to make under her arms and down at her trouser line. When she realized she’d forgotten to bring her first-aid kit with her, she scolded herself for letting Kong distract her.
Nonetheless, she enjoyed her bath and meant to make the most of it.
Kong stood to stretch. While he did, he walked over to have a peek at Sam, just to make sure she was resting peacefully. When he saw her spot was empty, panic slapped him. He did a quick look through the rocks, then scanned the open desert. There was no way she could have gotten out of camp without him knowing it, he thought.
Kong leaned down and shook Ricochet, then Boomer. “Wake up. Sam’s gone,” he told them. “Wake up.”
“What’d you say?” Ricochet asked.
“Sam’s gone.”
Boomer sat straight up, then grabbed for his gun. “How long?”
“Hell, I don’t know,” Kong grumbled.
The three men stood looking around. “I’ll go check by the other group of rocks,” Kong said walking away.
Boomer remembered what she’d said about a stream being over there and shouted after Kong, “Wait, she might be cleaning up in the stream.” But Kong didn’t hear him.
“Well if she is, we’ll know it soon enough,” Ricochet snickered.
As Kong got closer to the stream, he saw her. She stood facing it, her bare back to him. With the moon light he could see three large, rough-looking scars on her back. The skin was puckered and pale compared to the rest of her silky smooth back. He sucked in his breath at the sight and knew they were knife wounds. He’d seen those before. Some of his friends had them on their legs and arms, but he’d never seen any on a person’s back.
Anger welled deep inside, along with that overwhelming, annoying need to protect her. But there was nothing to protect her from. These wounds happened a long time ago and he’d be willing to bet that she repaid the favor. Still, their location was deadly. Two were placed over her lung area and the third was lower on her back. The fact that she survived such a stabbing amazed him.
Chapter Nine
Who the hell would knife someone in the back? From the looks of them they were old, she’d had them for a long time. He thought a moment, about the way she acted when she was dreaming, her parents dead. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but they were coming together, piece by piece.
When she reached over to grab her shirt, he caught the side view of her bare breast and when she leaned over to rinse it out in the water, he almost lost his breath. The view she was giving him, with her firm round behind sticking out toward him and her bare back, made him hard instantly. Without a word, he began to creep backward toward camp. He didn’t want her to know he’d seen her like this. She’d really hate him then. Hell, he was hating himself. This was a sight he wouldn’t soon forget.
By the time he’d reached camp, he’d thought about everything he could to bring his body back under control. When Boomer saw him, he gave Ricochet a slow wide smile. Ricochet turned toward Kong and shook his head.
“Guess you found her. Was she at the stream?” Ricochet asked.
“Yeah,” Kong grunted. His face was flushed and sweat was now running down his face. He held his gun in front of him to conceal the hard bulge in the front of his pants.
The three men were leaning against the rocks when Sam returned from her bath. The way Boomer and Ricochet were smiling, she knew she’d missed something. Kong on the other hand still looked like he’d sat on a cactus. She knew she wouldn’t be let in on the joke, so she went to her pack and pulled out her first-aid kit.
“Is everything all right?” Boomer asked with concern in his voice.
Without looking up she answered, “Yeah, everything is just wonderful.”
“You need some help with something?” he asked. By now the other two were curious enough to look over at her.
God, couldn’t she get a moment’s peace? At least she had her bath alone. Deciding not to
Nonetheless, she enjoyed her bath and meant to make the most of it.
Kong stood to stretch. While he did, he walked over to have a peek at Sam, just to make sure she was resting peacefully. When he saw her spot was empty, panic slapped him. He did a quick look through the rocks, then scanned the open desert. There was no way she could have gotten out of camp without him knowing it, he thought.
Kong leaned down and shook Ricochet, then Boomer. “Wake up. Sam’s gone,” he told them. “Wake up.”
“What’d you say?” Ricochet asked.
“Sam’s gone.”
Boomer sat straight up, then grabbed for his gun. “How long?”
“Hell, I don’t know,” Kong grumbled.
The three men stood looking around. “I’ll go check by the other group of rocks,” Kong said walking away.
Boomer remembered what she’d said about a stream being over there and shouted after Kong, “Wait, she might be cleaning up in the stream.” But Kong didn’t hear him.
“Well if she is, we’ll know it soon enough,” Ricochet snickered.
As Kong got closer to the stream, he saw her. She stood facing it, her bare back to him. With the moon light he could see three large, rough-looking scars on her back. The skin was puckered and pale compared to the rest of her silky smooth back. He sucked in his breath at the sight and knew they were knife wounds. He’d seen those before. Some of his friends had them on their legs and arms, but he’d never seen any on a person’s back.
Anger welled deep inside, along with that overwhelming, annoying need to protect her. But there was nothing to protect her from. These wounds happened a long time ago and he’d be willing to bet that she repaid the favor. Still, their location was deadly. Two were placed over her lung area and the third was lower on her back. The fact that she survived such a stabbing amazed him.
Chapter Nine
Who the hell would knife someone in the back? From the looks of them they were old, she’d had them for a long time. He thought a moment, about the way she acted when she was dreaming, her parents dead. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but they were coming together, piece by piece.
When she reached over to grab her shirt, he caught the side view of her bare breast and when she leaned over to rinse it out in the water, he almost lost his breath. The view she was giving him, with her firm round behind sticking out toward him and her bare back, made him hard instantly. Without a word, he began to creep backward toward camp. He didn’t want her to know he’d seen her like this. She’d really hate him then. Hell, he was hating himself. This was a sight he wouldn’t soon forget.
By the time he’d reached camp, he’d thought about everything he could to bring his body back under control. When Boomer saw him, he gave Ricochet a slow wide smile. Ricochet turned toward Kong and shook his head.
“Guess you found her. Was she at the stream?” Ricochet asked.
“Yeah,” Kong grunted. His face was flushed and sweat was now running down his face. He held his gun in front of him to conceal the hard bulge in the front of his pants.
The three men were leaning against the rocks when Sam returned from her bath. The way Boomer and Ricochet were smiling, she knew she’d missed something. Kong on the other hand still looked like he’d sat on a cactus. She knew she wouldn’t be let in on the joke, so she went to her pack and pulled out her first-aid kit.
“Is everything all right?” Boomer asked with concern in his voice.
Without looking up she answered, “Yeah, everything is just wonderful.”
“You need some help with something?” he asked. By now the other two were curious enough to look over at her.
God, couldn’t she get a moment’s peace? At least she had her bath alone. Deciding not to
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