“You did.”
“Who got you out of the jungle?” he continued.
“You did,” she said quietly.
“At what point have I ever done anything that wasn’t with the intention of getting you out of here alive?”
“Never, but you’re not thinking clearly. As soon as we leave this place, we’ll be surrounded by the soldiers.”
Reaper placed his good hand on her shoulder, and try as she might, she couldn’t deny the comfort it offered.
“I’ve done this hundreds of times. Keep your head down, stay calm and don’t speak to anyone. Do that, and we’ll make it. What will stand out is if we slink around the back and a guard finds us. Trust me.”
Trust wasn’t even a question. She’d willingly put her life in his hands back in the lab and he’d done nothing but save it. But what he was asking now seemed like absolute insanity. How could walking into the middle of the crowd possibly be safer?
And how could Reaper be so sure that his plan would work? She could see the stark pain tugging at the corners of his eyes just like she could see the sweat soaking his clothing.
But she could also see the unwavering determination in his gaze. It was apparent that he fully believed what he was saying to her. That he had, in fact, experienced something like this before.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
With a nod, Reaper reached for the door again but just as quickly Caroline stopped him. “Wait, your gun is poking out.” Without waiting for his permission, she reached for the rifle he had slung over his good shoulder. The tip was poking out through the front part of his robe. She stepped in close and adjusted the strap so that the rifle hung straight up and down rather than at a haphazard angle. She took a deep breath, his masculine scent filled her senses, causing her to linger a moment longer than necessary.
“Thanks,” he said gruffly. “You’re to be at my side the whole time. Like I said, don’t make eye contact, don’t even lift your head if possible. I know the way. You have to blend in.”
Caroline couldn’t help but mutter, “By acting like a doormat.”
“Exactly. The women around here are valued right below the goats.” Reaper pulled open the door and they stepped into a whirlwind of activity.
People laughed, danced, and shifted around them so quickly one face blurred into another. It was a festival of some sort. Drums pounded and there was a lady on the side of the road. The noise closed in on her, filling her mind until she thought it would burst. The cacophony of sounds jumbled together into a loud, jangling roar, interspersed with shrieks of laughter and the occasional gunshot as a militant showed off his prowess by firing his automatic rifle into the air over the crowd of civilians.
No one else seemed to think this was odd, not even the barely dressed starving children winding their way through the adults. This was everyday life. Gunshots were as common as oatmeal had been in Caroline’s old life.
And apparently so were buildings full of bodies.
Someone stumbled into her, causing her to bump against Reaper. He took the force of the blow, grunting, and wound his arm around her shoulders to hold her up. It took all of Caroline’s energy to stay focused with her eyes trained on the ground. The level of noise around her was like a thousand acid-dipped ice picks to her brain and the intermittent bursts of gunfire made her jump every time. Reaper’s pace was confident and steady as he led the way through the crowd.
“Doing good, Princess, just a couple more blocks.”
This time she couldn’t help but glance up at him, just a quick peek. Reaper’s chin tilted down and his black eyes focused straight ahead. Whether he realized it or not, he moved like a predator, and the people nearest them automatically stepped out of his way.
This man couldn’t be an average citizen of any country. It was like he’d been snatched out of another world altogether, one filled with warriors. And somehow she’d gotten lucky enough to have him as her own personal savior. Gratitude welled up inside her. She shifted her gaze back to the ground and snaked her arm tighter around his waist as they continued to move down the crowded street together as one.
His rock-hard abdomen rippled beneath her fingers, not a single ounce of fat anywhere that she could feel or see. His lethal grace was unquestionable.
And Lord help her, she wanted to wrap both her arms around him and bury herself against his body. Even in this danger-filled war zone, with men actively hunting them, her breasts ached and her stomach felt heavy and warm. She was aware of every single inch of their skin that touched. She couldn’t shake this attraction, even though she knew it was probably the least appropriate thing to be thinking or feeling at this moment. It was impossible to lie to herself. She wanted him whether he wanted her or not.
His arm tightened around her fractionally and it took all her strength not to turn and press her cheek to his chest. She should be feeling fear, but instead her body was swamped with desire.
Reaper’s harsh breathing pierced her senses and her desire swerved into concern. “How much farther?” she whispered.
“Up ahead on the left. We’ll go past the front entrance and down the alley. Find the side entrance.”
“Okay.” She followed his lead and somehow they wound their way through the crowd without raising an alarm. Then they were in the trash-littered alleyway with barely enough room for them to walk side by side out of the crushing weight of the crowd. Caroline drew in what felt like the first deep breath she’d taken since leaving the building.
“I can’t believe we did that,” she said, speaking in an undertone.
“People tend not to overthink what their eyes see. We looked like a Muslim husband and wife walking down the street, so that’s what people thought we were.”
There was a narrow resting door toward the back corner of the hospital. “Caroline, I want you to do exactly as you did out in the street. Nothing has changed.”
Reaper released her long enough to reach the door and open it. Sounds from the street were replaced by the sharp scents of antiseptic and body odor. They were in a small empty dimly lit room lined with somewhat clean cabinets that were piled with stainless steel trays and medical instruments. Directly in front of them was another door, this one white. “You ready?”
“Yes,” she said.
