Page 170 of Receiving His Mercy
“He wasn’t there?” Charles asked.
“I don’t know. Aadan didn’t say.” She swallowed heavily. “Do you know what happened to him?”
“We’re still liaising with the local authorities. But it seems like several bodies were in the burning buildings. We just need to identify them,” Charles told her.
God.
She hoped that poor servant had gotten out.
“But why would someone drug and release you?” Miranda repeated.
“I really don’t know.” Her head was starting to throb. “Why didn’t people get out of the buildings?”
“The doors were chained and the fire ignited quickly,” Charles explained.
Oh God.
“I’m going to be ill.”
“That’s enough,” Travis repeated, leaping up and grabbing a pan to put under her mouth “You need to finish up now, she’s been through enough.”
She gagged but nothing came up. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate.
“All right,” Charles said. “But if you remember anything else, let us know.”
They both left the room.
Sitting back, she breathed shallowly. Even with some painkillers in her system, her ribs still ached. She stared up at Travis, grasping hold of his hand. “Do you think Aadan was in there?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, baby. I think he probably was.”
Relief and sadness mingled. “So it’s over?”
“It better be. Because I can’t take anymore.”
“I’m sorry I’m so much hassle,” she told him. “Bet you wish you had a simpler, easier girlfriend who never got into trouble.”
“Goldie, I don’t want anyone but you.” He wiped her face for her. “I could never want anyone else for as long as I live. Although if you do want to live a simpler, easier life, I won’t object.”
“To a simpler, easier life with no crazy ex-boyfriends, fires, or warlords. Not too much to ask for, right?”
“Not too much at all.”
46
“How do you feel?” Travis asked. “Are you cold? Sore?”
“I’m fine, Travis. Really.” He was fussing too much. “I don’t think I need to come to work with you anymore.”
Three weeks had passed since they’d returned home from Africa. She’d had to spend several days in the hospital there before she was cleared for flying. She had three cracked ribs and a lot of bruising. She was still in quite a bit of pain. But the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as the nightmares she was suffering from.
Every night she woke up screaming after reliving the kidnapping, the meeting with Aadan, with the General.
And worst of all, the thought that she and Tyler were going to die.
That was likely part of the reason for Travis’s overprotectiveness. This was only his second day back at the office. Yesterday, they’d only stayed a few hours before he’d suddenly turned off his computer, picked her up and carried her to his vehicle.
He'd claimed she’d looked tired. Maybe she had, but she also thought that he was struggling to concentrate while worryingover her. Poor Travis, he seemed to blame himself for what had happened to her and Tyler.
