Rescuing Rayne (17 page)

“Fletch—”

He didn’t let Ghost continue. “I heard what Wolf said, and he’s right. I haven’t even touched this woman, but if the simple
thought
of her new asshole boyfriend doing anything to hurt her or her daughter makes me this crazy, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. If she’s yours,” Fletch motioned with his head to Rayne, “you need to fight for her, Ghost. And it’s obvious she’s yours. Looks like you inked her on you, and if that little fucking ghost on her skin is any indication, she’s inked you on her too.”

“But the teams—”

“You think we won’t support you? Think we won’t protect her as we do you? What do we all have inked on our sides, Ghost? Huh?
Defend my brothers and their women
. We all want someone. Why would we put that in writing on our bodies if we didn’t? For Christ’s sake, Ghost. Don’t let her go again.”

Ghost looked back at Rayne. She was huddled under the sheet and her back moved up and down with her deep, sedated breaths. He nodded once and heard Fletch walk away to leave him alone with Rayne.

After watching her sleep, Ghost made his decision.

He’d fight for her, but he wasn’t sure if Rayne would fight for him in return. He knew he had a long road ahead of him. He’d rescued her, yes, but he had a long way to go to get her to trust him again. He understood that as clearly as if Rayne had turned around and said the words.

“I swear to you, Rayne. I will never lie to you again. Never.” The vow was quiet and heartfelt, and Ghost meant every word, even if Rayne didn’t hear it.

Unable to resist, Ghost pulled the sheet back to take another look at her tattoo. Big Ben was new and stood tall and proud behind one of the wings of the huge eagle. The words “Quiet Professionalism” were written in script, like clouds around the tower. The little ghost looked almost alive, flitting around the clock tower, proof that he wasn’t a fleeting part in her life. He touched it reverently with one finger.

Rayne shifted at his touch, pressing backwards as if unconsciously reaching for him.

Without thinking about it, Ghost eased himself onto the small mattress and fitted her to his front, careful not to jostle her wounds in any way. It was a tight fit on the cot. He was fully dressed, even wearing his boots, but he needed to hold her, to be close to her, to keep her safe.

Ghost pulled the sheet back up and over them, wanting to be sure Rayne was warm enough. He gingerly put one arm around her waist, and eased the other under her head.

Feeling content for the first time in six months when Rayne snuggled back into his embrace, he closed his eyes and prayed. Prayed she’d forgive him his lies, prayed they’d find a way to make a relationship work. They had a lot to figure out, but lying there with Rayne safe in his arms, Ghost couldn’t think about anything other than how relieved he was that fate had led him to her when she’d needed him most.

R
ayne groggily opened
her eyes and flinched at the bright light, immediately closing them again. She felt herself being jostled and heard soft voices around her. It took her a moment to remember what had happened, but as soon as she did, she opened her eyes into slits, being a bit more cautious this time.

She was lying on something soft and being wheeled into a building. She turned her head and gasped.

Ghost. It really
was
him.

Slowly, the pieces of her capture and rescue came back to her. Just when she thought she’d die in that building in Cairo, Ghost had shown up as if by a miracle.

He’d been patient and calm, and he and his…partner…whatever the other guy was, had gotten the damn chains off of her and Ghost had carried her to safety. Rayne remembered bits and pieces after that. Swallowing a couple of pills, the pain of her wounds being cleaned, and being held in Ghost’s arms as she slept. That last bit she wasn’t sure about, since she’d dreamed about being in his arms almost every night since he’d left her in London.

“Ghost?” The word was shaky and rough, and came out more a croak than an actual word, but he heard her.

He put his hand on her shoulder and looked down at her as they continued moving into the building. “Hey, Princess. You’re awake.”

“Kinda.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, those sedatives we gave you along with the painkillers are pretty potent. You’re going to be fine.” He got right to it. “You’re at Darnell Army Medical Center at Fort Hood. You’re safe and back on American soil.”

“Texas?”

“Yeah. You’re back in Texas.”

“My stuff?”

“Stuff?”

“Yeah, at the hotel.”

Ghost chuckled. “Only a woman would think about her stuff after what you’ve been through. Your friend, Sarah, was going to see to it.”

“My brother?”

“I’ll make sure he knows you’re here.”

“Okay. Ghost?”

“Yeah?”

The gurney stopped in a small examining room and Rayne felt almost dizzy at the abrupt cessation of movement. She felt her eyes getting heavy again, and closed them. “Are you gonna be here when I wake up again?”

When he didn’t answer her right away, Rayne forced her eyes open. If this was going to be the last time she saw Ghost, she didn’t want to miss it.

