They weren't out of the woods. Ordinarily, Gino would have kicked back and enjoyed every second of soaring through the night sky. He loved it. He'd always loved the peace up there, especially at night. It was quiet. Serene. He wasn't a laid-back kind of man. He spent a great deal of time watching, always on guard, and up here, in the sky, he could fully relax, even with a woman strapped to his chest. Unfortunately, he knew it was possible they wouldn't quite make the park, not unless the winds rushing behind them, pushing them, were favorable. Even if they made it, they still had to make the run, a quarter of a mile at least, to the embassy.
Whoever was in that elevator would find the tranqed guards and know they had to have used the roof to escape. Cheng had a lot of clout with the government. He wouldn't be able to say he had taken Zara prisoner, although he might claim she was an industrial spy. Gino kept his eyes on the woman as they rode the night together.
She hung limply in the harness, and that worried him. He didn't have a way to reassure her. He could only watch over her, and hopefully she felt him there, felt his resolution to keep her safe. She probably equated him with Zhu, talking so roughly to her. He was rough. He didn't have it in him to be gentle and refined like his father had been. He had no charm. That hadn't gotten his father anywhere.
It had been Joe's father and the three bullets that had nearly ended Gino's life along with the dead bodies of his family that had shaped who he was. He was more Ciro's son than Joe was. Joe was more Gino's father's son. Maybe they'd been born into the wrong families. Hell. Gino found his gaze drifting back to the woman.
There was a pull that had never been between him and a woman before. It was strong. Too strong for his liking. He fucked hard. He fought harder. He did whatever job had to be done without flinching. Women didn't influence him. He had been taught respect, first from his own father and then from Joe's, but no one led him around by his dick. This one ... He shook his head trying to figure out what the pull was and why it was her. It had been there since the moment he saw her picture and read the file on her.
Landing was going to be an issue. He needed to stay out of the trees inside that park and away from any objects on the ground. They hadn't been able to check out the park itself, so there were no specific landing marks to hit. He had to trust their leaders, Rubin and Diego, to find them a clearing for all five of them to put down, drop gear and make a run for it.
Their contacts at the construction company had a large van already waiting and the men would pack away the power paragliders and rush them back to the construction site where they would be broken into pieces and put into the bins with broken equipment to be shipped back to the United States. If it wasn't clear, the driver would keep moving. There was no way to trace the gliders back to the construction company.
The glider came in low over the park, skimming brush. He winced, hoping his woman didn't have her bare, dangling feet ripped up by leaves and twigs. The soles of her feet had been damaged by the cane and there had been three whip lacerations where Zhu had torn the top of her foot open. Gino found that strange when the man had taken such care not to leave lasting evidence on her body. Her feet were never going to be the same.
Rubin and Diego dropped their paragliders and ran back to help him as he guided his to ground. They caught at Zara, unhooking the clip and harness before Gino had a chance to stop the thing moving altogether. Between the two men, they managed to pull her free and out of the way. Already men were hauling Rubin's and Diego's gliders to the van.
Gino heard Zara cry out, a small, keening wail that tore at him. He wanted to rip Rubin and Diego in half. He dropped the equipment, went straight to her and gathered her up, swinging her into his arms and set off at a jog toward the embassy, Rubin and Diego running in front and back of him, matching his pace exactly. Ezekiel and Draden caught up, Ezekiel moving into position directly behind Gino so that Diego brought up the rear. Draden added into the formation, not missing a beat, jogging right past Gino and the others to take the lead position.
They were used to running in formation. They constantly scanned their surroundings, were aware of all traffic on the street. Gino knew by now, Zhu and Cheng would know Zara was gone and she only had one place she could go--the American embassy. All they had to do was drop an army of their guards into a car and haul ass to the embassy to stop them from getting her inside those gates. Not only was that a very real possibility, it was a probability.
The embassy loomed up before them, the high fence surrounding it. Soldiers went on alert, watching them running toward them. A car's tires screeched around the corner.
"Americans! Open the gate! Open the gate!" Draden called out. "We're Americans." They didn't slow, but doubled their pace, Gino holding Zara tightly to him. Rubin moved over to the street side, running with him, hiding their package from the car rushing toward them. Draden had his military ID out, waving it at the guard.
"Captain Ezekiel Fortunes," Ezekiel identified himself as they came up on the embassy.
The car screeched to a stop and Cheng's men poured out, armed to the teeth, running at them. The embassy gate swung open and Draden stepped inside, spun around and watched as Gino, with Ezekiel and Rubin, sprinted inside the gates. Diego kept up the rear, and like Draden, spun around to face Cheng's security guards and their weapons. The guards closed the gates right in their furious faces.
"Sir," one American sentry said to Ezekiel. "I'm required to see your ID."
"Captain Ezekiel Fortunes," Zeke snapped. "We need to get this woman inside. She's been tortured. We all are carrying our IDs, so give us an escort inside and we'll each show them immediately." He handed his over. "She needs medical attention."
"Yes, sir."
