Chapter 45

CHAPTER

FORTY-FIVE

Kai didn't like any of this. He still wasn't sure if he could trust Larchmont. And trusting the wrong person could get them all killed.

But they had little choice right now.

They landed in an open field in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere. An SUV waited there, Trevor behind the wheel.

They disembarked from the copter and headed toward the waiting vehicle. Wasting no time, they all piled in. Larchmont climbed into the front seat. He tapped the dashboard, indicating to Trevor that he should get moving.

As they sped from the area, the helicopter became airborne again. It was the quickest exchange he'd ever seen. But Kai knew it was better that way.

Gage turned toward Larchmont. "How did you have all that planned?"

"I always have an exit plan," Larchmont stated as he looked ahead. "Always. I thought I taught you guys that also."

"You did," Kai said. "But all of this . . ."

"A simple thank you would be sufficient."

Kai's jaw hardened. There were definitely things he'd like to say to the man other than thank you. But for now, he kept his mouth shut.

Instead, he glanced around him at the dark, rolling landscape. It was hard to see very much, but his instincts told him they'd landed in the Georgia mountains. This area was probably an ideal place to hide out since the population was low.

As they drove, Kai grabbed Tori's hand again. He told himself he did so to comfort her. But her touch did just as much to comfort him, even if he didn't want to admit it.

She was scared, and rightly so. Kai also had so many uncertainties. He hoped they weren't headed from one trap into another.

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to an isolated log cabin nestled on the side of a hill and surrounded by trees. No neighbors were in sight.

At first glance, the place seemed safe enough.

Kai prayed they'd be secure here tonight.

They needed to get somewhere where they could continue to treat Stephen's injuries. He knew Tori had begun to clean him up, but there was still more to be done.

Also, there were still more answers they needed to find out.

Time was running out, and more than one life was on the line.

Once at the cabin, Tori had done her best to treat Stephen's wound.

Larchmont had some medical supplies waiting for them, including some pain pills. Those had helped Stephen get through the next excruciating moments.

She'd had to remove a couple of broken pieces of the tracker from inside him. She knew that it didn't feel good. But she had no other choice. She couldn't leave the parts in there to cause infection.

Stephen was resting now in one of the spare bedrooms. His body needed to heal, and sleep was one of the best ways to do this. Plus, he'd spiked a fever, which had her concerned. She'd need to keep an eye on that.

Tori knew the rest of the guys would need some time to talk among themselves. Her head was already about to explode from everything she'd already heard and was trying to process. She didn't need to learn anything else.

Instead, she went into a private bathroom inside one of the bedrooms and began to scrub her hands. She'd used gloves when she worked on Stephen, but she still felt the need to clean herself up.

How her life had changed over the past couple of weeks was unbelievable. The simple days of going into work at different hospitals were now long gone.

Would her life ever be the same? She wasn't sure.

Just as Tori came out of the bathroom, someone knocked at the bedroom door. "Tori, it's me. Kai. Can I come in?"

Her heart rate quickened when she heard Kai's voice. She walked to the door and opened it.

Her heart stammered even faster when she saw him standing there. When she remembered the feel of his hand in hers.

Was it possible that she'd finally met the man of her dreams . . . while in the middle of running for her life?

Not ideal. She wasn't even sure her emotions in this situation could be trusted.

Yet the other part of her so desperately wanted to dive into those very emotions.

Kai Kaleo was unlike anyone she'd ever met before. All she wanted was to get to know him more.

That also seemed like such a bad idea.

"Can we talk a minute?" He kept his voice low as he asked the question.

"Of course." She let him into the bedroom.

He closed the door behind him, and they both sat on the edge of the bed. Only the soft glow of a lamp on the nightstand lit the room.

"Are you doing okay?" he started, his voice earnest and concerned as he peered at her, the dim light softening his normally hard features.

How was she doing? How did she answer that honestly?

Finally, she said, "This is a lot."

"Yes, it is."

Tori studied his face as she wondered about the sudden change in him from earlier. Too much was at stake right now for her to beat around the bush. "You're not avoiding me anymore?"

She was seriously curious about the change in him. After their talk last night, he'd definitely put up a wall. Tori hadn't been sure that wall would ever come down. The barrier had seemed high and impenetrable.

So what had changed?

"Tori . . ." His voice turned hoarse as his gaze flickered up to meet hers. "You shouldn't get involved with someone like me. I'd be doing an injustice to you if I let you believe otherwise."

"What do you mean someone like you?"

"Danger follows me everywhere."

"Isn't it up to me to determine if I want to take that chance?" She stared at him, trying desperately to see the truth in his eyes.

As their gazes connected, she finally understood.

Kai was beginning to care about her just as much as Tori was beginning to care about him. Yet he was trying to look out for her, to keep her safe.

Really, it was sweet.

But that shouldn't just be his decision either.

"Kai . . ." She reached up and gently ran her thumb against his cheek, feeling the start of unshaven stubble. His scent, part Ivory soap and part evergreen cologne, rose up to her. She hadn't even realized how familiar the smell had become—or how much she enjoyed it.

He reached for her waist and pulled her closer.

Tori's throat went dry as she anticipated what might happen next. As she imagined what it might be like to feel his lips against hers.

Speaking of lips . . . her gaze went to his mouth. Then back to his eyes. Then to his mouth again.

Kai leaned closer, and she closed her eyes.

Before their lips touched, a commotion sounded in the hallway.

"Kai! Tori! We need you."

They sprang away from each other and toward the door.

What had happened now?