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Mace watched the Russian move swiftly toward the waterfall. In moments, he’d disappeared out of the cave and was gone. Mace turned and knelt by Sierra. He could see the disappointment in her eyes. And damned if Sacha wasn’t right: her pupils were slightly unequal, one smaller than the other. “How are you doing?” he asked, reaching out, grazing her set jaw, seeing the rebellion in her green eyes.
“Pissed. I don’t want it to end like this, Mace,” and she choked back a sob.
Forcing himself to stop touching her, he said, “I’m glad as hell you’re leaving, Sierra. I won’t lie about it.” He saw her eyes widen with surprise.
She said, “I was hoping we’d get a few more days together before I had to ship out.”
He saw her wan cheeks flush with pink. Mace gave her a gentle look. “There’s something between us, dammit. And I’d sure as hell like to find the time and space to explore it with you. But not here. Not now. You need medical help, and we’ll get it for you in Cusco.”
CHAPTER 14
Sierra wanted tocry. Not a very professional thing to do under the circumstances.
Still hurting from the barbed sting of Mace’s gruff admittance, she was struggling to stuff all the bitter disappointment back down inside herself. He’d gotten up and brought over another bottle of water for her to drink. Sitting down, he handed it to her, less than a foot from where she sat.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Sierra. People get injured out in the field all the time. It doesn’t mean they were screw ups or did something wrong. You took out the HVT and completed your mission.” He shook his head. “We’re lucky more of us weren’t wounded when that RPG went off.”
She slaked her thirst and capped the bottle, holding it between her hands. “It’s just a downer,” she admitted quietly. “I guess I just didn’t want it to end this way… so soon…”
“Welcome to the Green Hell. It eats up people for breakfast, Sierra. Things operate on the fly down here. The Russians and the Latin drug lords are as flexible and mobile as we are. It’s always a game of who can catch the other first. You fulfilled your order with us. You helped us in a big way.”
She twisted the bottle between her fingers, the beads of condensation on it cooling as they ran. “Thank God you have Sacha as an inside contact.”
“He’s been our best asset,” Mace agreed. “He’s a man of his word and he’s playing a damned dangerous game now, with Kushnir.”
“Sacha is so kind,” she murmured, “like Alex and Nik are.”
“Combat medic’s personality,” Mace agreed. He leaned down, catching her downcast gaze. “Do you feel like getting something into your stomach?”
“I can try. I know we have five miles to hump tomorrow morning.”
“What I’m blown away by is the fact you made it from the top of that trail to here with that injury.” He reached out, caressing her cheek. “You’re one tough lady.”
Sierra didn’t feel tough at all. It felt as if someone had pulled the plug out from the bottom on her energy reservoir. She felt like a hollow puppet filled with sawdust instead of muscle and bone. He got up again. She watched him move away with that jaguar grace of his. She felt as if she were in free fall and that Mace’s solid presence steadied her.
Solid. Steady. Blunt. A man of his word. And never had she felt his protection as fiercely as when she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Sierra remembered how safe, how loved, she’d felt within his embrace.
Love.There was that word again. And she wanted to cry because she knew Mace wasn’t going to leave Peru. A man like him, once he gave his word, would have to die not to keep it. And it left her heart feeling empty and aching for him. He came back and sat down, an MRE in his hands.
“I thought you might be able to at least keep down the spiced apples from my Southwest beef and bean MRE.” He looked up. “Interested?”
Touched by his thoughtfulness, she nodded. “Sounds good.” She watched him start to pull the MRE apart, laying it out and choosing the packet of apples. “You’re such a mother hen, Mace,” and she gave him a soft smile as he met her gaze.
“You’d do the same for me if I was in the hurt locker.”
“You’re right,” she admitted, hungrily sponging him in as he worked. Sierra felt a lump growing in her throat. She pushed the hair off her shoulder and blinked several times, trying to get her emotions under control. “Mace?”
“Yeah?” His head was down as he opened the packet of apples.
“Do you know when you might come stateside again?”
“Six months. I’ll be back in June.” He frowned, staring at her. “Why?”
“Where do you live?”
“North Carolina, near the base.”
“Would you consider coming to visit me? Providing I’m home at that time?” She touched her head. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take to heal from this.”
