Avenged (Hostage Rescue Team Series) (Volume 5) (34 page)

Taya caught his face between her hands and pressed her mouth to his, sinking into him, letting this moment fill her senses. He was home and they were both safe.

Nathan murmured in approval and slid one hand into her hair to cup the back of her head. Without breaking the kiss he slid his hands down to her butt and lifted her, then walked her into his bedroom with her legs wrapped around his waist. He lowered her carefully onto the mattress and reached over to flip on the bedside lamp.

She touched his shoulder. “How’s Duncan?”

“Out of surgery and in ICU. The next twelve hours are critical, but he’s got a good chance of pulling through.”

Taya said a prayer for him. “And is it over?”

“All over. Captured eight and the rest of the attackers at the courthouse are dead. Some of them were wearing federal marshal or FBI uniforms.”

No wonder they’d been able to breach security in the confusion after the bombings.

“FBI and DHS are working to mop up the rest of the cell, find all the other members linked to it.” She let out a breath of relief and he cupped the side of her face, his hazel eyes scrutinizing her. “Cruz told me you took some shrapnel.”

“I’m okay, really, it’s nothing. He took care of it before the other agents brought me here.”

Apparently unsatisfied by her response, he carefully peeled his shirt off her and set about inspecting every inch of her naked body. His hands glided in a soothing, possessive caress up the front of her legs, torso and arms, his lips trailing kisses in their wake, touching every single mark he found. He kissed the abrasions on her hipbones, then rolled her to her stomach and peeled off the tape holding the bandages to her calf and shoulder blade.

Taya relaxed and lay still while he finished, enjoying the feel of his hands and lips on her skin. His touch wasn’t sexual right now, but there was a definite possessiveness and certainty to his touch that soothed her on the most primal level. She was his and she wanted him to know it.

When he was done he set the bandages back in place then gently rolled her back over to face him. Before she could touch him he was stripping off his shirt and uniform pants, his underwear. Naked, he reached for the lamp.

“Wait,” she said. She sat up and put a hand on his hip, pulled slightly to turn him. “Have you got green footprints back there?”

He huffed out a laugh and turned more, exposing his backside for her inspection. Two small, green footprints were tattooed on one taut butt cheek in the PJ tradition. “How’d you know about those?”

“I read up on PJs once I got back home and was always curious if you had them.” She traced a finger over them, smiling.

“You thought about my ass?”

“I did,” she answered, unrepentant.

“Okay, hands off it before you get me all worked up.” Nathan switched off the lamp, slid in next to her and pulled her close.

Immediately Taya curled into him, sighing in contentment at the feel of his strong, warm body cradling her in the darkness. “I hurt all over,” she said on a small groan. But she was alive. And if she had nightmares tonight, Nathan would be here to banish them. Just as she’d do for him.

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” He kissed the top of her head. “Did you take anything?”

“A while ago. I don’t want anything else but you right now though.” She ran her hands over his muscular back, enjoying the closeness, the sense of peace stealing over her. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

His big palm stroked over her hair, down her spine in slow, drugging sweeps. “Now that I’m holding you, yeah.”

“I can’t even process what happened today.” So many people dead or maimed, and the trial still had to happen.

“Don’t even try,” he murmured. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later. Right now just be here with me.”

She snuggled deeper into his embrace, smiling a little. “How’d you get to be so wise?”

“I met this incredible woman a few years ago. It was the toughest mission I ever went on, but she battled through everything like a champ. I never forgot her, thought about her all the time and then recently she walked back into my life again.”

His fingers stroked up the length of her spine, down again, sending warmth chasing through her. “She’s dealt with things so much better than I have and I’ve already learned a lot from her. She’s really rubbed off on me.” His arms tightened and he pressed his lips to her forehead. “I don’t plan on letting her go, either.”

Taya slid her hands into his hair, stroked it while she tipped her head back to look into his eyes, barely visible in the near darkness. “I’m falling in love with you, Nathan.”

