Page 30 of Rescuing Nathaniel

“Pretty sure Avery will be pleased about that, man,” Phantom said.

“Actually, since she was taken as a prisoner of war, she knows the importance of doing whatever you have to in order to survive. So next time, ma’am, don’t leave until you know the person attacking you is dead.”

“But you weren't attacking me,” Ava said, clearly confused about the entire exchange.

“Only you didn't know that. So promise me, next time you think someone is attacking you, you do everything you need to do. That means making sure you end them as a threat permanently.”

“Sorry for not killing you?” Ava said as she lowered the weapon until it was no longer pointed at anyone.

Everyone laughed, and Rex grinned. “Apology accepted, ma’am.”

“Can you please stop calling me ma’am? It’s Ava.” As she said her name she sank back against the tree behind her. Whatever strength she had left was all used up.

“Here, let me take this,” Nathaniel said as he approached her. Gently easing the weapon from her hand, he passed it off to its rightful owner, then slipped an arm around Ava’s waist and maneuvered her down to the ground.

“Oh,” she said, looking down at her body and seemingly realizing for the first time that she was surrounded by six men she didn't know and one man she’d known only for a few days stark naked.

“We brought clothes.” Bubba stepped up and opened his pack. “We weren't sure if you were with the person you found on the life raft but we brought clothing in case.”

“We have a med kit too,” Phantom added, rifling through his pack and producing it.

Of all the men on this SEAL team, Nathaniel was closest with Phantom because he’d also had a terrible childhood and joined the Navy to escape his abusive home.

“That means you can have some painkillers,” he told Ava as he helped lie her down. By the tight lines bracketing the corners of her mouth, he knew she needed them, even if she probably wouldn't have asked. “Antibiotics, too, which should help you heal up faster.”

“And we have food and water,” Rocco added, rifling through his pack and pulling out a protein bar.

Ava took it, but her hands trembled with exhaustion too much to open the wrapper, so Rocco took it back, opened it for her, then held it to her lips.

Try as he did, Nathaniel couldn’t quite shake the little stab of jealousy at the grateful smile Ava shot his fellow SEAL, as he began to properly clean and dress Ava’s wound. For the last few days, it had been just the two of them, and while he was glad to have backup, he found he was oddly possessive of his charge. Even with Rocco who was married to Caite, the woman he loved, who had saved his life in Bahrain several years back.

Jealousy and possessiveness were not helpful emotions right now.

Ava needed him to keep her alive and get her safely back home.

Nothing more and nothing less.

After all, what would a beautiful, smart, strong woman want with a broken man like him? One who didn't know how to love, didn't know how to let people get close, and didn't have anything to offer other than his ability to swim, shoot, kill, and survive in any environment.

The truth was, he had absolutely nothing of worth to offer her and he’d do best to remember that.

CHAPTER8

March 3rd

9:49 A.M.

“This feelslike some kind of weird pass-the-parcel game,” Ava muttered as she was passed from Phantom’s arms into Nathaniel’s.

After they’d hooked up with the other SEAL team yesterday afternoon, they’d found a spot for them to settle in for the night, and now they were heading for the extraction point.

While Ava would love to be able to say that she was feeling a whole lot better, that she was able to pull her weight, it would be entirely untrue. She’d started the morning off walking on her own, but within about fifteen minutes, her energy supplies had dwindled and for the last few hours or so she’d been passed around between the guys.

It was weird being treated almost like an object, even though she knew the guys weren't doing it with any ill intent. They were taking care of her and ensuring they shared the burden so no one became drained from carrying her extra weight.

Maybe that was it.

The fact that it made her feel like a burden.

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