Chapter 7 #2
“Guess that answers my question.” She looked behind her at the women, who hadn’t stirred. “Are they…”
“They’re alive,” he said quickly, understanding what she wanted to know without her having to finish the sentence. He’d been glancing back at them periodically, and he could see their chests rising and falling. Not able to help himself, he reached up and wiped a bead of sweat off her temple.
She wrinkled her nose and turned away from him at the same time she brought a hand up to her hair, attempting to smooth it back, clearly self-conscious about what she looked like.
Shadow didn’t like that his actions had somehow made her feel that way.
That he’d brought attention to her physical appearance.
He didn’t give the smallest shit about the fact that her face was flushed, her hair was in complete disarray, and that she was sweaty.
To him, she was the most beautiful person in the world because of who she was and what she’d done, not because of how she looked.
But that wasn’t to say he wasn’t also physically attracted to this woman.
A vision of them getting cleaned up together in a spacious shower sprang to mind, and it took every ounce of discipline to keep his cock under control.
Now wasn’t the time for any of that. They were going to be inundated with questions once they got to shore, and the women behind them should have their complete attention.
But even telling himself that didn’t make Shadow’s attraction to her any less.
Taking a deep breath, Brinley pointed the nose of the plane toward the dock. As they neared, more and more emergency vehicles arrived. There were plenty of people waiting to help tie up the plane and, after she shut off the engine, Brinley turned to Shadow and gave him a shy smile.
“I did it,” she said again.
“Yes, you damn well did,” he said proudly.
The shared moment of triumph was interrupted when two police officers shouted at them to put their hands up. Looking out the window, Shadow realized he was looking down the barrel of two pistols, pointing at his and Brinley’s heads.
She immediately lifted her hands in the air and gaped at him in fear.
Shadow was pissed.
At the terror that had returned to her eyes.
At the police, who should be treating them both like heroes instead of criminals.
“Easy, Brin,” he murmured. They were both still wearing the headphones, allowing them to communicate. “I’m sure they’re just being cautious.”
Shadow wasn’t sure of that, actually, but he wouldn’t freak her out any more than she was already by saying anything different. He hoped once the unconscious women in the back of the plane were removed and they could explain what was happening, things would work themselves out.
The next few minutes were dicey, but Shadow was still as proud of Brinley as he could be. She did everything right. Didn’t make any sudden movements, didn’t try to speak. Simply complied with the orders of the officers by keeping her hands up and not protesting.
At least the women who’d been drugged were being helped.
They were unloaded from the plane one by one, and after they’d all been taken away on gurneys to the waiting ambulances, two officers climbed onboard and ordered him and Brinley to slowly remove the headsets and unbuckle their shoulder harnesses.
It took a couple of minutes once they were out of the plane for the authorities to relax.
The man in charge was on the phone, and even though Shadow wasn’t sure who he was talking to, he guessed it was someone back at the resort.
Probably not one of his teammates, but one of the men in charge of the local police force who’d been involved in rescuing the hostages.
“Sorry about that,” one of the officers said.
But Shadow wasn’t ready to forgive them. Not when Brinley was literally shaking in his arms. As soon as they were allowed to move freely, he’d pulled her toward him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, and it seemed to him that she was taking comfort from his embrace.
He couldn’t help but notice that she fit against him perfectly. He was much taller than she was and it felt amazing to have her in his arms.
“What’s happening back at the resort? Casualties?”
“The siege is over. The Red Vipers are all dead or taken into custody. Two civilians are dead and about a dozen injured, not including the women who are on their way to the hospital here. We’re going to need you both to come down to the station and give statements.”
Shadow didn’t want to. He wanted to take Brinley back to the hotel and lock them both in a room and make sure she was all right. Physically and mentally.
Before he could tell the officer that he’d get his statement later, Brinley straightened.
“It was my idea to take the plane. He had nothing to do with it.”
