Finding Dani (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 3) Page 10

  There were no more words left, just this blinding need to be one with this man.

  Her body matched his rhythm and her hips rose eagerly to meet each demanding thrust, her passion rising beyond anything she’d ever known. His hands were twined with hers, holding them above her head. He kissed her wildly, tongue moving in time with his hips, stealing her moans.

  Dani wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed, using her inner muscles to bring them both more pleasure. And when she peaked for the second time, she could feel her inner contractions setting off Damon’s orgasm.

  His body shuddered as he slowed his thrusts. And he kissed her so tenderly that tears came to her eyes.

  Damon rubbed his nose against hers. “That was incredible. You get me so damn hot for you. Next time it’ll be slower, and by the time I’m done with you, I’ll have tasted every single inch of you.”

  “I think maybe I’ve already died from pleasure.”

  “I know I did.”

  Dani wiggled when she realized that something was digging into her shoulder. “Why are we on the ground?” She only just then realized they weren’t on her cot. The man was dangerous to a woman’s state of mind.

  “Your bed wasn’t sturdy enough for us. For this.”

  She laughed hard and shook her head. She was a respected doctor, for cripes’ sake, not some simple farm girl who just lost her virginity while in a haze of lust. Okay, maybe she’d been in a haze, but Dani should have noticed.

  Damon smiled down at her. “I love to hear that laugh, and I have a feeling that you don’t let it out often enough. Life is too short.”

  “There hasn’t been much to laugh about for a long time.”

  Damon brushed his thumb across her cheek and stroked her hair. “About that. I’m a little worried about your God complex.”

  She knew her brow was furrowed as she frowned. “What God complex? That’s more Martin’s style.”

  He shook his head. “Gabriel died from Hemorrhagic Fever, Dani.”

  She avoided his eyes. She knew what he was talking about and she should’ve kept her damn mouth shut. “I know that.”

  “There was no way, short of an actual Bible school miracle, that you could have saved him. You need to let it go. Let him go.”

  What she might have said was lost as a loud booming noise echoed through the camp. It vibrated through her like a beat from a loud bass stereo. Dani was slow to react because she didn’t recognize the sound, but Damon was immediately on his feet and had his pants on faster than she could even process what was happening.

  “Shadow?” It was the voice of one of the Marines guarding her tent. He sounded tense.

  Damon answered. “Stand fast, soldier. I’m on my way.”

  “Copy that.”

  “What was that?” Dani asked.

  “Sounded like an RPG.” He reached down and pulled her up from the blanket on the floor. He gave her a quick kiss, but he was clearly already thinking about what might be going on. “Get dressed and stay here. I need to find out what’s happening.”

  Not bothering with the clothes, Dani framed her hands on either side of his face and pulled his gaze to hers. “You be careful.”

  “WETSU.” He winked at her. “We-Eat-This-Shit-Up,” he answered to the question she’d been about to ask. “This is what I do, sugar.”

  And then he was gone.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” she whispered.

  Chapter 13

  Damon made a quick stop at his tent to grab some gear and his sniper rifle. Then he headed toward the front of the camp. That’s where Gunner was, and it was where the concussive sound of the grenade had come from.

  “’Bout time you got here,” Gunner said. He was outside with one guard and a pair of binoculars.

  Damon dropped his pack and started checking his rifle, loading it, and making sure the safety was on. Semi-automatic weapon fire sounded in the distance, and he could just barely make out the sounds of an engine straining. Someone was driving toward them, and pushing the vehicle past what it could normally handle. He didn’t bother to look; he just listened.

  “What can you see?” he asked.

  Gunner grunted. “Not a goddamn thing.” There was a long pause and then he said, “Got it. Two vehicles coming straight for us. The front truck is swerving and taking fire from the one behind.”

  “How long?”

  “Three minutes. Max.”

  The radio crackled and the Marine standing guard answered his handheld. He had the volume too low to hear, but he copied the message and turned to them. “CO wants Dr. Halverson in the command tent and wants you on that hill on overwatch.” He pointed toward the hill that Damon had claimed for his private phone calls.

  “Got it.”

  He slung his rifle across his back again and picked up his bag. He was at a dead run and on that hill in about a minute and a half. He dropped to a knee and began setting up his spot while he caught his breath. The whole camp had mobilized, and anyone not sick was either on guard duty or at the perimeter ready for whatever was headed their way.

  Damon had a portable radio with him, and as he plugged in the ear piece, he could hear excited chatter from the Marines at the entrance to the camp. They had night vision and were giving an update on the incoming possible combatants. Vehicle one was on older model small truck that was still taking fire and occupied by at least two males, maybe a third. There seemed to be some confusion on that point.

  Vehicle number two was a Jeep. There were four heavily armed males inside, and only the driver wasn’t firing. Damon listened to all of it while he set his rifle up on its stand and began adjusting his scope to night vision. All the while, he was slowing his heart rate by breathing in and out in the controlled way he’d been taught so long ago. It was second nature to him at this point.

  “Shadow, you copy?”

  “Copy,” he answered.

  “Report.”

