August leapt from beneath the bridge, throwing his fist into the assassin’s face. The man’s head jerked to the side and he stumbled. August then slammed his foot into the guy’s kneecap, sending him to the rocks. Satisfaction gripped August’s muscles as he gave another kick, this one snapping the gun from the man’s hold.
The bastard grunted and rolled to his knees, revealing an exit wound on his shoulder—likely the result of the shoot-out at the diner. August’s jaw clenched with the need to put a bullet in the cocksucker’s head. Using his foot again, he shoved the man in the ass. He landed face-first on the stones.
August’s biceps bunched with unspent power, and he clenched his hands into fists. “Who the fuck sent you?” he demanded.
He knew one of the Mexican cartels had sent the assassin, but with Fernando dead, someone else was behind this. And he needed a name.
The man let out a grunt of pain and flopped onto his back. Blood dribbled from his lips and his two front teeth were broken. “Fuck you,” he growled in a thick Spanish accent.
August smirked and pressed his boot down on the front of the man’s bloody shoulder.
He yelped in pain, twisting beneath August’s weight.
“Try that again.” August spoke calmly but was anything but. He was itching to get Gigi out of the water. He needed to check her out and assess her injuries. Adrenaline could hide a concussion pretty well.
Sending a glance to the river, he spotted Gigi still clinging to the rock. Anger fired through him. This sonofabitch had almost killed them both—and had totaled his work vehicle, too. Not wanting to keep Gigi in the water a second longer than necessary, he swung his gun forward, aimed at the guy’s knee, and fired.
Crack!
“Ahh!” the man reached for his leg, his face contorting with pain. “My fucking leg!”
“And I’m going to put a bullet in the other in a minute.” He aimed at the man’s other knee for good measure.
The man huffed and puffed through clenched teeth. “All right! Val Alvarez.”
August moved his finger over the trigger. “What’s he want?”
“That bitch dead,” the man spat.
“Why?” August pressed. He had a damn good idea, but he needed to be sure there wasn’t anything he was missing.
The man’s brown eyes blazed with disgust. “Fernando was his brother. Val will get justice for him.”
Rage settled in August’s blood. This had nothing to do with Gigi. She was collateral damage. An innocent bystander. Todd had screwed them over, and because of that, these assholes wanted to take her life.
“Not today,” August said with finality. Aiming the gun at the man’s forehead, he fired.
The assassin’s eyes turned lifeless as a dark hole ate through the bone between his eyes. Blood blew out the back of his head to mar the gray stones.
Nausea tossed August’s stomach. He hated messy jobs, but he couldn’t let the assassin live. He reached into the pocket of the man’s pants, snapped a picture of his ID, then pocketed the guy’s phone. Turning, he made his way back to the river.
Gigi’s face was pinched with strain. He cursed under his breath. Wading into a spot in the water where he could stand without being pulled downstream, he extended his hand. “Swim to me,” he called.
She moved from the rock, her long hair soaked and her body trembling. She shook her head. “I don’t think I can!”
“C’mon. Just swim as far as you can. I’ll grab you.”
She kicked off from the rock, her arms outstretched. The current grabbed her slight frame quickly. August lunged forward, catching her hand and pulling her to him. Then he clamped his arm around her waist and she locked her hold around his shoulders so he could carry her from the river. Setting her gently on the stones, he brought his hands to her cheeks.
She shook like a leaf in the wind. Drenched and wide-eyed, she stared at him. “Is he dead?”
He gave one nod and looked over her face. A few scratches, probably from the accident, and some scrapes on her hands, but nothing too serious. Moving his palms over her arms and legs, he checked for broken bones. “Does this hurt?” he asked, as he rotated one wrist, then the other.
She shook her head. “I’m o-okay. Just f-freezing.”
He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s all right. Good thing it’s fall and not winter. We’ll be fine until help comes.”
“That could be a long time. No one will see us down here.”
“Rami will be here soon. He wouldn’t have wasted any time, and we’re only about a half hour from his place.”
She nodded. “Okay. I g-guess that’s not s-so bad.” Her cold nose touched his throat, and he ran his hands up and down her back to create some friction. “I lost my sh-shoes,” she said, nodding at her wet and dirty feet.
“We’ll get you some. Are you hurt?” he asked, needing further confirmation.
“No.”
His jaw tightened and fresh anger surged through him, making his response slow and deliberate. “You’re in shock.”
