Page 6 of Grayson

“Sgt. Major? We have to go,” said one of the men. He nodded.

“Are the others alright?” he asked.

“Thirsty, hungry, scratched up but nothing like what she endured. The Sisters said you took every beating, every punishment for them. Brave.”

“Thank you.”

“I wasn’t complementing you,” frowned the Marine. “It was stupid.”

“Well, I can see where he learned his bedside manner,” she said with a smirk.

“This isn’t funny, Jennifer. I need to call your father.”

“No!” she said gripping his hands. She held them tightly, too tight for her small body. Grayson looked at their joined hands, then at her face. Too young. She was too young. “No. Please, Grayson. Not yet. They didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t want them to know.”

“Do you forget that this is what our family does?” he said under his breath.

“I know. I know, you’re right but this is different. I want to, I need to get that priest. I need to bury him,” she said.

“So, this is all a vendetta? Fuck no, Jennifer. It’s not happening!” he said standing.

“Sir, no offense but if you could keep your voice down and not give us away, we’d all appreciate it,” said the corporal. “We’ll be walking down, as planned, on the back side of the mountain. If you two follow, that would be ideal but please sir, no disrespect intended, shut the fuck up.”

Grayson raised his brows at the young man and chuckled. Jennifer gave him a small smile.

“I’ll explain it all, Grayson. Please don’t give me away. Not yet.” She stood from the rock and he realized that she wasn’t wearing a full habit. He looked her up and down and then at the other Sisters.

“They burned my habit as they were attacking me. Thank goodness I was wearing a thermal long-sleeve shirt beneath it.”

“Thank goodness?” he frowned. “In case you haven’t noticed you’re barefoot, wearing nothing but white panties and that damn shirt that’s too tight for you.” Her brows lifted as she stared up at him. He was so much larger than she was and time had only made him more handsome, more rugged.

“Unless you have a spare dress, I have nothing else to wear,” she said softly.

One of his men had a child on his shoulders, another held by the hand. He tapped the kid on his shoulders on the knee and the little boy handed her something in the dark.

“I had an extra pair of sweats in my pack,” he said softly. “They have a drawstring waist. They’ll be big, but you’ll be warm.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as he walked away.

She shoved her feet into one leg than hurriedly attempted the other leg. She hadn’t realized how much that was going to hurt, how much her inner thighs and groin were bruised. She started to tip forward and then felt the big hands of Grayson Michaels grip her upper arms. He stood her up and then kneeled in front of her. He placed her hands on his shoulders and then held open the leg of the sweatpants.

“Thank you,” she said staring down at him. He nodded, then began rolling the legs up so she wouldn’t trip. Mindlessly, she lay her hands on his head, feeling the thick dark hair beneath her fingers. His breath quickened and her heart began racing.

“We have to go,” he said standing. She only nodded as he grabbed her hand and began walking down the mountain. Realizing she also had no shoes, he stopped and cursed under his breath. He crouched once more, tapping the back of his pack.

“Get on.”

“Grayson, it’s too much. I’ll be fine,” she said attempting to walk by him. His gripped her waist, pulling her back.

“Get on my fucking back or you won’t like the way I carry you down this mountain.”

She thought about all the snide comments, the retorts moving through her head. She thought about how her heart had nearly pounded through her chest when he was standing in the back of the auditorium at her high school graduation. She thought about her parents and that did her in.

Silently weeping, she climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He pulled her tighter to him, then held her hands.

“Where are we going?” she whispered, suddenly exhausted.

“Home.”