“Don’t say that.”
“I’m trying to make you understand why this is so urgent.”
Jake’s chest tightened as he imagined his own grief if he somehow lost Rachel.
He knew she followed his thoughts and emotions; knew from the way she wrapped her arms around him and from her own churning mind that she was imagining the same terrible situation—in reverse.
We can’t leave them like that,she silently whispered.
We agreed that contacting them could be dangerous,Jake argued.
Are you saying you can abandon them in so much pain?
Jake let the question sink in.No.What do you want to do?
They’re far apart now. I think I can boost the signal between them. Let them talk to each other.
She turned to her husband.But I can’t do it alone. Will you help me?
He hesitated, caught by the urgency of her request and the need to keep both of them safe. Not just themselves, but Gabriella and Luke, too.
They’d made a commitment to the other couple; now Rachel was saying they should act on their own.
Can’t we wait?
They might go mad. Or kill themselves if we just wait.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Stephanie rarely drank anything stronger than wine. Now she sipped the brandy John had given her, welcoming the fiery sensations as it slid down her throat. Wanting to be alone with her private agony, she kept her gaze focused on the television, hoping for some scrap of news that would tell her Craig had survived the blast.
“We should move up the wedding,” John was saying. “I want the chance to be close to you, to make up for what you’ve just been through.”
Her gaze swung to him, and she knew he was watching for her reaction to that bit of news.
“Yes,” she managed to say.
“We can have the ceremony here at the plantation. We’ll just invite a few friends—and your father of course. I’m thinking a morning ceremony, then lunch around the pool.”
She nodded numbly. Was there any escape from this lovely plantation that was really a fortress? And where would she go if she could get away? It would have to be somewhere John could never find her. Out of the country for sure, but why bother if Craig was dead?
“Claire has been very helpful. She’s been making a guest list, which she’ll share with you. And she tells me that your wedding dress arrived at your shop.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll arrange to have it delivered here.”
“And we can contact a catering company,” Claire added brightly. “And a florist. That’s all you need.”
“And a license and man of God,” John added. “But all that’s easy to arrange.” He made a dismissive wave of his hand.
She tried to take all that in. Everything was moving too fast, and she wanted to scream at John to slow down, but she had to act like she loved the idea of marrying him right away—because anything less was dangerous.
And then what? She imagined kissing him. Imagined his hands on her body, and she had to keep herself from screaming.
As she fought to look normal, something happened that made her head spin, and she gasped.
John tensed. “Stephanie, what?”
