Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (6 page)

Aiden had put on full uniform. He streaked black camo across his nose, cheeks and chin, until he had turned his face into a startling mask. He carried his pack and his gun out to the living room.

Mia sighed. She blinked back tears. Her heart felt heavy.
He’s really leaving.
Slowly, she followed him, dragging her feet. In the living room, she stopped and just looked at him with misery. Muttering a curse, Aiden pulled her to him. Mia whipped her arms around him, pressing herself against his warmth. For a time, they stood there simply clinging to one another. Then he sat on the sofa, gently tugging her down to sit beside him, and put his arm around her. They watched TV. The sitcoms didn’t even make them crack a smile. They might as well have been watching
Hannibal
Lecter.

After a while, Aiden slid his arm out from around her shoulders and got up. Mia mutely watched him. He walked over to the window, lifted a corner of the drape, and peered out. He looked back at her, his black camo-streaked face set in a ferocious scowl. “It’s dark.”

Mia bit her lip and nodded. It was time for him to go. She passionately wished that she had three wishes.

Mia parked her car pretty close to the side of the theater. Aiden opened the door and slid out, crossing the dark asphalt pavement in a crouched run. He disappeared into the shadows. Mia locked her car and walked around to the front of the theater. She didn’t stop at the ticket kiosk but just went on inside. The college-age guy taking tickets was bored. He didn’t even look at her. Mia handed over the free pass. He tore it in two and gave her back half. His monotone sounded like crazy Hal in
A
Space Odyssey
. “This is good for any feature. Have a good evening.”

Mia walked down the hall to auditorium number twelve. She drew a deep breath and pulled open the heavy swing door. The feature hadn’t started yet, but the trailers were running. It was already too dark for Aiden to do any looking around. They would have to wait until the feature was over and the lights came up again. Mia glanced up at the rows and rows of empty seats. There were only a couple of kids in the theater, way up at the top. No problem there. She crossed over to the outside exit door and pushed it open. “Aiden?”

He came in quickly, a swift, dark shadow. Mia caught a glimpse of the black gun barrel, pointed up. The door closed with a metallic whoosh. His voice growled very low in her ear.
“I want you to go now.”

He pushed her toward the outer door. She resisted, digging in her heels. Mia grabbed the rough sleeve of his shirt with both hands. “No way! I’m staying with you as long as I can!”

He snapped a curse. But he didn’t argue. He found her hand and clasped it tightly. He held his big gun at the ready in his other hand. “Keep it quiet, then.” He was edging them along the auditorium wall when the first exciting scene of the feature, a military helicopter raid on an armed compound in the middle of a sun-drenched town, flashed on the screen. The blinding white light of the first explosion dazzled Mia.

That was when all hell broke loose.

Chapter Four

Whunp! Whump! Whump!

The sound was deafening. Wind whipped Mia’s hair around her face, the ends lashing her cheeks. Explosions rocked the ground under her feet, and she staggered. Aiden steadied her, his hand locking around her upper arm. She could feel the shock impact of his gun conveyed through his body as he fired. “Run!” he bellowed.

Terror stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth.
This is where I came in the first time.
No time to think. A burst of gunfire rat-a-tat-tatted too freaking close. Mia ducked, her heart trip-hammering, and ran. Aiden pulled her faster. She needed no encouragement. She flew over the ground.
Four minute mile? Easy!
Her laboring lungs felt like they were going to burst.

Blurred blades were suddenly ratcheting overhead. Aiden gave a massive heave, boosting her upward. Other hands reached out, snagging her shoulders and arms, hauling her up. Mia felt herself screaming, but she couldn’t hear herself over the awful noise. She sprawled on a hard metal surface, the impact squashing air out of her lungs. Mia sucked for breath. A metal door slammed shut.
“Clear!”

Then she was pressed down, the huge hand of gravity on her back. The noise of battle dropped away, and there was just the
whump-whump-whump
.

