Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The disastrous event from thirty minutes ago played on repeat in Julia’s mind. She figured it was going to be a long time before those images and emotions faded away, if ever.
The shame she’d felt when Finn caught her trying to leave him.
The terror of being grabbed and thrown into the trunk of a car, which was every woman’s nightmare, and one reason she’d taken Finn’s self-defense classes.
The precise headshot to the man who’d snatched her from the sidewalk so fast it had taken her a moment to process what the hell had happened.
And then, of course, what Finn had done to the driver. He’d done more than beat the guy up. He’d destroyed him. Most likely brought him to hell and back a few times. Delivered round after round to try and get answers out of him.
She’d looked on in horror as Finn’s clothing became spattered in blood as if he were the canvas and the man the paint.
“I can’t be sure, but based on what he told me,” Finn said into the phone as she walked past him, “they’re only in the business of kidnapping rich-looking tourists.
But I texted Jessica a copy of both IDs to be sure.
I also took a photo of the driver but couldn’t get a clear image of the one I had to shoot. ”
Because there was nothing left of his face.
Julia’s stomach wrenched so she pinned her forearm across her abdomen and went to the balcony for some fresh air.
Finn had called Luke Scott after they’d arrived back at the hotel since the rest of his teammates were currently in the air on the way to Dubai. But before that, Finn had quickly washed his hands and taken a wet towel to his face and throat, saying he’d get to the rest after he made his call.
Finn had the wherewithal to wipe his prints from the car he’d hijacked.
And after his interrogation of the driver, they’d left him in the Nubian Desert, then drove to the city limits and ditched the car.
Finn called in an anonymous tip to the police about the attempted abduction and the men’s location.
Julia rested her arms over the railing and continued to listen to Finn talk behind her. The only thing he’d said to her since the incident out in the desert was I’m sorry and a half dozen Are you sure you’re okay?
“A lot of people on the street witnessed what happened. I’m going to need Jessica to try and cover my tracks with the police, but we need to leave this hotel before I face questions that can’t be answered. We can wait at the airport early, maybe?”
Julia swung around at the news.
“Yeah, it’s a long wait until Michael arrives, but I don’t feel comfortable staying here,” Finn went on as if Luke had shot down the “wait at the airport” idea.
Her shoulders dropped upon realizing Finn still planned on waiting for Michael, and she turned back toward the view of the Nile. This trip officially ruined Egypt for her and tainted the memories of her favorite childhood movies about the location, too.
Damn statue that woman sold her.
And, oh my God, Julia suddenly remembered she’d left her suitcase and purse on the street when she’d been taken.
“Tucker’s ID tags.” She peeled off the balcony and went straight for the door, only to have Finn hook her arm with his hand to stop her escape.
“Your bags are at guest services downstairs,” he calmly said. “I’ll get them in a minute.”
“Wait, what? How?” Puzzled, she faced him, and he released her.
“I gotta call you back,” he said to Luke, then ended the call and slipped the phone into his pants pocket.
“When I was washing up in the bathroom, the front desk called. Someone saw you leave the hotel gates before getting grabbed. A good someone. They returned your purse and suitcase. They also reported that an American-looking man stole a car to chase after you. The concierge checked your purse for a passport. Your name isn’t in the hotel’s system, but someone on staff downstairs must have made a connection between us to call me. ”
“Oh.” Ohhh. “That’s why we need to get the hell out of here.” The questions we can’t answer. The man you shot in the face. The other man you almost beat to death.
“Yeah, so I’m going to pack really quick, and we’ll leave.”
“I’ve never seen . . . something like that before,” she said, noticing a spot of blood he’d missed on the side of his neck.
“What part?”
Julia thought back to the other day when Finn ordered her to change out of the white sundress, saying it was too revealing and he’d lose his temper if some guy on the street harassed her.
Do you have a temper? Or was that Finn on autopilot to protect and serve as a SEAL?
“You killed that man. I’ve never seen death so up close and personal before.”
“I’ve killed a lot of men. Does that bother you?”
Why was he asking her that? Did he think she’d look at him differently? “I’m sure it’s because you were saving someone. Like you saved me this morning.”
A quick smile crossed his lips. “Pretty sure you saved yourself.”
“You taught me how to escape. There was a tire iron in the trunk, thank God.” And luckily, her kidnappers hadn’t had time to bind her wrists together, which made it easier to get the trunk open.
