Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) (19 page)

“
How are you holding up?” He pushed her wet hair back, away from her face. “You never signed up for this.” Garrett studied her eyes, watching for any sign of weakness.

“
I was so naive, Garrett.” She brought her arms up and around his back and laid her head gently against his scratched, naked chest. “I was so selfish, so stupid.”

He didn
’t want her taking the blame for any of this.

“
I don’t kiss stupid or selfish women.” He brought his face down and found her lips with his. For several minutes, he felt Liddie return his affection with matched desire. He teased her body, pulling at her clothes and rubbing all the parts he now knew made her quiver.

“
We have to stop,” she said slowly, pulling away. “It’s probably not a good time.”

Garrett
pulled away and put his head down. “You’re right. You’re right.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Let’s finish doing what we can.”

An hour
passed quickly
as Liddie continued to help Garrett water, feed and clean up the animals as best they could. The two of them were past exhausted, but neither stopped.

Garrett amazed
Liddie. No cage was too large to move, no animal too vicious to handle. While the tigers scared the hell out of her, Garrett approached them with a wise authority, deftly using her to draw their attention one way, while using an old broom and water to move in and clean out the filthy cages. The animals would growl and paw at first, but quickly plop down appreciatively in the cooler and cleaner area he’d created for them.

Passing each other as they ran back and forth to the water barrels, Liddie and Garrett would pause to touch. It wasn
’t for long, but Liddie found it invigorating. It began with Garrett simply helping her to lift a bucket from a barrel. He’d tickle her back or quickly bury his face in her neck before pulling away to retrieve his own bucket of water.

Liddie would reach out as he passed, giving Garrett the opportunity to touch, rub and sometimes even kiss her hand. An opportunity he never passed up.

They kept up like that until the sound of a motor could be heard in the distance.

“
Garrett?” Liddie was suddenly fearful. It was too soon for the rangers.

He came up to stand beside her and listened.

“Damn.” Garrett looked at his watch. “Go hide behind the cabin, Liddie.”

“
But who is it?”

Garrett took her arm and began to escort her out from the middle of the camp. When they reached the side of the cabin he pulled a gun from his back pocket and checked the chamber.

“Where’d you get that?”

Garrett wiped his brow.
“From the office.” He looked around the corner, waiting for the vehicle to come into sight.

“
Who do you think it is?” Liddie felt a panic rise up into her throat.

“
Remember those guys who left when we got here? They took the Rover?”

Liddie nodded. There
had been five of them, who apparently prepared the camp and then left when Parker arrived with his entourage.

“
I’m assuming it’s one or two of them returning, but it could also be other local poachers who Parker hires to help.”

“
You’re sure it’s not the police.”

He shook his head.
“Too soon. You’ll see them accompany the trucks we bring in here to haul the animals and evidence out. They’re big and loud.” Putting an arm out to keep her back, he continued. “Just as I thought. It’s two of them returning in the SUV.”

Garrett motioned
for her to hide behind the cabin. “Disappear into the forest if you have to, but be careful,” he noted. “Don’t make any sound.”

He left her to go toward the front of the cabin. Liddie heard car doors open and then slam closed. The men started talking to each other in a language Liddie didn
’t understand.

“
Maxon!” They yelled, obviously looking for Parker.

Liddie could hear them enter the cabin across the way and s
lam the door after searching it. When they came to investigate her cabin she stayed glued to the outside wall and listened. The door slammed only seconds after they’d entered it.

The men were distressed now, obviously spotting the animals outside and
realizing the other men were missing. They began to point and question each other.

Liddie
’s heart stopped. She poked her head around the corner of the cabin and saw the two men heading toward the barn. Garrett, gun drawn, was following.

She ran
toward the cages. Garrett had used a shovel to clean out some of the muck, and she quickly located it by a tapir. Liddie patted the friendly pig-like creature, careful not to get close to its teeth. While generally shy, the mammal would bite if frightened.

“
Hold it right there!” She heard Garrett yell out, and seconds later, a shot.

Liddie
saw one guy fall to the ground, while another took a shot at Garrett. He dove behind a water barrel. The second man disappeared behind the barn. Garrett ran after him.

Liddie grabbed the shovel and ran toward the man who was beginning to move on the ground. He was trying to crawl for the gun Garrett had kicked away.

“Sila!” The man saw her and called out in a plea. Liddie didn’t know what it meant, but picked up the gun before he could get to it and stuck it in her waistband.

The man was missing a few teeth and holding onto his shoulder. Blood was running down a dirty shirt that had long ago lost its color.

He reached out and started walking toward her. “Gun.” He motioned toward the barn. “Sila!” he pleaded again.

When Liddie shook her head, the man
’s face contorted in evil anger and he ran toward her. Liddie held the shovel out and tried to hit him.

Another shot rang out from
behind the barn. Then another.

The sound
s surprised Liddie and in that instant the man was on top of her. He grabbed the handle of the shovel and tried to take it away, but she held tight. Then he pushed and kicked a leg out from under her.

Liddie hit the ground and immediately brought her legs up to kick the man off. He hit the side of her face with the shovel.

The sting of it burned, and she became dizzy. He jumped on her, grabbing at her pants until he found the gun and pulled it from her waistband.

Liddie tried to focus
. The side of her face felt numb. She was almost relieved when he pushed himself up and off her.

Until she saw the gun
.

Liddi
e rolled onto her stomach and tried to crawl away. A gun fired.

She
wanted to scream, but couldn’t get the sound out. Tears blurred her vision and she felt the weight of a man fall on top of her.

Liddie lifted up and
scuttled out from under his body. Blood was on her hands and the sight of it provoked a bolt of panic clear through to her soul. In seconds, she was sure, a bullet would kill her. She struggled to escape and find cover.

