She allowed herself a small sigh, and stretched her neck.
A little message popped up on the computer warning that the battery only had five percent left, so she shut down the laptop and turned off the hotspot.Sitting back, she rubbed her gritty eyes.Where the hell was Ford?The worries flooded back in as she scanned the busy shopping center.
Also, now shereallyhad to pee.And her butt had started to go numb from sitting still for so long.
But she was fine.Alive and healing.Free from the police.As yet undiscovered by her prospective killer.
Ford had stopped the gunman and gotten help for Henri, and soon he’d be here and they’d figure out what came next.She definitely wasn’t bored or hungry or worried.Everything.Was.Fine.
For another twenty minutes, she watched people stroll through the parking lot, all of them blissfully unaware how lucky they were to have the normal, petty concerns of the average person.To distract herself, she tried to guess their moods or their story, while staying alert for anyone acting suspicious.Well, besidesher.She was suspicious AF if anyone cared to notice.
Finally, just after five, a black Citroën parked next to her with Ford behind the wheel, all the windows down.She unlocked the Renault, and he slipped into the passenger seat wearing a grim look.
“How’s Henri?”Natalie asked.
“In surgery.”
She exhaled harshly, blinking against the stinging in her eyes.“Oh, thank God.”There was no guarantee what the night held, but for now, the man lived.“How can we keep Deschamps from getting to him?”
Ford’s jaw tightened.“Guards are already on scene.”
“I thought your team was fully booked.”Wasn’t that why he’d come to her himself?
“They are, but I know people in the industry.I hired someone I’ve worked with before, who I trust implicitly.They’ll cover Henri, and get him into hiding again ASAP.”
“Okay, good.Thank you.”Natalie kept her eyes trained on the parking lot, scanning for threats.“I wasn’t questioning your capabilities, just going out of my mind waiting for news over here.”
Ford sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.“I know.”
If she could’ve reached him with her good arm, she would’ve tried to give him some comfort.It had been a stressful day already and— Oh,no.Wait.“Did you find Blitz?”
He nodded, face taut with anger.“They tranq’d her, but the vet said she should be fine.”Jerking his thumb toward the Citroën, he said, “She’s in the back.”
Thank God.“I’m glad she’s okay.”
“I never should’ve brought her with me.”
Who had taught him to carry so much blame and guilt?She could almost see the weight hanging on his shoulders like a yoke.If only she knew how to free him.
“Blitz will be fine.Henri too.”She hoped like hellthatwasn’t a lie.
Ford scowled and turned away, looking toward the car where Blitz lay.“The tracker was onher.Despite my best efforts, I missed it, and it could’ve cost us all our lives.”
Screw it.Natalie leaned all the way over to reach across the center console with her free hand and give his forearm a squeeze.“You couldn’t have known—”
“No.”He yanked away his arm and glared down at her.
She sat up straight, curling her hand against her chest.“Okay, sorry.”Note to self.Don’t touch.
He blew out a heavy breath and rubbed his forehead.“Nat—”
“Don’t worry about me.”She shook off the faint sting of rejection that she had no right to.Everyone grieved differently, and he didn’t owe her anything.“I have a hide like a fucking rhinoceros.You do your intense, broody, self-flagellation thing, and I promise to leave you alone.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A COUPLE HOURS later, Ford hefted Blitz in his arms and glanced around the small square in Vieux Nice—Old Nice—where Lehmann had secured them a new safe house.That she’d managed it in the middle of August seemed like a miracle.The woman had more than earned his lifelong gratitude.
The drive over in a newly rented Renault—thanks to Sabine again—had been tense and uncharacteristically silent.Nat had given him plenty of time for self-recrimination.The last time she’d been that quiet she’d been passed out after surgery.This time, Ford was pretty sure it was his fault.