  He focused and the truck came into his sights. He recognized Travis immediately. He was the driver. The man in the passenger seat was almost unrecognizable as a human being, his face was so badly beaten. But he was African and there was an African child in the middle. His head bobbed up and down with the force of the truck driving over the uneven terrain.

  “Vehicle one is non-combatant. Take out number two.”

  “Copy that.”

  Damon knew there was one other sniper in B Company that was very capable, and it was his job to stop that Jeep. So Damon focused on the landscape. There was no way they were alone.

  He didn’t hear the shot, but the Jeep swerved violently to the left as the driver slumped over the wheel. The two males standing in the back shooting didn’t have a chance to hold on before they were flung out like rag dolls. The passenger was in better shape until the Jeep bucked up and flipped over on its side. Damon could only see a cloud of dust and the spinning wheels of the undercarriage.

  Travis had made it to the front gates, where he was getting out of the truck, hands high in the air. Damon thought the passenger looked like Anuma, but he still couldn’t be sure. He was slumped over against the door.

  Damon scanned the tree line. And he picked up movement. A lot of movement.

  “We’ve got more company,” he said into his radio.

  “How many?” The voice in his ear was from the command tent. Another radio operator like Private Jensen.

  “Fifty, give or take,” he answered. “Ragtag group, but some have on uniforms. All armed.”

  “We had intel about some rebel activity moving our way.” There was a long pause as options were discussed and discarded. Most of which he wouldn’t be privy to. Then the order came. “Stand fast.”

  Damon was used to waiting. “Copy that.” And the larger group had stopped out of range. Most were using the trees as cover still. They were being smart.

  At the gates, Travis was taken into custody and the man Damon thought was Anuma was pulled out of the truck, his body limp. Beside him was a
boy of about seven or eight. The child’s ebony skin gleamed in the moonlight and Damon could see him clutching Anuma’s limp hand like a lifeline.

  What the hell was Travis up to? And what was Anuma involved in? Because he had no doubt that the men following them were the same as the ones that attacked Dani’s camp in Ghana. That they’d found Dani’s group again all the way in Liberia meant something important. But what, Damon would have to wait to find out.

  Anuma looked out of commission, but Travis was still upright and looked relatively unharmed. He’d better be a straight arrow with some answers. Otherwise, Damon would take pleasure in beating them out of him.

  He was still watching the tree line when his SAT phone rang.

  ***

  Dani’s heart was lodged somewhere in her throat as the gunfire got closer. Not being able to see anything was driving her crazy. But when she stuck her head outside to ask for information, she’d been politely, but firmly, told to get back inside.

  And she wasn’t about to argue with her guards.

  She just hoped Damon was okay, even though she knew that out of everyone, he should be fine, since he’d be up high somewhere watching over the Marines on the ground. That’s what he did. He was a protector. Always had been. But that didn’t stop her from wringing her hands together in worry.

  With her imagination out of control, she focused instead on what had just taken place between them. And how Damon made her feel. Free and out of control. Which was a completely different experience from what she’d shared with Gabriel. With Gabe, it was about a mutual sharing, minds and hearts. He’d been a gentle lover, if unimaginative, loving her mind as well as her body. Their shared loved of medicine and helping others became a passion that surpassed mere physical sensation. She’d often wondered if he’d loved her mind more than her body.

  But not with Damon.

  With him, it was a taking. She felt robbed of sanity, able to focus only on the feelings he invoked. And she took as well. Took his control. Dani loved that she was able to make him as crazy as he made her, as wild to join, to meld in a way that she’d never experienced. Twins, but so different fundamentally that it was impossible to hold onto her anxiety over hurting Damon by using him to relive the past.

  Because she wasn’t.

  Dani was forging a new path, with a new partner. Someone who wanted her body. It was heady to be wanted as a desirable woman first, instead of primarily respected for her intelligence. And she’d been missing that, even if she hadn’t realized it. As a fertile female in her prime, her body wanted and needed satiation, but her head had been slow to catch on.

  She needed to turn her darned mind off and just listen to her body.

  “Ma’am.”

  Dani lifted her head and found her guard at the opened door. “What happened?”

  “I need to move you to a different location.”

  She got to her feet instantly. “Where are we going?”

  “You’re going to the infirmary, Ma’am.” Then he fell in behind her as she moved out of her tent and headed in the direction he wanted.

  She wasn’t sure why the change, but she’d be a damn sight more useful helping out somewhere else, rather than being cooped up alone in her tent. “Just Dani is fine with me.”

  He didn’t answer, but she was already distracted by Martin, who was not complying with his own guard. “I demand to be taken to the commanding officer right this instant.”

  “Save it, Doc. He’s got bigger things to deal with than whatever crawled up your narrow ass.”

  Dani couldn’t hear anymore gunfire, but that didn’t mean it was over. “Just go inside, Martin.”

  “I’m a respected doctor—”

  She sighed and grabbed his elbow, cutting him off before he could really get going. “I know, but there’s something bigger going on here than your ego, so can you put it away for a moment and just cooperate, please?”