“We aren’t in trouble,” Shadow tried to reassure her, but she wasn’t listening.
“They were going to take those women and sell them. I told Dash that I could fly us all out of there. I wasn’t working with the people who took over the conference center.
All I wanted was to get the women away. Keep them safe.
Dash was forced to kill those men because they were shooting at us.
If anyone should be punished for us stealing the plane, it’s me. ”
Shadow opened his mouth to tell her that no one was getting punished for saving the beauty queens, or for taking a plane out from under the noses of a group of terrorists, but the officer beat him to it.
“No one is under arrest. We just need to document what happened. Then you’ll both be free to go.”
Brinley didn’t look convinced, but when he took hold of her hand and squeezed, she turned her head and gave him a brave smile.
This woman. She was killing him.
And he was falling hard and fast for her. It was so out of character for him, he felt off balance for a moment.
He didn’t know what it was about her that had him so entranced.
Shadow had met plenty of people during stressful and deadly circumstances like the one they’d just endured, but none had affected him like Brinley.
Maybe it was because he’d gotten to know her a little before the shit hit the fan.
Maybe because he already felt protective of her.
He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he couldn’t wait to get the hell off this island and back home to Alaska, where he could court her without guns and violence being a part of their relationship.
The trip to the police station didn’t take long, and Shadow kept hold of Brinley’s hand throughout the drive.
When they were separated at the station, he wanted to protest. Wanted to stay by her side, but in a move he was coming to recognize as typical Brinley, she gave him a brave nod and told him she’d see him soon.
His interview was short and to the point.
He told the officer taking his statement everything that happened, not leaving out any of the gruesome details.
He also made sure Brinley got the bulk of the credit for saving the eight innocent women who’d been handpicked by the Red Vipers to be carted off and trafficked.
He paced the room where he was led after his interview, as he waited for Brinley to reappear.
When she did, it was all Shadow could do not to lose his shit. She looked awful. Stressed out and worried. She’d been in the interrogation room for over an hour and a half, and he had no idea why. It had taken him just thirty minutes to explain the same circumstances.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded quickly. “I’m good. Can we go back to the hotel now?”
“Of course.” Shadow looked at the officer who’d accompanied her to the waiting area. “We’ll need a ride.”
“I believe a couple of your friends are here to take you back to the other side of the island.”
And that was another thing to be upset about. That part of his team was here, and he hadn’t been told, nor had they been allowed into the room where he was waiting.
“Here’s your cell phone back,” the man said, handing it to Shadow.
At this point, Shadow was barely able to be civil. He was pissed the officers had taken his phone to begin with, but since it was one he solely used for missions, and it didn’t contain anything top secret, he hadn’t resisted.
Brinley took hers back and walked toward him. Shadow wrapped his arm around her once more and felt her lean against him. If it was up to him, she could lean on him for years to come.
He led them out of the room and down the long hall to the lobby of the station.
After going through a locked door, he saw Echo and Grinder waiting for him.
He let go of Brinley long enough to give his friends a heartfelt man-hug—complete with some hearty back slaps—before taking hold of Brinley’s hand.
“Talk to me. Where’s the VP and his family? Everyone is okay?”
They began to walk as Grinder filled him in on what happened back at the resort when he and Brinley were making their escape with the kidnapped women.
“Shit got dicey there for a while, and as much as we wanted to be in the middle of the action, the Secret Service and the local police force did an excellent job of holding the line and making sure none of the Red Vipers escaped.”
“Except two of them almost did,” Shadow growled. “They were able to load eight women into the back of that truck and move them to the waiting plane.”
“Yeah, from what I understand, that was before the bulk of the backup arrived. They surrounded the conference center right around the time you guys were leaving with the plane. They almost shot it down, but thankfully, we were able to get word to them that you were onboard. Roling and his family are on their way back to the States as we speak.”
“What about the rest of the contestants?” Brinley asked, as they neared a black SUV.