Red, Hot & Blue 09 - A Prince Among Men (18 page)

He was thinking how near he was to Vicki and how soon he could get there if only this helicopter hadn’t interfered with their plans when two hands grabbed his arms and another covered his mouth.

Ryan dropped to his knees, hands clasped behind his head, resigned that he’d been stupid enough to be taken yet again and had not a single weapon to defend himself.

“I hope you’re not fixin’ to scream, soldier, ’cause we’re the good guys and I’d hate the baddies to hear us.” No insurgent spoke with a deep Southern drawl like that. Ryan’s body sagged with relief against the man behind him.

They uncovered Ryan’s mouth and he sank all the way to the ground. Without even looking up, he said, “I’m really glad you’re the good guys.”

“Yup, we are. But it doesn’t look like you need our help. It looks like you were doing pretty good on your own.”

Ryan turned to finally see who his rescuers were and got the second shock in the last few minutes. Of course he recognized them. How could he not? Not only had his squad practiced with them back in Germany, but they’d all gotten drunk and played pool together afterward. After a few seconds, their names came back to him.

“Jimmy Gordon? Dalton? They called you guys in to find us?”

He would have thought Special Ops had more important things to do than go out searching for missing supply trucks and eight infantrymen. Things like, oh, he didn’t know, saving the world perhaps?

Suddenly, Wales was beside him. “Not exactly, mate. I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“I’ll tell you what. How about we do the talking back at base, shall we? Hawkins is likely to tan my hide if I don’t get y’all back to him soon, and you—” Gordon eyed Wales, “—have a few people waiting on you too.”

Going back to base was fine with Ryan. There was someone waiting for him back there he couldn’t wait to see.

Convincing the medics he was okay was task number one upon arriving back at the firebase. Debriefing came next as he was asked about a hundred and one questions, including ones Ryan knew were geared to determine if he’d been brainwashed into siding with the baddies during his captivity. Stockholm syndrome they called it—sympathizing with your captors. No chance of that happening, not when his mind had been far too occupied the entire time with getting free, and getting to Vicki.

There was the very interesting meeting with the Brits. Ryan learned some pretty eye-opening, not to mention mind-boggling details about Wales. There was barely time for a handshake with Ryan before the man had been whisked off the base. Once his real identity had been revealed, they had him under such heavy guard you’d think he was carrying the damn Crown Jewels. Though being an heir to the throne, in a way Wales’s family jewels were the Crown Jewels. Ryan smiled to himself at his own little joke.

Now that he was finally free of all the red tape caused by his being a POW, even for a short time, he was also free to find Vicki. As the adrenaline subsided, he realized he was bone-deep tired and sore. He needed to sink into his bed and Vicki’s soft body and sleep for about twelve hours, but he’d settle for twenty minutes or so.

Ryan glanced down at himself. The medic had wiped the dried, caked blood and dirt off his facial wound, but the rest of him was still pretty rank. Besides the smell, which was so bad Ryan was starting to offend even himself, the sight of his blood would frighten her. There was not much he could do about the bloody body armor at the moment. He’d have to wipe it off good with a wet towel and hope she didn’t notice, but he could at least shower away the stench before seeing the woman who had occupied his thoughts so often throughout his living hell.

Steps from the shower trailer, Ryan found proof that his incredible streak of good luck was still holding. First, a young Afghani girl had released them from their mud prison, and now Wally was here before him, exiting the shower trailer with both soap and towel.

“Oh, man, Wally. It’s good to see you.”

Wally grabbed Ryan in a one-armed hug. “Damn, Pettit. Not as good as it is seeing you, even though you look like hell.”

Yeah, Ryan’s forehead had bruised, turning all the lovely shades of a rainbow, and the stitches the medic had forced on him to hold the laceration shut made him look like Frankenstein’s monster. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ll give you anything you want if you let me borrow your soap and towel so I can shower before I go back to the hut to…uh…rest.”

Shit, he’d almost said to see Vicki.

Wally grinned. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want that little filly seeing me like this either. And I reckon I’ll be spending some time grabbing chow, maybe playing some cards in the war room, before I come back to our quarters much, much later.”

