Jinn & Toxic (12 page)

“Prepare yourselves.”

Stubborn to a fault, Jinn refused to budge until Burgess lunged, slamming her fist into Jinn’s jaw. Pain ripped through her head, and she staggered. Iceman’s cruel laughter egged her on until she found her center and spun on heel, knocking Burgess to the ground as she caught her off guard. The woman slammed down hard on the packed earth and gasped for air for a moment.

Burgess kicked out, knocking Jinn backward then leapt to her feet, breathing hard as she regained her footing. Wary, Jinn watched her opponent, gauging her abilities. With one eye on the pit to the left of her, she kept the woman in sight. The men surrounding them laughed and called out insults, annoying the hell out of her.

A wild yowl came from the creature within the ditch as though it could smell the blood that dripped down Jinn’s chin from the cut in her lip.The headache increased, blinding Jinn for a few seconds which gave Burgess an advantage. Jinn hit the dirt hard, pain exploding in her brain.

“You’re toast, Dennison. You might as well give up now.”

Barely able to catch her breath, Jinn hissed, “Dream on, Burgess.”

“One of you will die by the other’s hand, or I’ll have you both killed after my men are finished with you,” Iceman growled.

Neither woman looked toward him as they focused on each other. Jinn knew at that moment what she had to do.

The next time Burgess moved in close, Jinn edged back toward the hole, knowing in that moment that she’d be buried there.

I’m sorry, little sister, but I can’t help you.

Burgess spun on heel and landed a roundhouse kick to Jinn’s chest that sent her flying backward. Falling as though in slow motion, Jinn’s last thought was of Tab’s passionate embrace then she knew no more.

***

TT&T members stood in the shadows of the forest as the fight began, waiting for the chance to move in. Tab wanted to ensure Jinn, Burgess, and his sister were safe before he gave the order to attack, but when Jinn went sailing down into the pit, all hell broke loose as he shouted the silent command,
Now!

Taken unawares, the drug runners began falling fast under the furious onslaught of Tab’s crew. They came from all sides in silence until the shooting began. Burgess tried to escape by running toward the trees, but a shot from Iceman caught her in her thigh, and she fell, unable to get back up. Two of the enemy grabbed her and dragged her off to a truck as their leader, a young boy, and Tara all followed.

It nearly killed Tab when he had to make the choice of saving his sister, Burgess, or Jinn. He stared at Tara who stood glaring at him from no more than fifty feet away and raised her rifle. She was about to shoot, but her expression changed to one of confusion for an instant, her blue eyes filled with indecision. When Tab took a step forward, she shot the ground at his feet in warning then turned and ran to the truck.

Stunned, he stared after her for a moment as the truck disappeared down the rough road.
She doesn’t know me.
His heart broke as the pain of loss hit him.

The sound of the wildcat shrieking brought his attention back to Jinn. “Shit! Blackstone, Jennings, get that cat out of there. I’m going down.”

“Yes, sir!”

Neither of the soldiers asked how they’d do so, but together they leapt into action as Tab jumped into the hole. He landed in a squat beside Jinn’s still body and faced the feline. It paced back and forth but didn’t attempt to attack. Tab waited precious moments for his team to extricate the creature so he could attend to Jinn.

Please be alive!

The thought of living without her occurred to him, and he began shaking in reaction. At that moment, he realized that no matter what, she had to live. Still the animal waited, pacing back and forth though Tab could tell the scent of blood excited the wild cat.

Bamboo poles began to drop on an angle down into the hole to separate Tab and Jinn from the panther. It wasted no time in trying to climb out of the hole, slipping on the smooth wood until its sharp claws dug in deep enough to give it leverage. The moment it was out of sight, Tab heard a scream of horror followed by shouts and more shots.

His main concern was Jinn. Turning to her, he found her lying on her back, a broken figure. Her skin was pasty white, her body motionless. Tab shouted, “No!” The terror of that moment stretched on for a lifetime as he sought her pulse.

“Jinn, baby. Be alive. Please, I need you.” He found a faint thread of life within her but little else. Tab gathered her in his arms and pulled her close. “God, please, don’t let her die.”

