"Yeah, well..." He shrugged, his quota of sensitive stuff to say already depleted. "You know me."
Her hand snaked up from between them to caress his face. "Yes, I do and still you surprise me sometimes. Thank you for the beautiful offer."
"She's family."
Monica melted again, but in the good way that let him know he'd done something right. Three cheers for digging deep.
"God, Jack, how could you ever doubt yourself?"
Okay, now things were getting deeper than he was comfortable with standing on a flight line in the middle of a war zone with people milling willy-nilly everywhere.
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "You need to head back inside. We'll be flying out soon."
Jack turned to guide her around and pulled up short for Colonel Cullen. How long had he been there?
The normally unflappable senior officer shuffled from one dusty boot to the other. "Is she okay?"
Monica stepped ahead of Jack to answer. "Sydney and the other hostages checked out fine physically. The emotional repercussions...well, those are out of my field."
"I, uh, meant your other sister." He planted both feet, his gruff tones echoed by his frown. "They slapped her around pretty hard during interrogation. I just wanted to be sure..."
Monica's curiosity must have been buried under doctor composure, because she didn't even blink. "I haven't evaluated Yasmine yet, sir. But I'll make sure to get word to you. How much longer do you think it will be before your people escort her over?"
The Colonel's restless feet stopped. "She's already here."
"Where?" Monica asked.
"Damn it, she's inside that plane." The Colonel's commanding tone stated it as if his will alone could make it so.
"No, Colonel, she's not in the plane."
The seasoned Ranger winced, his eyes shutting tight. "Shit."
Yasmine wasn't here? A bad feeling itched up Jack's spine that had nothing to do with the sand in the wind.
Colonel Cullen's eyes snapped open as he yanked his radio up to his mouth, barking out orders for a search. And under all the Colonel's gruff, Jack saw clearly the gut fear, felt the echo of it slam right into his own chest.
Things were about to go to hell.
And just like a week ago when Monica had demanded her rightful place in being there for her sister, she would be in the thick of things now for this sister, as well. Already, he could see her shoulders bracing into battlefield mode. Her will strengthening to steel. This independent, incredible woman who never played life safe, would always be in the middle of things for others.
The hell of digging deep was that now he had to face just how deeply he loved Monica. And how deep it would slice if he lost her.
Chapter 21
Drew pounded sand with his boots. Each heavy step in his search for Yasmine increased the kinks in his muscles. Damn. Damn. Damn it! How the hell did one slip of a woman land herself into so much trouble?
Anger chugged in time with his pace through the compound. Yes, anger. He was just angry. He focused on that emotion and let it power him through his search of buildings so the fear wouldn't sink debilitating claws into him.
She was fine. Likely sitting in some building readjusting her goddamned scarf and thinking up ways to make his life hell. When he found her, he would shout the walls down around her ears until she realized how reckless she'd been and he could pretend he hadn't screwed up.
Shit. He'd been so concerned with keeping his distance, afraid of weakening around her, he.hadn't kept track of her. Now she was missing. God only knew where. God only know who with.
And please, God, let her be alive.
He forced himself to stop. Think. Get his head out of his ass and figure out where she was. Where someone might take her.
Where had he seen her last?