by Kaylea Cross
Sliding the panel aside almost without a sound, she leaned down to look below.
A hand reached up through the darkness.
Megan grasped it, shifted her weight and gritted her teeth against the pain while she pulled her sister up and through the opening. Amber scrambled to one side while Megan put the cover back and secured it. Then she handed Amber another pair of NVGs and signaled for her to follow.
Sweat rolled down the sides of Megan’s face as she slid along. She retraced her route, her heart beating faster as they reached the final upward section.
This was gonna be close. Security personnel would be swarming the building. Every second counted.
Then a breath of cool air wafted through the vent, signaling they were close to the exit point.
Hurry. Hurry.
The rappelling rope was still in place, Tyler standing at the bottom to hold it steady. Megan went first, easing out backward through the vent to grasp it and make her way down. If she had time she would replace the vent cover, but it wasn’t critical.
Tyler caught her near the bottom and lifted her down, his arms crushing her tight to his chest for a moment. “You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah. We still clear?”
“For the moment.”
She leaned into him a second, then looked up at her sister. Amber was halfway down, about forty feet up. Megan glanced at her watch. Yikes. Any second now, and—
The lights went back on.
Amber froze on the rope, then slipped and lost her balance, maybe blinded by the sudden light.
Megan gasped and bit back a cry of warning as Amber lost her grip and dropped a few feet before catching herself, dangling from the rope.
Before Megan could move Ty had pushed her out of the way, grabbed the rope and started climbing. Within seconds he’d reached Amber. He clamped an arm around her waist while she wrapped around him, then dropped, letting the rope slip between his gloved hands. Seconds later they were on the ground and Megan could breathe again.
“Let’s go,” she urged in a whisper, then grabbed her backpack and took off up the side street, the others right behind her. She kept to the shadows as she ran, following the route she’d mapped out earlier.
Several blocks away she stopped and turned to face the others, shrugging out of her backpack. “The boat leaves in twenty minutes,” she told Amber, pulling out a packed duffel and the disguise.
Amber put on the wig and hat and wrapped the gray woolen shawl around her shoulders. “We’ve got to write a book about this someday,” she said, tucking her hair up under the short wig.
“One day.” Megan smiled and handed her the small duffel of cash and other supplies she needed to leave the country. Burner phone. Passport. A thick wad of cash. Food, water. “You’re coming back, right?”
“If I can.”
Megan scowled and shoved Amber’s shoulder playfully. “Well, then, make sure you can.”
“I’ll try.”
It would have to be enough. Megan nodded once, then, overcome by a surge of emotion, she reached out to wrap her arms around Amber and squeezed tight. “Try hard.”
Amber stiffened slightly in surprise, then laughed quietly and returned the embrace. “Okay. I will.” Stepping back, she faced Ty. “Thanks for not leaving me hanging back there.”
His lips quirked at her dry humor. “Find Hannah and call your sister, and we’ll call it even.”
“Deal.” Amber’s gaze swung back to Megan, and her expression turned wistful. “Be careful.”
“You too.” She watched her sister walk away and disappear into the shadows with a heavy heart.
Ty wrapped a solid arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “Let’s get going.”
She nodded and they headed back to the townhouse to make the most of the few hours they had left together.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tyler let out a relieved breath when he shut the townhouse door behind them.
She took a step toward the fridge. “I’m starved. Have you eaten?”
He stopped directly in front of her and gently captured her chin in his hand. They hadn’t talked on the way back and he had so many questions. “Did she tell you where she’s going?”
“No. But I know she’s going to find Hannah.”
Ty didn’t argue, because what was done was done. Now she needed to hold onto the hope that she’d done the right thing. “They’re going to suspect you.” Rycroft was going to be pissed if he found out. Ty wasn’t sure what would happen to Megan then.
She shrugged a shoulder, her expression mutinous. “I don’t care. She’s my sister.”