Mia was dazed.
I’m on a helicopter.
A damn helicopter!
The pieces of her scattered mind started coming back together.
What the freaking hell!

She felt someone take hold of her, lifting her, and she lashed out with her fist.

“Mia!”

She stared up wildly. It was Aiden. He was the one holding her. But she didn’t want him to.
I want to go back! I want to go home!
She burst into noisy tears.

He pressed her face against his shoulder. His familiar scent— musky sweat and gunpowder—surrounded her. Strangely, she was comforted. He raised his voice, leaning close to her ear, so she could hear him above the noise. “It’s okay! It’s going to be okay!”

“
Sir? Is the lady hurt?”

“She’s fine. She’s just shaken up a bit.”

Shaken up?
Shaken up?

Mia reared straight up, almost clocking Aiden in the chin with the back of her head. He made an
umph
sound, but she didn’t pay attention. She was mad, really, really mad. “Shaken up? You nimwit! I’ve been shot at! Things are blowing up all over! I’m hauled into a helicopter like a sack of potatoes! And I’m just
shaken up a
bit
?” Mia slapped the side of his head.

She was glaring, but Aiden didn’t seem to care. He was grinning at her. Mia heard several weary chuckles. She whipped her head around. That was when she saw there were more men dressed like Aiden, with camouflaged faces, and they were all grinning at her. Even the ones who looked drawn and were sporting bloody bandages.

Mia shut up, but she shot Aiden a really dirty look.

* * * *

At Mia’s dagger-glance, Aiden grinned. It relieved him that Mia seemed to have recovered somewhat from her fright.
The helicopter came down almost on top of us—like they were looking for us!
He couldn’t have planned it better, except for the firestorm that the appearance of the helicopter had generated. That had been a little hairy. He couldn’t believe how quickly Mia had reacted. Her instincts had been right on target. She had taken off running straight for the ’copter.

When he had tossed Mia into the helicopter, she had been shaking, practically hysterical. She was obviously terrified at finding herself suddenly in the middle of a running gun battle, and rightly so. Aiden’s own heart had been bounding with fear—fear for her. Fear, that she would be hit—he shuddered—or worse.

Those terrible minutes, until they were safe aboard the helicopter, he had cursed himself, up one side and down the other, for getting her into danger. He shouldn’t have let her stay with him. He had known how hazardous it could turn out to be. He should have insisted she go home.
But I didn’t want her to leave me, selfish bastard that I am!

Now here she was, wrenched out of her familiar life and thrust into circumstances that had to be frightening to her. Yet she seemed to be handling it all right now.

Aiden tightened his arm around her. She didn’t pull away but nestled closer against his side. He rested his chin on top of her head. The soft, tangled strands of her hair caressed his jaw. He drew in his breath, and he could smell her wonderfully distinctive scent. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes. Almost, he could persuade himself that they were back in her small apartment, shut off from the dangerous world in their own private intimate cocoon.

The familiar, clamoring din of the helicopter beat at his ears.

* * * *

The helicopter ride didn’t take long. Everyone got off. Aiden kept Mia close, standing kind of off to the side. He was holding her hand, but he was busy directing things and exchanging laughing quips with the other men. One of the men nodded to her, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “You’ve got a handful there, lieutenant.” Mia glowered at him. She wasn’t sure, but she suspected he was laughing at her. He walked off, chuckling.

Finally, Aiden was done. He and Mia climbed into a waiting jeep and they were whizzed off toward a silver tootsie-roll-shaped building. It looked like she was on a military base somewhere. It looked kind of familiar. Well, a lot familiar. Mia was really puzzled by that. She preferred to think about that smaller weirdness instead of the whole big picture.

Her brain imploded.
Picture? As in—in an action flick?
As in—in?
The fantastic idea seized hold of her mind. Her careening thoughts ricocheted and stuttered.
Oh shit, oh shit.
Mia’s heart started thumping like a hormone-mad bunny.
I am officially, certifiably around the bend—lock me up and throw away the key!
She knew she was totally wigging out, but she couldn’t help herself. She was hyperventilating, gasping for air.