Somehow, Wally knew about Vicki. In a way, that was a relief. Ryan smiled and grabbed the damp towel and soap handed to him. “Thanks, Wally.”

“No problem. But next female shows up here is mine. Got it?”

Laughing, Ryan nodded. “No problem.” He didn’t want any woman besides Vicki.

Ryan had been back on base for hours now, but Vicki couldn’t get to him. That certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. The security around him and the other rescued prisoners was so tight, you’d think a member of the British royalty was here or something. Oh, wait, there is, Vicki thought bitterly.

But Ryan was home and safe, and if she could manage not to lose her mind until they finally allowed her to see him, she’d be good.

Until then, she had to do something to kill the time. Vicki attempted one more time to see if they’d turned the Internet back on now that the missing guys were found and bingo, her Internet Explorer home page showing her the day’s headlines and AP reports popped up on her laptop screen.

She froze in the chair as she read the headline. “Prince Among Men. Harry’s Deployment Exposed.”

Behind Vicki, the door to the hut opened and she spun around to face Hawk, the one man she really feared seeing right now.

“Hawk. I didn’t write one word. I swear to you. I did not leak this story.”

He walked up behind her and glanced at her screen. “Relax. I know. The Brits decided it would look better to blame the press for outing him than tell the truth, that they nearly lost their prince to a couple of Taliban-sympathizing goat farmers.”

“That’s all they were? It wasn’t an al-Qaida plot to kidnap Harry?”

Hawk shook his head. “Nope. And you know what else? The higher-ups knew he was here and decided not to tell the boots on the ground. Doesn’t that just figure? Anyway, after our guys were safe—wait, this is all still strictly confidential, you know.”

Vicki huffed in frustration as Hawk treated her to his patented threatening stare. “I know. Go on.”

“Gordon’s team went back in and got hold of the two locals who were holding our guys. After some persuasion, they admitted they were just looking to cause trouble taking the truck and A-team. It was just dumb luck they got Wales too. They never had a clue who they had.”

“Wow.” Vicki breathed a sigh of amazement.

“Yeah. Lucky for him. Lucky for all of us.”

That was an understatement. Vicki was about to ask Hawk when Ryan would be released from whatever they had him doing holed up in the operations center when the door swung open again and the man in question, looking a bit worse for wear but still the best thing she’d seen all day, walked in.

“Ryan.” She leapt at him and he caught her up in a big hug, holding her almost tight enough to make her forget the sheer terror she’d felt while he was missing.

“Vicki.” He let out a shaky breath as he whispered her name against her hair.

She heard the door latch shut softly and looked up to find the hut empty except for the two of them. Hawk had left them alone. Was he secretly a romantic at heart? Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy, after all.

“I was so worried.”

“I know you were. It was all I could think about. That and how I could get back to you.”

Tears filled her eyes as words escaped her. Vicki took Ryan’s bruised and battered face in her hands and kissed it. Gentle, feathery kisses so she wouldn’t hurt him. His eyes drifted closed. When they opened again, she saw the fire in them.

Lifting her a few inches off the ground, he took a step forward, and then another, claiming her mouth and kissing her the entire way to his bed.

The back of her legs connected with the bunk before he tumbled them both onto the mattress. The bed frame creaked under them as Ryan’s weight pinned her down. Vicki didn’t complain. Feeling his body above hers again was what she had hoped and prayed for the whole time he had been missing.

He kissed away her tears, which only made her cry harder with relief and all the worry she had pent up over the last day.

“Shhh. I’m here. I’m safe. And God, I want you so much.”

In his eyes was a question. Vicki answered it with one of her own. “Does Wally have more condoms?”

His expression turned grateful as he sprung off her and across the room. He was back in an instant.

Ryan’s hands moved in a frenzy as he freed himself and her from enough of their clothing so he could get his hands on her. Vicki let out a shaky sigh as his work-roughened hands caressed her skin. She loved the feeling as much as she loved hearing him groan when he spread her legs and slid his fingers inside her. The contact seemed to destroy what little control he still had.

With his big hands, Ryan lifted her hips off the bed. Trembling as he braced over her, he slipped into her. He set a slow rhythm that increased speed as they both moved closer to climax.

