Page 71 of Gwen's Delta
Yearning raced along her spine at his touch. Or maybe she’d done it to herself as she ran her fingers over his washboard abs.
The first rays of the sunrise lightened the sky. In a few hours, they’d be risking their lives. If anything happened to them, she’d never forgive herself. Now was not the time to think about sex, especially when she’d be lucky if she could walk straight after last night.
“How do you make jokes when you could die later?” Gwen asked. Not exactly what she’d meant, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice her real thoughts.
“We focus on life. If we worried about dying, we wouldn’t be an elite team. We chose this life—to fight for our country. Over the years, we’ve become a family—we know what everyone is thinking, how we’ll react, and have each other’s backs. I’m not sure if that answers your question.”
“It does, mostly. It must be incredible to have bonds like that.”
“It is. I’m closer to these men than my blood family. But when you meet my parents, and especially my sisters, promise me you won’t tell them,” Luke teased.
“I won’t. If I meet them.” Gwen tried to smile, but she couldn’t shake the dread filling her heart.
“You’ll meet them. I told you, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll have to tell me to get lost.”
She shifted so she could kiss him. “Thank you.”
“If you’re thanking me for the best sex of your life, then you’re welcome. If it’s for anything else—you don’t need to thank me.”
Gwen didn’t care what he or the other guys said, she would be thankful until the day she died. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be later that day. She leaned up on her elbows and smiled. This man rocked her world. After kissing him on each cheek and his lips, she hopped out of bed to shower and get ready to face the scariest day of her life.
* * *
Less than three hours later, Luke held the door of the taxi while Gwen climbed inside. The moment she’d been dreading had finally arrived. Luke gave the driver the address, then opened the other door and slid the heavy duffle bag next to her. It turned out a million dollars was heavy. Not something she’d ever expected to know firsthand.
“Are you ready?” Luke asked as he leaned into the taxi to kiss her.
“As I’ll ever be.” Her voice trembled slightly as her stomach churned. Maybe the two cups of coffee she’d had weren’t the best idea.
He reached in and put his hand over her clenched ones. “You’ve got this, princess. Remember, we’ll be watching you the entire time. If something doesn’t feel right, get out of there. Don’t worry about the money or anything else—just run. No matter which way you go, one of us will be there to get you.”
She could do this. Shewoulddo this, even if her palms were sweaty, and she wanted to throw up. “I’ll be okay. I know the plan and that you’ll be there to make sure I’m okay,” she said and took a deep breath. “See you soon.”
He held her gaze for a moment more, then closed the door and stepped away from the cab. As the car weaved through the congested streets, she checked the knife in her boot. Just knowing it was there made her feel better. Using it was a whole other story.
Zip had pinned a flower on her khaki shirt after she’d gotten dressed. He explained that it was a camera and mic, and they’d be able to see and hear everything she did. The only way she’d be safer was if she had stayed in Texas.
Too soon, they pulled up in front of the Tamara Café. Zip and Luke would be there soon, hiding in plain sight. Luke told her she wouldn’t be able to see them, and hopefully, the bad guys wouldn’t, either.
After she paid the driver, she climbed out of the cab, dragging the heavy duffle bag across the seat and then swinging it over her shoulder. With one last look around, she walked into the brightly lit café.
A line of customers snaked around the front of the shop. It was at the height of the breakfast rush and packed with customers. As Gwen searched the café, she breathed a sigh of relief whenhertable was empty.
In all the scenarios Gwen had imagined, not one of them had her walking into a brightly lit bakery to exchange the ransom. The scent of fresh coffee and pastries filled the air. Loud chatter mixed with Arabic music playing over the speakers. Surreal.
The tables were close together, and she had to take the bag off her shoulder or risk hurting someone. As she made her way to the back, she tried to figure out who was waiting for the bag. Duff was somewhere in the café as her personal bodyguard, but she was afraid to look around in case the kidnappers were already there.
Gwen approached the empty table near the kitchen. Someone had placed a reserved sign in the center of the table—in Arabic and English. No wonder it was still empty.
A shudder ran down her spine, and her hands were damp as she pulled out the chair and sat down at the table. Following the instructions they had given her, she slid the bag underneath it by her feet. As she stood up to leave, something sharp and hard bit into the back of her neck.
“Do as I say, and you will not be hurt,” a heavily accented voice murmured into her ear.
“Wait. You’re making a mistake…” Gwen didn’t move, afraid he’d stab her with the sharp blade. He stood so close; his body odor overpowered the scent of the coffee.
“No, Ms. Dedmond.”
Shit, he knew her name. They weren’t following their own instructions. What the hell was going on?
