“Pull all of your American agents out of Venezuela by the end of the week, or I’ll send Perfect Pritchard back to you in pieces.” Gil leans close to the camera to shut off the recording, and I see it. His eyes. He’s lost all hold on reality, and if I don’t get down there in the next twenty-four hours, Austin’s as good as dead.
“Trevor?” Dani’s soft voice brings me back to the present, and I open my eyes to find her staring up at me. “You were somewhere else. Where?””
“It’s nothing you want to hear about. Not right now.” I offer her a weak smile, then check my phone again. “We should get up. The faster we get to Puerto Cabello, the better. If I know Dax, he’ll have the plane there at least an hour early.”
“Who’s Dax? You mentioned him last night.”
“He runs Second Sight. Well, he and Ford are partners. But he’s the majority owner. Special Forces for years until…” I shake my head. Dax’s pain is his own. “He was injured—blinded—in the line of duty, but he’s one of the strongest, most capable men I know.”
Dani sits up and presses her palms to my chest. “When we get back to Boston, will I meet him?”
Her warmth seeps into me, and I realize what I’ve been fighting for more than ten years. I love this woman. I’vealwaysloved this woman. I want her to meet everyone at Second Sight. My family. I want to wake up with her every morning. Fall asleep with her every night. Hell, we’ve never even been on a date, but I still know there’s no one else for me and never will be.
“Yes. You’ll meet him.” I slide my hand up to cup the back of her neck and pull her close enough to touch my lips to hers. “You’ll meet everyone, Dani. And we’ll have time to talk. Really talk. About us.”
She nods and lets me help her to her feet. Ten minutes later, we’re back in the stolen pickup truck, on our way to safety.
* * *
The sun paintsPuerto Caballo in warm colors as the truck sputters to a stop at the edge of the airfield. Dani fell asleep halfway through the drive, curled against me with my arm around her shoulders.
Now, I dip my head so my lips are close to her ear. “Dani? We’re here.” She startles awake, and her jacket falls away, revealing the deep, purple bruises on her upper arms. “Fuck, baby. Why didn’t you tell me these were so bad?” I take her hand, then trace the edges of one of the worst of the marks.
“Because there’s nothing you can do about them,” she says. “I’mfine,Trevor.”
“You’re always fine.” I release her and hop out of the truck, rush over to the passenger side, and open the door. “Come on. We’re exposed out here, and I don’t like it.”
As soon as we’re on the plane—a private Cessna a good five levels above my pay grade—Dani turns in her seat. “What did you mean when you said I’m ‘always fine’?”
The question throws me off balance, and I strap in as the Cessna starts its taxi. The only crew member outside of the pilot and copilot is one attendant with a Beretta strapped to his hip.
“Mr. Moana?” the man says from the jump seat by the cockpit. “We’re executing a short field takeoff with a quick climb. There will be a fair bit of pressure. There’s gum in your seat pocket.”
He’s not kidding. Within two minutes, the pressure in my ears ratchets my headache up to eleven, and Dani leans forward, chewing her gum as quickly as she can and squeezing her eyes shut.
When my hand rests on her thigh, she relaxes slightly and links our fingers. “You’re not off the hook,” she manages as the plane continues to climb. Five minutes later, it levels off and we both relax, sinking into the plush leather seats.
The attendant brings us both bottles of water, sandwiches, and Cokes, then disappears into the tiny galley. Whoever he is, Dax trusts him—or paid him enough for his silence.
Dani pulls her tablet from her bag and sets it on the little table that extends from the wall. “Trevor? I’m still waiting for an answer.”
“Can we talk about this when we get to Boston?”
“Not this. No.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she sits back in her chair and waits for my answer.
I glance out the window at the clouds below. This is one of those moments where I could easily fuck everything up. But I’ll never lie to her. I can’t.
“In twenty years, Dani, I’ve seen you cry exactly once. Austin…he thinks he heard you one night, but he can’t even be sure—“
“He did. The night you stood me up.”
Why couldn’t I have kept my mouth shut? I rake my hands through my hair. What I wouldn’t give for a shower and a change of clothes. And to start this conversation over again. My frustration prickles along my spine.
“Two men tried to kidnap you last night, Dani. They were planning on torturing you to make Luis Rojas talk. And you’re sitting there like we’re on our way home from a beach vacation.”
“You need me to be okay, so I’m okay,” she replies. “Your job is to keep us alive. Mine is to not make that any harder than it already is.”
This is horseshit. I unbuckle my seatbelt and skirt the table between us. Before she realizes what I’m doing, I have her belt off and she’s in my arms.