“Yes. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

She didn’t want to say it, but the word came out anyway. “Promise?”

“I promise, Princess.”

“Okay. Ghost?”

There was a smile in his voice this time. “Yeah?”

“Did you cut them off after all? I can’t feel them.”

Rayne didn’t see the harsh concerned look on Ghost’s face, as her eyelids had drooped closed.

“No, Rayne. We didn’t cut off your hands or feet. They’re still there, but they’re in bad shape. I swear I’ll never lie to you again. You’ll have some nasty scars.”

“Don’t care. Again? You lied before?”

Ghost put his hand on Rayne’s forehead and his voice softened. “Yeah, but that will be the last time. You want to know something, ask.” He thought Rayne might’ve been concerned about having scars, but he should’ve known she wouldn’t give a damn about that. He’d taken Wolf’s words to heart. He wanted Rayne. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was worth fighting for. He felt normal when he was with her, and that alone made him want to be a better person…for her. He’d not let her go without a fight.

“Okay.”

And that was that. Rayne was out. The doctor came in and immediately got to work taking off the makeshift bandages to see what he had to deal with. After making sure he knew what he was doing, Ghost went back out to the waiting room to find all six of his teammates there.

“Truck, will you go and keep an eye on Rayne? I have something I need to do.”

“Of course.”

“Keep me updated.”

Truck nodded and headed back the way Ghost had come. It wasn’t usual procedure for any of them to be in the room with a patient, but the colonel made a phone call to some high-ranking officer at the hospital, and they were given some latitude as a result.

“Anything we can help with?” Fletch asked.

Ghost shook his head. “No, but thanks. I’ll be back in a bit.”

His teammates nodded and Ghost left the hospital and headed for the officer barracks. Six months ago when he’d gotten back to Fort Hood, after the night that changed his life, he’d made it a point to look up Rayne’s brother. He was a first lieutenant and Ghost had been impressed. He’d graduated near the top of his West Point class, chose counterterrorism as his specialty, and had nothing but glowing OERs, Officer Evaluation Reports. He was shaping up to be a good leader. The kind who cared about the men under his command. He asked questions of the sergeants in his platoons and took their advice. Lieutenant Jackson was up for promotion and Ghost knew he’d make it with flying colors.

As it was eight in the evening, Ghost hoped the man would probably be in his room. He walked up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on the door.

Chase Jackson opened the door almost immediately. “Yes?”

Ghost was still wearing the same clothes he’d been in for forty-eight hours. He wasn’t at his best, and there was no indication of his rank or name anywhere on his vest. On missions, and even around Fort Hood, none of the Deltas wore any kind of identifying information on them for their own safety.

“My name is Captain Keane Bryson. May I come in for a moment?”

Chase looked confused, but stood aside anyway and gestured for Ghost to come inside.

Neither man said anything as Chase led Ghost into the small living room of the one-bedroom apartment. Ghost got right to the point.

“I’ve just returned from Egypt. Cairo, more exact.” Ghost watched Chase stiffen in front of him. Yeah, the man knew the significance of where he’d been.

“Your sister was one of the hostages in the coup.”

The lieutenant paled and swayed on his feet. For a second Ghost thought he was gonna face plant on the floor. His hand came out and he propped himself up against the doorjamb. He swallowed once, hard, then swore.

“Fucking shit. Is she… Are you casualty assistance?”

Ghost knew what he was asking. Casualty assistance officers were sent to the homes of relatives when someone was killed in action to inform them of what happened. No one wanted to open their doors to them. He quickly reassured the other man. “No. I’m part of the unit that was sent in to rescue hostages. We got her out. She was wounded, but is okay and here at Darnell Army Medical Center.”

Chase narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. He wasn’t an idiot. “And
you’re
here telling me this because…”

Ghost’s respect for the man increased. Ghost outranked Chase, and even without knowing he was a Delta Force soldier, he was astute enough to realize something else was going on. Maybe Rayne’s brother did know he was Delta. He was in counterterrorism; it wasn’t as if he didn’t know Special Forces soldiers were around—and if Ghost had been over in Egypt, it was likely Chase knew he was more than a simple captain. For someone like Chase, the fact that Ghost was here in his living room wearing all black, with no visible rank, was as much an admission of who he was than if he was wearing a badge that said “Delta Force Soldier.”

