“European cartel members,” he supplied.
“Right, of course.” That really cracked her up. When she could slow down and finally breathe again, she said, “Crazed Europeans show up with assault rifles and based on the way you walked across that floor in the kitchen…a bomb?” She held his gaze as more giggles bubbled up and out.
He nodded, confirming her fear. He also confirmed they’d make it out alive.
“And then a guy in a helicopter shows up and we make a run for it,” she paused for dramatic effect, “somehow make it. And, guess what? Against all probability…we’re alive.”
He stared at her while she laughed some more. She couldn’t help it. If this day hadn’t been so completely frightening it would be funny.
“Come on. Don’t be so stone faced. This is crazy. We’re alive. There were so many bullets and we don’t have a scratch on us.”
And then she saw his shirt. The blood. Suddenly, nothing was funny anymore.
Chapter 9
“You’re hurt.” Kinsley gasped.
“It’s a scratch,” Gabriel dismissed her.
“I don’t care what anybody says about you, Gabriel Cooper. You’ve become a bona fide bad-ass,” she stated.
Thankfully, he cracked a smile. If he still had a sense of humor, then maybe he wasn’t lying about not being badly hurt. Seeing blood on him had sent her panic sensor into overdrive.
“At last. Stone Face shows some emotion,” she said only half-teasing.
“In my job, emotions get you killed.”
“Well that’s a buzz killer if ever I heard one,” she retorted. She contemplated that for a few seconds. His world sounded lonely. A little voice in the back of her head seemed all too ready to call bullshit on her. Who was she to judge his life, his choices when hers was just as alone, just as lonely? He’d thrown himself into his job just as she had. Granted, his came with knives and guns while hers involved books and lectures. The end result was the same. Neither made room for people.
Ever since her parents died junior year of college Kinsley had spiraled. Losing Gabriel and then her parents a few short years later had been an emotional blow from which she’d never quite recovered. It had happened in college and she’d buried herself in her books rather than deal with the pain. She’d never really gotten over Gabriel. Losing the only two people who’d cared about her had knocked the wind out of her. Lainey had She’d closed herself off
His face broke out in a wide smile and a burst of pride swelled in her chest for being the one to put it there. “What’s next?”
As far as she could see there wasn’t much going on out here in the woods. She had no idea where they’d been dropped. They could be in Louisiana swamp country for all she knew. The thought of alligators being around really got her riled up. She was most definitely not a nature girl. She involuntarily shivered at the thought of mosquitos the size of her hand.
“We hike.”
“You’re kidding, right?” There was no way she was going to stay outside all night unprotected from God only knew what.
“Based on your reaction I wish I was.” He let out a belly laugh and this time his sense of humor didn’t make her smile.
But then she thought about the bullets being shot at her and the fact that not only did a terror cell want her, but some European mob was after Gabriel. Being out in the wild with no one around for miles suddenly didn’t sound like the worst thing that could happen to her.
“Fine. Where do we start?” She motioned toward her right. East? Who knew? Kinsley wasn’t exactly a nature girl.
Gabriel’s smirk wasn’t making her feel any better, either. He might be a bona-fide bad-ass but he was also a smart-ass. Come to think of it he also had a sweet ass that she didn’t want to be thinking about right now.
She took in a breath. “Which way?”
“Right this way.” Gabriel walked the opposite direction of where she was standing.
Kinsley spun around. “Okay,” she said under her breath. No one would ever accuse her of having a solid sense of direction.
At least it wasn’t cold outside. She hated cold.
“How are you enjoying the walking?” Gabriel said.
“Not so much. Why? You got a better idea?” she quipped. [what is she doing for shoes?] At least no one would find them out there. Of course, they could get lost and die and no one would find their bodies. Yes, she was being dramatic. What could she say? It had been a day.
“Depends.”
“Are you teasing me, Gabriel?” Before she could ask again, he pushed through trees and revealed a four-wheeler.
“How about this?” He held up keys in his palm.
“Are you kidding me?” She swatted his arm, hand meeting steel. “Ouch. When did you start working out so much?”
He chuckled, a low rumble from deep in his chest.
“Military has a way of putting muscle on a kid,” he said.
“So I noticed.” She shook her hand, trying to shake off the pain.
“Are you okay?” The amusement was gone from his voice, replaced with concern.
“Yeah, I will be,” she stated.
In a surprise move, he turned toward her and took her hand in his. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly for such a rough and tumble guy. He’d always been that way, the perfect mix of tenderness and masculinity. Make no mistake about it, Gabriel could hold his own with anyone. He’d been like that in high school, too. Only that wasn’t what had drawn her to him. Although, being capable of taking care of himself and anyone around him was a draw.
He slid onto the four-wheeler and she settled in behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest and clasping her fingers.
Kinsley had never been allowed to do much for herself or test her wings. One of the things she’d admired most about Gabriel was
