“I understand,” Eyes said.

  Crew wanted to pick the man up by his neck and shake him. His cousin had seen Darla, seen she needed help, and they’d done nothing. The only thing keeping him from attacking the man was his promise to Eyes on the jet.

  “Did you get the transport ready?” Eyes asked. The men had been discussing hating to have to rely on other people, but this was a small place and there wasn’t time to secure other means of travel.

  “There’s a slight problem with transport,” the man said as if he was terrified to tell them anything was wrong. Crew’s entire body tensed. As if Smoke knew he was about to blow he laid a hand on Crew’s shoulder and squeezed. “Wait it out,” Smoke whispered.

  “The only plane big enough to take all six of you is broken down,” the man said, sweat beading on his brow. “But my cousin does have a six-seater that can take four of you with gear. It’s the only one you can jump from. We can also take a boat, but that takes three hours, two and a half if the water’s clear. It seems pretty clear tonight.”

  “We’ll quadruple the amount quoted to you if he can get that plane in the air in twenty minutes,” Eyes said. He looked at Brackish who nodded. “If you can also take these two men by boat and cut that time down to two hours, we’ll give a twenty percent bonus. Time matters and we need to get there before this woman’s hurt.”

  The man’s eyes widened, before he composed himself. Crew let out a breath of relief when he knew the man was going to make it happen.

  “Okay.” He snapped his fingers, and two men came out of the hangar. “You take these four men in the jet.” He pointed to another man. “And you, take these two men over to the marina. Take the Belle Shark and get to the island in two hours. You’ll get a significant bonus if you do. If you’re late, you’re fired.”

  The men nodded. Money spoke and they were quite pleased with being offered more.

  Eyes pulled the team out of earshot as activity burst around them. “Sleep, Smoke, Green, and I are going on the plane. We’ll jump as planned on the island. Brackish, you’ll take Crew by boat. By the time we get there and settled you’ll be there.”

  “Don’t wait for us,” Crew said. “Save her.”

  “We will,” Eyes said. “But get your ass there. She will want to see your face, not our scary ones.”

  Crew couldn’t even smile. He was so damn terrified.

  The men split and Crew rushed to a vehicle where they took a harrowing ride to the harbor. The boat they were taking was turned on and ready to go, the captain waiving them over. Bonuses really did talk in this country. Crew wanted to be on that plane, wanted to be closer to her, but he knew those men jumping in were her best chance for a rescue.

  “We’ll get her,” Brackish assured him as they sat down in the boat and the captain turned it then put the throttle to the floor as he began speeding over the calm ocean. Crew hoped it stayed that way.

  “This baby has three 300 HP engines. We might start flying higher than the plane,” Crew said. He liked boats with power, and this one had it. He sat back and tried to see ahead in the dark. The moon was shining, but all he could see was blackness. He closed his eyes and sent all of the love and courage he could to Darla.

  “I’m coming, baby,” he whispered. “I’m coming.”

  ***

  “We’ll be over the island in forty minutes,” the pilot said to Eyes as they loaded into the plane. His voice was nervous. Who wouldn’t be when faced with their team? They expected that reaction.

  “Perfect,” Eyes told him. Then he lifted his radio. “Brackish, radio check.”

  “Comms good. Over,” came the reply.

  The next thirty-five minutes weren’t filled with chatter. The men knew what they had to do, and they weren’t worried about going over it again and again. If the situation changed on the ground, they’d deal with it then.

  “We’re five minutes from the jump,” the pilot called. “Get ready.”

  “Got it,” Eyes said. “Brackish, we’re five minutes from the drop. See you on the ground, brother. Out.” Eyes put his radio away as “Copy,” came over the speaker.

  Aside from the constant revolutions of the engine there was silence for the next five minutes as the men checked their parachute packs and made sure all straps were still secure. They got into place.

  The pilot confirmed the island and the house the locals knew well enough as it came into sight. He was instructed to continue on the same flight path for at least fifteen minutes before turning back home, and to not come back over the island on his return. Eyes didn’t want anything to look suspicious to the kidnapper. A circling plane might trigger him.

