Page 13 of The Hero
She couldn’t read the expression on his face. Perhaps a mixture of anger and tenderness. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t know if he was lying or not. “I can’t deal with anyone getting in trouble because of me.”
Kendric wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Marlowe braced her hands on his chest as she looked at him in surprise.
“Everyone we’ll meet along our journey knows the risks they’re taking. And trust me, they’re being well compensated for their assistance. Besides, they know how corrupt the officials here can be. Many have had loved ones incarcerated just like you were. With no chance of fighting the charges. They’re glad to help. Eager, in fact. You’ll see. I know this is going to sound impossible, but relax, Punky. I’ve got you.”
Marlowe closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “I have been ever since the police officers came to the dig and accused me of being a drug dealer. I just ... I want to go home.” The last few words were almost a sob, and Marlowe hated the weakness they exposed.
“You will. Youare,” Kendric said. Marlowe could feel him running a careful hand over the wig on her head. Even though the touch was light because of the material between his hand and her scalp, she still felt it down to her toes.
Taking a big breath, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I’m okay. It’s just ... it’s a lot. But I’m all right now.”
Kendric stared at her for a beat. “You’re pretty amazing.”
She huffed out a disbelieving breath. “I’m not.”
“You are,” he insisted. “You have no idea. I’ve done this many times before, and trust me when I tell you that you’re holding up way better than most people.”
Marlowe didn’t like to think of Kendric putting himself in danger like this as part of his job. Then she frowned. Hadn’t he said he owneda business with some friends? Wasthathis job, or did they all do this? Rescue people?
“You’re tired. We need to eat, get clean, and then sleep.”
A low moan escaped her throat at the thought of any one of those things.
Kendric smiled. “Come on. We’ll go meet our host and get you sorted.”
Nodding, Marlowe allowed herself to be turned, loving that Kendric kept an arm around her shoulders and walked by her side toward the run-down-looking dwelling nearby.
Bob couldn’t take his eyes off Marlowe for more than a few seconds. The memory of the kiss they’d shared looped through his brain like a broken record. He hadn’t meant to kiss her like that, but when he’d seen the second officer looking suspicious about their story, he’d simply acted.
And that kiss had rocked him to the core. It was a good thing they were sitting, otherwise his knees would’ve gone out from under him. Because in that second, he knew.
This woman was his.
His.
He’d been looking for his perfect match for years. And as luck would have it, he’d found her on the other side of the world.
She was his responsibility. She was relying on him to get her out of the country safely. One screwup on his part and she’d go right back to prison and likely spend the rest of her life there.
That wasn’t an option. No way in hell.
Most people would tell him he was being ridiculous. That there was no way he could know she was his after a single kiss. They’d insist he was just horny because he hadn’t had sex in too long to remember, andthat’swhy he was so drawn to her. But those people would be wrong.
Bob felt their connection down to his bones. He hadn’t recognized the pull toward her when he’d visited her in the women’s prison, but as soon as he’d touched her, it sprang to life.
Then that kiss ...
His friends would understand. Chappy and Cal had fallen just as hard and fast, and now they were both married and living happily ever after. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was his friends.
Even JJ, despite currently resisting their admin assistant himself, would tell Bob not to let anyone talk him out of going after what he wanted. What he wanted was Marlowe Kennedy.
And yet, despite his convictions, he had no illusions about the more likely scenario once they were back in the States. She’d go live with her brother for a while, until she was back on her feet. He’d go back to Maine, and their time together would come to an end.