Well, she should care. She could get into a shitload of trouble if anyone found out what she’d done. “Do you need to leave?” If so, he’d help her get out of the city and hide.
Her eyes lifted to his. “I’m not leaving. Not until you go.”
I don’t want to go at all.
He held the words back, not wanting to start another fight. Instead he smoothed a hand over the back of her hair. She looked exhausted and her arm had to be bothering her after what she’d just done. God, she was incredible. “Where will you go?”
“Back to Laidlaw Hall. I’ll work with Trinity and Rycroft remotely from there until we get a lead from Amber.”
He hoped that happened. He wanted to be there when it did. “Are you okay?”
She searched his eyes for a long moment. “I don’t know,” she murmured finally.
He gave a slow nod, his heart unraveling at her honesty. His beautiful, stubborn and brave Valkyrie. He’d do anything to help her. Anything to protect her, spare her pain. And yet she still refused to let him all the way in.
Pushing aside the ache in his chest, Tyler curved a hand around her nape. She wouldn’t be an easy woman to win over, but she was worth the struggle. He was ready to give up his life in the States to make this work. All he had to do was get her to trust him—and herself.
“C’mere, sweetheart,” he murmured, and drew her in for a kiss meant to imprint himself on her forever. He was going to win her heart tonight or die trying.
MEGAN’S HEART CLATTERED against her ribs as she gripped Tyler’s wide shoulders and flattened her body against his, kissing him with all the longing and urgency inside her. He’d just protected her, risked everything by helping her free Amber. And in a matter of hours he would walk out that door.
Out of her life.
She ignored the dual blast of panic and grief that terrifying reality brought and poured herself into the kiss. Trying to show him without words what he meant to her. Every touch, every caress loaded with meaning.
Tyler growled deep in his chest and picked her up by the hips, holding her lower body tight to the bulge of his erection as he carried her over to the couch. She peeled her shirt off and tossed it aside as he set her down.
Cool, supple leather caressed her back and shoulders. She arched as he reached beneath her to unhook her bra, another shot of arousal punching through her at the way his eyes heated when they landed on her bare breasts.
“You’re so damn gorgeous,” he muttered, coming down on his elbows to rub his face against the tingling mounds.
Megan slid her hands into his hair, sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as his mouth closed around one aching nipple. Pleasure streaked through her, sizzling down to the heated throb between her legs. She rubbed against him, wishing they were naked so she could feel that hard length without anything in the way.
His hands closed around her ribcage. Pinning her. Adding to the heat, building the anticipation as he switched to the other nipple, teasing her. Her body was greedy, frantic.
She shifted until she could get hold of the hem of his shirt and tugged it upward, hungrily taking in the sculpted power of his torso as he shrugged out of it and dropped it to the floor.
She caught his face in her hands and they both stilled, staring at each other. Don’t go. I can’t handle losing you.
Please don’t leave me.
Something in her chest quivered. The words were right there, crowding her throat. Her mouth. But she was too scared to let them out. Afraid of what would happen if she did.
Equally afraid of what would happen if she didn’t.
Asking him to stay was beyond selfish. Her life had no room for a real relationship, and Tyler deserved better. He deserved everything. That was something she could never give him.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t pull back from me.”
She wanted to. All her protective instincts were screaming at her to. But the way he was looking at her, with such need and a fierce tenderness that crushed her heart…
She gathered him closer, fusing their mouths together even as her throat tightened. A deep groan rumbled through his chest as he stretched out on top of her. The feel of his weight anchoring her eased the edge of the panic and pushed her arousal higher at the same time.
They stripped off the rest of their clothes in a rush and Megan moaned at the bliss of having that hot, hard body full-length on top of her once more. She curled her legs around his hips, rocking to rub him across her throbbing clit, the empty ache inside her intensifying. She wanted to go fast, yet she also wanted to slow this down and savor every single moment.
This is goodbye.
