Page 21 of Keeping Kara

Then it occurred to her. “What about you?”

“What about me, what?” he asked.

“I don’t see another harness.”

“I’m good.”

Kara opened her mouth to protest. He couldn’t seriously be considering getting hauled up into the helicopter with no safety gear?

Thankfully, he wasn’t. A rope descended from above that had another harness attached. Much faster than she’d gotten into hers, Arrow slipped it up and over his hips, tightened the straps, then held out his hand to her.

“I’ve got you, Kara. Promise.”

“What about your shoulder? And ribs?” she asked, as she stepped closer to Arrow.

“They’ll be okay. And I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She didn’t get a chance to tell him that she wasn’t worried about herself at the moment, that she was more concerned about him.

He pulled her closer, then frowned. He lifted his gaze from the harnesses they were wearing. “I need to hook us together. It would be safest if I positioned us face-to-face, but I understand if that’s too painful for you. I can hook us with your back to my front if you’d prefer.”

She immediately understood what he was saying. And truth be told, being that close to a man made too many memories flood her mind. Of Nolan holding her down, hovering over her as he assaulted her.

But Arrow wasn’t Nolan. What happened to her was traumatic, but this man had proven time and time again that he wasn’t anything like the monster who’d abused her.

“It’s okay. All I can think about is that water you promised me.”

She tried to smile but had a feeling it was a little wonky.

“You’re amazing,” Arrow said softly into her ear. Then he reached for a ring on her harness and slowly pulled her body flush with his. “Close your eyes. Think about how good that water is going to feel going down your throat. How it’ll fill your belly and make you feel full after just a few swallows. How amazing it’ll taste. And I know some people think water has no taste, but they’ve never gone without it for so long that they crave it.”

“And you have?” Kara asked, voice shaky, doing her best to tamp down the panic she felt when her and Arrow’s pelvises lined up perfectly. Since they were almost the same height, she could feel the bulge in his pants as he hooked them together.

“Wrap your legs around me, and your arms around my neck. And stay as loose as you can. I’ll do all the work. I know this is hard, but you’re doing amazing. Good, just like that. Easy, Kara, breathe. You’re safe with me. I’ll get us unhooked and give you some space the second we’re inside the chopper.

“And to answer your question, yes. Edge and I were once pinned down by enemy fire for several days when an extraction went sideways. Our chopper was hit, and we had to wait for backup to arrive. We were with a team of Navy SEALs, thank goodness, and were able to hold off the bad guys. But we had very little supplies. I swear by the time the rest of my team got there and took us back to base, that first glass of water tasted like the finest wine.”

Kara kept her eyes squeezed shut while he spoke. She suddenly felt them leave the ground, their bodies spinning in a circle as they were reeled toward the helicopter. She appreciated his attempt to distract her from her current position and what was happening. Shockingly, it was working.

“Okay, hang on just a few more seconds. You’re doing great. You’re going to feel us swinging outward, and then hands on you, but you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you, they just need to get us inside. Don’t try to help, just let them do their thing.”

Kara braced herself.

Just like Arrow promised, the hands on her were strong and sure and didn’t linger as they hauled her and Arrow into the helicopter.

“Twenty more seconds and I’ll have you loose,” he told her, still speaking directly into her ear so she could hear him over the roar of the engine.

True to his word, she felt the harness she was wearing go loose as she lowered her legs and stood. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into Arrow’s concerned gaze. He was wearing a headset, which one of his teammates must’ve put on his head as soon as he’d gotten inside the helicopter.

“You okay?” he asked.

She couldn’t hear the words, but read them on his lips instead. Kara nodded.

He turned his head and said something to someone, but she didn’t take her gaze off him. He was her anchor in a world that suddenly seemed a lot more scary. Out in the woods, she could almost pretend that Nolan didn’t exist. But now that she was going back to civilization, she had to face up to the possibility that he hadn’t died in the flood. That he was still out there, biding his time to get her back into his clutches.

Because when he’d told her that he’d never let her go, she believed him. He was smart and a total chameleon. He could blend in anywhere. Never letting those around him see that he was completely devoid of any kind of morals. That he was a psychopath who only cared about what he wanted. Didn’t care if what he was doing hurt someone else.

She was brought back to the here and now by Arrow’s hand on her upper arm. He gestured to the harness she wore with his head and demonstrated what he wanted her to do when he unclipped his own.