SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,18

into the rainforest,” he said into his mouthpiece as more gunfire erupted, sounding closer than ever. “I’m not risking a civilian life over this asshole.”

Blake gripped her bicep with his large gloved hand and hauled her in front of him as they jogged toward the tree line. Clarissa realized he was still protecting her this way. The sound of gunfire was coming from behind them, and if they were hit, Blake would be the one to take the bullet. She ran faster, not wanting him to get hurt because of rescuing her.

It didn’t matter that she could barely see in the moonlight. Once they reached the tree line, she knew they’d be safe.

The rest of Blake’s team seemed to be headed in the opposite direction. Was Abboud the leader of this place? The man who’d videoed her and wanted a ransom?

She didn’t have time to wonder, because they cleared the tents on the outskirts of camp and were headed straight for the jungle. Even in the dark, it was a welcome respite. They could easily hide among the vines and trees, waiting for whoever Blake was with to come retrieve them. The moonlight disappeared entirely as they entered the dark forest, and she slowed, unable to see where she was going.

Blake gripped her arm, guiding her forward. “I’ve got night-vision goggles,” he said, his voice deep. “Let’s move further into the rainforest before I turn on a flashlight. I don’t think they came after us, but they could still shoot in this direction.”

“Okay,” she said, hating how her voice shook.

Clarissa tripped over a vine, and Blake steadied her. His firm grip on her arm was reassuring. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—wouldn’t let those awful men harm her. “Keep moving forward,” he instructed. “We’ll hunker down here while those guys deal with the aftermath and call in for extraction when they’re done.”

“How did you even get here?” she asked in bewilderment.

“We had a drop point half a mile away. My men and I approached through the rainforest. They could extract us now if necessary, but my team needs to complete their mission.”

Their mission. She didn’t even need to wonder what that was anymore. The men who’d kidnapped her were harboring chemical weapons—no doubt they were intended for use against Americans. Would they be smuggled north to Mexico? Shipped out somewhere?

“It sounded like they were constantly trucking in more weapons,” she said quietly as they moved through the trees.

“That’s not a good sign. I think we’re far enough,” he said a moment later.

The air here was rich with scents of the rainforest and slightly damp. She’d never been so happy to be back in nature before. Being tied to that pole, helpless, was terrifying. The soft grass in the tent had been her only comfort. Now she could hear the quiet sounds of insects in the jungle, feel the leaves and vines brush against her as they moved, smell the damp earth beneath their feet.

They were free. Sure, those guys could chase after them, but they’d be hard to find here in the middle of the night. The freedom to move and run and do whatever she wanted was overwhelming.

Blake flicked on his flashlight, and she stared up at him as they stopped. He set his gear down and removed his gas mask, shaking his head slightly. “Damn, that’s better,” he muttered.

Clarissa watched as he readjusted his helmet, noticing how attractive he was—dark eyes, chiseled jaw. Muscles upon muscles. He was also tall, with broad shoulders and a confidence about him. He had to be self-assured, she supposed. After all, he’d literally charged in there in the middle of the night with his team.

She was used to academics, scholarly types who wrote for prestigious journals, published their research, and gave lectures to rooms full of students. Blake was clearly a man of action—who spent more time outdoors than in and was highly trained in weapons and combat. She couldn’t even begin to imagine whatever missions he went on as a SEAL.

Right now she was more thankful for him than he could ever imagine though.

Blake spoke into his headset. “This is Raptor. I’m in the rainforest with the hostage. I don’t think anyone followed us in, but they were shooting at us as we left the camp. Affirmative. God damn it. We’ll standby until then.”

“Raptor?” she asked as he looked back at her.

His lips quirked slightly. “All the guys on my team have nicknames.”

She nodded, remembering how the other man had