“Because she’s mine.” Ghost’s words were blunt and to the point. He held up a hand when Chase opened his mouth and quickly broke down his relationship with Rayne for her brother. “I met your sister about six months ago. We didn’t spend a lot of time together, but that’s done now. I’m going to do everything I can to make it work between us. I’m here because I wanted to talk to you first. She was hurt over there. She’s going to be okay, but she’s probably going to need to talk to someone about what happened.”

“What
did
happen?”

Ghost knew Chase would get back to the “she’s mine” statement, but he was glad to see he was more worried about his sister’s well-being at the moment than he was about Ghost’s arrogant statement. “She’s dehydrated and she’s lost some weight, and she was almost raped before I got to her.”

“Almost?”

“Almost.”

“Thank Christ. But she’s hurt?”

“They chained her to a bed, and she…struggled.”

A wry smile flitted over Chase’s countenance before he got serious again. “Yeah, she would.”

“That clip you gave her very well might have saved her life.”

Chase smiled a real smile that time and he nodded. “I’ll make sure she has a lifetime supply of them.”

“Her wrists and ankles are torn to shreds. She’s getting them stitched now. I know she’d want to see you when she wakes up.”

“I’ll head over there as soon as we’re done here. Now…what makes you think she wants to be with you?”

“You see the addition to her tattoo?”

Chase startled at that. “She added on to that monstrosity on her back?”

Ghost nodded. “Yeah. She added me.”

Chase eyed the hard-looking man in front of him. “She hasn’t been the same sister in the last few months.”

Ghost simply nodded. He hadn’t been the same since he’d left her in that hotel room in London either. So he knew exactly what Chase meant.

“Don’t hurt her. I know you outrank me and probably have more power than I could ever hope to have, but I swear to God, if you hurt her—”

“I can’t guarantee that I won’t, we’re both pretty stubborn, but she’s mine. I’ll kill to keep her safe. I’ll fight for her. I’m not giving her up.”

Chase didn’t respond right away, mulling over Ghost’s words. Finally, he held out his hand. “It’s good to meet you, Keane Bryson.”

He shook his hand. “Ghost. It’s Ghost.”

“Ghost then.”

“I’m headed back over to the hospital now.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Ghost knew he’d say that, so he simply nodded.

“Give me five to change and get ready.”

“I’ll be out front,” Ghost told Chase as he turned to the door.

“Ghost?”

Ghost turned back to Chase.

“Thanks for rescuing Rayne. And thanks for letting me know.”

Ghost nodded again and closed the door behind him. He wanted to get over to the hospital and be there for Rayne, but he’d needed to do this. Needed to be the one to let Chase know about his sister and needed him to know where he stood with her. Ghost knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but he’d made the first step.

“
C
hase
, for the love of God, I’m fine,” Rayne grumbled as her brother fluffed her pillows behind her back for the third time that day.

She’d woken up in a room at the hospital to see Ghost sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She’d watched him for a while, amazed he was actually there. He’d stayed, just as he said he would. Rayne drank him in as he slept, thinking he looked tired. He was dirty, his black boots and trousers covered in a fine layer of dust. His broad arms were crossed over his chest. The only thing that looked clean about him was his T-shirt. It was obviously new, the creases from where it’d been folded inside a package still evident.

She’d shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable, and Rayne had been amazed how one minute Ghost was asleep, and the next he was wide awake, his eyes finding her face seconds after stirring.

“Morning, Princess.”

The words had been unexpected, more so because she’d so longed to hear them that morning so long ago. She’d cleared her throat. “Morning.”

Ghost had stood up and arched, putting both hands in the small of his back as if working the kinks out. He’d leaned over and put one of his large, calloused hands on her forehead. She remembered he’d done that the day before as well. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m good,” she’d said automatically.

Ghost had cocked his head and asked again. “How’re you
really
feeling?”

Rayne had sighed. “Slightly dizzy from too many drugs and not enough food, but I’m alive, not chained to a filthy bed, and not dealing with being raped over and over. I’m good.”

Ghost’s mouth had twitched, but he hadn’t responded to her snarky remark. “Up to a visitor?”

“Aren’t
you
a visitor?”

He did smile at that, and ignoring her comment, he’d said casually, “I’ll go get him.”

Before Rayne could ask who Ghost meant, or any of the other four hundred and fifty-seven questions rattling around in her brain, he was gone.

She’d shifted in the bed uncomfortably. She’d lifted her right arm only to see bandages covering her from her fingers to her elbow. She’d moved her legs under the blanket and could tell they were similarly bandaged. She had wanted to see the damage, now that she was lucid enough to understand what it might mean, but it’d have to wait. Her limbs were still attached, hopefully that meant she’d get to keep them.