His brows drew together, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You lied to me. You were going to run.”
Unable to meet his eyes, she turned her head and looked away, struck with guilt by the sting of his words.
“Yeah, but in the end, I couldn’t do it.
I mean, before I even knew you’d found me, I sent away the taxi I’d hailed and was just standing on the sidewalk, feeling numb. And then I felt your presence.”
“Numb,” he whispered, the word laced with pain.
Julia turned to face him once again, and the look of sadness in his green eyes swamped her with more guilt.
“I’m so sorry I went behind your back to arrange the . . .” Without thinking, she fisted the front of his polo. “Wait, we can still make it,” she whispered with desperation in her tone. “The plane, I mean. The flight doesn’t leave until nine. It’s only eight.”
“What?” His head jerked back as if she’d both insulted and slapped him.
Her eyes fell to the fabric still tight in her hand, and she swallowed and let go. “Um. You said we couldn’t stay here, and you know I’ll find a way to Dubai one way or another. I’ll slip free from my brother once you turn me over to him.”
“Turn you over to him, huh?” He lightly dragged his knuckles down the side of his cheek like he felt a burn from the slap that never happened. “Sounds like a prisoner transfer.”
“No,” she whispered. “But that’s what’s going to happen to Oliver soon, and it may be game over. And it’s my fault.”
“Not your fault,” Finn said firmly, then unexpectedly reached out and gripped her shoulders with a gentle touch.
“I need you to hear me.” She could get lost in those green eyes as they stared down at her, and now wasn’t the time to lose herself in a moment.
“Tucker’s death wasn’t your fault. Neither is Oliver’s situation.
Please, you have to know that. You can’t live your life being weighed down by guilt.
I don’t want that for you. I don’t want you to feel like—”
“Like you?” She angled her head, and he tightened his grip a little.
“Like me,” he rasped, then let go of her and looked away. “How’d you get a plane, anyway? Did the same friend who faked the death threats help you? Why would she do that if she was worried enough about your safety that I wound up on your doorstep because of it?”
He didn’t want to talk about whatever guilt was clearly eating at him, and she was okay with tabling the conversation of her own for now. So, she didn’t press. “Mya didn’t help. She couldn’t. And wouldn’t.”
“Because she cares.” He faced her with a dark look in his eyes.
“I texted an old Special Forces buddy of Oliver’s, and I told him I’m desperate and needed a ride to save Oliver. He spent a few hours speed-dialing all of his contacts this side of the Atlantic and hooked me up with a ride for a hefty price,” she admitted.
“All of this while you were in bed.” He stroked his jaw, some of that tension appearing to melt away as he closed the space between them and lowered his gaze, which for some insane reason made her stomach feel all fluttery. “Are you sure you’re not a spy?”
“I wish.”
When his palm caressed her cheek, she did her best not to lean in and respond to his touch the way she’d done in the shower. “You’re going to get me in so much trouble.”
“I am?” she whispered. “Why?”
He retracted his hand and stepped back, a torn expression crossing his face, but he said in a low voice, “Because we’re going to catch that flight of yours to Dubai. And then your brother and my team leader are gonna have to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to kill me.”
“I’m pretty sure this new knot in my stomach is from even more guilt,” Julia admitted quietly aboard the Cessna private plane an hour into their flight. Two-ish more hours to go. “I don’t want you getting in trouble because of me.”
“I’m a big boy. I make my own choices. I’ll handle Luke and your brother.”
“Yeah, my brother doesn’t like to be handled.” Nope, he’s not hand-able. Hand-something. Oh my God. My brain is not working.
Sleep deprivation. She’d barely slept since leaving New York.
That’s all it was. Not her shot nerves about Oliver.
Or that she was worried about her brother flipping out when he’d land in Egypt.
Or the storm inside of her that materialized whenever she caught a glimpse of Finn’s very masculine hands and remembered what he’d done to her with them last night in the shower.
Her first orgasm of 2022, and was she supposed to regret it?
Wish it hadn’t happened? Not a chance, even if that unforgettable moment between them was brought about by insane circumstances.
“I’ll tell Michael and whoever it is you report to that I refused to let you keep me prisoner and that you had no choice but to come with me. I’d say I held you at gunpoint, but I gave the gun back to Harper before she left.”