgio used her fuzzy state to rip the knife from her grip and raise it over her chest.Her eyes widened as the knife came down toward her heart.She raised her arms to ward off the strike, when suddenly Yurgio was pulled away from her.
Allie sat up as she watched Carson and Yurgio fighting over the knife.She turned when she heard more footsteps.It was Jack.He looked out of breath.“You have to help Carson,” she yelled at Jack.
“There’s no need,” Jack responded, tilting his head back toward Carson and Yurgio.
Allie turned back to see the fightalready over.Carson had twisted Yurgio’s wrist to the point of breaking.Yurgio cried out and dropped the knife, and Carson quickly subdued him.
Jack ran over to take him from Carson.They whispered a few words to each other before Jack left with Yurgio in tow.
Carson walked over to Allie and held out a hand to help her stand.Allie took it.“Are you alright?”he asked her, his eyes looking over her injuries, but otherwise didn’t try to check himself.
That’s all he had to say to her?Allie pulled her hand away.Now that the danger had passed, her anger with him returned.“No, I am not alright.I don’t even know the man I have been dating the past few weeks.This is clerical work?”she scoffed, pointing at his blackout outfit.“And don’t feed me that bullshit, it was from your SEAL days.I got kidnapped by this guy who was seeking vengeance against you and planned to use a special knife to kill me.Why?Because you killed his brother.I thought it was from back when you were a SEAL.No, that was two weeks ago.I was forced to protect myself from bad guys I didn’t even know existed.I shot someone.Was chased down in the woods like some kind of animal and almost killed, and I still don’t know why this guy was after me or who he really is.I know nothing.I am constantly kept in the dark.For what?My protection?That turned out well.So no, Carson, I am not alright.I am very much not alright.”She felt completely drained by the time she was done.The adrenaline was wearing off, and she felt her knees weaken, but she locked them in place.“I’m going home.”She turned toward the direction she had seen Jack go.
The rest of his coworkers must be at the house, which meant they had been the ones shooting there.If only she had stayed at the house, she could have been rescued sooner.It didn’t matter now.One of them would surely give her a ride home, and she could get out of this nightmare and forget it ever happened.
Not that she was likely to forget today anytime soon.
Chapter 36
Carson watched Allie walk away.Every word she had said struck like a thousand knives.He had doneher an injustice.He’d thought by being silent, he was keeping her safe, but he had led her straight into the lion’s den unprepared.
She was the bravest, most fearless woman he had ever met, and he would never forget the image of coming across her in the woods with Yurgio hovering above her, ready to plunge a knife into her heart and snuff out her life.
The guys were right, and he needed to make things right with Allie.No more excuses.No more waiting.He didn’t want to lose her again.He didn’t want to live without her.And he had never come so close to losing himself.He was done with secrets, done with half-truths; if she’d have him, he’d make it all up to her because he loved her, dammit.She was more important than any mission.More important than anything.She was the most important thing in the world to him.
“Allie, wait,” he called after her, but she didn’t stop.He jogged to catch up with her and pulled back on her arm to finally halt her.
“What?”she snapped.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
Her hard eyes wavered, and he saw a flash of vulnerability.He hadn’t completely lost her.He had hurt her, but he could still fix this.“It’s too late.”
“No,” he refuted, shaking his head.“It’s never too late.”If she wanted to know who he was, then he would tell her everything.“My name is Carson Payton Townsend.I grew up in Connecticut with two older brothers.I joined the Navy when I was eighteen and the SEALs when I was twenty-four.Four years ago, I was in a Humvee that was struck by an IED.I was in the front passenger seat.The blast killed everyone but me.I was burned on the entire right side of my body.The door crushed me, and it was hours before paramedics could get to us.By then, my arm had become virtually lame.Special guns have to be made so I can hold them with my right hand.I don’t have full range of motion with it.
“It is my greatest shame that I bear.It’s a stark reminder of all that I lost that day.Not only my career, but my teammates and friends.My ex, Jenny, came to the hospital while I was healing and called me a monster, adding insult to injury.I’ve hidden myself from everyone since then.”He took a step closer to her, tears glistening in her eyes.“Until you.”
He continued, “You don’t look at me like a monster.You don’t think less of me for my scars.”Allie shook her head.Her eyes watering from unshed tears.“After I was discharged from the Navy, I felt lost and alone.Then a Colonel came and offered me a solution.Be part of a team again, doing covert ops even most military personnel don’t know about.Our team is all military discharged vets from different branches who still have a lot to offer their country but are not considered active duty.Two weeks ago, we were on assignment to capture Yurgio and his brother Jurgen.Before that could happen, they escaped.Jurgen was killed, and Yurgio got away.”
“He blamed you.Called it murder.”
Carson shook his head.“I did kill him, but it wasn’t my intention.We fought, and it happened.It was an accident.That’s everything.The whole truth.Well, one other thing.I love you, Allie.I want to spend the rest of my life with you.If you’ll have me.”
Allie gasped when hesaid ‘I love you.’He hadn’t intended to just blurt it out, but it was the truth.He loved her.There was no point in denying it or calling it something else.It was pure love.And he was tired of fighting it or making excuses.
“Carson, I—” Allie hesitated, looking around like she was searching for an escape.“I appreciate the truth.I’m glad to finally know, but it doesn’t change things between us.”
He knew what was holding her back.Thatone final barrier.Carson shrugged his gun over his shoulder and dropped it on the ground.He unzipped his vest and let that fall too.
“What are you doing?”Allie asked, her eyes widening in confusion as he started stripping.
