Elise Read online

“What the hell is going on, Vickers? Why is my sister clinging to you like you’re her damn life preserver in the middle of the God damned ocean?” Edward whisper-screams at him. Deadeye can practically see the steam coming out of his ears. Edwards face has reddened in anger.

  “Look, Sommers. She has been through Hell over there. I was the first one she saw when she came to as we crossed the desert. For her I am her damned life preserver. I got her out of that hellhole that bastard had her in. I carried her away from there and I have been at her side for every fucking moment since and I will be by her side as long as she needs me.” Deadeye is breathing hard by the time he has finished his tirade. He didn’t even realize he had stepped closer to Edward as he spoke. He was practically in his face by the time he recognized what he had done. He let out the breath he was holding and took a step back.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get in your face.” Deadeye says apologetically to Edward. “Elise is important to me. I won’t do anything to hurt her, Edward. That is the last thing I want to do. She has suffered enough already.”

  “I am the one who should be sorry.” Edward says quietly. “It’s just she’s my little sister. I have always tried to protect her, and this was one thing I couldn’t save her from. It just goads me a little that she is looking to you for the comfort I want to give her. I’m thankful you are kind to her. I know you are going above and beyond what is required and for her sake I am thankful, but she is vulnerable right now. You could easily break her heart, man. Destroy her. I’ve seen that look on women’s faces before. It’s more than gratitude that you rescued her. Don’t hurt her.”

  “I would never intentionally hurt her, Edward. She is special. I don’t know how to explain it, but the first time I saw her picture in the briefing room, I knew she was going to change my life.” Deadeye makes sure to look Edward in the eyes. “I intend to make our relationship long term if she is willing. I’m not in this for a quick fuck. She deserves much more than that.”

  Edward bristled at his frank language, but he nodded his understanding. He didn’t want to admit it, but he admired Deadeye’s bold and impassioned speech. Edward is hoping that Deadeye is a serious and an honorable man. He would have to kill him if he hurts his baby sister. Edward didn’t relish the idea of going to prison for life, but he would to defend his sister, if the need arose.

  Elise comes back into the main area several minutes later. Deadeye can see the fatigue in her eyes. Dark circles have formed under them and the glow he noticed in the picture that was shown to them in the briefing room so many days ago, is gone. She pads into the room on bare feet and takes a seat next to him on the couch. Edward is sitting off to their right in a large recliner. The television is on for noise, but they haven’t really been watching it. Deadeye reaches for her hand and squeezes it gently. She looks up at him with a half-smile.

  “I’ll just be a minute, sweetheart. Then we will head to bed.” Deadeye catches the jerk of Edward’s head, but wisely he doesn’t comment. Deadeye gets up then and grabs his bag before heading to the small bathroom. As soon as the door shuts on the bathroom, Edward turns on Elise.

  “Elise, what is going on between you two?” Edward’s voice is soft, but insistent. “You don’t really know him. I know he rescued you and for that I am thankful, but you don’t need to get mixed up with a Marine, especially one that is in Special Ops. He is in constant danger. His next mission could easily be his last. I don’t want you falling in love only to end up getting your heart broken.”

  “Edward, I appreciate your concern, but I am a grown woman now. I can make decisions for myself. I know what I’m doing. Granted the last big one I made landed in the hands of a psycho, but still, I need to be able to make my own mistakes.” Elise looks at Edward without backing down like she might have in the past. “I am not just attracted to him because he saved me. There were a lot of other men with him that day and I don’t feel this way about them. It’s him, Edward. I’m drawn to him for some reason. I need him, right now. Please be understanding. Don’t make a big deal out of him sleeping with me, tonight. I have been having nightmares and he is able to help me calm down when I wake. That’s all we’ll be doing. I’m not ready for anything else and besides, he is a gentleman. Not only that, but this place is too small for you not to hear if we did do anything.” Elise gives him a ridiculous smile as her cheeks flushed red.

