She caught ahold of the end of the branch, lifted and maneuvered it off his leg, closing her ears to the sound of his hastily cut off groan. The branch was cracked in several places and made horrid creaking and cracking noises, threatening to break into several large pieces, the offshoots shivering, throwing twigs and leaves raining down. She didn’t hesitate at all but kept the thick branch moving until it was completely away from Gedeon’s body. When she dropped it to the ground, it did break into pieces.
For the first time, she allowed herself to look at the man’s face to see if he was telling her the truth. His gorgeous jade-green eyes were definitely damaged in some way. Hastily, she tore a strip from his shirt, soaked it in the water from her backpack and slowly approached him.
“I’m going to tie this around your eyes. It’s all I’ve got at the moment to help. Then I’ll stabilize your leg to move you.”
“Why aren’t you afraid of my leopard?”
“I have a way with them. Is he acting up?”
“As a matter of fact, no.”
Meiling did feel a little smug at that. He sounded shocked. She wasn’t that surprised. She did have a way with large cats.
“How the hell do you think you can move me?” Now he was back to irritable.
“Does it matter? I’m getting you out of here unless you’d rather I leave you the gun and you take care of doing yourself in. Otherwise, stop whining and let me get this done. I don’t want to be here with you any longer than I have to.”
“I have to hand it to you, little doll, you have guts.”
“Don’t aggravate me with your cute little nicknames right now.” She did her best not to look at his body. He might be torn up, but he was the first man she’d ever seen who looked like he did. She had no idea men were built like him.
His mouth curved, but he didn’t say anything else as she firmly tied the cool cloth around his eyes and then made her way to his leg. She wasn’t certain the leg was broken, but it was a hell of a nasty, deep laceration. It took several precious minutes to find the right pieces of wood to stabilize the leg by bracing it on either side. She tied it firmly in several places, more than she thought necessary so there was no chance of a break worsening while she moved him.
“My car is about a mile from here through the jungle. I didn’t come in on the trail and I’m not going out that way, not that there is one any longer. I’m going to take you out in a fireman’s carry. It’s going to hurt and I’m sorry about that, but it’s the only way. Don’t give me your objections and or say one word about my height.”
“I’m naked.”
“I’m aware. I’ve got your clothes, but we can’t dress you with your leg like that. I can put your jacket over my shoulder if that helps with your dignity.”
Meiling didn’t wait for his consent. She folded his coat over her shoulder, pressed the rest of his clothing into his hands, bent her knees, crouched low and leveraged him over her shoulder.
“Your shoes are stuffed into the pocket of your trousers. The money Frankie owed your client is in the inside pocket of your jacket where you originally put it. All your weapons are still in the places inside your jacket where you keep them. Your wallet is where you left it. Your belt is intact, and nothing has been taken. Your phone is in its case on your belt. Once we are in the car, if you have people you want me to take you to or a hotel room, I’ll take you there.”
“That would be suicide.”
She moved through the brush much slower than she had anticipated. He was very heavy and all the while she knew every step she took was terribly painful to him. The brush tore up his exposed skin. She couldn’t cover him and move quickly. She had to get out of the jungle and away from the area before Frankie’s brother and his crew showed up to determine what had happened.
By the time she reached her Jeep, Gedeon was nearly unconscious. What had he said about suicide if she took him to his hotel? That didn’t sound good. Where was she supposed to take him? She didn’t have his kind of money. She couldn’t use the money he needed to send to the Orlov family. They were Russian. Amur Leopard. Bratya. Those people came after you if you didn’t pay them. They sent men like Gedeon to kill you. The Orlov lair were embedded in Colombia. She knew them by reputation only, but she had no wish to know them by more than that. They had ties to a family in San Antonio, Texas, of all places, and another in New Orleans, Louisiana.