Long, warm fingers squeezed her hand.

Mia quickly turned her head. Aiden was looking down at her with his gorgeous electric-blue eyes, concern in his expression. He looked so cute when he was worried. She couldn’t help but smile. Her racing heartbeat slowed down. She squeezed his hand back, earning herself a blindingly sexy grin. Mia blinked.
Well, maybe crazy isn’t so bad.

The jeep jerked to a stop in front of the building. They got out and went inside the silver tootsie roll. The interior was brightly lit, and there were several desks and chairs and tables, all occupied by uniformed personnel, and Mia saw a lot of fascinating electronic equipment. She got the impression of quiet efficiency.

Several people were bustling around, carrying folders marked “Top Secret.” Aiden snagged one of them and asked a question Mia couldn’t hear. The man nodded. “Follow me, lieutenant.”

Aiden took her hand again, and their guide ushered them to the center of the building, where there was a small area cleared of everything except for a large table covered with some maps. An older man with a stocky build was standing in front of the table, staring down at one of the maps.

Aiden and Mia’s guide cleared his throat. “General, sir, Lieutenant Smith is here to report in.”

The general abruptly turned around. He had an iron-gray buzz cut. An unlit cigar was clamped between his big white teeth. His winter-gray eyes were cold. “Smith! We thought we had lost you. Good to see you back.”

“I’m glad to be back, sir!” Aiden snapped to attention. He had dropped Mia’s hand. She stood beside him, feeling kind of awkward.

“At ease, Smith. I’ll want a complete debriefing.”

“You’ll have it, sir.”

“Who’s this, Smith?” The general barked the question. He was looking straight at Mia, and he wasn’t smiling. She could feel the coldness of his gaze flicking over her. It was pretty uncomfortable, but she tried to look him in the eye.

“She’s a civilian medic, sir. She came back for me when I was wounded, got me to a safe house, and stitched me up. She helped me get back to the extraction point.”

The general looked at her with approval. The atmosphere turned a degree warmer. Mia cautiously let out the breath that she hadn’t known she had been holding. “Good job. Your name, ma’am?”

“Mia Haven.” The general nodded and turned his attention back to Aiden. Mia felt like she was no longer on the spot, and she relaxed. She looked around curiously. She’d never been in a movie before.

Mia felt a hysterical giggle bubbling up behind her breastbone and trying to break free.
In a movie! Tee hee tee hee!
It was like running to the bathroom at the movie theater and discovering a wait line a mile long. The urge was just that bad.

“Ahem. Ahem!” Mia pressed a fist against her breastbone.
Okay, focus! Look at all the bright lights and pretty uniforms and high-tech stuff!
It worked. She calmed down and she looked around again.

She wondered if this was a control center. The general bombarded Aiden with questions, but Mia didn’t pay much attention. She looked at the maps. There was one of an island with several flags pinned into it. Half-hidden under that map was something that looked like a blueprint. She started to move the map off of the blueprint so that she could see it better.

The general slapped his palm down on the map. He stared hard at her, rolling the cigar around between his clenched teeth. Mia got the message. She quickly stepped away from the table, somehow managing to stumble over a big utility cord. Aiden reached out his hand and caught her elbow, steadying her. She gave him a quick, grateful smile. “Thanks.”

“You look like you both need some rest. I’ll have someone escort Ms. Haven to the VIP quarters. You’re dismissed, lieutenant.”

Mia edged closer to Aiden and took tight hold of his uniform sleeve. “I’m staying with Aiden.” She didn’t want to be separated from Aiden. He was the only thing that connected her to home. He was the only thing that connected her with sanity.

The general stared at her. His hard, unblinking eyes regarded her for several seconds. Mia didn’t dare speak or move. Finally, his sharp gaze moved beyond her face, and his voice was dry. “Fast work, Smith.”