Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3)
Susan Stoker
Chapter One
Archer “Arrow” Kane couldn’t believe the luck of the woman at his side. The Mountain Mercenaries had been sent to the Dominican Republic to rescue a kidnapped little girl, and had left the dilapidated home they’d found her in with an additional hostage. A woman. A very famous missing woman at that.
Arrow kept his hand on Morgan Byrd to keep her near him. At times he merely rested it on the small of her back; at others, he gripped her arm to help her over debris. She didn’t look at him, didn’t thank him, didn’t acknowledge his touch in any way, but it seemed that she welcomed it. Whenever they stopped so Black could scope out the area to make sure they weren’t being followed, she leaned toward Arrow. She was subtle about it, but since Arrow was hyperaware of her, he noticed.
Ball was carrying the little girl they’d come to the Dominican Republic to rescue. She was five years old, and her noncustodial father hadn’t returned her after his court-approved visitation weekend. He’d fled to his home country with the child. That had been three months ago, and her mother had done everything possible to get her little girl back. When Rex had gotten wind of the situation, he’d immediately asked for volunteers to head to the small Caribbean island to bring Nina home.
Black, Ball, and Arrow had agreed to come. Ro was on his honeymoon, Meat was down and out with the flu, and Gray’s girlfriend was dancing in a special performance in Denver, so he’d passed this time. It was supposed to be an easy job, especially since Rex had information on the general area where Nina’s father was keeping her. But finding Morgan at the same location complicated things.
Arrow was still in shock. Morgan Byrd had been missing for a year or so. She’d disappeared from Atlanta one night, and despite several credible clues and surveillance video showing her dancing and having fun at a nightclub, there hadn’t been any movement in the case. Until now.
How in the world she’d come to be in the run-down house in Santo Domingo, Arrow had no idea, and right this second wasn’t the time to question her. But she’d obviously been through hell. She was covered in dirt, and her blonde hair was matted and filthy. She smelled like she hadn’t showered in weeks—which was probably the case.
Regardless, there was something about her that drew Arrow. It wasn’t her looks—because God knew she was looking rough right about now. It was her . . . resilience. Whatever she’d been through should’ve broken her.
Arrow had rescued his share of women and children from horrible situations, and many had been broken almost beyond repair. But when he’d entered the pitch-dark room, Morgan hadn’t been cowering in a corner. She’d been protecting the little girl she’d taken under her wing with a crude knife. The weapon wouldn’t have done much damage, but that didn’t matter. She’d put herself between the child and whoever had entered the room.
She hadn’t cried and begged to be taken away from her prison. Even now, she wasn’t clinging to him. Wasn’t hiding behind him. She was standing stoically next to him with one hand on Nina’s back, trying to reassure and comfort her.
He was extremely impressed with Morgan. She was different from all the other women he’d saved over the years. It was as if he could sense her determination. He was proud of her. Proud of how she’d stuck up for Nina. Proud that she hadn’t been broken. He also felt more protective toward this woman than anyone else he’d rescued. He couldn’t identify all the reasons why, but the feeling was definitely there.
Arrow could’ve probably resisted the emotions he could feel bubbling under the surface if she weren’t unconsciously leaning into him every chance she got. She might be tough and composed on the surface, but that slight telltale movement offered a very different story.
Underneath her bravado, she was scared to death. Arrow wanted to take her in his arms and reassure her. Tell her that he’d get her home to her father, to safety. But he knew from experience that showing even the slightest amount of sympathy right now could undo her. So he restricted himself to small touches, making sure he stayed by her side, giving her what comfort he could while still being on alert for the smallest signs of danger.
After what she’d been through, whatever that was, he wasn’t going to let anyone or anything hurt her again before he got her home.
“All clear,” Black said in a toneless whisper as he reappeared next to them without another sound. The man had been a Navy SEAL and could move silently through any kind of terrain. Arrow had long since gotten used to it, but next to him, he felt Morgan start violently as Black’s presence surprised her.
But she didn’t make a sound. She’d trained herself well to keep quiet. He’d noticed that in the room where she and Nina had been held captive. When he’d hit her arms to knock the knife out of her hand, she hadn’t cried out. When the little girl had thrown herself at her, Morgan hadn’t let out even the smallest umph as she’d landed on her ass. It had surprised him at the same time it impressed the hell out of him. He and his teammates had learned to move absolutely silently, but it had taken him years of training in the Marines and more dangerous missions than he could count. The mystery of how and why Morgan had learned to be silent, no matter what, bothered him.
“We need to move quickly,” Black went on. “The safe house is roughly half a mile away, but we’re about thirty minutes later than we’d planned. The city is waking up, and the last thing we want is for someone to see us and get curious.”