At her words he groaned and wrapped both arms around her, holding her to his heart. “God, sweetheart, I’m right there with you. And I swear I’ll catch you if you’ll trust me enough to let yourself fall the rest of the way.”

She smiled, kissed the center of his chest where his heart beat strong and steady beneath her lips. “I do trust you.” He’d earned her trust in giving him her heart, as well her body.

****

Ten days later Taya walked up the courthouse steps accompanied by a new WITSEC team. The new location for the trial had been kept secret from the media and general public until this morning. Even though she knew The Brethren had been dismantled and the cell responsible for the attack destroyed, she couldn’t help the fear building inside her with every stride.

There were no crowds outside this time, and only a handful of media crews, who were kept well away from the pathway to the front doors. Inside her team waited beside her while she gathered herself. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to be present in the courtroom until she was actually called to the witness stand.

The attack had left her with a bad case of claustrophobia she was doing her best to tackle but in light of the importance of what she’d come here to do, she didn’t want anything distracting her.

She sat outside the courtroom on a wooden bench, using every calming technique she knew of to settle her heart rate.
You’re fine. Everything’s okay.

Finally a bailiff came out of the courtroom doors. “Ms. Kostas? It’s time.”

Taya rose and followed him through the tall mahogany doors. The courtroom was packed. Everyone turned in their seats to stare at her, but she had eyes for only one person.

Her gaze sought and immediately found Nathan seated at the back of the room. He was dressed in a black button-down shirt and khakis, and his welcoming smile was so full of pride she couldn’t help but smile back. She knew he was armed, she’d seen him tuck his pistol into his waistband just an hour ago.

They had talked on the phone every day but since the attack she hadn’t seen him again until last night, when he’d stayed at the safe house with her. All night he’d done an admirable job of keeping her mind off the trial, leaving her too tired and sated to worry about anything. His team was nearby again at a new staging area, on standby in case they were needed, but DeLuca had given him the okay to come here today. Once her testimony was over she would go back home to help look after her father, and as soon as the trial was over Nathan had promised to come see her, figure out their future from there.

She couldn’t wait to move forward in their relationship, together.

Turning her attention to the front of the room, Taya kept her eyes fixed on the judge and the prosecution team waiting there for her, completely ignoring the man dressed in the orange prison suit sitting in the defendant’s seat.

She walked to the witness stand, her heels clicking with authority with every step. Placing her hand on the Bible, she took her oath and sat. Meeting Nathan’s stare at the back of the room, she held his gaze for a long moment, taking strength from him. He nodded at her, a confident gesture that said
you’ve got this, little warrior. I’m right here to support you
.

It meant more to her than he’d ever know.

Releasing a slow breath, she raised her chin and finally turned her gaze on Qureshi.

The moment their gazes connected she felt a surge of power go through her. Throughout her nine hellish months of captivity, she’d been forbidden to look him in the eye. She’d known better than to even try, because she’d known what would happen to her if she did.

But they weren’t in Afghanistan anymore and he was no longer the one calling the shots.
She
held the authority now. Her life, her opinions, had value here. And her voice, silenced for so long, would now speak for all the victims unable to. Her voice would not only be heard here in this courtroom—it would be his undoing.

In the end, words would prove more powerful than any weapon he’d had at his disposal during his reign of terror. More effective than tyranny, fists, bullets or bombs.

Qureshi stared back at her with an insolent, almost bored disdain on his scratched face, making it clear what he thought of her. To him she was nothing but an infidel whore, a commodity less valuable than a goat or mule, to be bought and sold whenever it suited him, handed out to one of his soldiers as a prize of war.

Well this infidel whore is about to bury you, you son of a bitch.

Holding that cold, hateful gaze in the taut, hushed silence that filled the courtroom, she sent him another silent message. Let him see it in her eyes.
You didn’t break me.
I’m no longer afraid of you. You no longer have the power to hurt me or anyone I care about. And by God, I’ll make sure you never have the chance to hurt anyone else again.

