Diana Palmer - Diana Palmer Collected 1-6 - Soldier of Fortune / Tender Stranger / Enamored / Mystery Man / Rawhide and Lace / Unlikely Lover

Gabby dropped back to put a comforting arm around the smaller, older woman and smiled reassuringly. “It won’t be long,” she said.

“Absolutely,” Laremos agreed. “There. We are home.”

The finca looked so good that Gabby wanted to kiss it. The outside bore no marks of violence, but inside it was a different story. The furniture was wrecked, the floors scarred. Laremos’s dark eyes glittered as he saw the evidence of the brief occupation.

“I’m sorry about your house, señor, ȁ Martina said gently.

“ Señora, that you are safe is the most important thing,” Laremos said with pride, turning to bow in her direction. “My poor house can be repaired. But your life, once lost, would not have been restored.”

“I owe you a great debt,” Martina said. Her clothes were torn and her hair hung in wild strands. But she looked spunky for all that. She reached up and kissed Laremos on his tan cheek. “Muchas gracias.”

Laremos looked embarrassed. “My pleasure, señora. I regret that I could not have done more.”

“Is everybody all right?” Gabby asked, looking around at the battle-scarred little group with concerned eyes.

“Gabby, you’ll spoil us if you worry about us,” Apollo said, chuckling.

“Not me.” First Shirt glowered at Apollo. “Worry all you want, Gabby. I’ll just sit here like a sponge and soak it up.”

The others joined in, all except J.D. He kept to himself, looking dangerous and unapproachable until Martina and Gabby left to go up to the room Gabby had shared with him.

“A bath.” Martina sighed, taking advantage of the facilities. “I feel so dirty!”

“It must have been horrible,” Gabby said, digging out fresh clothes.

“Not as horrible as it could have been. I wasn’t abused, at least. That surprised me.” She came out of the shower minutes later, toweling her long hair dry. “Your turn. I imagine you feel as mucky as I did.”

“Yes, I do.” Gabby laughed. “My shoulder hurts and I feel shaky all over.”

“You saved J.D.’s life,” was Martina’s quiet comment. “I can never thank you enough for that. But don’t expect him to,” she added dryly. “I think his pride’s dented. He’s very quiet.”

“He’s been through a lot. They all have. What a great bunch of guys,” she said fervently.

“Tell me!” Martina laughed, and despite the weariness in her drawn face, there was joy. “I’d like to kiss every one of them twice. I can’t tell you how I felt when I saw J.D. come breaking in that door! Wasn’t it lucky that he had that military training?”

Obviously Martina didn’t know everything about J.D.’s past, and Gabby wasn’t about to betray him. “It sure was,” she agreed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Her shoulder was turning blue, but she was grateful to be alive. She still couldn’t believe what she’d done. It had been pure instinct when she saw the weapon pointing at J.D. Let him be angry at her—she couldn’t be sorry about what she’d done. Even if the man had shot her, it would have been worth it to deflect his aim. If anything had happened to J.D., she might as well have died. She loved him—so much!

The next day, Roberto drove in from the airport and there was a wildly emotional reunion. Gabby, watching, couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy she felt. Roberto was crying as he embraced his wife, and unashamedly at that. Gabby’s eyes darted to J.D., who hadn’t said a single word to her since they’d come out of the jungle. They’d all had a good night’s sleep, Martina and Gabby sharing the big double bed this time, but his dark mood hadn’t lifted. He wouldn’t even look at Gabby, and that hurt most of all. She’d only wanted to save him, but it seemed that she’d committed some unforgivable sin.

Chapter Six

Roberto was very Italian, if someone who lived in Sicily could be called Italian, Gabby mused. He was of medium height and thin, with a charm that was immediately apparent when he bent over Gabby’s hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said. He grinned, glancing at J.D., who was talking quietly with Apollo in the living room. “Martina’s brother mentions you often.”

“Does he?” Gabby asked conversationally, privately wondering whether she even had a job to go back to, now that it was all over. J.D. still hadn’t looked in her direction.

“It was bad, Gabby,” Martina said from her husband’s side, her dark eyes meeting the other girl’s green ones warmly. “Jacob and the others…well, it was a miracle that any of us got out. He’ll get over it. It has been a long time since he was in the service, you know. It had to affect him.”

“Yes, of course,” Gabby said, smiling faintly. She couldn’t let Martina know the truth. “You look awfully good for somebody who went through what you did.”

Martina clung to her husband’s arm and smiled. “I have my whole world back again. I feel good. Just a little shaken and homesick.” She glanced up at Roberto. “Can we go back today?”

He inclined his head. “As soon as our pilot finishes the meal Laremos was kind enough to provide.”

“It will be good to have familiar things around me.” Martina sighed. “But I do not think I ever want to go shopping alone again.” She shuddered. “From now on, my husband, I will listen when you warn me against such things.”

“I had feared that it would happen,” Roberto confessed, with a glance at the men scattered around the living room. “Thank God your brother and his friends knew so well what to do. I am sure that the kidnappers would never have let you live.” He pulled her into his arms and held her convulsively, his eyes closed, his face contorted. “ Dio, I could not have lived myself!” he whispered hoarsely.

“Shh,” Martina said, comforting him and smiling. She clung to him, and Gabby could only imagine how it felt to be loved so possessively. She experienced a twinge of envy, because nobody had ever cared for her that way. J.D. surely hadn’t. He looked as if he were frankly sick of the whole thing, especially Gabby.

“You had better spend a little time with Jacob while you can,” Roberto said, releasing Martina. “It may be another year before we see him again.” He smiled. “Hopefully, the next time will be under happier circumstances.”

“Oh, yes,” Martina said wholeheartedly. “Gabby, you must come to Palermo with him next time and visit. Our villa overlooks the sea, and it is so beautiful.”

“I’d like that,” Gabby said noncommittally. She was thinking that J.D. would probably never take her as far as the corner again, but she didn’t say it.

Martina approached her brother, and as J.D. stood up Gabby got a glimpse of his face. It softened magically for his sister. When he smiled at her it was like the sun coming out. Gabby couldn’t bear the contrast between the way he’d looked at her in the jungle and the way he looked at his sister. She turned and went toward the bedroom to finish packing.

Later, as she was folding clothes, Martina tapped at the door and entered the room quietly, smiling sheepishly.

“I hate to ask, but do you have some makeup I could borrow?” J.D.’s sister asked. “I feel like a hag.”

“Yes, of course, I do,” Gabby said quickly, taking her cosmetic case from the dresser. “I didn’t bring much, though,” she said apologetically as she handed it over, along with a brush. “I kind of figured that we weren’t going to be going places that I’d need to dress for.”

“Thank you,” Martina said and seated herself in front of the mirror. “There!” she exclaimed, smiling ruefully at her face. “Such pleasure, from such a mundane thing,” she murmured. “Gabby, there were times when I thought I’d never live long enough to do this again.”