“My neck is a bit sore and my head is pounding. Other than that, I’m all right,” she insisted. “You?” She tilted her head to look at him, and he couldn’t resist stroking her cheek with his thumb.
“Been through a helluva lot worse.”
She nodded in understanding, probably remembering the scars on his body.
“C’mere.” He situated himself directly in front of her and placed his hands on her neck then made his way from her collarbone down her spine to her ankles. Gigi let him inspect her without complaint, but the shaking of her body made him want to get her out of her wet clothes and fast.
He brought his attention back to her face. Ignoring the little scratches from debris and glass, he felt her head. “Anywhere tender?”
“Uh-uh.”
He sighed with his relief. Her eyes stayed focused on his. Even though he didn’t have a flashlight handy to check her pupils, he was quite positive she hadn’t hit her head. “Good,” he said gruffly. “I’m just sorry I let him run us off the road.”
“Hey.” Her slim, icy fingers held on to his wrist. “We’re both alive. That’s all that matters.”
He bit back a comment. She was right. He wouldn’t hide his gratitude for their survival. But this situation could have ended very differently. Either one of them could’ve died.
This fact made his vision blur with protectiveness. From here on out, he wasn’t leaving her fucking side.
Ten minutes later, Rami showed up at the top of the hill, hands on his hips. “Kinda chilly for a swim, don’t ya think?” His smile made the tattoo of a vertical phrase over his right eye crinkle.
August climbed over the rocks, and the damn sloshing sound from his boots only made the situation more comical. “Shut up,” he grumbled.
Cradling Gigi’s elbow, he helped her up the hill.
“Hey, Rami,” she said sweetly.
Too sweetly. Why the hell did her tone bug him?
“Hey, gorgeous.”
August slammed his shoulder into Rami’s as he walked past.
Rami let out a hoot of amusement. “I’m allowed to say that. She’s identical to my girlfriend, dude.”
“You wanna go for a swim next?” August shot back.
Rami’s smile only spread as he turned to Gigi. “Has he been this grumpy the whole time?”
She scrunched up the corner of her mouth and squinted one eye in a cute way. “Oh yeah.”
Jesus fuck. He was in a bad mood. “Can we go before the cops show up?” He headed toward Rami’s black SUV still holding onto Gigi. Then their earlier conversation about his touching her rang through his mind, and he forced himself to drop her wrist when they reached the vehicle. Her eyebrows twitched quizzically, but she didn’t comment.
Rami was right. He was grumpy. Maybe it was because he’d been run off the road, or because Gigi could have died. Or because he was still in wet clothes.
Rami followed. “Clean up crew’ll be here any minute,” he said, nodding toward the assassin’s body, merely feet away. “I called insurance. Hopefully we’ll get a new vehicle outfitted before Toth has time to blow a gasket.”
If he wasn’t soaking wet and just recovering from a crash, he’d have smiled at the image of Toth getting riled. As part owner of Backcountry Protection Services, Toth was August’s boss—and friend. “Got anything dry?”
“I’ve got a duffel of clothes in the back. Help yourself.” He gestured to Gigi. “Not sure what will fit you, but feel free to put something on.”
August rounded the SUV and lifted the hatch. Reaching inside, he dragged forward a black duffel bag and pulled out a hoodie for Gigi, as well as a T-shirt and sweats for himself. “I don’t think these pants will fit you.” He held out the joggers and she grimaced.
“Nope. Those won’t stay up. But the sweater will work for now.” She grabbed the hem of her shirt and he quickly shut the hatch so Rami wouldn’t see her changing if he looked back from the driver’s seat.
She chuckled as she brought the material over her head. “Relax. I still have a tank on.”
Once again, his temper shot up a notch, but he shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Just didn’t want him getting an eyeful.”
“Come on. Do you think I’d flash my sister’s boyfriend? Ew.”
“Sorry. I’m crashing from the adrenaline. Not thinking straight.” He dragged his hand over his face.
She lifted her soaked tank top over her head and her breasts, barely strapped in pink lace, jiggled with the movement. His mouth watered and his palms tingled with the need to touch her smooth, creamy skin.
He moved to shield her body from anyone who might drive down the road. “Warn me next time.” He didn’t like the sullen tone to his voice, but Christ.
She glanced at him through lowered lashes but refrained from pushing his buttons further. Instead, she pulled the hoodie over her head and then reached underneath the material and yanked off her bra.
