Page 31 of Inevitable
“You’re not fine,” he answered in a disgruntled voice. “Did those assholes hit you? Your face is bruised.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t hurt. It just looks bad. I’m good and I’ll be even better if you get me out of this area. Where are your bodyguards?”
Nick finally grinned. “Back at the palace. I didn’t give them a choice. I told them there was no room for them. They were somewhat satisfied that I’d have three previous special forces guys to protect me.”
I smiled at him and moved to the back seat to make more space for Colin, Brock, and Nate.
Nick motioned to the pilot when the door closed, and I could tell we were getting ready to lift off.
Colin, Brock, and Nate donned their headsets, and Colin dropped into the seat beside me in the back.
The lights were on, and for the very first time, I got a very good look at his face.
As usual, when those steel gray eyes of his pierced me, I felt like he could see all the way to my soul.
Yes, he was a little older, but my heart skipped a beat and my breath caught as he looked at me with concern.
There was a little bit of gray in the stubble on his face and a little sprinkled in his brown hair.
Unfortunately, I found that incredibly sexy.
One thing hadn’t changed.
He was still the handsomest man on the planet.
As the helicopter lifted off, relief like I’d never felt before flooded my entire body.
We were all going to live through this.
No one got hurt.
We were going home.
Tears filled my eyes, and to my mortification, I threw myself in Colin’s arms and started to sob like a child.
Chapter 10
Marshall
Iknew Emma was going through the aftereffects of the kidnapping.
She hadn’t whined about her fate.
She hadn’t really cried.
Emma had put on a brave face while the situation was happening, but all of those emotions had to go somewhere at some point in time.
I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry, and the permafrost that usually surrounded my heart melted just a little while she did.
Nick, Brock, and Nate turned around, their faces concerned, but I shook my head subtly.
Emma was vulnerable right now, and I didn’t want anyone to console her except me.
They nodded and turned around.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said as the sobs subsided. “I guess I got emotional now that I know that none of us are going to get hurt.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I told her as I stroked my hand over her back. “The reaction is perfectly normal. You’ve kept all of your emotions bottled up for days. What you went through would be a nightmare experience for anyone. Those emotions eventually have to come out or they’ll eat you alive.”