  “Damn, Elise. Don’t be talking about having sex in my house. Jezz, you’re my baby sister.” Edward blows out a frustrated breath. “I don’t even want to know how much you know about it.” Elise can’t help but laugh at that and Edward soon joins her. Once they are under control, Edward gets serious again.

  “Elise, whatever you need to be comfortable. I’m so fucking sorry you had to go through that. Mom and Dad are so pissed at me for not talking you out of coming over here. I should have said something, but I knew they were smothering you. It’s just because they love you and worry about you. I felt like you needed the chance to spread your wings and find your own way. I wish this hadn’t happened, Squirt.”

  “Edward, you haven’t called me that in years.” Elise scolds him with a smile to let him know she is teasing. “I’m well past being a squirt, but I appreciate you standing up for me. It ended badly that’s for sure, but I needed the independence. Mom and Dad still see me as the sick kid that they didn’t know if I would live to see 18 much less than this ripe old age of 27.” Elise chuckles briefly. “I’m not sorry that I volunteered to be at the refugee camp, but I hate every moment I was in the hands of that asshole. I will never be the same, Edward. I was so naïve. Didn’t see the dangers and for that I have to suffer the consequences.”

  “Oh, sis I’m so sorry.” Edward comes to her then and takes her in his arms. Elise cries softly against him for several minutes. After a time, she gets herself together. She raises up wiping her tears and gives him a wobbly smile.

  “Thanks, Edward. Sorry I made a mess of your uniform.” Elise suppresses a giggle. Edward just smiles at her tenderly.

  “You can ruin my uniform anytime, Squirt. I’m glad you are here, alive, and in one piece.” Edward says sincerely. He pulls her in for another tight hug before releasing her. “Now you need to get to bed and get some sleep. I can see you are exhausted.” Elise nods and moves to head down the hall toward the guest room.

  Chapter 12

  Deadeye is waiting for her just inside the room when she enters the small bedroom. It has a full-size bed with a dark brown comforter and big fluffy pillows. A small window is on the other side of the room but it’s too dark outside for Elise to tell anything about what the view might be like. A small chest of drawers sit against the right wall near the foot of the bed and there is small nightstand on this side of the bed.

  Elise places her bag on the floor near the door next to Warren’s bag. She is suddenly nervous to be alone with Warren. They haven’t really had a moment to themselves since he saved her from her nightmare. It is all too real they will be sleeping side by side in a real bed. Her breathing has picked up, goosebumps are popping up on her skin, and a burning desire she shouldn’t be feeling has settled between her legs. She shouldn’t be feeling this way, especially after the torture she endured at the hands of a psychotic bastard. Still, she can’t deny the desire running through her at the moment.

  “Sweetheart, I can sleep on the couch.” Warren whispers in her ear. He had stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she had stared like an idiot at the bed. It was as if he could read her mind and could sense her unease.

  “No, Warren. I need you with me.” Elise says softly as she leans into his embrace. “I’m sorry to space out on you. I’m not afraid. I know you won’t do anything I’m not ready for. It’s…it’s just I’m afraid my body wants more than what my mind can handle right now.” Elise can feel the heat in her face. She shouldn’t be talking to Warren in such a way. She has never been good at flirting or playing the games lovers play. She is 27 and still a virgin. What wou
ld Warren think about that? How pathetic is she? It had just never seemed right, but now…now she was more than ready for him to take what she has held onto for this long.

  “We are only going to sleep, sweetheart. I would never push you for more right now. It’s too soon.” Warren whispers in her ear softly. “Come now, let’s get you in bed.” Warren pushes her toward the bed. Elise reaches out and pulls down the covers and climbs into the bed moving toward the far side as Warren slides in behind her. Once they are both in and under the covers, he reaches out for her.

  “Let me hold you, sweetheart.” Elise immediately snuggles against him. She slides her left arm across his waist and her left leg up on to his left thigh. Warren has his left arm around her shoulders and places his right hand on her hand at his waist. Elise sighs contentedly. Deadeye can’t keep the smile off his face. This is Heaven right here, having Elise snuggled against his body, so trusting. He was a very patient man. He would wait for years if need be until she was ready to give him her body. As long as he could hold her while she slept, he would be content.