Giving him one last scathing look to drive her point home, she broke eye contact. Dismissing him, as he’d done to her and her fellow captives countless times.

Elation and a sense of calm flowed through her as she turned her attention to the lead prosecutor and gave him a decisive nod. “I’m ready.”

Nate paused at the edge of the paddock in the fading twilight. Ahead of him the barn light was on, leaving a glowing yellow rectangle that spilled out of the half-open doorway. His pulse thudded as he gathered himself. This was the most important mission he’d ever undertaken. He kept telling himself there was no need to be this nervous, but he still was.

So much had happened over the past five weeks. Taya’s testimony was the most powerful of the entire trial against Qureshi. It had taken the jury less than a day to convict him, and a few weeks later, the unanimous decision to grant the death penalty had been given. Mahmoud and the other senior leaders of The Brethren were all in jail awaiting their own trials. Agent Duncan was on the mend, although facing months more of physical therapy to regain strength and control of his core muscles.

After spending the night at Nate’s place the night of the attack and with the threat against her over, Taya had gone back home to help take care of her dad. It had been hard to be apart from her that long, but he’d been busy at work and then sent out for training this past week. Talking on the phone every day hadn’t been enough for either of them. Now he was finally here and he couldn’t wait to see her.

The soles of his shoes were nearly silent against the paved path on the way to the door. A horse whickered from inside and the earthy, dusty smell hit him even before he got inside. He glanced around the well-kept barn, noting the stalls and the neat rows of tack and grooming equipment hanging on the walls. The faint sound of rhythmic brushing reached him, mixed with soft feminine humming coming from the last stall.

He headed for it, aware of his heart beating faster with each step. He stopped when he saw Taya. She was in a stall, her back to him, stroking a soft-bristled brush over the side of a bay horse. The animal was half asleep, its eyes half-closed and its ears drooping, but it perked up when it scented him. It lifted its head and Taya looked over her shoulder.

The way her face lit up when she saw him made him the most grateful man on the planet. “Hey, sweetheart.”

She dropped the brush, opened the stall and flung herself into his arms. Nate grabbed her tight, chuckling when she wrapped her arms and legs around him, clinging like a monkey. She leaned back to take his face between her hands, covering his face with sweet, frantic kisses. “You’re here,” she breathed, continuing to rain kisses over him.

“I’m here,” he confirmed, sinking a hand into her hair. “Your curls are back. I missed them.”

She smiled against his mouth. “Got my hair put back to normal last week.” Planting a long, lingering kiss on his lips, she looped one arm around his neck and trailed the fingers of her other hand down his cheek. “You shaved. You’ve got such a baby face, Nathan.”

He wrinkled his nose for show, not minding the teasing. “Yeah, that’s why I don’t shave very often.”

She rubbed her cheek against his, murmured in pleasure. “Don’t worry, you’re still insanely hot. I like your scruff, but I like this too. Can’t wait to feel your smooth face rubbing all over my naked body.”

A chuckle burst out of him even as her words made him go rock hard in his jeans. “Hmm, any places in particular?”

“A few very sensitive ones,” she murmured, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she met his gaze once more. “This is a nice surprise.”

“Yeah, I drove down as soon as I got back.”

His team had been at a training school in New Mexico for the past eight days. He hadn’t been able to call her the entire time, only to send a couple texts here and there when he could. Thankfully she seemed to understand, which was good, because if they were going to make a go of things then she needed to be okay with him being gone a lot, and not always able to be in touch. Because he wouldn’t be leaving his job anytime soon.

For the first time in months he felt like his position in the HRT was solid. DeLuca had told him personally that the unofficial probation was over, but not to be afraid to speak up if he needed anything.

So Nate had asked for and received three days off to come here to North Carolina. Before he headed back home, he wanted to make a serious commitment to Taya and take their relationship to the next level.

“I’m glad you did.” She leaned in to nibble at his lower lip, her tongue gliding along it and stealing inside his mouth.