His cock hardened. Every muscle in his body clenched, and it took great effort not to slide his hands beneath the sweater of his asshole friend and take her perfect nipples into his mouth.
He quickly changed, and opened the hatch, tossed their damp clothes next to the duffel, and closed the door again. He kept his gaze off Gigi. Being with her was risky. Looking at her was risky. Touching her? That’d be downright stupid.
Right now, he needed a shower and some food. And goddammit, he needed Gigi more than both of those combined.
* * *
Gigi sat in the back seat somewhat grateful for the distance from Rami and August. Neither of them spoke to her. August had offered her the front seat, saying she’d probably warm up faster there, but she just wanted to curl into herself and process the trauma of the last day.
She wrapped her arms around her waist. Rami’s oversized sweater was dry and warm. She should have been slaphappy to be surrounded by the clean-smelling material. Only she wasn’t because it wasn’t August’s.
He had a different aroma. One that got her pheromones going and had the instant effect of lowering her cortisol levels.
As it stood, she was still in fight-or-flight mode. Her poor heart felt ready to burst from her chest and her lungs were still aching from holding her breath for so long. Her fingers would probably never thaw, and the chill that coated her bones like wet fleece wouldn’t dissipate without a two-hour-long scalding-hot shower. Or . . .
No. Don’t go there.
Or was trouble.
Or was temptation.
Or was sitting in the front seat with a storm cloud over his head sending her scowls every thirty seconds, as if he expected her to bolt.
What had changed? Why the hell was he so moody? Maybe because of the damaged vehicle, or because he blamed her for the whole fiasco. Which he should. It was her fault.
Stupid postcard.
“We’ll get you a new ride,” Rami told August.
“And a phone. Mine’s toast.”
“Gigi can stay at my place with me and Ivy. Taschen can pick you up and take you to the office so you can get what you need.”
Little seeds of worry imbedded themselves in Gigi’s gut. Once August was rid of her, there’d be no reason for him to return. He’d probably assume she’d be safe enough with Rami. But would Rami even want her around?
She should have left while she could. Definitely shouldn’t have promised she wouldn’t run again. But the last thing she wanted to do was endanger her sister. Sure, Rami could take care of himself. But Ivy was her identical twin. If someone came looking to put a bullet in Gigi’s head, they wouldn’t think twice about firing at Ivy.
“Is that okay?” August turned to glance at her. His dark-blond eyebrows rose slightly, and his eyes raked over her face as if looking for signs of emotional breakage. The breakage was there, though well beneath the surface and far from his scrutinizing gaze.
“Mm-hmm,” she said with a nod, even though she hated the idea of being away from him.
Rami turned into a long driveway and parked. A beautiful brick bungalow was nestled behind tall trees, its black shutters highlighting the grayish-blue tones of the exterior. “I’ll be an hour or two tops. Shower and eat, and I’ll be back.”
Then what? The question singed her tongue but she gulped it down. “That’s fine.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and August got out to open her door.
She slid out of the vehicle and stood in front of him, dwarfed by his size. Rami’s T-shirt fit snug around August’s biceps, and the pants hugged his stacked thighs. His hand went to the side of her neck. “You still okay? Any pain?”
“Just a headache.” Her belly swarmed under his intense gaze. She curled her bare toes into the pavement and fought the urge to lean into him. When he’d kissed her in the river, the action had seemed automatic, lacking feeling. But this . . . this was different. His hand was warm and soothing on her skin, his eyes loaded with concern and longing.
He flicked his gaze to her lips and a muscle twitched at his temple. “Stay inside. Don’t call anyone, okay? I’ll be back soon and then we’ll go to a safe house.”
That answered her question about where they were going, but for how long? She didn’t dare ask him. At the end of the day, it wasn’t his problem. She wasn’t his problem.
“Gigi!” The front door flew open and her sister bounded down the steps. Her face was twisted with emotion and her eyes filled with tears. She threw her arms around Gigi and forced August to back up.
“Hey,” Gigi said with a chuckle, hugging her back. “I’m fine.”
Ivy pulled back a few inches and held her shoulders. “Your car sank in a river. You definitely are not fine. Come inside. I’ve got tea on and dinner cooking.”
“Two hours, tops,” August said softly.
Gigi nodded and let Ivy pull her toward the house. She should feel safe. She should feel protected and elated to see her sister.
Instead, without August, she felt as vulnerable as an exposed nerve.