Someone or something is moving toward the pool house.
Chapter 7
“What is it?” Kinsley’s heart pounded her rib cage for a couple of reasons. Both were obvious. She’d just made a huge mistake in kissing Gabriel and now they were in danger. But, damn, that kiss. She’d been missing that kind of passion her entire adult life. Their kisses as teens hinted at the kind of chemistry that could ignite a blazing inferno as adults.
“There’s been a breech.” Gabriel cursed again.
“Of what?” She glanced around wildly.
“They don’t know.” He returned a text.
“What should we do?” The first thing she thought about was putting clothes on. She darted toward the adjacent bedroom and flew out of her robe.
It was dark and she didn’t turn on the light. She heard a click-sound from the other room and realized it was a bullet being engaged in a chamber. If that didn’t jump her heartrate up a couple of notches, she didn’t know what would.
She fumbled around for her clothes in the dark space. The only light streamed in from the opened door leading to the living room.
“We need to go.” His voice was a study in calm whereas her body was made of elastic bands.
Kinsley threw on her pants and a shirt not bothering to dig around for her underwear and her blouse. She bolted toward the sound of his voice and her heart thudded when she saw him in the door frame. Very little light escaped around his large frame. Basically, he blocked out all the light.
She gasped. “Jesus, you scared me.”
“Ready?” He was all business. There was no hint of the passion from a few minutes ago.
He threaded their fingers together and led her into the kitchen.
“There’s only one door,” she mostly said to herself.
“That’s why we’ll use the back window,” he answered.
“Can you fit?”
“I’ll make it work.” He said it like it was nothing and her mind snapped to all the crazy and seemingly impossible situations he must’ve faced overseas. He was in his element—a world that was so completely foreign to her.
“Wait. My bag.” She didn’t want to leave anything behind.
Instead of rushing her, he walked to the kitchen table where she’d left it.
“Got it.” She slung the strap over her arm. “Should we take any of the papers?”
“I already disposed of them.”
In another few seconds, he was helping her onto the kitchen counter and toward the window over the sink.
Kinsley climbed through the opening and dropped onto the hard ground onto all fours. Gabriel was on her heels but he somehow landed on his feet. He was crouched low and urging her forward the second she regained her balance.
Staying low, they hustled toward the back garden. There was enough light that she feared someone could easily see them.
Quietly and stealthily they moved toward the darkness. The property was massive and there were more trees than she could count. She and Gabriel stuck to the edge of a path but she had a feeling that was about to change. And she had completely forgotten to slip on shoes, which was fine on the manicured lawns but she had a feeling they wouldn’t be on that forever.
The estate was bordered by a ten-foot brick wall.
“Hold on,” Gabriel whispered. “I need to keep our guys posted on our location.”
He covered his cell with his arm, she assumed to block anyone from seeing the light on the screen, and sent a text.
And then he was gently urging her forward again.
By the tree line she realized her mistake but she didn’t want to risk slowing them down or be the reason they got caught if he stopped, so she kept her pain to herself. She as grateful he couldn’t see her facial expressions. Each step hurt but she was determined not to speak up.
Toughing it out had gotten her through grad school. Pushing past the pain had gotten her where she was today.
And a little piece of her wanted Gabriel to be proud of her for sticking it out and not complaining. Was that weird? Kinsley didn’t normally put much stock in other peoples’ opinions of her. But this was Gabriel, a little voice reminded. A piece of her heart cared what he thought about the person she’d become. Knowing that he’d tried to see her, and the lengths others had gone to in order to keep them apart frustrated her.
She would have a serious conversation with her parents about the part they’d played if they were still alive. A freak car accident had taken both of them and she didn’t have it in her heart to hate them for the manipulation.
Kinsley no longer spoke to her former best friend. Funny how she’d believed that she and Lainey would be close forever when she was eighteen. Lainey had moved to California and Kinsley had devoted herself to her studies. Grad school had left little time for relationships. Kinsley rarely had had time for social media even though many in her generation seemed glued to the screen. Kinsley was a book-in-hand person through-and-through. And she’d rather have lunch with one person than comment on the pictures of twenty-five.
A branch poked her foot. She let out a little yelp.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel’s concern was outlined in his hushed tone.
“Yeah. I’m good.” It was obvious that he still cared even after all these years, right? He’d shown up. No matter what else he said or did, he’d made sure she was okay once he heard about the threat to her life. That counted for something, right?
Kinsley had thought about him, too. The way they’d left things unsaid without closure. Granted, she’d spent the first few years angry at him. Once the anger subsided, she’d become curious about his life. What had he ended up doing for his career? Was he married? Did he have kids? A glance at his wedding finger when he’d first blasted his way into her life had answered one of those questions. No ring didn’t mean no kids. He could be divorced.
