"Our ride." He kept his voice easy, his posture loose.
She nodded, but her fingers pressed hard against her leg. Her shoulders had gone rigid, muscle bunched beneath her skin. She wasn't panicking anymore, which was good, but the adrenaline crash was starting to hit her. He'd seen it before, the comedown after a firefight. The shakes, the tight breathing, the way your body wanted to collapse once it realized the immediate threat had passed.
Ghost moved closer, his thigh pressing against hers. His arm around her back looked natural, like they'd sat this way a hundred times before. He felt the tension radiating through her, felt the fine tremor running beneath her skin. His other hand settled on her knee, thumb moving in slow, deliberate strokes. Warm skin under his palm. The muscle in her thigh jumped slightly at his touch.
"Breathe," he said quietly, his mouth near her ear. Close enough that his breath stirred the hair at her temple. "You're safe."
She exhaled slowly, working to control her breathing. Her body was still wound too tight, though. The way she held herself, like she was afraid to let go.
He leaned in and kissed the spot just below her ear. Soft. Lingering. Letting her feel that he was there with her, that she wasn't alone in this.
Rachel shivered, and he felt the reaction travel through her body where it pressed against his. Her mouth curved slightly. "Kissing me like that isn't helping me relax, you know."
His lips brushed her skin again, slower this time, and he felt her breath catch. "You getting worked up, baby?"
She swatted his chest, but there was no force behind it. "Ass."
He laughed quietly, the sound genuine, and she turned toward him. Her eyes met his, and something shifted in her expression, the fear receding enough to let something else through. Want, maybe. Or just the need to feel something other than terror.
He cupped her jaw, thumb tracing along her cheekbone, and kissed her. Hard enough to ground her, deep enough to pull her out of her head. She made a small sound against his mouth, her hand coming up to grip his shirt. He could feel her heart racing where her chest pressed against his, tasted the fear still lingering on her tongue mixed with something sweeter. When he pulled back, he caught her gaze and held it. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing uneven. "Better?"
Her smile was small, her breathing uneven. "Yeah. I needed that."
His phone buzzed against his leg. He glanced at the screen.
Torch:Out front.
Ghost stood smoothly, his body already shifting back into operational mode. "Let's go."
Rachel got up and he guided her toward the door, his hand at the small of her back. He could still feel the tension in her spine, but she was moving with him, trusting him to get her out of this.
The door creaked open and bright sunlight flooded in, making him squint. The second they stepped outside, Ghost’s entire demeanor changed. His posture straightened, his eyes already scanning rooftops, alleyways, parked cars. They were still exposed out here, still targets, but he had Rachel with him, and nobody was getting past him to her.
He spotted the black Jeep idling at the curb. Torch sat behind the wheel, sunglasses reflecting the street, his jaw set in that expression Ghost knew meant he was ready for trouble. Echo rode shotgun, fingers tapping the dash in the rhythm he used when he was focused and ready to move.
Ghost's hand pressed against Rachel's back, urging her forward. "Get in."
She slipped into the backseat without hesitation. Ghost followed, pulling the door shut behind him just as Torch eased away from the curb like they'd coordinated the timing.
Inside the Jeep, nobody spoke. The tires hummed against asphalt. Air conditioning blasted from the vents, cutting through the heat still clinging to Ghost's skin. Rachel exhaled beside him, her shoulders finally dropping as some of the fear started to drain away.
Ghost didn't let himself relax. Wouldn't, not while she was still in danger. He reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. Her palm was clammy, her grip almost too tight, but she held on like he was the only thing keeping her anchored.
He ran his thumb across her knuckles, feeling the delicate bones beneath her skin, the way her hand fit into his like it belonged there. She'd trusted him to keep her alive. He'd make damn sure he did.
32
The Jeep's engine hummed as the city blurred past, sunlight and shadow streaming through the windows. Torch drove with practiced ease, hands relaxed on the wheel, weaving through traffic like it was second nature. Ghost remained alert.
His jaw was clenched, eyes constantly moving across sidewalks, side streets, reflections in glass towers. But his fingers stayed laced with hers.
She watched him from the corner of her eye, still on guard, still protecting her. She squeezed his hand gently.
He glanced at her. "You okay?" His voice dropped.
Rachel managed a tired smile. "I think I should be asking you that."
His mouth curved slightly. "I'm not the one who had to climb down a balcony in a nightgown."
