Page 22 of Hearts Under Fire

“I don’t want to go. I just found you.” Alexis whispered back to her.

Kate choked down a sob and tried to focus on keeping pressure on Alexis’s wound and being silent.

The rumble of engines grew closer, accompanied by the sound of deep male voices calling out into the darkness. They weren’t concerned about being seen or heard, which meant they either had control of the area or they had weapons. Kate figured it was probably both, and tried not to let fear paralyze her.

“I know, and I just found you, too.” She wasn’t going to let Alexis give up.

“You can’t leave me now. I love you. I am not leaving this godforsaken desert without you, Alexis.”

I love you.

I love you so much.

Kate cried silently and wondered to herself if, after spending so much time imprisoned by grief, she was going to die in the desert or they both were before they ever got their chance to be together.

Chapter 8

Alexis

Those three words echoed in Alexis’s mind, and she wondered if the universe would be so cruel as to let her die the same day she heard a realI love youfor the first time in over fifteen years. Sure she had heard it from women who loved the idea of her. But Kate had seen beyond that. Kate loved her, Alexis was sure about it. Because she felt it too. There was something magical between them.

I love you.

Alexis had felt the words like a visceral jolt of electricity that coursed through every atom of her being.

Kate had come into her life so suddenly and unexpectedly. Alexis lived most of her adult life with no real dream of ever finding the one person to spend her life with. Never dating seriously meant never letting anyone get too close. It had never occurred to her that she could have a life with Kate beyond the one she’d known previously. The only thing now keeping them from a life together was the small matter of whether Alexis could stay alive long enough to get help.

Please. Let me live. If there is a god, please get us the hell out of here.

Despite Kate’s admission, Alexis could feel all the energy draining from her body, and she wished Kate had gone ahead to extraction without her. With her injury, Alexis had only slowed Kate down. She didn’t think she would make it. The injury felt too serious, and she’d already lost too much blood.

The rumbling of truck engines grew louder and closer. It brought Alexis back to reality. They were hiding in a ditch with enemy combatants roaming the hills in trucks looking for them. There was no way Kate would get out alive if they were caught in a ditch together and she refused to leave Alexis’s side.

Panic, an emotion Alexis to which was a stranger, rose in her throat, nearly choking her. She had to convince Kate to leave her there or come up with a plan to get them out of there. Their hiding spot would only work for so long, and with their team headed toward them, Kate might stand a chance at survival if she moved closer to the extraction point without Alexis.

Alexis swiped at the tears on Kate’s face with her good hand and whispered fervently to her.

“Kate, you can’t stay here. It’s only a matter of time before they find us.”

Kate’s glare was withering, but Alexis pressed on.

“Please don’t make me watch you die. I can’t watch anyone else I love die.”

Her arms were crossed over her chest and silent tears ran down Kate’s face.

“No. I am not leaving you. If you want me to get out of here, you better think of a plan.”

Fear rolled through Alexis. There was no way she could make Kate do anything in the condition she was in. The best she could do was make a plan and be sure Kate made it to the helicopter no matter what it cost Alexis.

“You’re so goddamned stubborn,” Alexis said accusingly, wishing Kate would just do as she was told.

Kate surprised her by lowering her head and capturing Alexis’ mouth in a swift, passionate kiss that stole her breath.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Turn the volume down on the satphone and call the team. Ask them their ETA.”

She did as she was told, and Alexis kept her gaze over the hill on the headlights drawing closer to them. If the team wasn’t already close by, Alexis wasn’t sure what she could do.