Page 38 of Maddox

Her murmurs continued. She was even moaning, the seductive sound slipping past her lips creating a strange electricity in my system.

Good God. What the fuck was she dreaming about now? I’d been shocked that after the nightmare she’d managed to fall asleep, but was grateful she had.

Yet holding her after she’d awakened had been… Ridiculous. Hell, I’d lost all sense of control around her, giving in to a desire that could have cost us our lives. What the hell was wrong with me? As I raked my hand through my disheveled hair, I continue chastising myself. The last thing I needed was to feel anything for anyone. Doing so not only meant creating a weakness but also allowing my memories to surface.

None of them good.

Yet the taste of her sweet mouth lingered in mine even after consuming a full bottle of water. Charmaine was as unnerving as she was beautiful. She was also way too hardheaded.

Another moan drew my attention. We needed to get the hell out of here. The longer we remained in the cave, the easier it would be for the insurgents to discover our location.

Only I reminded myself I was no longer in a war, at least not one of my choosing.

Yet I’d been right about karma. Seeing several familiar buildings where prisoners had been detained had brought back one too many unwanted memories. I’d learned that pain was an action that I could conquer, which had pissed off the soldiers. They’d only tried harder to break me.

The fuckers had failed.

Shifting, I tried to shut off the once frequent images that threatened to derail my control.

The ranch had saved me, which was why I had no clue what the hell I was doing here. The thought brought a half chuckle. Being an idiot.

I took a deep breath, allowing myself to enjoy just looking at her. She’d passed out in the jungle either from the rush of energy from her panic attack or sheer exhaustion. I’d found a cave right where I remembered seeing it a couple of years before. A lifetime ago.

At least my memories had been correct.

She stirred but didn’t wake. Whatever dream she’d been having certainly wasn’t about the men who’d kidnapped her.

Fortunately, I’d packed a first aid kit, which had allowed me to disinfect the bullet wound and the cuts and bruises she had. For being in a fucking brutal prison cell held by some of the most savage men in the world, she was suffering from only minor injuries.

At least there was that.

Her hair was still matted from the rain, her body now curled in a fetal position. I’d been forced to pack light, including a change of clothes for her. I’d done my best making her comfortable after washing her face. She hadn’t budged during any of it. Thankfully the clothes she’d changed into were dry.

“Charmaine. Time to wake up.”

She finally stirred, her eyes opening slightly. With a smile on her face, she dragged her tongue across her bottom lip.

I exhaled as she closed her eyes once again, obviously content in whatever dream she was having.

When I reached out to touch her, her eyes flew open and she snapped her hand around my wrist. Jerking up, she gasped for air.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Trying to wake you. Jesus Christ. You’re fine. You’re safe. Remember?”

She blinked several times and I could tell as soon as she was able to focus. “We’re still in the cave?”

“Yeah, we are. But not for long.” I stood, backing away. “The rain has stopped and it’s light outside. We should get going.”

She sucked on her bottom lip and struggled to get to her feet, wincing as soon as she did.

“Careful. You’re going to be unsteady on your feet for a little while.”

While she nodded, she studied me for a few seconds and grabbed her other clothes, shoving them into one of the duffels. Now she was nervous around me.

Sighing, I nodded to the other bag. “There’s additional water bottles and some rations. I’m sure you’re hungry. They’ll need to do until I can get us across the border.”

“Into where?”

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