The door to her room had opened and Rayne had looked over and bit her lip. For some reason, her brother was the last person she’d expected to walk through the door, but he was the one person she needed to see after everything she’d been through in the last week or so.

They’d hugged each other and Rayne had cried on his shoulder for at least ten minutes, not noticing when Ghost left the room, before Chase pulled back and tugged the chair that Ghost had been sitting in closer to the bed. He kept his hand on her bandaged forearm as they spoke.

Rayne learned that Samantha was flying in that morning and would be there in a few hours. She’d tried to insist she was fine, but Chase just shrugged and said Sam would be there regardless.

The morning had passed quickly. The doctor came in and examined her wounds before her sister arrived. Rayne had watched attentively as he’d pulled back the bandages, but had to look away after a quick glance. She wasn’t usually squeamish, but the oozing, pus-filled, infected wounds were more than her stomach could take at the moment.

The doctor informed her that she’d be staying at least another couple of nights, until the infection was under control. They were pouring heavy-duty antibiotics into her body through the IV. Once a few doses of those were given, they’d consider releasing her.

When Rayne went to protest, the doctor reminded her that if she didn’t get the proper care for her wounds, she actually could lose all four of her extremities. That was enough to scare her into agreeing to stay as long as the doctor deemed appropriate. She might have told Ghost and his partner to cut them off in the middle of her rescue, but that was the last thing she really wanted to happen.

Samantha had arrived later that morning and the three siblings had a long chat about what had happened to Rayne in Egypt and how she was doing. Chase even had Rayne agreeing to talk to one of the Army psychologists. She thought she was doing okay, but knew later she’d probably have more time to think about what had actually happened…and almost happened.

It was now late in the afternoon and Chase was driving Rayne crazy. She’d convinced Samantha she was fine, and since her sister had an audition the next day, she’d agreed to leave on the next plane out of Austin, as long as Rayne kept her up to date on everything that was going on.

“Seriously, Chase, I’m fine, stop hovering,” Rayne complained.

Chase sat in the chair and propped his elbows on the mattress beside her hip. Noticing her glancing at the door for the twentieth time that day, he said, “I’m sure he’ll be back.”

Rayne looked up at her brother in surprise. “Who?”

“Don’t act dumb, sis. You know who. Keane.”

“Keane?”

Chase blew out a breath in frustration. “Yeah, Keane. Ghost? The man who stated to me bold as brass that you were his woman?”

“His name is John, not Keane.”

Chase studied Rayne and could tell she was serious. “He told me his name was Keane Bryson.”

“And he told
me
it was John Benbrook.”

The two siblings looked at each other for a moment, neither saying anything. Chase clenched his teeth together and the muscle in his jaw ticked, as it did when he was pissed.

She thought back to Ghost’s words when she was brought in. He’d told her he’d never lie to her
again
.

Damn, she was pathetic. She tried to play it off.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I wasn’t watching for him.”

“I don’t care if he
is
Delta, I’m going to kick his ass.”

“Delta? What’s that?” Rayne asked, completely confused now.

“
Motherfucker
,” Chase exclaimed, pushing his chair back. “I’ll be back tomorrow to see you, yeah?”

“Chase! What are you talking about? Why are you so pissed?”

Her brother leaned down and kissed Rayne on the cheek. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

Rayne watched in confusion as her brother stormed out of the room, mumbling under his breath.

Chase made his way down to the waiting room, hoping to find Ghost to have a heart-to-heart with him. He hadn’t known all the facts when the man had come to his door the night before, letting him know about his sister, but now he had a better understanding of what might have happened between him and Rayne, and he wanted to kick his ass.

He didn’t know for sure the man was Delta Force, but it made sense. Everything he’d learned about how Rayne had been rescued and what she’d been through made him more and more sure she’d been rescued by a team of Special Forces soldiers; it wasn’t as if any old unit would be sent across the world to stealthily rescue American hostages, and the fact Ghost showed up at his door and admitted he’d been one of the soldiers who’d rescued his sister only hammered that fact home all the more.

The waiting room was empty, but Chase knew Ghost was around somewhere. He’d told Chase he’d give him and Samantha the day with Rayne, but that he’d be back by five to be with her in the evening. It was four forty-five.

Chase stormed outside and saw Ghost standing near the building, looking absently out into the parking lot.

Without hesitating, Chase walked right up to the other man and punched him in the face.

Ghost took the hit without a word, going back on one foot, but when Chase went to do it again, Ghost put up a hand.

“I’ll give you the first for free, but that’s all.”

“You son of a bitch. You took advantage of her.”