  Sleep overcomes them within minutes. Deadeye is awakened sometime later to Elise’s whimpers and frantic jerking. Years of training kicks in and he is instantly fully awake. Elise is having a nightmare. She cries out loudly, “No! Don’t hurt her, please.” Deadeye shakes her shoulders gently.

  “Wake up sweetheart. It’s a dream.” Deadeye calls to her. “Elise.” He says louder. “Wake up. You are dreaming.” Her eyes flutter open, wide and frightened. She blinks a couple of times, before recognition sets in. She relaxes into his side as the tears flow down her cheeks. “You’re safe, sweetheart. I’m here.”

  Edward bursts into the room. The bright light from the hall light is temporarily blinding. Deadeye motions to Edward to close the door.

  “She had a bad dream.” Deadeye informs her frightened brother. “She’ll be alright now. She’s awake.” Edward nods and gives Elise another long look. When she nods in agreement that she is okay, Edward leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

  “I was dreaming.” Elise’s voice cracks. “He killed her.” Elise cries softly for a long while. Deadeye just held her close. After a while, he whispers. “Tell me about her.”

  “Lakia was a little girl from the camp. She would follow me around when I was delivering supplies. She was only about 9 years old and I had gotten to like her. She had some younger siblings, too. The interpreter told me they were being raised by relatives because their father had been forced to join the Syrian Army and their mother died in child birth last year. Lakia was the oldest of the 3 children. The day they took me, I had a doll I was going to give her, but I never made it there.” Elise shudders as she remembers looking into Mike’s vacant stare of death. “Somehow they knew I cared for her. They took her too. Hussan, he used her to control me. When he wanted me to…to do things to him, he would bring her in the room as motivation. She was so scared. I tried to spare her as much as I could, but it didn’t stop him from hurting and abusing her.” Elise can’t speak for several moments as she relives the worst day of her life. “They raped her right in front of me, Warren.” Elise sobbes. Deadeye tightened his hold on her. He desperately wanted to erase all those bad memories, but he knew there was no way for that to happen. All he could do was listen and be a shoulder to cry on.

  “It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen. He made me watch. He said if I didn’t, he would let everyone of his men have a turn until I watched the whole thing. I couldn’t let her endure it more than once. How can someone be so cruel? She was only a child.” Elise cries harder for a long while. Warren just tries to comfort her as best he can, rubbing his hand up and down her back as she sobs.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. The world is full of evil. I’m so sorry you had to see that.” Warren whispers to her. “I wish I had gotten too you sooner, that I could have saved her for you.” After a while, Elise’s tears have slowed. She raises her head to look into his eyes.

  “Thank you, Warren. I know it was your job, but you will never know how grateful I am that you saved me.” Elise tells him passionately. She wants to kiss him, have him make her forget all about the evil she was forced to witness, but she isn’t sure he would want to kiss her. She was so damaged and broken. How could he ever want to be with her? She shouldn’t even be thinking about a future with him.

  “You don’t need to thank me, sweetheart. Yes, it was my job, but it was different this time.” Warren pauses. “I felt differently about finding you. You were more than a target, an assignment. I felt you were my destiny. I needed to find you and bring you home.” He was looking at her so intensely Elise thought her heart would explode. Forcing herself to be brave and go against her better judgement, she closed the distance between their lips.

  It was Heaven when she touched her lips to his. He was warm, soft, and inviting. He parted his lips and she took the invitation to invade his mouth with her tongue. He responded immediately, caressing her tongue with his. He was gentle and tender, not forcing too much on her. She moaned into him and nibbled on his lower lip. That seemed to flip some kind of switch in him. Before she knew what was happening, he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

  Elise ran her hands up his chest and wound them in his hair, holding him to her. He growled then causing her to chuckle at his frustration. His hands began wandering over her body. When he skimmed her left breast with his hand, another moan escaped her lips. He squeezed her gently through the fabric of her clothing. She could feel his erection pressing into her groin and she couldn’t stop herself from grinding against him, building a sweet friction just where she needed it.

