Frustrated, he glowered at her from over his shoulder. “I can see your wounds better than you can. They need to be cleaned and treated. I’m pretty sure you understand what getting an infection out here would mean.”
She did, but... “I can—”
“Would you just stop?” he barked, startling her. “You’ve been through hell, Liv. I think you’ve more than earned the right to have a little help, don’t you?”
Olivia flinched, from both the sharp tone of his voice and the question. Mainly because her answer would be an immediate and resoundingNo.
She didn’t deserve anyone’s help. Not when she hadn’t done a damn thing to help her friends when they’d needed it. Unfortunately, Jake was right. At least about her wounds.
Getting an infection while traveling through the jungle could be deadly. If she became sick with fever, she’d only slow him down even more. That was the last thing Olivia wanted to do, so she bit her bottom lip to keep from arguing further, and nodded in agreement.
Looking somewhat satisfied, Jake held out the canteen. “Here. Drink.”
He waited while she took several slow, small sips, before handing her a protein bar. “Now eat.”
Olivia raised one eyebrow. Grateful didn’t even come close to how she felt for all he’d done, but the man was really starting to push his luck with all of his cavemanesque orders. Lucky for him she was starving.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Jake replied with a muttered, “Welcome.”
Forcing herself to chew slowly, Olivia moaned in satisfaction. She’d never been a big fan of protein bars, but this one tasted spectacular. She swallowed a bite. Okay, so maybespectacularwas a bit of a stretch, but at least it wasn’t a stale chunk of bread.
She took another small bite, enjoying the sweet and salty combination of peanuts and honey. It was hard not to scarf it all down in one big bite. Determined to make it last, she allowed herself only a tiny nibble at a time.
****
Needing to cool down, Jake removed the remaining supplies from his bag more slowly than necessary.
The damn woman was still as stubborn as ever. If he were being honest, though, that part actually relieved the hell out of him.
There’d been times throughout the day when he’d seen the fear and uncertainty written all over Olivia’s face. But there was still some fight left in her.
While he didn’t know everything those bastards had put her through, Jake was certain of one thing—those fuckers hadn’t broken her.
He, on the other hand, felt as though his sanity was being chipped away with each minute that passed by. She’d actuallyapologizedfor damn near fainting, for fuck’s sake. Like she was an inconvenience or something. And now, she was savoring that damn protein bar like it was a fucking T-bone steak.
When Jake thought back to her earlier statement about how little the assholes had allowed her to eat and drink...Christ, it wasn’t enough that they’d kidnapped her and made the world think she was dead, they’d kept her thirsty and starved her, too?
Clenching his teeth together, Jake grabbed the tightly rolled bandages in one white-knuckled fist and stilled his movements. He breathed deeply through his nose, trying to control the anger boiling up inside him. He envisioned his hands around Cetro’s neck as he slowly and methodically ended the fucker’s life.
“Jake?” Olivia’s sweet voice cut through his murderous thoughts. “Are you okay?”
He looked down and found that his hands were shaking.Shit.He needed to get himself in check and keep his mind on the task at hand, which was taking care of her immediate needs. He could worry about the other later.
Hoping to ease her concern, Jake gave her a crooked smile from over his shoulder. “I’m good.”
Turning back so she wouldn’t see, he stretched out the fingers on both hands. Pushing his seething anger aside, Jake regained control and finished getting what he needed from his bag.
****
Olivia was surprisedat how much better she already felt. The ibuprofen she’d taken had dulled her aches and pains and, though it wasn’t a lot, the water and protein had helped her gain a second wind.
More alert than she’d been in hours, she watched silently as Jake began tending to her feet. Medically, she could appreciate that he knew what he was doing, but it was the gentleness in his touch that truly captivated her. Such a stark contrast to the man who’d taken charge while under fire.
His hands moved with a graceful assurance while he carefully and efficiently cleaned the blood and grime from the bottom of her left foot. The alcohol swabs didn't hurt nearly as bad as expected—she’d only flinched a couple times, so far—which made her think her feet weren't as bad as she’d originally feared. She wanted to cringe at how bad they must look, and decided when this was all over, she was treating herself to the best pedicure money could buy.
With nothing else to do for now but sit still and observe, Olivia let her eyes travel upward to Jake's face. She took in his handsome profile. One corner of her mouth lifted when his brow turned inward, the way it always did when he was concentrating.
