“Whatever.” She pushed him off her completely, and this time, he let her. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Fine,” Raider grumbled, moving loudly to the other side of the bed. “My head hurts, anyway. But baby, you’re giving it up in the morning, or you’re not going to like the result.”
She kicked him in the shin for good measure, even though he was acting. He deserved it. The bed shook for a moment as if he couldn’t help but laugh silently.
Waiting in quiet for about an hour was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Raider gave a good impression of snoring for about twenty minutes, and even though her stomach hurt and her body had chilled from fear, an odd need to laugh rose in her. A hysterical one. So she bit it down and tried to remember that men with guns were right outside the door.
Finally, Raider slipped from the bed, not making a sound. He ducked and pulled up his jeans before tossing on his shirt. Enough moonlight illuminated the room that she could track his movements.
Holding her breath, she eased from the bed and stood in the thick socks, regaining her balance. Then she followed him to the window. He painstakingly slid the lock free and then lifted the glass in a smooth but slow motion.
Brigid’s legs wobbled, but she stood still and off to the side.
Raider watched outside for a while and then took her hand, drawing her close. He pointed at a white trellis over to the side and then gently nudged her toward the sill, keeping her hand. She faltered at the sill and his face hardened as he gestured her out.
It was too far to the trellis.
She looked down, and her stomach dropped. A stone path lay right below the window two stories down. There wasn’t even a bush or two to break her fall. She faltered.
He instantly pivoted, picked her up, and set her on her knees on the sill, facing him. His face was implacable. Geez. Would he actually push her?
Panicking, she grabbed the sill and eased her body outside. Cool air brushed her, and she shivered, holding on with all her strength and trying to be as quiet as possible. Raider grasped her wrists and then shoved. She gasped and kicked her legs, stilling as she realized he held her aloft. She looked up into his deep eyes. Oh. Man. Just how strong was he?
He swung her gently back and forth, giving a short nod as he swung her hard and released her left hand. She reached out and grabbed the trellis, hovering in midair for a second. He let go, letting her swing and latch on with her other hand.
She pressed her forehead against the smooth wood, panting. Okay. Down. She was totally exposed right now in the air, and she needed to get to the ground. Climbing down in the socks was easier than if she’d had on shoes, because her feet fit inside the squares better. Going as quickly as she could, praying the damn thing would hold her, she climbed down fast and let out another sigh of relief when her feet touched stone. Then she sidled toward the house, angling herself into the corner and waiting. Her heart beat so quickly, her chest ached.
In another couple of seconds, Raider dropped to the ground. He grabbed her hand and ducked low. “This way.”
She gasped for air, trembling with what had to be too much adrenaline. She copied his pose and hunched her body, trying to appear smaller than usual.
He led her along the house and down the path until they reached trees.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Raider shoved her behind a tree and covered her with his body, blocking her view of the courtyard. The footsteps continued in even time, casual and purposeful. They slowly faded away.
Her lungs felt like they were about to explode. How did he seem so calm? He checked one way and then the other, taking her hand and moving to the path again. They inched carefully down the stone steps toward a dock. The water lapped in, splashing against the dock.
A glint of gold caught her eye, and she angled her head to see part of that picture frame in his other hand. She’d forgotten about weapons.
She stumbled, and he quickly righted her. They reached the bottom of the steps and hurried to the dock.
“Hey!” a male voice yelled right before a man ran out of the trees. “Breach. Calling ‘All Breach!’” he bellowed, pulling a long black rifle over his shoulder.
“Shit.” Raider turned toward the man coming at them. An alarm blared from the house, and lights came on in every room, followed by floodlights all over the property. “Get in the boat, Brigid!” Raider yelled, ducking his head and charging the guy with the gun.
* * *
Raider hit the guy mid-center, throwing them both onto the sandy beach. Pain detonated in his head, followed by explosions of light behind his eyes. He ignored the ongoing concussion and struck fast and hard for the guy’s neck, cutting deep with the edge of the frame. The guy flopped unconscious, spraying sand. In one smooth motion, Raider grabbed the rifle and backflipped to turn and run for the boat.
Men shouted from around the house. Good. They wouldn’t know where he was yet. The trees partially blocked the beach area from the floodlights, but not enough.
He ran down the beach and leaped onto the dock, where Brigid was finishing untying the only boat. A sleek black speedboat that looked like it could really move. Excellent. He grabbed her and tossed her in.
A body tackled him from nowhere, throwing him onto the dock. His forehead bounced, and his ears rang. He rolled and manacled the attacker with his feet, yanking the guy’s head down and immobilizing him.
He barely had time to duck before Brigid swung a canoe paddle at the guy’s head, hitting it with a hollow thump. The attacker went limp on top of Raider. The bastard weighed at least two-fifty. Groaning, Raider shoved the man off him and picked the gun back up.
