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Chapter FivePrint this Page

Ricks question hung in the air between them for a moment before Meg answered.

"No, they didnt do anything but withhold food and sleep. I put a curse on them and they were toosuperstitious to come near me."

His lips curved and she thought she saw admiration in his smile.

"But the threat of rape was bad enough. It doesnt matter. Been there, have the scars. Now itsdone." She took a step in the direction theyd been heading and he grabbed her elbow. Shetwisted, meeting his gaze. "What?"

Rick searched her features. "Youve changed."

"I told you I "

"Not your tastes in men," he said sourly. "Youve changed."

Thats because Ive lost too much and had to get over it, she thought, but didnt say it. "Id ask ifthat was good or bad, but frankly I dont care." She didnt have the strength to battle with RickCallahan right now.

"Thats it. You used to care."

"Yeah, sure, I cared about appearances, and what others thought. I learned the hard way thatonly a couple people in my life really mattered." And Rick had been one of them.

Rick pulled her closer. "Whos on that list? Not me, I know."

She laid her hands on his chest and Rick felt the familiar bolt of heat shoot down to his boot

heels. He could barely stand the sweet pulse of it through his blood and not do something aboutit.

"Once upon a time you were the only one who mattered."

"Except maybe Daddy and his money." Rick knew the instant the words left his mouth that hedscrewed up. Her expression said so.

"Is that what you believe?" She shoved out of his arms.

"Any reason I shouldnt?"

"No one paid me to crawl into your bed, Callahan. But then again, you were being paid to be my

shadow."

"Shadow, yes lover, no!"

"Any reason I should believe you?" She turned on her heels, thrashing deeper into the jungle.

Rick stared after her, wondering how this got turned on him, when he heard a sound that wasntpart of the jungle noises. He raced to catch her, grabbing her by the waist and dropping to theground with her.

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"We really have to work on your social "

He covered her mouth, and with her locked in his arms, rolled into the jungle and into a gully.Tucking her to his side, he lay on his stomach, his weapon out and aimed toward where theydcome.

"I didnt hear "

He glared and she shut up. Hidden below the ridge of dirt, Rick listened, his hearing tuned tobeyond the screech of birds and creatures.

Meg heard it and inhaled sharply. Footsteps. Thrashing.

"Stay right here. Take this." He pressed his weapon into her hands, folding her fingers around it."Shoot anything that isnt me."

Meg looked at the weapon, exhaled, then cocked the 9mm like a pro.

Rick arched an eyebrow.

"Ill pretend its a hair dryer," she said, then shifted to her elbows and focused on the path. Hewas still looking at her strangely when she said, "What are you going to use?"

He rolled to his back. From his boot, he pulled out a wickedly long knife with a serrated base. Ithad U.S. Marines engraved on the black blade. Megan swallowed. That meant he had to getclose enough to them to inflict damage, and worry skipped through her.

Rick crawled to the path, then rose to a crouch, praying she wouldnt have to shoot. If she did,then hed already be dead.

Bugs buzzed around her head as Megan waited, her skin itching with sweat. She didnt dare putthe weapon down and squinted down the sight, wondering if she could actually shoot anotherhuman being. She heard a gun shot and flinched, praying it wasnt at Rick, praying theyd missed.

Her mind tortured her with images of him bleeding somewhere out there. Bleeding to save her.Again.

Seconds stretched to minutes.

She flinched when she heard a rustling in the bushes, but couldnt see anything. The noise grewclearer, then suddenly slow and soft till the sound vanished beneath the blood pounding in herears.

She imagined her captors: smelly losers with nasty guns and they liked using them. Sheremembered the blows, the knife poised at her eye until she said what they wanted into the tapefor her father. Then she thought of what theyd do to Rick and she bit her lip to keep from cryingout.

A twig snapped. If it was Rick, hed say so.

Her heart breaking that he was dead, she raised the weapon, shifting back on her knees. A figureappeared, looming over her, and she pulled the trigger. Nothing. She leapt to her feet and ran.

Rick chased her, snatching her around the waist and lifting her off her feet as he yanked the gunfrom her grasp.

"Meg!"

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She fought like a wildcat, clawing at his arm, kicking her feet against his calves.

A string of curses he never imagined she knew spilled from her mouth.

"Stop, stop, its me!"

She stilled, twisting in his arms as he set her to her feet. He gripped her arms. "Its me, baby."

She stared up at him, breathing hard, tears in her eyes. Then she batted his hands off. "I thoughttheyd killed you and they were coming for me. Dont do that again, damn you!" She punched hischest. "I hate you for that. I was so scared!" She shoved him with every word. "I thought theydkilled you!"

The last came in a long painful wail.

He grabbed her against him. "Shut up, Meg."

She blinked.

Tears trailed down her cheeks and hed bet she didnt know it. To see her come apart made hisknees weak. He didnt get that way often. Except with her.

"Shut up? You bastard! Im terrified for you and thats "

Grinning all the way down, he slashed his mouth across hers, stealing her words, her temper. Herbreath. He loved that she was afraid for him. Loved that he couldnt think clearly, and sometimeswith Meg that was a good state to be in. She was sharp and smart, and so much better than hewas, but he was tired of lines in the sand and denying himself this woman.

God, she tasted like home, like hed been lost in this jungle and finally found his way to freedom.

His tongue slid over her lips, prying them apart and pushing between. And she crumbled in his

arms.

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