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“Shit, baby,” I quickly explain, “I never wanted you to be in harm’s way. I promise. I knew the cost when I took you, and to be honest, I expected this shit storm, but I thought I could at least tuck you away somewhere safe while I dealt with the repercussions.”
“Travis, get it out of me.” Her voice quivers as it pitches to a high note as she pleads, “Please, I don’t care if you have to use a pocket knife; just get it out of me.” Her hands ball into tight fists, expressing her extreme anxiety.
“Unfortunately, now is not the time,” I state calmly as I shake my head. “We have a window of opportunity to gain the upper-hand on these guys, and catch them off guard.”
“No…no…no…” she chants, not understanding what I’m trying to say.
“Listen to me,” I urge, cradling her face in my hands. “If they suspect we know nothing and we act oblivious to the tracker, they will think they’re still in control. In fact, the more natural we act, the better. I guarantee you they’ve already located us, sweetheart, and it’s simply too late in the game to change what we’re doing.”
A visible shiver rolls over her entire body, and I pull her into my arms. All of her extremities tremor with fear. I kiss the top of her head as I whisper over her, “Please believe me. It guts me to have to drag you into this. I will guard you with my life.” I pull back and search her misty eyes. “Do you believe me…that I would protect you with my very life?”
I wipe away a stray tear with my thumb, her lips quivering as she replies softly, “I do believe you, Travis.”
I close my eyes and savor her words. I lay my head against her chest, pulling her into me for a tight embrace. I inhale the sweet scent of Jules into my lungs, wanting to commit everything about her to memory should this day go awry. Her trembling fingers thread through my hair as she holds me in the comfort of her bosom.
Her voice softly drifts over my head. “I’m really scared, Travis, and I don’t know why, but a large part of me believes you are really trying to protect me.” Her voice cracks as if she’s in agony, and her fingers tighten in my hair. “I’m running on blind faith here. You can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is for me. I didn’t see so many things coming at me—from the kidnapping, to the car wreck, and then the invasion. The element of surprise has always been against me. I’ve been blindsided at every turn, and quite frankly, I’m tired of life taking me by the horns.”
I lift my head from her chest and look into her eyes with all seriousness. “It’s too dangerous for you to know anything,” I stress emphatically. “You don’t understand; you already know too much as it is. I can’t…you can’t…afford to know any more than you already do if they capture you.”
“Travis, I’m already as good as dead.”
My eyes bolt open wide. “No, baby, they want you alive. It’s me they want dead. What you need to understand is you will pay the price for being with me. A big price.”
“But you took me, Travis.”
“That simple fact doesn’t matter to them.” If Nick were to get her again, she has no idea what her life would be like post-capture, and I’m on edge just thinking about it. I pray I’m wrong, but I’d fear he’d torture her, trying to extrapolate information out of her, especially if she didn’t satisfy his curiosity.
“When this is over—” she starts off, but I interrupt.
“When this is over, I will tell you whatever you want to know, and some things you’ll wish you never knew…if that’s what you want.”
“I’m just sick of being in the dark and thrown in harm’s way at every turn. This is just too much.”
I cup her cheeks and search her eyes. “Sweetheart, this is the last thing on Earth I want to do; believe me. They are tracking you, and they will always be tracking you, unless we put an end to it. Right now, we have serious backup. I have better protection on you than the Pope, and I promise not to leave your side for a single second. Don’t you want to put an end to this chase? Put an end to the people who are after you once and for all?”
She closes her eyes and remains silent for a moment, thinking about everything I just said. “What do you want me to do then?” she asks in a voice of resignation.
“Your job is to stay within inches of me at all times. It’d be nice if you were to hang all over me too,” I say with a sheepish grin. “Maybe even act like we’re in love. That’s all I need you to focus on. I’ll handle the rest.”