  “Go time,” Eyes said as he slid the side door open. The cool night air rushed into the plane, momentarily shifting his balance.

  The team threw themselves from the plane one by one. Wind rushed across their covered faces as they descended. They had their heads pointed down, arms tucked to their sides, their speed increasing each second that passed, all four men becoming human missiles.

  The team, who’d never jumped as a group before, knew when to give each other space, when to pull, and how close to come back together as they released their parachutes just in time for a nice cushy beach landing approximately two miles from the house. Normally they’d have landed in the water and come in slowly, no one knowing they were in the area, but that wasn’t necessary on this operation.

  “Let’s roll,” Eyes said, their faces glowing green through his night vision.

  The team bundled their parachutes and jogged toward the house. It was an easy trek, the silhouette of the house appearing in fifteen minutes.

  “Smoke, Green, split off to the east side of the building. Sleep and I will circle around until we meet. If you see a target, let the others know. All but one person here is a friendly, no lethal force. Understood?” Eyes asked. They each nodded.

  Sweat started to bead up around the brows of the team members. Their packs might be light, but the humidity on the island weighed heavy on each of them. That’s why they trained in multiple environments.

  Through the shadows of the trees surrounding the massive home the men shuffled past doors and windows, silently creeping to each of them, reviewing the contents of what they could see. Only two individuals were seen in the downstairs, two women in a kitchen, cleaning pots and pans.

  “Smoke climb to the second floor. They aren’t on the ground,” Eyes said.

  There was only a ten second delay.

  “Got them. No time to wait. Must make contact now,” Smoke’s voice cracked back through the earpiece.

  “This isn’t good. That’s rage in your voice,” Eyes said. “Smoke, neutralize, don’t kill.”

  “I’ll try,” Smoke said.

  Smoke’s call sign had been given to him because he moved fast. When he was in action all that was left was a trail of smoke behind him. If he didn’t want to be seen, he wouldn’t be.

  ***

  Smoke didn’t care right now who saw him or what sounds he made. The sight before him enraged him. He knew better than to lose control, and he held on to it by a thread as he pushed his way through the open patio door. His frame was large, and he was moving fast, so he didn’t make a graceful entrance.

  Steve, their perp, was sitting on the bed with Darla tied to it. The creep’s hand was sliding down her chest and moving lower. There was a bedpan in his other hand, and he began to place it beneath her. She was turned away from him, humiliation clear on her face as tears flowed down in rivers.

  “Please, please just let me get up. This is humiliating,” Darla said.

  “Shut up and do what I tell you,” Steve replied, gleeful in her humiliation.

  An explosion of glass and wood ripped into the bedroom as Smoke made his entrance. His momentum didn’t stopped. He met the man in four solid strides. He didn’t stop as he pulled his arm back, seeing nothing but his fist smashing into the scumbag’s face. His body was so fast it was a blur of motion.

  The utter disgust Smoke felt, and the scream of fright from Darla, threw off Smoke’s aim and he punched Steve in the ear instead of the face, making the man stagger back. Not receiving the full power of Smoke’s punch, he managed to stay on his feet.

  “Who in the hell are you?” Steve screamed.

  “Your worst nightmare,” Smoke said.

  “No, you stupid asshole, I’m yours,” Steve yelled. The man made a dive to the chair, and Smoke watched as he reached for a gun. Damn, this gave him a legitimate reason to take the man out. He wanted an excuse to kill him. Only his iron-clad control kept him from snapping the man’s neck.

  He moved in a blur just as Steve’s fingers closed over the gun. Smoke grabbed the back of the man’s shirt and threw him against the closest wall. A low painful growl escaped the kidnapper who surely had a broken nose and jaw from the force of the hit. The gun went skidding across the floor and Smoke grabbed it in seconds and disarmed it before tossing it over the balcony.