  How long they spent making out, she wasn’t sure, but all too soon he was pulling back. She tried to pull him back to her, but he was insistent they stop.

  “God, sweetheart. We have to stop.” Warren is breathing hard. He rests his forehead against hers. “I can only take so much. I don’t want to push this too far. Now, let’s try to get back to sleep, ok?”

  Elise knows he is right, but God, she didn’t want him to stop. She settles down against his chest again as she tries to slow her own breathing and get her libido under control. It is several long minutes before she feels calm enough to speak again. Desire is still burning between her legs. Her panties are soaked, and she is hoping that he can’t smell her arousal. How embarrassing would that be? She needs to apologize for jumping him like some feral beast, but how to do that when she isn’t really sorry for it.

  “Warren?” Elise begins tentatively.

  “Yeah, sweetheart.” Warren’s deep voice vibrates through her again setting off all her sensitive parts, again.

  “I shouldn’t have started that. I know we were just supposed to sleep, but…I couldn’t help myself.”

  Warren chuckles and she tenses. “Don’t ever be sorry for kissing me, sweetheart. Believe me, I wanted it just as badly as you did. I wasn’t going to push you. I planned to be patient, take my time until I was sure you were ready and wanted it as much as I did. I guess I’m not as good at reading you as I thought.” It’s Elise’s turn to chuckle, but then a thought hits her that makes her immediately serious.

  “Warren, what will happen to us? When we get back to the States, I mean? Where are you stationed?” Elise asks all the questions that had been burning in her mind since they had landed in Germany.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart.” Warren answers her honestly. “I know your parents will be there at Camp Lejeune when we arrive. They were beside themselves with worry when we left. That is where I am stationed, North Carolina. You are from Maryland, right?”

  Elise nods in response. “Yes, and my parents will insist on taking me home, but Warren, I don’t want to be away from you.” Elise tells him, then adds quickly before he can respond. “If you don’t mind. You help me feel safe and bring me back to reality when the nightmares come.”

  “I don’t want you to be away from me either, sweetheart.” Warren says softly. “Y
ou could stay with me. I have an extra room, or we can do just like we are right now. You can sleep in my bed until you are ready for more, because Elise, I want more, when you are ready. Like I said before, my commander, Hawk has a large house. I know his wife Charlotte, would be happy for you to stay with them until you are ready to move in with me.”

  Elise raises up then to look at him. “You would let me move in with you?” Elise’s eyes are wide with wonder at the possibility. Warren looks at her so closely she feels like he is boring into her soul.

  “Yes, sweetheart. You are more than welcome to share my home, my bed. Whatever you need. I know this is fast and may sound crazy, but I want you in my life. I have never thought about having a woman in my home, but I want you there.” Warren cups her face with his right hand. “It won’t be easy. I’ve been alone a long time, but I want to give us a chance. Can you do that for me?”

  “Warren” Elise says breathlessly. “I can definitely do that for you.” Elise melts into his touch on her face. “I’ve never had a relationship before Warren. My parents have been so protective of me. I haven’t had time or opportunity to date or anything. I just thought you should know. I don’t know how to do any of this.” Elise is praying her confession doesn’t run him off. Some men don’t want to be with inexperienced women, afraid they will be too clingy. She isn’t sure she won’t be where Warren is concerned, but she will do anything she can to make a relationship with him work.

  Deadeye is surprised by her confession as he contemplates the meaning behind her declaration, something hits him like a ton of bricks. He needs clarification.

  “What are you trying to tell me, sweetheart?” Warren demands. When Elise just gives him a look like a deer in the headlights, he knows the answer, but still he wants to hear her say it. “You’re a virgin?”

  Elise nods her head as her cheeks heat with a blush and she drops her head in shame. There is no way he wants to get involved with a sheltered, 27-year-old virgin. The tears spring to her eyes before she can will them away. Warren grabs her chin and forces her to look at him.