Deadly Games - Cate Noble [79]
Rocco touched his waist. “Mine’s gone. Doubt we’d get a signal anyway. My gun’s gone, too.”
“Same here.”
Rocco looked at the dark jungle. “I’m going to walk back this way, look for my wife.”
“I’ll head out over there, then,” Clay said. “We’ll cover more ground if we split up. I suggest we stay within a reasonable distance. The fire will be out soon. I know you’re worried about Jill, but it won’t help her if we get lost, too.”
“Look, about her name—” Rocco began. Working this type of private security, Clay had to suspect most clients used aliases.
“Just tell me her real first name. If she’s dazed, she might not recognize Jill,” Clay said.
“It’s Gena. And she’ll call me Rocco.”
“As soon as we find her, you can go back to Jill and Mike,” Clay said. “Good luck.”
Rocco pushed into the brush. The rain continued to fall. The lightning had moved north, but flashes on the horizon continued to break up the dark.
“Gena!” He cupped his hands near his mouth as he shouted.
Please let her be alive, he prayed. Even if they never saw each other after this, Rocco had to know she was alive.
The gnawing reminder that it was his fault she was in danger ate at him. Just let me find her alive and I’ll walk away without ever looking back.
It was the looking back that had kept him trapped. For years he had dreamed of meeting Gena again, just to talk. To get answers. Closure. He’d wanted to know why she hadn’t just told him the truth about dating Harry instead of letting him hear about it from Harry.
Especially when she still felt something for Rocco. Damn it, he’d felt it yesterday morning in that hotel room when they’d almost made love.
Gena had wanted Rocco with the same hunger that burned in him. The same hunger he remembered from all those years ago. And it was more than lust, more than physical attraction. Rocco knew true love. Could recognize it in other people as well as himself.
“Gena! Can you hear me?” he shouted again.
“Rocco!”
He stopped moving. “Gena! Where are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m here! Can you follow my voice? Are you okay?”
Rocco turned to his left, honing in. “I’m fine! Keep talking until I get to you!”
“I’ve been so scared! I found the plane and the pilot—he’s dead!” She was crying now, just a short way ahead.
He took a few more steps. “I’m right behind you, Gena!”
“Where? Please hurry, Rocco!”
He stepped in front of her and wrapped her in his arms. Almost immediately he released her and moved away. “Are you injured?”
She pushed back against him and buried her face in his chest. “I’m fine. I was just afraid you were—”
“Shhh. I’m fine, sweetheart. Clay’s alive as well. He’s looking for you, too.”
“Thank God.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s get back to the plane. You okay to walk?”
“Yes.”
He took her hand and led the way through the trees toward the barely visible fire. “You’ve already been to the plane. You must have landed closer than I did.”
“I landed in a tree. My seat cushion somehow stayed with me and broke my fall.”
When they reached the plane, Rocco steered her to a spot away from the pilot’s body.
“I’ll be right back. I need to let Clay know I’ve found you.” Rocco moved into the trees on the opposite side of the wreck and began shouting. He didn’t get a response but wasn’t worried. He’d try again in a few minutes.
When he returned he found Gena huddled with her face buried against her knees. She was shivering, probably from shock as well as the wetness of her clothes.
Rocco looked around and then began gathering limbs and vines to construct a lean-to. The first priority was shelter from the rain. Even if the tracking beacon worked, the darkness and stormy weather worked against them. A search-and-rescue mission probably wouldn’t launch until morning.
“Rocco?” Clay’s voice called out.
“We’re here at the plane! I found my wife!” Rocco shouted.
Moments later, Clay burst through the trees. “Is she okay?”
“Physically, yes. I’m working on a shelter to get her out of the rain.”
Clay moved closer. “Forget that. I found a shelter not too far from here. Looks