“
Liddie!”

She didn
’t recognize the sound of his voice at first. It didn’t sound like Garrett. It sounded panicked, frightened. Not like Garrett at all. She began to run.

“
No, Liddie!” He tackled her and turned her over in the mud. “It’s me.” He took her face in his hands. “You’re okay, Liddie, you’re okay.”

She hadn
’t realized until that moment how scared she’d been. The sounds coming from her mouth were not screams, but short yelps of fear. Just like the monkeys, the tapir, the bear and tigers, Liddie had been reduced to helpless prey.

She
quickly blinked and turned to see the man who had shot at her, lying lifeless on the ground a few feet away. She looked back into the calming eyes of Garrett.

“
It’s over, Liddie,” he reassured. “It’s over.”

After pointing her toward the cabin, Garrett disappeared behind the barn. Liddie knew what he was doing. When she turned back to look, Garrett had dragged the other man from behind the barn to lie beside his awful companion.

How
ignorant of them, she thought. She watched as Garrett walked toward her. Every step reflected a determination and strength that only fools would take lightly. Dark eyes scanned the perimeter of the camp assuring it was secure. Taut muscles twitched at the slightest indication of trouble. How incredibly stupid for any of these men to think that they could control or conquer Garrett Wade.

This man, Liddie
realized, had more than training. Like the tiger, he was hard-wired with a natural extinct to carry out his duties to the world.

With what felt like a stab to
the heart, Liddie wondered what woman would be dumb enough to believe that he could settle down for her.

W
hat woman would be dumb enough to want him to?

Garrett walked up to stand beside her. “Won’t be long now.”

Liddie nodded. Her so
-called business trip was ending. A complicated stew of emotions bubbled up inside her. She was relieved and happy, but fearful as well.

Would her relationship with Garrett end here? Would he kiss her off and move on?

“You okay?” he asked, noticing the heavy silence.

Liddie
shrugged, keeping her thoughts of him private. “I guess I’m a little nervous to see other people.” She sighed, holding out her arms in disgust. “I’m such a horrible mess. God knows what they’ll think of me.”

Garrett
wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Relax, Liddie. You’ve already won their hearts.”

He walked her over to a set of steps outside one of the cabins
, and they sat down. A light mist of rain and faint breeze kept them cool. She rested her head against his chest. The solidity of it revived and calmed her.

“
I take it they’re both dead?” she asked.

“
Yes.”

The animals were peacefu
l and relaxed. The whole camp had calmed down. Movement, any movement, was minimal.

“
You’re sure?”

Garrett squeezed her tight.
“I’m sure.”

Liddie breathed deep.
Maybe it really was over.

They
sat silently for minutes. “You must think I’m thick,” said Liddie finally. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay hidden. But I thought…”

“
I know what you thought.” He interrupted. “But you shouldn’t worry about me so much. You should worry about protecting yourself.”

She turned her face to look at his.
“But you worry about protecting me, more than you do yourself. I think it should be a mutual arrangement.” Liddie rubbed her tired eyes. “If you put your life on the line to protect me, why shouldn’t I try and protect you?”

Garrett shrugged.
“Because you don’t have the training.” He brought his hand up to her face and eyed the huge bruise that had formed on her cheek. “Look at you.” He pressed on the side of her face and rubbed. “Geeze, Liddie, you got hit with a shovel.”

“
Ow! What are you doing?” She slapped his hand away.

“
I want to make sure he didn’t break your cheekbone.” Garrett laughed. He poked at it again, stopping when she yelped with pain. “It’s a nasty bruise, but you’ll live.”

Liddie reached around and
, without him seeing, grabbed some mud. “Let me see your face.”

When
Garrett obliged, she smeared the mud across his chiseled cheeks and chin.

“
Oh, no you did not.”

Liddie laughed and tried to roll away from him, but Garrett held her tight.
“If you had some professional training,” he noted, “you’d know how to get away from me. But, as you can see…”

He
rolled her to the ground and pinned her body beneath his with strength to spare.

“
As you can see,” he finished, “you haven’t a chance.”

Liddie took a deep breath and
smiled. His eyes quickly changed from sweet to serious. She moved her arm and he released it, letting her lift a hand to his face to wipe the mud away.

“
Oh, Liddie.” He collapsed to bury his face into the side of her neck with a soft nuzzle.

“
Garrett?”

“
Mmmm?”

“
Are you and I… temporary?” She tried to sound as if it would be fine with her, if that was the way he wanted it.

Garrett lifted his head immediately and pushed himself back on one elbow
to address her directly.

“
Nothing I do is temporary, Liddie,” he said softly. “I’ll be a lifelong soldier, a lifelong pilot, a lifelong conservationist, and,” he came down to kiss her hard before finishing. “A lifelong lover of you.”

Liddie smiled
, her heart filling with so much love for the man. “I want you to meet my aunt,” she said quietly. “She’s always had a great love for animals, and I know she’d adore you.”

Garrett nodded.
“I know about your aunt, and I would like that very much.”

“
You know?”

“
I had someone look into your background, when we were in Dubai.” He kissed her again. “I think you’re a wonderful niece, and I’d love to meet the woman who raised you.”

Liddie could certainly understand why he
’d been suspicious enough to investigate her.

“
So,” she sighed. “I guess it’s all over. We’re done here.”

“
Sort of,” he began with a frown, “Unfortunately, I don’t get much down time. There’s so much work to be done.” He squinted in thought. “Once we wrap up here, I’ll probably be in Africa next. The poaching of elephants is beyond catastrophic. If more isn’t done to help them…”