Page 66 of The Gilded Cuff
In the midst of her panicked fighting she realized it was Wes who held her captive.
“Damn you! Let me go!” she screeched, throwing her legs and arms out to shake herself free, but he didn’t release her, even when her elbow hit his eye.
“You’ll get killed. He’d never forgive me,” he snarled back as he fought to contain her flailing limbs.
“No! I have to find him. He can’t…he can’t be alone.”
She tried to ram her elbow into his side but he twisted his body and she missed.
The brewery shook and part of the roof collapsed, blasting her with a cloud of thick smoke. He dragged her back another ten feet and only then did she run out of strength.
All around them the fire raged and smoke swirled in smothering clouds.
Darkness, such awful darkness. The one person she’d ever truly trusted with herself, since Rachel, was gone. Somewhere in the crumbling, burning rubble lay the man she loved.
Loved.
Yes. She loved him. She’d never loved anyone else the way she did him. She’d spent her whole life being an outsider, with the weight of secrets and tragedies holding her down. Then she’d met him. He’d sent those secrets tumbling off her shoulders and stolen her heart with his tender yet fierce, unrelenting passion.
Before Emery, life had been a pretty dream, like walking through a museum and seeing the world through the lovely scenes and painted, false faces. But there was no truth in that, only imaginings.
Emery was real. Each smile, each husky laugh, each ragged breath he’d drawn against her neck as they’d made love the night before. That was real, that was true. He was so much more than anything she could have dreamed of. He had wanted her, all of her, even the parts of herself she’d tried to hide. She’d never forget the way his eyes had flashed with desire and pride as he admired her naked body. So wounded, so scarred, yet he’d still needed her.
There had never been any illusions with him. He saw her for what she really was and still wanted her. How often was someone fortunate enough to find a soul so attuned to theirs that they were accepted and wanted without any pretenses or expectations?
He was her guiding star and she’d lost him. How could she go through life without the light of the stars to show her the way home?
“I’m so sorry, Sophie,” Wes whispered. His voice broke and his grip on her body tightened as though he had to cling to someone. Strange how death could unite two strangers. They both mourned the man lost among the ashes.
Wes slid a hand over her face, brushing back her hair, the touch soothing, brotherly. That comfort only made the pain worse. His arms around her vibrated, as though the tragedy of losing his friend had forced him out of control. The dancing flames played with the shadows on his handsome face, creating hollows around his eyes and below his cheekbones that made his features look like a macabre skull. He inhaled a slow deep breath and dropped his gaze from the fire. She raised her eyes to his, seeing her own pain mirrored in his gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, not even sure of what she could say.
“Wes,” a hoarse voice growled, “get your hands off my woman.”
They both turned to stare at the man who emerged from the smoke and gloom at the side of the brewery. For a second she couldn’t move, couldn’t think beyond what she was seeing. Wes dropped his arms from her body.
“You’re alive!” she gasped.
Soaking wet, cut and bruised, Emery was the most wonderful thing she’d ever seen. The sobs came without warning and she could barely see him as tears blinded her. He started toward her but she was already there, throwing herself against him. They fell back to the ground. He grunted softly beneath her, and curled his arms around her waist, keeping her against him. Sophie buried her face in his throat, inhaling his scent. She continued to choke down little sobs, hiccupping and feeling pathetic but unable control herself.
“Shh…” He smoothed his large palms over her back, rubbing her in slow strokes as he tried to soothe her. His chest was warm and damp against her cheek. The rapid double thump of his heart against her ear was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. This wasn’t a dream. He was here, alive—how she didn’t know.
“What the hell happened, Emery?” Wes knelt next to them and looked Emery over in obvious concern, his eyes taking in the tattered state of Emery’s clothes. Sophie curled her fingers in his shirt, holding on to him. Two pairs of legs appeared as Hayden and Royce joined them.
“Hans and I found Cody. He said something about getting out of there, but it was only a minute later I found the bomb.”
Emery drew in a slow breath, the action raising his chest and Sophie along with it.
“It was a trap. Whoever took Cody meant for me to come here so they could blow this place up with me inside.” Emery stroked her hair and she listened as he talked about finding Cody and the laptop.
“The bastard put C-4 all over the ceiling. I jumped through the window and landed in a huge vat of water just as it exploded. Lucky break for me. I almost didn’t make it. One of the beams had me pinned. I nearly drowned before I got my jacket off.” Emery’s grip around her tightened. She pressed her lips against his throat, tasting cold water and his slightly salty skin.
“So let me get this straight.” Royce chuckled. “You narrowly escaped being blown to bits all over Long Island and you were worried about a little drowning?”
The laugh that escaped Emery’s lips was filled with relief; the tension in him seemed to dissipate. Sophie found the ability to breathe again.
“Well, when you put it that way…” He lifted himself up to sit and he took Sophie with him, tucking her in his lap as they faced the others. Hayden’s eyes were wide with worry. She talked a tough game, but it was obvious she’d never suffered through something like this before. A sheltered life often left one unprepared for harsher realities. Sophie offered Hayden a weak smile, which seemed to calm her friend somewhat.
Emery glanced around. “Are Cody and Hans here? They went out a few minutes ahead of me, but I don’t know if they got out.”
