“Dammit, Laine. I’m so fucking sorry.” He exhaled deep and brought his forehead to hers, not giving a damn about Striker.
Laine’s eyelashes fluttered on his cheek. He lifted his face so it was only an inch from hers.
A grimace twisted her features. She blinked open her eyes, then squinted as if the effort to keep them open was almost too great. “Roarke?”
He muttered a curse of thanks. “Yeah, Lainie. It’s me.”
She tensed, and her gaze darted around the vehicle. “Ohmigod, where’s Emmy? W-What happened?”
“She’s safe.”
Laine relaxed, and a ragged breath wheezed from her lungs. She raked her gaze over his face and placed her hand on his cheek. “Are you okay?”
He chuckled. “You’re the one who’s been unconscious for a solid five minutes. Yeah, babe. I’m good.” The term of endearment was meant to be laced with sarcasm, but it slipped out too fucking easily.
Her tongue jutted out over her bottom lip. The pink flesh did way too much for his sex drive.
“There they are,” Striker announced, pointing out of the windshield.
Sure enough, Viper stood bathed in the headlights. Emmy looked like a doll against his hulking form.
Laine straightened. “Thank god,” she breathed.
A minute later, he was in the back seat with Laine and Emmy. He stayed close but didn’t interrupt their hushed conversation. They bumped over the unpaved road. Thirty minutes until they reached the beach.
Where the next battle waited.
Chapter
Nine
Laine’s head pounded as she hugged Emmy close to her chest. The vehicle bumped over the gravel road. The rough movement combined with the sight of the landscape whizzing past intensified her nausea.
Roarke sat rigidly next to her. His hands rested on his knees and his gun draped over his lap. His body language screamed he was on alert, looking for the next threat.
Fear quickened her pulse as she pulled Emmy closer. “Where are we going?” Whispering would do nothing to shield them, nor would it prevent Emmy from overhearing, but she did it anyway.
Roarke’s gaze landed on her then shifted to Emmy. The hard planes of his face softened, and something reflected in his eyes struck her in the chest. Regret?
“We’ve got another half hour until we reach the boat.”
Her eyes widened. “Boat?”
It hadn’t crossed her mind that they might travel by any other method besides car. The thought of taking Emmy out on the Persian Gulf made unease ricochet through her. She swallowed. “Is that safe?”
She hated to question him. Especially after everything he’d been through to get them away from Cameron. Emmy was herpriority, though, and she wouldn’t put her in any more danger unless it was absolutely necessary.
Emmy must have sensed her agitation because she shifted to look up at Roarke. His large form took up almost the whole back seat. Her leg and arm were snuggled against his, and Emmy’s feet were spread over his lap.
Laine swept a strand of Emmy’s hair behind her ear. “Stay down, honey.”
Emmy quickly dropped to Laine’s shoulder.
“It’s what we have to do,” Roarke finally answered. “I’ve got a friend lending us his yacht, which will allow for faster travel. The water has its own risks, though. As you probably know, military presence is heavy on the gulf.
“How long will it take?”
He grimaced. “Five or six hours.”
