Read Online Aegis Security 03 - Extreme Measures by Elisabeth Naughton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elisabeth Naughton
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bumped into the bathroom door and swore under her breath. The camper rocked.
“As soon as we get on the ferry and the coast is clear,” she said, rubbing her elbow, “I’ll get supplies from that ambulance.”
He didn’t care how she was going to do that; he just wanted some relief. And to get his head back in the game so he’d stop reacting to her. Stop thinking of her. Stop second-guessing himself like he was doing now.
“Archer? Did you hear me?”
He didn’t look at her, but when footsteps echoed outside the camper, his head came up, and he froze.
“All right,” a voice said. A male voice. Just beyond the camper door. “I know you’re in there. Open up.”
E ve froze with her hand against Zane’s shoulder and peered toward the door. Her heart rate jumped, and beneath her palm, Zane went still as stone.
“I said come out,” the male voice repeated. “I know you’re in there.”
Eve glanced quickly around the small camper. There was no other exit. The windows were too small to climb through, and in the middle of all these cars, they’d never escape without being seen.
“Fuck me,” Zane mouthed.
Perspiration dotted Eve’s forehead, and her adrenaline surged. She was not going down like this, minutes to freedom. She squeezed Zane’s shoulder.
“Payton,” the man said, “if I have to come in there after you, I won’t be smiling.”
Payton? Eve’s gaze darted to Zane. His confused expression mirrored her own. Muffled giggling echoed from the front of the truck, followed by heavy footsteps moving around the vehicle, then the cab door opening.
“I told you to stay with me,” the man said. “Don’t run off again, or I’ll put you down for a nap in the back of the camper.”
More giggling echoed from the front of the vehicle, followed by a small voice exclaiming, “I win at hide-and-seek!”
“I hate hide-and-seek,” the man mumbled. Then louder, “Move over, Freckles. The ferry’s about to load.”
The kid clapped wildly, then the car door slammed shut, and the truck roared to life.
Eve released the breath she’d been holding. When Zane moved over on the bench, Eve eased onto the seat next to him. Heat immediately enveloped her, followed by the sweet, masculine scent of his skin, and too late she realized she should have sat across from him, not beside him. But when he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, she glanced his way and was glad she’d sat where she had. He was pale, and blood from the wound in his shoulder was starting to seep through the T-shirt she’d snagged downtown. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
Worry tightened her chest. A worry he didn’t deserve, but which consumed her. She glanced over her shoulder toward the bed above the canopy of the truck.
The vehicle rocked, and what little light had seeped through around the edge of the curtains grew dark. They were moving into the belly of the ferry. They both sat still, unmoving and silent as the vehicle stopped and the ignition died.
A door opened.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” the kid said in an excited voice.
“Hold my hand,” the man yelled. Then quieter, “Your mother so owes me for this.”
The door slammed shut, and footsteps echoed away.
Eve didn’t move until the sounds around her quieted and she felt the ferry engine come to life. Only then did she breathe again and push to her feet.
“Come on, Archer,” she said quietly, gently tugging on his good arm.
“Just want to sit here.”
“I know. But I think you’ll like this better.”
It took a lot of coaxing to get him to his feet, and when she did, he swayed. “Whoa,” Eve muttered, placing a hand against his chest, another around his back to hold him upright. Heat seeped from him into her, penetrating her skin, warming places she didn’t want to remember had gone cold. “Don’t fall.”
“I’m not gonna fall,” he groused. “Just . . . tired.”
She helped him up the three
“As soon as we get on the ferry and the coast is clear,” she said, rubbing her elbow, “I’ll get supplies from that ambulance.”
He didn’t care how she was going to do that; he just wanted some relief. And to get his head back in the game so he’d stop reacting to her. Stop thinking of her. Stop second-guessing himself like he was doing now.
“Archer? Did you hear me?”
He didn’t look at her, but when footsteps echoed outside the camper, his head came up, and he froze.
“All right,” a voice said. A male voice. Just beyond the camper door. “I know you’re in there. Open up.”
E ve froze with her hand against Zane’s shoulder and peered toward the door. Her heart rate jumped, and beneath her palm, Zane went still as stone.
“I said come out,” the male voice repeated. “I know you’re in there.”
Eve glanced quickly around the small camper. There was no other exit. The windows were too small to climb through, and in the middle of all these cars, they’d never escape without being seen.
“Fuck me,” Zane mouthed.
Perspiration dotted Eve’s forehead, and her adrenaline surged. She was not going down like this, minutes to freedom. She squeezed Zane’s shoulder.
“Payton,” the man said, “if I have to come in there after you, I won’t be smiling.”
Payton? Eve’s gaze darted to Zane. His confused expression mirrored her own. Muffled giggling echoed from the front of the truck, followed by heavy footsteps moving around the vehicle, then the cab door opening.
“I told you to stay with me,” the man said. “Don’t run off again, or I’ll put you down for a nap in the back of the camper.”
More giggling echoed from the front of the vehicle, followed by a small voice exclaiming, “I win at hide-and-seek!”
“I hate hide-and-seek,” the man mumbled. Then louder, “Move over, Freckles. The ferry’s about to load.”
The kid clapped wildly, then the car door slammed shut, and the truck roared to life.
Eve released the breath she’d been holding. When Zane moved over on the bench, Eve eased onto the seat next to him. Heat immediately enveloped her, followed by the sweet, masculine scent of his skin, and too late she realized she should have sat across from him, not beside him. But when he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, she glanced his way and was glad she’d sat where she had. He was pale, and blood from the wound in his shoulder was starting to seep through the T-shirt she’d snagged downtown. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
Worry tightened her chest. A worry he didn’t deserve, but which consumed her. She glanced over her shoulder toward the bed above the canopy of the truck.
The vehicle rocked, and what little light had seeped through around the edge of the curtains grew dark. They were moving into the belly of the ferry. They both sat still, unmoving and silent as the vehicle stopped and the ignition died.
A door opened.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” the kid said in an excited voice.
“Hold my hand,” the man yelled. Then quieter, “Your mother so owes me for this.”
The door slammed shut, and footsteps echoed away.
Eve didn’t move until the sounds around her quieted and she felt the ferry engine come to life. Only then did she breathe again and push to her feet.
“Come on, Archer,” she said quietly, gently tugging on his good arm.
“Just want to sit here.”
“I know. But I think you’ll like this better.”
It took a lot of coaxing to get him to his feet, and when she did, he swayed. “Whoa,” Eve muttered, placing a hand against his chest, another around his back to hold him upright. Heat seeped from him into her, penetrating her skin, warming places she didn’t want to remember had gone cold. “Don’t fall.”
“I’m not gonna fall,” he groused. “Just . . . tired.”
She helped him up the three
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