“Hassan is dead.” He clenched his jaw. “Looks like he was tortured before being shot and thrown off his boat.”
“Ohmigod!”
“That’s how Cameron found us so quickly.”
Her eyes grew small. Scared. And dammit, he hadn’t wanted that weight on her chest.
“I— I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
He tightened his hold on her knee. “No, it’s Cameron’s fault. And he’ll pay.”
She exhaled a shaky breath. “Cameron will never stop. I was stupid to think we could escape him. He won’t let us get away. He wants Emmy.”
Fire scorched his skin. He pulled her into his arms. “He can’t fucking have her. Or you. I won’t let that happen.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “You can’t protect us forever. I need to start thinking about where we’ll go once we get back to the US. I think Pittsburgh is out of the question. Cameron will look there.”
He inhaled her soft and willowy vanilla scent, committing it to memory. “I won’t leave you two until I know you’re safe. I promise.”
He might have broken a promise before, but this one he’d keep.
If it killed him.
She should be tired.Exhausted. But as Laine sat on the couch watching a mindless reality show and listening to water splashing in the shower, she couldn’t quiet her mind.
She hated that Hassan had died because of her. That she’d become a burden to Roarke. She’d dropped a chaotic mess right at his feet. Her ex wanted to kill her, and Roarke was stuck in between.
Not exactly romantic.
She could rely on Roarke to get them home safely, but beyond that, she needed to be prepared to protect Emmy and herself at all costs.
She’d once told Cameron she’d love to live in Florida or a warmer state. Surely if she changed her name and Emmy’s and moved somewhere north of Pittsburgh, he wouldn’t find them.
Either way, it’d be a huge change for Emmy. Maybe they’d get a dog—for both security and to make the transition a little more fun for Emmy.
Cameron hated dogs.
Which was another thing that infuriated her. Given how little Cameron had been around when they’d lived in London, she should’ve gotten a dog anyway. But no. She’d been too worried about upsetting him.
Now, she could get the dog Emmy had always wanted. She had to be smart—and act fast once they hit American soil. She didn’t have much money. The house in London was in Cameron’s name. Even though they were common-law and the place was half hers, she couldn’t exactly fight him in court.
Not if she wanted to hide from him.
She had some money set aside in an account. Cameron had provided financially and had told her many times not to work, but she hadn’t wanted to give up her teaching career or be solely dependent on his money.
She’d never planned on being a single mother, but she could do this. As long as she had Emmy, she could do anything. And Roarke being back in her life changed things as well.
Where their relationship would go was unknown, but at the very least they’d be friends. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. If she’d stood up to Cameron and kept in contact with Roarke, maybe things would have ended differently.
Switching off the TV, she got to her feet and went upstairs, stopping at Emmy’s bedroom. She lay curled in the middle of the bed with Big Bun, her expression relaxed and peaceful. Laine tucked the blanket closer to her chin before slipping out of the room and crossing the hall to the master suite.
The bathroom door popped open, and Roarke stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets glistened on his smooth, broad chest. Muscle—so much damn muscle—tapered from his stacked shoulders to his torso.
Her mouth went dry, and her panties got wet. She didn’t stop her gaze from sliding leisurely over his masculine contours. Last night, she hadn’t fully explored all this manly glory.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Need something, Lainie?”
Her heart skipped ten beats. “Um, maybe.”