  Dani dragged Martin inside the infirmary. This was the non-quarantined tent, and was almost completely empty except for a small group in the corner. “Travis,” she called out. “Where have you been?”

  He looked up at her in surprise, but then his faced closed down. “I went looking for Anuma.”

  Dani and Martin moved closer, one guard staying just inside the tent and another standing outside. When Travis stood, she had a clear view of Anuma. He was lying prone on a cot. His breathing was shallow and his face was so badly bruised that his eyes were swollen shut.

  “My God. What happened?” she asked, as she rushed over to check out his injuries. Martin was uncharacteristically silent as he took up position on the opposite side.

  Even though they were often at odds, Martin was a consummate professional when it came to medicine and he began assessing injuries, calling out softly what he found, just as Dani was. Then he moved away to get some supplies. Besides the numerous contusions over his body, Anuma had several broken ribs, which was causing the difficulty breathing. Travis had moved over to a corner, out of the way. Only a couple of other patients were occupying the tent, but they stayed silent.

  Dani was about to begin removing Anuma’s dirty and torn clothing so they could clean him up when a small head and huge eyes peeked up at her from somewhere under the cot. The eyes were near Anuma’s head, but she couldn’t see the rest of the child’s body.

  She lowered her voice, “Hello, there.”

  “Hello.” His little voice was heavily accented.

  “Are you Anuma’s friend?” Dani knelt down to get on eye level, but didn’t move closer. It was obvious the little guy was scared, but he gave her a tentative smile, showcasing a couple of missing teeth. When he nodded, Dani smiled. “He’s my friend too.”

  “Doctor?”

  “Yes. I want to help your friend. Would you like to help me?”

  The smile widened and the child scooted out front under the cot, standing up, but still keeping a little distance between himself and everyone else. He was about seven or eight years old, his head was shaved, and his clothing was too big for his little frame.

  What a cutie, she thought. “What’s your name?”

  He shot a quick look at Travis before answering. “Frankie.”

  That caught her off-guard, since it was a fairly unusual name and not in the least tribal. But she rolled with it. “Can you do me a favor, Frankie?”

  He nodded solemnly.

  “I need you to hold Anuma’s hand for me while we clean him up and put some bandages on him. It’s going to hurt, and I think he’d feel better if you were holding onto him. Can you do that?”

  He nodded again and stepped forward to Dani’s side. She moved out of the way to let him close to the cot. “Thank you, Frankie.”

  “Travis? Martin and I could use your help here,” Dani said, as she prepared to take off Anuma’s shirt.

  When he didn’t move, she glanced up at him to see him staring at the boy. He had the most peculiar look on his face before he shrugged and moved to help. With his help, they were able to strip the tattered, dirty shirt off. Then they worked on the pants. Once Anuma was cleaned up, Dani began assessing the injuries.

  “Looks like the worst of it is the broken ribs. The rest are bruises and minor cuts.” Martin kept quiet while he worked and Travis was unusually silent as well. “What happened to him?”

  “Yes, Travis, why don’t you enlighten all of us,” Damon’s voice cut across the tent.

  Dani couldn’t help the feeling of safety and comfort that wrapped around her at his presence. She shook her head. This was pathetic, but she didn’t care. He made her happy in a way that couldn’t be stopped. Not even during some kind of threat hanging over them outside, as well as the Ebola threat inside the camp.

  Travis glanced at the boy again. The child was sitting quietly next to the cot at Dani’s feet, holding onto Anuma’s hand. His face was solemn, and unlike Travis, his face gave nothing away.

  “I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Travis said. His tone was quie
t but belligerent.

  Damon stalked forward. His shirt and knees were covered in dirt and Dani guessed that he’d been lying on his stomach on the hill, covering the front of the camp with his rifle. His face was set and grim, and even though he barely glanced at her, she felt the brief look all the way down to her toes.

  “It’s my business because the rebel leader outside is demanding we give you to them for quote, ‘crimes against their tribe.’ So, you’d better say something before I drag your ass to the commander to let him decide what to do with you.” Damon was close enough to grab Travis, and Dani could see he was fighting the urge to step back, away from the obvious threat.

  Travis puffed up, “I’m an American citizen, and a doctor, and you can’t just hand me over to them.”

  “So am I, and I’d like to know why I’m in danger because of you.” That came from Martin and it surprised Dani because he said it quietly, without all the pomp he would normally infuse his voice with. That, more than anything, told her that he was very worried.

  “Tell them.”

  Dani spun back to Anuma when he spoke. It was barely a whisper, but in the sudden silence it was heard clearly. Anuma was awake and staring at Travis with his right eye, the one not swollen shut and turning purple.

  “Tell them,” he repeated through cracked and bloody lips. When he attempted to sit up, Dani touched his shoulder and firmly kept him on his back.

  “You have several broken ribs. You need to keep still,” she said. Then she focused on the man everyone else was staring at. “And you need to tell us what’s going on. Now.”

  His eyes pleaded with her, but whatever his secret was, it was putting them all in danger. Then, he dragged in a ragged breath and moved closer to Anuma. Whatever he saw in the other man’s battered face must have convinced him to talk.

  “Frankie is my son,” Travis said.