Not one who prayed much, every cell in his body became filled with a burst of light that flowed from his hands into her still form. At first it was steady and bright, but soon it turned to a blinding flare as her back arched and she shrieked. Endless minutes seemed to pass by as the pulsing, healing energy flowed into her every cell. When the light faded, she fell limp in his arms.

“Jinn?” he whispered, tears flooding his cheeks. He’d never cried before and was surprised to find he could. The fear of losing her was so great that he could barely catch his breath. She lay unmoving. and he wondered if she was already dead but her lashes fluttered then she opened her eyes to stare up at him in confusion.

“I was in such a beautiful place, Tab.”

At her words, he knew she’d passed over to the other side, however briefly, and shuddered at the thought of how close he’d come to losing her.

“You’re okay, Jinn. When the team has things under control, we’ll get you out of here. Rest for now.”

Her eyelids closed, and she sighed. Tab wasn’t surprised she didn’t argue with him for once. Trembling, he cradled her to his body. The sounds of battle began to fade above. Soon he’d be able to get her out of the pit. To him, it resembled a grave and he held her tighter, a shudder racing up his spine.

“I love you, Jinn,” he whispered under his breath.

Her body tensed slightly at his words, but she didn’t open her eyes. A single tear slowly trailed from the corner of her eye to disappear into her hair as Tab waited for the all clear.

“It’ll be all right. I’m here. TT&T will take care of business and get us out of this hellhole.”

A few minutes later the gunfire stopped and Blackstone, Gonzales, and Jennings stood staring down at them.

“So you want to stay down there all day, Captain?” Blackstone asked in his deep tone.

Jennings elbowed him. “How is she?”

“I’ve done what I can. The rest is up to Dennison.”

“I’ve got some rope. Tie it around her waist, and we’ll pull you up.” Gonzales threw the end of the line down. Once Tab had fastened it, he held onto her, guiding her legs when he couldn’t lift her any further. Blackstone took Jinn’s arms and gently lifted her out. Tab waited for the rope to drop once again then climbed until he slipped onto the grass. He pushed past the others, checking her every limb as well as her head and pupils.

“She seems to be all right. We need to keep moving. Blackstone, Chan, make a shift to carry her and do it fast. I want to catch up with those bastards. They have my sister.”

Tab stayed with Jinn, slipping some water from a canteen past her lips. She coughed then opened her eyes, staring up at him with pain in her gaze. It would take some time for the energy to heal her properly. “If Ty were here, she’d be up and about faster, but there’s no help for it. We head out in twenty minutes so eat and drink something, everyone. That’s an order.”

Tyrone Carr was their medic and strategist. Where Tab could heal with energy, Ty used a more practical, hands-on method. Tab wondered where the man was and if he were still alive. Tab wanted Ty to check Jinn over. There was nothing left to do for her but pray she was okay.

Jennings approached, kneeling down beside Jinn. “I brought you both something to eat, Captain.”

“Take care of yourself. I’m too busy right now.”

She gave him a stern gaze. “Captain, we eat and drink together. Those are
your
rules for the team. Not even you can break them. Am I right?”

Tab fought a reluctant grin. “Point taken. Hand it over.”

When he tried to get Jinn to eat, she refused, her mouth pursed tight. He did manage to get her to take a few sips of water though and was relieved. A few minutes later, the cot was ready and Tab lifted her with tender care and placed her on it. The soft palm fronds were tied tightly with rope to two bamboo poles. Chan secured Jinn in place so she wouldn’t roll out and lifted one end while Tab took the other. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight for a minute.

“Did anyone see Tara?”

Blackstone’s expression was grave. “She shot at us then disappeared in the truck. We couldn’t return fire for fear of hitting her, and they got away.”

Anger stirred as Tab thought of the
game
Jinn and Burgess were forced to play. The team had barely made it in time to save Jinn. “Burgess?”

Jennings sighed. “Forced to go with them. As soon as the fight ended she was bound and taken in the truck. She never had a chance to break free. She was wounded as well, Captain.”

“We’ll catch up with them. I have a number of scores to settle with Iceman, and it will be anything but a game. See if you can find Dennison some clothes. It’s time to move out.”