Ghost shook his head. “No, I didn’t. She knew going in what it was between us.”

“You arrogant prick. She’s not one of your barrack bunnies you fuck at every post.”

Ghost lost his temper. “Don’t you think I fucking know that? Jesus man, I haven’t been able to think about anything
but
her since the day we spent together. I haven’t wanted any other woman but
her
. Not. One.”

Chase looked at the man in front of him incredulously. Keane Bryson was someone who could get any woman with just the crook of his finger, and they both knew it. For him to admit that he hadn’t been with anyone since…well, Chase didn’t know how long, but since his sister, was huge.

Ghost squatted in the grass and nonchalantly began to unlace his military-style boot as he spoke. Chase didn’t know what he was doing, but didn’t interrupt.

“I had no intentions of looking for your sister. I had chalked it up to my one big regret.” At the low growl coming from Chase, Ghost continued quickly, “I didn’t regret
her
, or our time together, I regretted
leaving
her. Lying to her about my name. Letting the best thing that had ever happened to me slip through my fingers.”

Ghost wrenched off his boot and pulled his sock down to his ankle while pulling up the material of his pants as far as he could. He stood up and pivoted, showing Chase his calf. “I got this inked a month after I left her. I was driven to put her mark on me, to have her
this
way, even if I never saw her again.”

Chase looked down and pressed his lips together, not really believing what he was seeing.

Inked on Ghost’s leg was a replica of his sister’s tattoo. It had obviously not been done today, it was completely healed. The eagle’s wings wrapped around Ghost’s calf much as the one on Rayne wrapped around her sides. Even the damn Army logo was included, as well as the rifle and the lightning bolt. The only difference was instead of a carnation in one of the eagle’s talons, it held a magic wand…a stick with a star on top, complete with smaller stars floating around the tip and ribbons hanging off it. Chase wasn’t sure what to say.

Ghost dropped his pant leg and bent to put his boot back on. “I swear to you, I had no intention of disturbing your sister. I was resigned, not content, but
resigned
to have her live inside my memories. But then I found out that not only was she inside that fucking country, she was in the middle of a goddamn coup. It wasn’t by accident that I was there, Chase. No way will I ever believe that. I might not be a smart man, or even a very religious one, but when God reaches down and puts the best thing to ever happen to me right in my path—twice—I’m not going to ignore it. Not again.” Ghost stood up with his hands on his hips, daring Chase to disagree.

“She knows you lied about your name.”

Ghost’s hands dropped from his hips and he shoved them in his pockets.

Chase continued, “I didn’t know you’d given her a different name.”

Ghost sighed, but didn’t speak.

“I also let Delta slip, although she has no idea what that means. I’m not one hundred percent sure of that, but regardless, you’re going to have a high hill to climb there, Ghost. You lied to her. That wasn’t cool.”

“I know.” He didn’t try to defend himself.

“But as much as it pains me to say it, I understand.”

At Ghost’s incredulous look, Chase nodded. “Yeah, man. I get it. I’m not an idiot. I learned a hell of a lot about what guys like you do in my counterterrorism training. If nothing else, it makes me respect you more because you didn’t pull my sister into something she didn’t understand.”

“Thanks, I—”

“I wasn’t done.”

Ghost nodded for Chase to continue, to get out what he needed to.

“But man to man, I don’t care who you know and what you are, if your plans are to get some pussy and then drop her—”

Ghost couldn’t keep quiet. “Did you not hear me? Did you not see your sister inked on me? If I wanted pussy, I could’ve had it fifty times over by now. It’s Rayne I want.
Rayne
.”

Ghost held his breath, waiting for Chase’s approval or not.

Finally the man nodded. “She’s waiting for you. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the door all day. Although you should know, she’s going to have a million questions. Just do me a favor, would ya?”

“Anything.”

“Keep her safe. Me and Sam can’t lose her. It’s only the three of us in our family now, our folks died in a freak accident while they were on a cruise a few years ago. Their sightseeing plane crashed. I swear Rayne is now the glue that holds us all together.”

Ghost nodded and held out his hand to Chase, confirming to the other man what he’d already guessed. “She’s Delta now. She’s got six new brothers who would lay down their lives for her.”

Chase shook Ghost’s hand, knowing deep in his heart that every word out of the deadly man’s mouth was true. “Good. Thank you, Ghost.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll be in touch.”

Chase nodded and watched Ghost stalk toward the hospital building and disappear through the automatic doors. He let out a long breath.

Rayne was stubborn, Lord knows he knew that about his sister, but she had no idea what she was up against with one Keane Bryson.