Acquiring Trouble

turning the cheerleaders blue?” s omeone asked from the crowd.
    “Y ea h , not so sorry about that one,” Morgan laughed and at her apology the tow n seemed to begin to thaw toward her . She knew it was just the beginning, though. She’d need to earn their trust and respect over time.
     
    Morgan opened the door to her hotel and Bill sauntered through it, h is belly hanging low after all the food he had snuck from Marcy’s table. After gi ving their statements to the ho rd e of FBI agents, Marcy had herded them to her farm and fed them.
    “Come on, Bill. Let’s get a nice b ed for you.” Morgan walked over to the closet and pulled out a large pillow and an extra thick blanket. She laid it on the far side of the room and smiled down as Bill curled up and fell asleep instantly.
    Could this be her life now: a snoring dog, a handsome man who loved her, a sister , and a family? The town was learning to accept her.  She even had found a friend in Annie , and all the other women had made an effort to talk to her tonight. Morgan could hardly imagine a life where she had love, family , and friends.
    “What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” Miles asked as he unbuttoned his shirt, reveali ng the hard lines of his chest.
    “You. Me. Us.” Morgan kicked off her shoes and stepped toward Miles.
    “That sounds serious. What about us?” Miles slid the shirt off his well- defined arms and laid it on one of the chairs. She tried not to stare, but sh e suddenly felt very, very hot.
    “I was thinking about maybe not rushing back to DC. What do you think?” Morgan asked hesitantly.
    “I think tha t sounds like a wonderful idea , and let me show you all the reasons why.” Miles sat down on the bed and pulled her toward him. He wrapped his hands around her hips mov ing her be tween his legs. His hands practically burned through her clothes.
    “You look flushed, let ’ s get you out of those clothes.” Miles slid his hands up her ribcage, brushing the sides of her breasts as he pulled her shirt off. Yes, staying in Keeneston would have some very nice benefits indeed.
     
    *      *      *
    Afghanistan, s ix y ears ago…
     
    Miles felt the familiar dream start up again, but he was helpless to wake himself . He was shoving a bleeding and unconscious Cade into the sedan and grabbing the keys to find out who was b anging inside the trunk.
    He reached out slowly with the keys in his hands. He had calmed his breathing and was ready for whatever he found in the trunk. With his gun in the other hand he slowly inserted the key. With a slow and deliberate twist of the key Miles felt the lock give. He raised his gun and stepped back to w atch as the trunk popped open.
    A blonde woman star ed at him with wide eyes as she pushed herself f a rther back into the tru n k . She had been beaten badly. H er face was swollen and black and blue. Her lip was split and there was dried blood coming from her nose. Miles knew she would be screaming if it hadn’t been for the dirty cloth stuck in her mouth.
    “Mariah? Mariah Brown?” h e asked in a soft, yet authoritative tone. The woman stilled and then nodded frantically. “I’m Captain Miles Davies with the United State s Delta Force. I’ve come to rescue you. I’m going to pull out a knife now and cut your bindings, okay?”
    When she nodded again he reached into the trunk and cut the rope digging into her ankles and wrists. She quickly reached for her mouth and yanked out the rag. He scanned the area as he held out his hand to assist her out of the trunk. She was just a child, about Paige’s age and it pained him to think of someone like her going throug h this.
    “Thank you! Thank you so much Captain Davies.” Mariah sobbed as she climbed out of the tru nk and collapsed into his arms.
    “Are you injured?”
    “No, just relieved. I’m sorry, my legs aren’t doing too good of a job holding me up right now. I’ve been in that trunk for G od knows how long.”
    “I’m sorry, but you’re not going to have time to stretch them now. My brother is in the car injured and we need to get to safety.” He took out his compass and field map and started to devise a plan.
    “Oh my G od! You’re injured! Let me look at it. I took first aid when I was a lifeguard.” Mariah grabbed his brown camouflage before he could stop her.
    “It’s okay ma’am . I’m fine. It’s more important we get out of here quickly.” Miles looked down at the map again. “We were suppose d