SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,29
my father tagged me like an endangered animal without my permission or knowledge. I’m also afraid the kidnappers will keep coming at me until they succeed in capturing or killing me.”
“Not happening on my watch,” Rafe said.
She squeezed his fingers. “I’m also afraid that Rafe or one of his teammates will be hurt the next time the kidnappers come at me again. I don’t want them hurt because of me.”
Marcus’s expression softened. “Protecting you is their mission. They are among the best in the business, Kristi. Trust them to do their jobs.”
“They’re not invincible. They can be hurt. I can’t live with that.”
“Any injuries they might have are on the kidnappers, not you. You aren’t responsible for their actions.” He sipped his coffee. “Wolf Pack is highly trained. The military spent millions of dollars training them, and Fortress honed and sharpened the skills Wolf Pack learned throughout their military careers. You saw Rafe and the others in action. They must have made the kidnappers appear to be amateurs.”
Durango and Rafe made the kidnappers look like bumbling idiots.
“Kristi, why were you so reluctant to talk to me?” Marcus’s tone conveyed kindness and gentleness. His eyes, however, seemed to pierce her soul. Did he know about her previous kidnapping?
She glanced at Rafe to find his gaze on her. He gave a slight nod, silently encouraging her to tell Marcus the truth. “I don’t want to do this,” she whispered.
“Talking about the kidnapping reduces its power over you. Fight back.”
Kristi squared her shoulders. She wasn’t a traumatized ten-year-old kid. She was a grown woman capable of talking about her nightmarish past.
Rafe was right. She couldn’t allow the kidnappers to win. If she cowered and hid from her past, she gave the memories power over her present. Kristi had fought too hard to rebuild her strength to let these kidnappers tear her down again.
She faced Marcus. “I was kidnapped when I was ten years old. Three men broke into the house while my father was away on business. They murdered my mother when she tried to stop them, and snatched me from my bed. My father received a ransom demand of $2 million which he paid. The kidnappers drove me to a park and turned me loose.” Kristi began to tremble.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Marcus asked. “What’s making you so afraid even now?”
Telling the counselor the truth took three tries. “They locked me in a closet for three days. I still have trouble with darkness to this day.”
Rafe wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Tears streaked down her face as memories she tried to suppress resurfaced. “One of the kidnappers was a child molester.”
From somewhere, Marcus produced a box of tissues and slid them across the table to her. “Did your father take you to a counselor?”
She nodded as she dabbed her eyes and face with a tissue. The tears wouldn’t stop. “According to Dad, the child psychologist was the best in Nashville with many credentials and high praise from clients. I didn’t like him, and he wasn’t fond of me. He did, however, see me as a subject for his clinical research.”
“What happened?” Marcus asked.
“He insisted on completing a few minutes of each session in total darkness. He justified it as therapy for my new darkness phobia.”
“Oh, baby,” Rafe whispered and kissed her temple.
“I’m guessing the therapy didn’t work,” Marcus said mildly although his eyes showed anger on her behalf.
Kristi gave a choked laugh. “Not a bit. I still can’t stand the darkness, and I avoid counselors like the plague. No offense intended, Marcus.”
Rafe groaned. “The cave. I’m sorry I put you through that, Kristi.”
“You didn’t know the root cause of my problem. We didn’t have a choice, Rafe.”
“You have more courage than most of the men I served with in the military. They wouldn’t have been able to face their worst nightmare like you did.”
Marcus set down his coffee cup. “How did you sleep last night in the hospital?”
“Rafe was there, and I had a light on in the room.” She smiled. “I would have slept better without the nurses coming in to check on me every hour.”
A chuckle. “I understand. They’re great at doing that. Take a minute, and close your eyes, Kristi. Breathe deep and relax.”
“Come here.” Rafe turned her toward him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her against him.
Safety. Security. Warmth. She could get used to this. Minutes passed as the men spoke of people and events around Otter Creek while she slowly went