Gino felt Zara stir in his arms while Zeke sorted their identities with the guard at the gate. He wasn't listening. The tension in her ratcheted up another notch. Her body shuddered. Shivered. "Need your coat, Rubin."
Rubin immediately shrugged out of his jacket and helped Gino wrap the shivering woman in it. She had her head turned away from Gino's chest and was looking out the gate toward the security guards. Her breath left her lungs in a long rush of fear. Gino not only heard the small whimper of terror, but felt it. His eyes followed the turn of her head to the sleek car that had pulled up in front of the gates. A man slid out of the leather interior.
Bolan Zhu. Gino recognized him from his photographs. He looked like a movie star, his dark hair slicked back, his suit immaculate. He simply stood on the walkway, eyes on Zara's face. Gino turned her so she couldn't see the bastard. They all knew the big son of a bitch was the one doing the torture for Cheng. If her reaction to him was anything to go by, she was petrified of the man.
Deliberately, Gino locked eyes with the bastard. Let him know where the true threat was. Zhu could beat a defenseless woman, but it was something altogether different to come at a man looking forward to the altercation. He didn't smile. Not even a taunting smile. He didn't feel like giving him that much of a warning. He just stared at the fucker and then, contempt on his face, leaned down to nuzzle the top of Zara's head.
"I'm right here. I've got you," he whispered. "You're safe."
She shook her head and pressed her swollen face against his shirt. "I'll never be safe."
"Princess," he said softly. "Look at me."
She raised her head and peered up at him. He felt the impact all the way through his guts--through that monster punching at him to get out and rid the world of a man like Zhu who would commit such a crime against an innocent. Zara Hightower needed protection, not the cold monster lurking inside him, but he knew it was the same thing. His monster was her protection.
"I take care of what's mine. He won't get his filthy hands on you again. That's my promise to you."
He held steady while those little pinpoints of what was left of her eyes searched his. She must have caught a glimpse of that demon inside of him, the one ready to be let loose, the one punching and stabbing to get free.
"You unders
tand me?" Because he was telling her so much more than the words conveyed.
She swallowed again and nodded.
"Keep your eyes on me. Don't look at him. Don't think about him. A man like that is beneath contempt."
She nodded again, and once more, Gino lifted his gaze to Zhu's. The bastard was staring at him, stupid enough to think he might be intimidating. Zhu thought Gino was like the others, a white knight. Maybe he would have been, but that was long gone, ripped from him when he was a child and he'd been shaped into something completely different. He was a demon now, still rescuing the innocent, but with so much more in his arsenal.
Zhu refused to look away, or go away. He wanted Zara to be afraid of him. The man didn't realize she'd already recognized the monster in Gino and was willing to give herself to him for his protection. She saw. She believed. That was enough for Gino.
Gino turned with Zara in his arms, cradled close to his chest by his heart, and he walked away without once looking back.
The moment he was inside, he was a different man. He was an officer. A doctor. A surgeon, and he expected complete cooperation. He showed his ID but had no patience for the rest. "I'm a doctor," he snapped. "This is my patient. No one touches her until I know she's safe and has been treated. Take me to a private room where I can treat her."
"Her name?"
"Zara Hightower."
There was a small gasp. The military guards, Houghton and Hurley, exchanged shocked looks. "The Zara Hightower?"
Houghton was already moving, not waiting for an answer. Gino followed him. "Zeke's arranging a flight out of here as soon as possible on the first scheduled plane back to the United States. We have to get her out of the country before the authorities realize she's gone."
"She can't just leave the country without ... There are protocols. She's a guest here."
Gino sent him one look over Zara's head. It was enough. Gino let him see the demon, the one from hell ready to do damage to anyone opposing him. Houghton pulled open the door to a suite with a bathroom. Gino indicated the bed with his chin. Rubin and Diego had followed while Ezekiel went to make hasty arrangements to leave the country. Draden stayed with him to ensure his safety.
It was Rubin who ripped back the covers to expose the sheets while Diego ducked into the bathroom to run hot water onto cloths. He brought back towels.
"We'll need clothes for her for later. Something soft. Don't worry about underwear. Her body's too torn up."
Houghton's gaze found Zara's lower legs and thighs with their terrible striping. "Who the hell did this?" Anger was in his voice now. On his face. Yeah, he didn't much like seeing a woman, an American at that, treated to torture.
"Houghton," Gino said softly. "We have to get out of here before he goes to the government. You'll need to find us a plane out."
Houghton nodded and left them. Gino jerked his head toward the door and Diego and Rubin obeyed his silent order. Zara wasn't too aware of her surroundings, the trauma throwing her into shock, but later, he didn't want her to be embarrassed every time she looked at his friends.
"All right, princess, it's just the two of us. I'm cutting off this shirt and treating your wounds. First, I'm injecting you with morphine. I need to know if you have any allergies." He hadn't read that she did. Her body hadn't once stopped the terrible shivering, some of the tremors so severe she looked as if she was having a convulsion.
"Zara, when I ask you these questions, baby, you have to answer them so that I can help you. Understand?" He smoothed back her hair. In spite of her ordeal, that hair was every bit as soft as it looked. More even. "We have to clean you up fast and get you back to the United States where I know you're going to be safe. I'm taking you to Bellisia." He figured it wouldn't hurt to remind her that her best friend was waiting. "I need to take the pain away for you."
