Page 163 of Rescuing You

Yes, he wanted to kill Shehab like he’d never wanted to kill anyone in his life.

But they needed him alive.

“Throw your gun out here, at my feet,” he said. “Then put your hands on your head.”

He didn’t think the man would do it. He’d prefer no more bullets to fly, but Shehab wouldn’t make it easy.

And then a gun skidded down the stairs.

Huh.

“Your hands are over your head?”

“Why don’t you look and see?”

Right. And get shot. But somebody had to check.

Michael got low, very low, and stuck a hand out, then yanked it back fast.

No gunshot.

He dared to look.

Waleed was standing in the center of the cockpit. Arms up. One behind his head.

The other held…not a gun. But…

Shehab smiled.

“Bomb!”

Michael screamed the word. Jumped down the stairs.

He was nearly to the railing. Almost there…

The world exploded.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

The thundering boom.

Fire billowed up, up in a haze of black smoke.

A wave of hot, dry air rolled over Leila.

She couldn’t make sense of it.

And then she did.

She screamed. Screamed past the pain. Screamed as loud as her ruined throat would allow. She wasn’t sure if the sound she heard was her own voice or Jasmine’s, only knew it was nothing, nothing compared to the pain.

He had been with her. Only minutes before. He’d promised he’d be right behind her.

She’d trusted him. She’d believed him.

She was vaguely aware of arms wrapped around her, pulling her back, back from the edge of the boat. She was so close to him. Some small part of her wanted to climb over. To follow.

Michael was in the abyss, somewhere. Gone.