“You did,” he said quietly. “You set everything in motion, and now their fate is sealed.” Yanking her behind a tree, he put a finger to his lips, and they remained motionless until he signaled that the danger had passed. “They’ve turned back. They must have heard there was a crack shot on the loose.” Celina relaxed as humor glinted in his eyes. “Where did you get the gun, by the way?”
“The gang boss got careless, and so did his elderly assistant.” She shrugged. “I took advantage.”
“You certainly did,” he agreed dryly.
He drank her in. Even now, she looked great with her mussed-up hair and her tight Spandex dress rolled up high, and that gleam of determination in her eyes. Made for sashaying and posing rather than running for her life, the showy dress had been short to begin with, but now it was little more than a bandage. He was furious with her for putting herself at risk like this, and so proud at the same time that it hurt. Yanking her close, he gave her a short hot kiss.Dios!He’d missed her. A desperate need filled him to protect Celina and keep her safe, and to punish those who would have hurt her. That still had to be done. He wouldn’t hold back when he got his hands on the scum, but for now, his hands were full of Celina, and that felt right.
“You okay if I help you shoot our way out of this?” she asked as they moved off again.
He laughed as he dragged her close for one last fierce kiss. “I thought you’d never ask.”
~~o0o~~
The team of vigilantes commanded by the four members of the Blood and Thunder team had rounded up the surviving slavers. Having handed them over to Interpol, with whom they worked closely, they were able to congratulate Celina for all she’d done. Thanks to her, they had uncovered a huge network of subscribers to what had turned out to be the gang’s frighteningly regular auctions.
Engaging autopilot on his private jet, in which he was flying Celina back to Spain, he turned to face her. This was the first chance they’d had to talk in private. Celina had insisted on joining him on the flight deck after taking advantage of the comforts of the cabin, where she’d showered and put on a spare set of his sweats. They drowned her, but she still looked great. She hadn’t lingered for long in his luxurious private quarters. She still couldn’t quite believe she was safe, he guessed, and needed company, his company.
“We lost Del Roca,” she commented, staring at him with concern.
He shrugged. “These things happen. I’m relieved you didn’t meet him.
You’re braver than you know, braver than it’s safe for you to be. I don’t want you to risk your life again.”
“I couldn’t think of another way to infiltrate the gang. I knew you wouldn’t let me go if I told you what I planned to do.”
“Too right I wouldn’t,” he agreed. “Next time, trust me. Talk to me.”
“Next time?” She huffed a rueful laugh. “I still wouldn’t tell you. You’d have had me in chains faster than the slavers.”
“Don’t ever compare me to them,” he said quietly.
She held his gaze and then said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t even joke about it.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. Humor’s what saves us from becoming brutes like those men. It shows we’re human, shows we care. If we can laugh, the next stage is to move on. You’ve done nothing wrong.” After activating autopilot, he raised her hands to his lips and kissed them.
“You’re making me cry,” she protested when he released her. Knuckling her eyes, she pulled a rueful face.
“You’re tired.”
“Exhausted,” she admitted with a sigh as she rested back in the seat and closed her eyes.
“Go to my private quarters and lie down. I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”
Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I won’t be able to sleep. I’d rather be here with you.”
“I’ll come with you. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep. I’ll call the copilot now—”
“No. I’m fine.” She touched his hand. “Don’t make a drama of it.”
She was frightened of sleep, frightened of the nightmares she might have, and no wonder. What Celina had been part of was sick beyond belief. Some of the viewers at the auction in which she’d been on sale paid a regular subscription to watch the proceedings just for the hell of it, while others were serious buyers. All the women were helpless, vulnerable victims who would probably never be heard of again. It meant a lot to Celina to pass on what she’d learned, and Interpol had been more than grateful for a clean-up that hadn’t taken a huge bite out of its budget.
“You don’t mind if I stay here on the flight deck with you, do you?” she asked.
He looked into eyes that were wide and vulnerable and shadowed with sights he’d been spared. “Not at all. You do what’s right for you.”
She smiled, and for a while they were content in each other’s company. They’d made it out. They were together. Anything else was a bonus.
“I can’t stop thinking about my friend being killed.”