Chapter Eight: Game Over

There was no pain in her chest or head anymore and cold reality splashed Jinn in the face.
She’s dead! My sister is dead.
The agony crushed her heart as Jinn realized that she couldn’t sense Julie at all.
Too late.
Easily, the blame lay with Tab since he’d held her back from going to her sibling. They’d stopped for a rest break.

“Jinn, are you all right now?” he asked, his tone soft and gentle as he held her close in his arms. The team stood around them yet at a distance so his whisper wasn’t heard.

She pulled away, hating everything about him now.
Julie
! Her internal scream went unanswered. Jinn rolled onto her knees and hands then staggered to her feet to stand on unsteady legs, her head spinning.

“What’s wrong? Are you still hurt?”

As Tab stood, his handsome face filled with concern, Jinn’s fury built, flashing through her veins.

“
You
killed her. Thanks to you, she’s dead!”

Jennings spoke up. “Who are you talking about? Burgess is alive.”

Jinn took off into the forest. Tab right behind her, she turned to him soon as they were far enough away from the team for privacy.

“Murderer! You couldn’t let me go to her and now she’s dead.”

“Jinn, you can’t know that. Maybe she’s asleep.”

Thumping her fist over her heart, she shouted, “I don’t
feel
her anymore. She’s gone. I’ve been connected with Julie my whole life and now she doesn’t exist thanks to you.”

He moved to take her in his arms, but she slammed her fist into his jaw, the rage so great. There was no remorse as his head rocked back on his shoulders. Jinn was only mildly surprised that he didn’t hit her back though his eyes darkened. “She was under my command. I am in pain too. If she’s gone, there was nothing you could have done.”

“You healed me. Why not her?”

“I have to touch the person to heal them. I’m sorry, Jinn, but there was no help for it. My sister is still missing and under the control of Iceman. We’re going to rescue her, so snap out of it.”

“Snap out of it? What if it had been Tara instead of Julie who died? Would you let me go to her then?”

As his lips tightened, she realized that he’d have kept her with him because he still thought that she’d betrayed them.

“You bastard. I’m leaving. You and your damned team can go to hell.”

When she turned to go, he grabbed her arm and yanked her back up against him.

“You’re not going anywhere. We’re in the middle of the jungle and you’re staying with us. I’ve already saved your life once. You’ll stay where I can keep an eye on you, and there’s still the matter of a court-martial to face when you get back home.”

Tears of hurt and frustration pricked behind her eyes. She cursed her weakness and struggled to get away, detesting the fact that her body was beginning to respond to his nearness. The more she fought him, the more her core clenched in response. His heated stare proved that he had the same undeniable draw between them.

When hot damp lips claimed hers and all else faded away, she sought refuge in his arms. All she wanted was to sooth away the pain. Passion ignited, whirling her into the need to forget the heartache as she grasped the lifeline he offered and fell into the void of desire.

Tab’s hands moved over her body, first over her sensitive breasts then down toward her navel. Lightning and heat rolled into one as she felt his touch over every inch of her skin. When he undid her pants, she was beyond thought. Soon her boots were gone leaving her skin naked to the humid air as he kissed her hard, his tongue taking control.

Never had Jinn had the need to give so much of herself, and that scared her. She paused, pulling away to gaze into his hunger-filled eyes and froze. The determination to conquer was there in his eyes. She tried to pull away, but once again his lips seized hers, and she became lost. Reaching down, she undid his pants and released his hard cock, grasping it in her fist as he groaned into her mouth. There…there was the control she needed.

A sense of power took over her thoughts as she wrapped her legs around his, her nether lips sopping wet with dew. Oh, how she wanted him. There was only this moment, nothing else. Guiding his staff, she pulled him inside, reveling at the way he filled her.

As he lifted his head to speak, she was determined to keep the silence, the moment too precious to lose.

“Jinn, I—”

She placed her fingers on his lips. “Shh…”

With a shift of her hips, she brought him back to the passion and closed her eyes to ride out the waves of ecstasy as she crested the first ones. He gasped as her pussy pulsed around his cock, the heat bringing shudders of excitement up her spine.

Once the climax passed, his hips moved, building the thirst for completion once again. On and on, he thrust and withdrew until she was mindless with the glory of it. Tab released a shout of bliss and followed her into oblivion.