  The man who’d taken Darla started to get up only to receive a heavy knee into his jaw, sending him spinning backward. He moaned, but he still wasn’t passing out. Damn, he could take a serious beating and not die. Smoke was almost impressed.

  “How dare you treat a woman this way,” Smoke growled through his teeth as he picked the man up off the floor, and again threw him, but this time it was into the area of the room with shattered glass. He was quiet for a second before he looked up, blood pouring from his nose and mouth and a slash on his cheek.

  “I . . . I’m sorry . . . I thought she loved me,” the attacker said. He was no longer angry, just looked absolutely terrified.

  His words set fire beneath Smoke’s skin. This disgusting idiot thought he could treat women that way; he thought that was love. He was stepping toward the beaten man to start another round when Green walked through the busted door.

  “He’s down, Smoke,” Green said.

  “Come on, just one more hit,” Smoke requested.

  Green laughed. “I think one more hit will send him to the afterlife.”

  “That’s not a bad thing,” Smoke told him.

  “No, Smoke, he’s done. I’ll take care of him. You go get Crew up here now. Their boat just arrived, and after the hell Darla’s been through, and the scene she just saw, she’s going to need Crew badly,” Green said.

  Smoke instantly defused. Darla was safe. There was no more reason for the rage. He wasn’t sure why it had hit him so hard. He’d always had a thing about men hitting women, but he didn’t usually go off so hard. He moved over to Darla, who still looked terrified. After what she’d just seen he could understand why.

  “It’s okay, Darla, you’re safe. Crew’s on his way. He’ll be here any minute. He’s gone through hell trying to get to you,” Smoke said.

  Tears rolled freely down her face.

  “He’ll never be the one for you,” the kidnapper croaked, his hands now zip-tied behind his back, his face bleeding, and at least a couple of bones broken as he sat slumped against the wall.

  “Go to hell,” Darla whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

  “I’ll take you there with me,” he said.

  Smoke moved over faster than Green could stop him and knocked the man out. Enough was enough. He wanted to do more, but held back as Green lifted the man and Crew rushed into the room. It seemed Smoke didn’t have to go find him.

  He looked at Green who nodded toward the door.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll go walk it off,” Smoke said. True to his name, he vanished like a puff of smoke, launching himself over the balcony and deciding it was a good time to run off his aggression.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Crew rushed forward, his heart in his throat at the sight of Darla tied to the bed. Her eyes were wide, her skin pale, and sweat dripped from her forehead. The second she saw him, tears flowed down her cheeks as she gave him a wobbly smile.

  “I prayed you’d find me. I don’t know how you managed to do it, but I prayed you would,” she told him.

  He ran to the bed and sat, reaching out a hand and cupping her face. “Of course I’d find you. I got the best help the second I knew you were gone. I’m sorry it took so long,” he said. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips across hers. He was so upset he was shaking, but he was trying to tamper that down.

  He knew victims of violence needed someone to talk to, needed a calm, rational person to tell them it was all okay. She didn’t need him punching holes in walls and personally strangling the man who’d dared to touch her.

  “Will he get out of this, Crew? Will he get away with it?” Darla asked. It was one of the few times he’d ever seen fear on her face. It nearly broke him to see that look in her eyes. She was a woman full of life, and anyone who wanted to squash that should be lined up before a firing squad.

  “He’ll pay, Darla. I won’t stop until I see him pay,” Crew promised. He gently brought his hand to her cheek where he saw a bruise forming. It made him want to walk outside and put a bullet in the man who’d put it there. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. I should’ve protected you better.”

  “You silly man. You can’t be with me twenty-four/seven,” she told him. She gave him a wobbly smile. “I’d appreciate it if you untied me though.”

  His eyes widened in horror that he’d left her sitting in that bed while she was bound. He immediately reached for her arms. “I’m sorry. I should’ve done that the second I came in. I was just so focused on your face.”

  “And I love you that you care so much,” she told him. He quickly got the ropes untied, and her arms flopped down beside her. He lifted them and ran his fingers over the ugly red welts. He looked away from her so she wouldn’t see the rage in his eyes.