Another shudder went through her body. He saw her eyes shift to his face. "Trying." She managed. "So scared."
"I know you are. You're doing great. We're almost out of here. Any allergies?"
She shook her head. Gino didn't wait, but injected her with morphine. He was almost desperate to take away her pain. Her fingers traveled up his chest and found his jacket, curled there and held on. That little gesture disturbed him as nothing else could have.
She didn't look away from his face. Not once. Not when he injected her. Not when he could see the drug take her, not when he cut his own tee from her body.
"What's your name?" Her voice was whispery soft. Trembling still, but the terrible tremors were easing with the drug floating her.
"Gino. Gino Mazza."
"Thanks for getting me out," she said softly, her voice beginning to slur, letting him know she was already drifting. Her fingers clutched at his arm. "Don't leave me."
That was distinct. Very distinct. Her lashes, caked now with sticky infection, fluttered, but refused to go down. She was waiting for his answer. Refusing to give in to the painkillers.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here, standing guard."
Her eyes searched his face. Something in the hard angles and planes gave her reassurance. He was certain that close scrutiny would have frightened anyone else.
"Go. To. Sleep." He made it an order.
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. She relaxed completely, still holding his hand, but her fingers went slack and those lashes finally drifted all the way down.
6
Z
ara didn't want to open her eyes. He'd laid cooling cloths over her swollen eyes and face, soaking them in something each time they warmed and placing them back over her eyes. Gino. Gino Mazza. She woke often, too terrified to sleep. He murmured soft words of encouragement and tried to get her to sleep. She knew she was at the embassy, but she wanted out of the country. She knew what kind of influence Cheng and Zhu had. She couldn't go back there, and she wasn't going to sleep until she was safe far, far away from them.
There had been a delay and she knew Gino wasn't happy about it. At the same time, she was running a fever and he gave her massive doses of antibiotics and told her it was just as well they weren't flying in the air for hours while her body was so torn up. He was rough, bossy, scary, and sometimes, the things he said to her echoed the orders Zhu had given her. Zhu's voice was always gentle, Gino's not so much. That comforted her, that even when Gino was trying to be gentle, there was a note in his voice that said he could handle anything. Anyone. He could handle hell coming at him.
She didn't need or want nice. She needed scary. Dangerous. Someone capable of stopping Zhu. She needed strong. Confident. A man willing to do things that Zhu was willing to do if necessary. She knew there weren't too many good guys that were like Gino and she wasn't about to get too far from him.
She'd been given painkillers, really heavy ones that gave her relief and allowed her to drift off, but all she saw when she closed her eyes was Bolan Zhu. He terrified her. She woke, every time she fell asleep, crying her eyes out. That added to the raging headache. Through it all, there was his voice. It had a rough note to it. Deep and raspy. Not the voice of an angel. The owner of that voice didn't have the face of an angel either. More like a beautiful devil. She didn't want him to leave her side and every time he tried to, to her utmost horror and humiliation, she'd grabbed his hand and clung.
Clung. Like a baby. She was one of Whitney's GhostWalkers. A reject maybe. One that was useless as a soldier. She'd proven that. She certainly hadn't been stoic under torture and as tortures went, hers had probably had been mild in comparison to what happened to most others. Cheng had acted as if Zhu had taken it easy on her. Zhu had acted the same.
A shudder ran through her body and she tightened her fingers around his. Her guardian devil. Gino. She wanted him to be real, a terrible demon, and she didn't care if he was sent from heaven or hell to save her. He'd done it. He'd come for her and gotten her out. He'd carried her to the roof, strapped her to his chest to fly through the air, ran with her to the embassy and gotten her inside.
> Zhu had come for her, staring at her, determined she come back to him. She knew he wouldn't stop coming. Not ever. It wouldn't matter if she was in China, or the United States, he would come for her. If he ever got his hands on her ... She shuddered. It would be bad. So bad.
Strangely, Gino even used some of the same phrases when he talked to her that Zhu did. He wanted her to answer him when he asked a question. He insisted she look at him when he spoke to her. He had a way of dictating to her, using his voice to command her. With Zhu, she'd been terrified. With Gino, she was comforted. She felt as if Gino would take care of everything for her, make certain she was safe and secure.
She knew she was becoming too dependent on him, and it wasn't fair to him. He did everything for her. He had to take her to the bathroom. See to her every need. She was horrified and humiliated, but he didn't let her be that way. He was gruff about it, telling her to knock it off and that it wasn't a big deal. He didn't let others see her without her clothes and he even managed to tame her hair. He seemed to know when she was uncomfortable and anticipated her every need.
She found herself thinking about Gino as a man. His eyes. She'd looked up at him, and his eyes had caught her attention. Cool, nearly black eyes. Like obsidian. Gleaming like a cat's. Fierce like a cat's. Just as cool. His lashes were unexpectedly long and for some reason, she'd fixated on that. Held it to her. Did demons have long lashes?