Page 88 of Lion’s Den

Sedona poked him in the chest with her finger. “You don’t know what a jewel you’ll miss if you keep that attitude about women, Isaac.”

From behind Sedona, his teammates grinned at his dismay.

Cam said, “Gear up and let’s get moving. I want to get this done in the next three hours.” Didn’t know if being in these woods at the same time as she had been here before would help or not. To give her the best chance of remembering sights, sounds, or scents, Cam would be glad to give up a few hours of sleep.

Cam and his teammates slipped on their Go bags and checked their weapons one last time, then set out in single file, except for Cam and Sedona who followed Dario through the darkened woods lit only by weak moonlight shining through the tree cover.

Although Cam longed to speed up, Sedona struggled to stay on her feet. She tripped over exposed tree roots and stumbled on rocks.

Minutes later, Cam said to his teammates, “Here is where I found Sedona.”

Spencer glanced around, frowning. “But there’s nothing here. Didn’t you say they held her hostage in a building, but she escaped?”

“That’s right. David and his brothers weren’t able to narrow down how far Sedona had run.”

“Why not?” Dario asked.

“She couldn’t help them. The kidnappers gave her Ketamine.”

“And that messed with her memory,” Spencer said. “How can we help Sedona the most?”

Taking her back to the safe house would have been his first answer. That would only delay the inevitable. Cam knew of one thing that worked to prod her memory, or rather, one person. “Spread out and do a grid search of eight hundred feet. Isaac, you’re with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The others decided on sectors and spread out to search the area.

“How can I help, Cam?” Isaac asked.

“Sedona, would you object to sitting on the ground?”

She shook her head. “Why?”

“I want to try something with Isaac’s help.” Once she was seated close to the tree where she’d been hiding, Cam sat on the ground behind her and pulled her deep into his embrace. “Is this okay?”

“This is wonderful. You’re like a furnace.”

He chuckled, glad she would have good memories to counteract the bad ones from this place. Cam urged Sedona to rest her head against his shoulder. “Relax into me. Think about the warmth and know you’re safe. Nothing will happen to you while you’re with me.” He’d die before letting harm come to her.

When she followed his suggestions, Isaac said in a soft voice, “Close your eyes, and let your mind drift.”

She tensed.

“Relax, Sedona. You’re safe and surrounded by a team of men whose sole purpose is to keep you safe. Relax and breathe.”

Three minutes later, she gasped.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SEDONA’S HEARTBEAT SOARED into the stratosphere. How could she have forgotten? Her eyelids flew upward. But would this team of tough Special Forces soldiers think she was out of her mind?

Cam’s arms tightened around her. “What is it, Tiger? Did you remember something?”

She nodded. “It makes little sense, though.” Maybe she had imagined the noise.

“Don’t second-guess yourself,” Isaac murmured. “What did you remember?”

“A sound.”