  “I’m okay, Crew. I promise. He didn’t hurt me very badly.” He looked up, hope in his expression. Had they made it in time? Steve had bruised her, so in Crew’s opinion that was hurting her really bad, but had they stopped more from happening? He was too afraid to ask.

  “You’re not okay, but we’ll make you that way. Eyes already called in a chopper. They’ll be here to take you from the island soon, and then you’ll be on the jet. We have a doctor on the chopper. We weren’t sure what to expect,” Crew said.

  “It could’ve been a heck of a lot worse,” she told him. “But you got here fast, much faster than I could’ve imagined.”

  Crew gently lifted her and cradled her in his arms, holding her loosely as she wrapped her arms around him. She sobbed against his shoulder and he rubbed her back, so grateful she was alive. They could face anything if they did it together.

  “He didn’t . . . rape me,” she finally said after several moments of silence. “He was promising to make us official tonight, but he didn’t have a chance to do it yet.” Her words grew smaller as she continued to talk.

  Crew felt tears in his own eyes at her words. He squeezed her a little tighter, so thankful for Brackish’s excellent skills so they’d been only hours behind the criminal who’d taken her.

  “He did hit my head a few times and filled me with drugs. I want to be checked at the hospital. I’m still a little fuzzy.”

  “Of course, baby, we’re going to run everything on you. Who knows what that sicko was able to do in the hours he had you,” Crew told her.

  “He wasn’t able to break me, which is what he wanted to do. He wanted me convinced I was in love with him and that you were nothing but a distraction. He never came close to breaking me. Even if you wouldn’t have gotten here until tomorrow I wouldn’t have let him break me. I was working on figuring out my own escape.”

  Crew leaned back and smiled at her. It was a smile filled with pain, but a bit of happiness too. “Of course, you were planning your own rescue. You’re the strongest, smartest, sassiest woman I’ve ever met. Nobody can keep you down for long,” Crew told her.

  “I take pride in my strength, but I’ve learned being with you that it’s okay to lean on someone else too. I love that we can be there for each other when we need one another the most. I think that’s the healthiest part of a relationship.”

  “I agree with you. You make me a better person,” he said. He tightened his hold on her and stood when he heard the approaching helicopter. “Your chariot is landing,” he said.

  “I told Daisy long ago that the final test in a relationship was to ask yourself if you like who you are better with the person or without.” She paused as she leaned forward and gently kissed his neck. “I’ve found that I definitely like myself better when I’m with you. You make me a better person. I hope I do the same for you,” she said. His heart swelled.

  “I like myself a heck of a lot more with you in my life,” he told her.

  They stepped from the house in the middle of nowhere just as the chopper landed. A doctor rushed from the plane with another man carrying a gurney.

  “I don’t need that,” Darla told Crew.

  He smiled down at her. “Humor me, please. I know my hell is nothing compared to yours, but I need to know you’re being fully taken care of.”

  She smiled up at him, her lips turned up in the way that had made him fall in love with her in the first place. He was so glad to have her.

  “Then I’ll gladly go on the stretcher,” she told him. “I want you nice and healthy so you’re around for the rest of my life. I can’t have you having a heart attack or a stroke because of me.”

  He was utterly amazed by her. “I don’t know how you can make jokes after all you’ve gone through. You completely amaze me,” he told her.

  “We need to get this bird up. We’ll load her. Are you coming with us or the other chopper?” the doctor asked.

  “I’m coming with you. Give me just a minute,” Crew said. The man nodded, then walked away.

  Darla couldn’t see him as they took her away from him and he walked over to where Smoke was standing, the man beside him properly tied up.

  “You piece of shit. I’m going to sue the hell out of you. You have no right to be here,” Steve said through swollen, broken lips. He spit on the ground in front of Crew. Smoke just shrugged as if he’d been listening to the vile from this man for the past ten minutes Crew had been with Darla.