Page 89 of Under Arthur’s Protection

My father also wouldn’t have put his own body between a woman and a threat. Not unless it served the brand. Not unless someone was watching.

I’d put my body between Gwen and Rick because I couldn’t stand the thought of him touching her. And Rick had almost gotten through me regardless.

Almost.

My phone buzzed on the console.

Gwen picked it up and answered. “Hi, Merlin.”

“Hi, Gwen,” he said, as though he’d expected her voice instead of mine. “I’ve got a place. Sending coordinates now. It’s about fifty minutes from your current position.”

“Copy,” I said.

“Get there, get inside, and get some sleep. I’ll have more for you in the morning.”

“Thanks, brother.” I nodded to Gwen, who ended the call. Another fifty minutes? Fuck, I was tired and sore. “Catch a nap, if you can.”

“I’ll try.” She turned on the seat heater and settled back, closing her eyes. She was safe for now. For now.

And I could finally breathe.

Chapter 28

Arthur

The GPS led us down a dirt road that ended at a building I would have missed in full daylight. No sign, no markings. Just a little concrete box tucked into a clump of trees, with one door and no windows facing the road. The driveway was barely visible, and the trees swallowed the car.

One of Merlin’s friends had recommended it, which meant it was either an active or a retired CIA location, and I didn’t want to know what had happened in it before tonight.

Gwen was asleep, her head lolling to the side against the headrest. I shifted the car into park and switched off the engine.

My ribs throbbed with every breath. The bandage on my forearm was soaked through. My knuckles were split, the cuts and scrapes attempting to heal, but they broke open each time I clenched the wheel. At least my lip wasn’t bleeding anymore.

I should have gone straight inside. Swept the building, confirmed it was clean, and brought her in. That was protocol. Instead, I sat in the dark and breathed. Breathed and fought the instinct to watch her sleep for the second night in a row.

You could carry her in?

Yeah, that would be quite the move. First you kiss her without her permission—let alone her interest—and then you carry her across the threshold into a safe house where people had been hiding out for years. How fucking romantic.

Do your job, idiot.

I touched her arm. “Gwen.”

She stirred.

“We’re here.”

Her eyes opened slowly, and she stretched as she yawned. She blinked at the windshield, then at me. The confusion gradually gave way to recognition. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere safe.”

She yawned again and shook her head to clear it. “Actually safe?”

“Actually safe, yes.”

We got out of the car and collected our meager belongings from the back seat. The door had a hidden keypad, and I used the code Merlin had texted me. Inside, it was exactly what I’d expected: one room with a rough wooden table, two chairs, and a narrow bed. Concrete walls, a single fluorescent overhead, and a bathroom. But it had power, plumbing, electric heat, and a shelf stocked with canned goods.

I did the sweep in thirty seconds—main room, bathroom, shelf, one window in the rear wall. I used the thermostat by the bathroom to turn on the heat. The unit clicked and hummed.