did as he requested, watching as Ames did a pat down of Cole. It was like one of those thorough searches at the airport where they run their hands up your legs into your crotch.
Sahadra spoke, and Emma’s attention snapped to her. “I must pat you down as well. Please hold your hands out to the sides.
When Emma complied, the woman began to pat her down, cupping her breasts, stroking her fingers across the nipples.
“Is that necessary?” Emma asked.
“We have to be careful about who comes on board.” She slid her hands down Emma’s ribs, across her middle, then down to her crotch. Emma gritted her teeth, willing herself not to sock the woman. She was just doing her job. Or was she going all out with the intimate touching because it gave her a thrill? “We have a strict policy about drugs.”
Yeah, you’ve got to buy them on the ship, not bring your own, Emma thought, but she kept the observation to herself.
The frisking was almost finished when she heard loud voices and some kind of scuffle out of sight down the hall.
The woman turned in alarm, just as the sound of shots rang out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sahadra pushed Emma to the floor. As she tried to scramble up, the man named Jed drew his gun and held it on Emma and Cole.
The other man, Ames, also drew a gun, but he turned and ran rapidly out of the room, disappearing from sight down a bend in the hall.
“Stay here,” Jed growled as Sahadra backed up and joined him. She was also holding a weapon that must have been hidden under the folds of her sari. She looked alarmed but also determined.
Emma stared at them, shocked by how quickly the whole situation had changed from an annoying pat down to something much more dangerous.
She waited tensely for the gunfire to come closer, wondering what she was going to do? Make a grab for Sahadra’s gun?
But the shooting stopped as quickly as it had begun. In the aftermath, she could hear people shouting and screaming. She would have gone to help, but it was clear that the man and woman guarding them wouldn’t let her or Cole see what was happening.
She looked toward Cole, who was also on the deck, his face a study in tension, his body coiled to spring.
Lord, what if Cole did something that could get him killed?
That terrible thought made her realize what she’d been trying to deny. It wasn’t just lust between them. She cared about him with a strength that shocked her.
Moving slowly, she reached toward him, putting a steadying hand on his arm.
When his head swung toward her, their eyes met.
“Stay with me,” she whispered, hoping that bringing herself into the equation would keep him from doing anything dangerous now.
He took a deep breath and let it out, then nodded, and she saw he was making an effort to calm down.
As the seconds ticked by, she looked back toward the entrance hatch. It was still open, and she could see the hovercraft racing away.
Movement in the doorway caught her attention. A man they hadn’t met before strode into the room. His name tag said he was Ben. He was about six feet tall with dark hair, dark eyes and a commanding presence. Emma would bet that he had some kind of authority on the ship.
“All clear,” he said.
Sahadra tucked her weapon back into her sari. Jed reholstered his gun under his jacket.
“Sorry about that,” he said to the arriving guests.
“What happened?” Cole demanded.
“Just a minor disturbance,” the man answered, his voice conveying that he wasn’t giving out any information.
But Cole didn’t take the hint. “Then why did you hold us at gunpoint?”
“To make sure you didn’t get hurt.”
“By what?”
“We were taking precautions.”
“But you gave the all clear. So let us in on the news.”
Ben kept his gaze steady. “We use some large cats in some of our acts. One of them got out.”
“And you shot him?”
“No. We shot at him—with blanks. He was frightened and ran back to the animal area. We have him under control.
Sahadra spoke, and Emma’s attention snapped to her. “I must pat you down as well. Please hold your hands out to the sides.
When Emma complied, the woman began to pat her down, cupping her breasts, stroking her fingers across the nipples.
“Is that necessary?” Emma asked.
“We have to be careful about who comes on board.” She slid her hands down Emma’s ribs, across her middle, then down to her crotch. Emma gritted her teeth, willing herself not to sock the woman. She was just doing her job. Or was she going all out with the intimate touching because it gave her a thrill? “We have a strict policy about drugs.”
Yeah, you’ve got to buy them on the ship, not bring your own, Emma thought, but she kept the observation to herself.
The frisking was almost finished when she heard loud voices and some kind of scuffle out of sight down the hall.
The woman turned in alarm, just as the sound of shots rang out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sahadra pushed Emma to the floor. As she tried to scramble up, the man named Jed drew his gun and held it on Emma and Cole.
The other man, Ames, also drew a gun, but he turned and ran rapidly out of the room, disappearing from sight down a bend in the hall.
“Stay here,” Jed growled as Sahadra backed up and joined him. She was also holding a weapon that must have been hidden under the folds of her sari. She looked alarmed but also determined.
Emma stared at them, shocked by how quickly the whole situation had changed from an annoying pat down to something much more dangerous.
She waited tensely for the gunfire to come closer, wondering what she was going to do? Make a grab for Sahadra’s gun?
But the shooting stopped as quickly as it had begun. In the aftermath, she could hear people shouting and screaming. She would have gone to help, but it was clear that the man and woman guarding them wouldn’t let her or Cole see what was happening.
She looked toward Cole, who was also on the deck, his face a study in tension, his body coiled to spring.
Lord, what if Cole did something that could get him killed?
That terrible thought made her realize what she’d been trying to deny. It wasn’t just lust between them. She cared about him with a strength that shocked her.
Moving slowly, she reached toward him, putting a steadying hand on his arm.
When his head swung toward her, their eyes met.
“Stay with me,” she whispered, hoping that bringing herself into the equation would keep him from doing anything dangerous now.
He took a deep breath and let it out, then nodded, and she saw he was making an effort to calm down.
As the seconds ticked by, she looked back toward the entrance hatch. It was still open, and she could see the hovercraft racing away.
Movement in the doorway caught her attention. A man they hadn’t met before strode into the room. His name tag said he was Ben. He was about six feet tall with dark hair, dark eyes and a commanding presence. Emma would bet that he had some kind of authority on the ship.
“All clear,” he said.
Sahadra tucked her weapon back into her sari. Jed reholstered his gun under his jacket.
“Sorry about that,” he said to the arriving guests.
“What happened?” Cole demanded.
“Just a minor disturbance,” the man answered, his voice conveying that he wasn’t giving out any information.
But Cole didn’t take the hint. “Then why did you hold us at gunpoint?”
“To make sure you didn’t get hurt.”
“By what?”
“We were taking precautions.”
“But you gave the all clear. So let us in on the news.”
Ben kept his gaze steady. “We use some large cats in some of our acts. One of them got out.”
“And you shot him?”
“No. We shot at him—with blanks. He was frightened and ran back to the animal area. We have him under control.
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