she was there, but somehow I found her in the middle of it.”
“Footage has been released of her and posted online. It appears Abboud took a video before she was rescued.”
“God damn it,” Blake muttered. “I was hoping that would never see the light of day.”
“They won’t get a ransom for her release, of course, but they are hoping for attention and notoriety. They have video footage of an American woman and can claim whatever the hell they want.”
“So when we get home, everyone will know who she is?” Troy asked.
Their CO nodded. “It’s best that she return with you directly. We’ll arrange for her to fly home to Texas eventually after she receives whatever medical treatment is necessary.”
“Understood,” Blake said. Part of him was relieved to know he’d get to see a little more of her. He wasn’t sure how Clarissa would feel about it though. She might have been hoping to get home to her own things, her own bed. He needed to find her as soon as he could.
***
Blake crossed base later on, heading toward the medical bay. Clarissa was probably still in there, getting her arm wrapped and hopefully cleaned up. He knocked on the door, flashing his ID, and then walked inside a moment later.
Clarissa was lying in a cot, wearing some ill-fitting fatigues. Instantly, lust surged through him. What would she look like in his clothes?
That blonde hair and those curves would look sexy as sin if she were wearing one of his shirts. It would probably hit her mid-thigh, and he’d….
Blake shook his head. He needed to talk to her, not mentally undress her. He couldn’t deny the immediate and instant attraction he felt toward her though. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his gaze washing over her. She still looked pale, but not in any pain. They must’ve given her something for her broken wrist. And set it, he thought as he looked at the splint.
“Okay. They gave me some pain meds and a change of clothes. I’m dying for a hot shower though.”
He nodded. “We’re going to have to stay the night here. There’s a bad storm moving in, so the pilot doesn’t want to fly out yet.”
Her face fell slightly. “Okay. I was hoping we’d leave right away, but I understand.”
“It’ll be all right,” he assured her. “We’ll get you settled in and grab a meal. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”
“I’d like that. It was all so chaotic earlier….” Her voice trailed off again. “The State Department said they can issue me a new passport. I don’t need it to fly home with you of course, but I’ll need some identification when I get back. I guess I’ll need a locksmith to get into my place.”
“Damn. No one has a spare key?”
She shook her head. “It’s okay, I’ll just arrange for someone to meet me whenever I fly back to Texas. I’ll catch a cab from the airport and meet them at my house.”
Blake nodded, not liking that she had to deal with everything on her own. What could he do though? She lived in a different state. He had his work back in Coronado. He could take leave, he supposed, to help her, but damn. He was jumping ten steps ahead of himself. Maybe she wouldn’t even want his help. Maybe they’d land in California, and he’d never see her again.
“So where are we staying?” she asked. “Somewhere on base?”
“I’ll make sure you get a room. Sometimes the guys and I end up in the barracks. We’re used to roughing it, and it’s just for the night. I’ll make sure you’re somewhere safe though.”
“They gave me these since I was covered in mud,” she said, gesturing to the fatigues.
“A little big, but it works for you,” he said with a wink.
She flushed, and he chuckled. “I’ll see if I can round up something else for you to wear. Hell, I’ve got a spare tee shirt you can borrow. It’ll still be big for you but not covered in mud like your clothes.”
The doctor walked back in then, giving her instructions to rest up and take the medication again later that night. Blake walked out with her a few minutes later, and they made their way to the housing quarters. She clutched her own dirty clothes in a bag, and Blake felt his gaze locking on her once again.
She looked so lost and alone at the moment, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms.
The conferred briefly with