Page 55 of The Hitman's Omega Priest
“Thank you.”
On the second floor, Bishop found a suite that hadn’t been claimed yet, and he locked the door behind them. The rustic interior might have been charming if he’d been here on vacation. All the beds had been hastily made with rubber mattress protectors (probably to prevent mattress staining in case of injury) and whatever linens their people had brought with them. Didn’t matter.
He shucked his shoes and climbed under the covers with Kensley. The room was chilly, but their body heat more than made up for it. Kensley snuggled close and tucked his head beneath Bishop’s chin. And Bishop never wanted to let go.
Kensley’s brain had been running at a hundred miles an hour, for what felt like weeks, from the time he discovered the gun in the dumbwaiter, until the moment he flung himself into Bishop’s warm, waiting arms. He’d calmed slightly on the journey from his prison to the escape vans, and he’d finally relaxed enough to sleep once he was safely alone with Bishop, King, and Malori. Plus, the driver, but whatever.
He’d rested for a long time, and now he was back where he belonged: in bed with his charus. Holding each other. Loving each other. Existing in joy and peace and, for a little while, keeping the dangerous outside world at bay.
“I’m so sorry I failed you,” Bishop whispered in the quiet.
Kensley’s heart panged. “You didn’t. I know you didn’t.” But he also understood why Bishop felt that way. He’d been charged with protecting Kensley, and Kensley had been stolen, tormented, and threatened. He’d also been rescued by his beloved. “Tell me what happened that night? On the island?”
Bishop released a long, raspy breath. “I was waiting at the front door for Walsh and the doc. I heard the Jeep’s engine, and then I saw the lights. It happened so fast, but I still should have seen it coming.”
“Seen what?”
“An ambush. I couldn’t immediately see the driver, and when the Jeep swung around, the woman posing as Dr. Fatima stepped out, and she said the name ‘Drew Burton.’ I knew it was wrong. King never would have told her my pseudonym, he’d have used the names on our passports, but before I could defend us the driver shot me.”
Kensley’s entire body jerked. Blood pulsed in his temples, and he sat upright, gaping down at Bishop. “You were shot? Where?” He searched for obvious bandages behind Bishop’s black tee.
“Hey, I’m okay.” Bishop stilled his roving hands, then reached into his cargo pants pocket. Tucked something heavy and warm into Kensley’s hand. “This stopped the bullet. It saved my life.”
He uncurled his fingers and stared at the silver object until it made sense. Shock and gratitude coiled through his insides as he brought the mangled pendant to his lips. Kissed the metal.
“I’ve got a hell of a bruise on my chest, but it didn’t break the skin,” Bishop added. “Thank you for protecting me, even when you didn’t know you were.”
“I can’t believe it.” Kensley placed his hand on Bishop’s sternum. “I was so scared you were dead. I heard the gunshots, but Marta wouldn’t tell me anything. Not if you were alive or dead. She told me I was going to be sold, but I didn’t want to believe anything she said.” Especially not that he was pregnant. And Decker hadn’t said a word about it, but what if? What if Kensley really was carrying their child?
He needed to speak with this Dr. Melish as soon as possible. Not that there was much the doc could do at a vacation lodge, with no real testing equipment or ultrasound machine.
“Yes, well, we’ll be dealing with her organization soon enough,” Bishop snarled. “There’s nothing King and I hate more than human traffickers. Decker was half the battle, but the people who sold you to the Farm don’t get a pass.”
“You haven’t dealt with Marta yet?”
“No, recovering you was more important. Don’t worry, we won’t lose track of them.” Bishop brushed his lips over Kensley’s. “After I was shot, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, King and his people were there. We gathered what evidence we could, and we went home. King didn’t give me much time before he laid into me about fucking his baby brother.”
Kensley snorted even as he blushed. “King knows?”
“I told him everything. Well, I edited the private parts, but you know what I mean. He supports us.”
“I’m glad.” Not that Kensley needed King’s blessing; it felt nice to have, though.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Bishop retrieved something else from his pocket and tucked it into Kensley’s hand.
Kensley grinned, heart fluttering as he immediately put the shell-and-bead necklace over his head, returning it to where it belonged. “Thank you so much. I guess I assumed Marta had taken it and thrown it away.”
“It was left behind at the beach house. I couldn’t bear leaving it behind, not after my necklace saved my life. I also rescued your sandals.”
“I’m glad.” He carefully put the mangled fork necklace around Bishop’s neck and situated the pendant on his chest. “Perfect.” But for as happy as he was to be here with Bishop, he still had so many questions. “Marta said I was going to be auctioned to the highest bidder.”
Bishop flinched. “King tried. He got a link to the auction, but it was only live for five minutes. He had no time to move money around or make assets liquid. Someone else came in with a higher bid at the last possible second. Trust me, I have never seen him that furious in my life. Please don’t think he didn’t try, or that your freedom cost too much.”
Kensley wanted to believe it. Bishop had no reason to lie. Still, Kensley needed to hear it from King’s own lips.
“The upside of the auction link was it gave our tech guy a new route to search, and that lead is how we found Decker. How we found you.”
“So, I guess a few days of terror and fear of imminent rape was worth it in the end.” Before Bishop could growl and posture, Kensley wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head on Bishop’s broad chest. “If I hadn’t gone to that place, Malori would be dead or about to die. He said he was exhausted, used up, and Decker intimated that Malori would be killed soon. I was his replacement. Me going there saved his life, Bishop. I will never regret that. Oh!”
