Page 52 of Her Faithful Protector

“What is it? Where do you hurt?”

“Everywhere,” she whispered to the ghost of her past. “I hurt everywhere.”

“Raiden!” he shouted. The sound hurt her ears. He loosened his hold and brought up his knees so she could rest against them. He cupped her face. “Are you with me? Do you see me? Who am I?”

“You’re my Nic,” she whispered with a smile. “But you’re not really here.”

“Ah baby, you can take it to the bank that I’m here, and I’m not leaving. You’re staying in my arms, by my side for the rest of your damn life.”

Camilla felt herself begin to relax. Her muscles softened, her neck released and rolled to the side. It was as if all of the steel that had invaded her body since the kidnappers had boarded the bus suddenly vanished and now she was a marshmallow. She was floating on a cloud. It was a beautiful cloud because Nic Hale was with her.

“Cami, stay with me, honey.” He sounded anxious. Ahhh, he didn’t need to be worried when they were on the cloud.

“Raiden! Where the fuck are you, man?” Nic was yelling again.

She felt his breath on her face as he leaned in. His hazel eyes glittered; how could she have not recognized him, despite the paint on his face? Her heart should have felt his as soon as he was close.

She lifted her finger and traced the cleft in his chin. “You’re here, you’re really here.” She breathed out the words in wonder. Hope fluttered in her soul; how was it possible that at this moment in time her dearest dream was coming true?

“I’m here, Cami,” he agreed. “Just rest.”

Ignoring his words, she moved her finger higher, tracing his bottom lip, glorying in the beauty that was her Nic. “I dream about you.”

His eyes flared.

“Even though you didn’t want me, I dream about you.” She pushed her finger between his lips. She thought she heard some kind of sound in the distance but she pushed it away. She didn’t want anything to disturb this moment.

Nic’s eyes warmed. “After we fix you up, I want to hear about every one of your dreams. Every single detail.”

He stroked her hair, just like he used to. Camilla tried to lift her other arm so she could encircle his neck. As soon as she did, fire flared and she moaned with pain.

Nic pulled her finger out of his mouth. “Cami, you need to stop. You’re injured, baby. Let me take care of you. Don’t move.”

A wave of sound crashed down upon her. She blinked and saw she was surrounded by men in uniform and the other students. Her breath shuddered as she took in where she was, then she looked back up at Nic and clutched at his shirt.

“It’s okay Cami, I’m here. I’ve got you.”

“Don’t leave me,” she begged desperately. “Don’t leave me again, please.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He turned his head and shouted. “Raiden, get your ass over here.”

A man knelt down beside them. “Raiden’s with the tour guide. You’re stuck with me.”

“Kane, she’s in bad shape. You’ve got to help her.”

Camilla kept staring at Nic, praying she could stay in his arms.

“Miss, you’re going to be just fine. Nic won’t let anything bad happen to you again.”

16

He wanted to be holding her in his arms, but right now other things needed to be done.

“The choppers should be here by nightfall,” Max said as he looked down at Kane’s tablet. “Thank God we don’t have any life-threatening injuries. Just the same, they’ll be ready to help with the injured.”

“I don’t like the look of Lisa’s arm,” Raiden said. “She definitely has a fever and infection.”