“Want you so much. Need you so much. Love you so much.” Ryan whispered to her with each thrust.

His words had Vicki shaking as much as what he was doing to her body. She came, crying and clinging to him, with two questions in her mind…how could she live without him, but how could she possibly live with the fear of losing him?

Ryan came right after she did, collapsing on top of her so heavily, she asked, “Are you all right?”

He laughed. “I have never felt better in my life.” Then he let out a groan that had nothing to do with sex. “We better both get dressed though. I can’t expect Wally and Hawk to turn a blind eye to this for too long.”

She felt her cheeks heat at the thought both men more than likely knew exactly what was taking place inside the tiny mud hut.

As they both straightened their clothes, Ryan continued to grin at her until she had to comment on it. “You really are all right. After all you’ve been through?”

His smile beamed. “Hell, yeah. The medic stitched me up. I ate during the debriefing. And I probably got almost a full night’s sleep last night, courtesy of the knock the baddies gave me in the skull. I feel great.”

Vicki shook her head. She didn’t understand this man. She loved him, but she didn’t understand him, not one little bit.

The door opening very slowly broke into her thoughts.

“Hello. I’m here.” Wally announced himself as he entered, giving them plenty of warning. Finally, his head popped around the door. His expression showed his relief that she and Ryan weren’t naked or worse. “Hey, Vicki. Ryan, we’re about to leave for the overwatch mission unless you want to sit this one out?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” He rose from the bed where they’d both been sitting and reached for his helmet and body armor.

Vicki stood as well. “A mission? You’re going out there again? You just got back. You’re still hurt.”

“I’m not hurt. Just a little bruised. I’ll be fine. And I’ll be back in the morning so you can get a decent night’s sleep in my bed tonight, and when you wake up, I’ll be here.” He smiled brightly like everything was just fine. “Okay?”

Vicki nodded even though she didn’t agree with him at all. She hated the idea of him leaving again. Ignoring Wally completely, she grabbed Ryan’s face and kissed him hard. Vicki put everything she felt into that one small bit of contact.

“Wow. I should go out on missions more often if I’m gonna get kisses like that before I leave.” He winked at her. “See you soon.”

She nodded again, knowing her voice wouldn’t work with her heart in her throat.

When the door closed behind Ryan and the amused Wally, she was alone again. Vicki dug into her bag and took out a pen and her notebook.

She began to write. “Dear Ryan…”

The letter was by far the hardest piece of writing she’d ever had to compose. It took many tries and many more tears. Finally, she folded the paper and laid it on Ryan’s pillow. With the tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks, she took in one more whiff of his scent on the pillow.

She glanced around at the few personal items he had here—the Jimmy Buffet poster on the wall, his towel and shower shoes, his laptop—and then she turned her back on it all—and on him.

It took barely minutes to stow her laptop and grab her bag, then there was nothing left keeping her here. Hoping the patrol had already left, but her ride hadn’t, Vicki headed for the public buildings. She hit the war room first, since it was closest to Ryan’s hut. Inside, she found exactly what she was looking for.

Swallowing hard, Vicki walked up to the head man in black. “Excuse me. I, uh, need a ride out of here. As soon as possible.”

The man raised a brow. “Where you lookin’ to go?”

She let out a short laugh. “I guess that depends. Where are you going?”

“So you’re really and truly not shitting me? Lieutenant Wales was really Prince Harry? The frigging Prince of England?”

Nodding, Ryan laughed at the shocked look on Wally’s face. He supposed his own face had displayed a similar expression when that little piece of news had been revealed to him after the escape.

“Well, I’ll be damned. They might as well have painted a giant bull’s eye on the roof of the base and put up a neon sign that read Bad guys, attack here.”

Except for Wally’s animated reaction to Ryan’s news, the overwatch mission had been uneventful. They were basically ensuring the main force’s safety as they traveled through a narrow mountain pass. It was nothing like the last overwatch mission when they’d had to guard the troops as they snuck past a known insurgent stronghold.

With the return of Alpha team basically unharmed and the lower stress level of this particular mission, the team chatted a lot of the time, and the tale of the great escape was told more than once by all five of the men involved.