Pain splintered through her, dragging a cry from her. Tyler lifted his head to look down at her, his face strained. He covered her mouth with his, his tongue sinking between her lips to tangle with hers as his hands gripped the backs of her shoulders and turned them both over.
Megan came up on her knees to straddle him, the rigid length of his cock between her open folds. She set her hands on either side of his head and slid back and forth, rubbing the head of him right where she needed it, offering her breasts to him.
One big hand splayed across the middle of her back while the other cupped a breast, his mouth coming up to close around a hard nipple. She made a soft sound and closed her eyes, absorbing the sensations.
It was like she was melting, liquid heat pooling inside her. “More,” she gasped out. “Need more.”
“So take it,” he rasped out, his voice so deep and dark it made her shiver. “Put me inside you and ride me.” He flashed out a hand to grab his pants, pulled a condom from his wallet and put it on.
When she shimmied back up to straddle Tyler’s thighs, the sight before her stole her breath.
He was gorgeous laid out like that against the leather, his body latent, masculine power, contained as he waited for her to sink down on him. He was deceptively relaxed, but the molten hunger in his eyes and the hard length of his erection told her otherwise.
He wanted her. Badly. Enough to sacrifice his happiness to stay with her. It tore her up.
Holding his gaze, she slid forward into position and reached between his thighs to stand him up. His hands came up to close around her hips, his jaw taut.
She eased down a little, taking him just inside her. Eased down a little more and then back up, watching his face. Enjoying the fullness as he stretched her. The way his breathing sped up, the tension in his muscles.
His eyes seared her. Cut right through everything and straight into her heart, plunging deep.
The searing ache in her chest threatened to crush the pleasure. Eyes on his, she slipped a hand between her thighs to stroke her clit. Waited until her body sighed in enjoyment, the heat spreading through her pelvis, then slowly sank down, taking his full length inside her.
“Oh, God, Megan,” he groaned, his hands tightening on her hips, the muscles in his chest and arms bunching as his face contorted.
I know. I feel it too. But she was too far-gone to say it aloud.
She rode him slowly, forcing them both to endure the excruciating rise in pressure. He let go of one hip to cup her breast, his fingers squeezing and rolling her nipple. Her eyes slid closed, her body rocking and swaying as it chased after the tantalizing glow of release looming at the edge of her consciousness.
“Tyler,” she gasped out, lost in sensation, already starting the climb to the edge.
His hold on her hip tightened. He thrust upward, adding to the pressure, the delicious friction right over the hot glow behind her pubic bone.
She trembled, sucked in air as everything crashed together. Then she threw her head back and moaned, writhing in his grip as the orgasm hit.
His breathing sped up and he rolled his hips faster. Harder. She opened her eyes just in time to watch him arch beneath her in a long, lovely line of ecstasy, his eyes squeezed shut, that beautiful jawline taut as he shuddered.
Finally, he relaxed, his body sinking back into the leather. His eyes opened and found hers. The smile he gave her turned her inside out. And she wished…
She wished so many things. Impossible things.
“Shh. Come here,” he murmured, sliding his arms around her and bringing her to his chest.
She tucked her knees up underneath her more and snuggled into place with her cheek resting between the rise of his pecs. She closed her stinging eyes, sighing at the way he stroked her hair, her back.
Don’t think. Hold onto this and just enjoy.
But damn, she could stay here like this forever, wrapped up in his arms. Safe and content and…adored. Like something out of the books she loved.
Her throat tightened, the pain she’d managed to push aside suddenly drowning her. She had to tell him how she felt. Had to, or she would always regret it.
The doorbell rang.
Her eyes flew open and she jerked upright as the hollow peal echoed through the stillness of the room.
Time to pay the piper.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tyler tensed beneath her, his hands tightening on her back. “Meg…”
Megan twisted around to fish the phone out of her pants pocket on the floor and swiped through to the security app to access the camera at the front door. “It’s Trin.”
Tyler groaned and hugged her close. “Maybe if we ignore her she’ll go away.” He kissed her cheek. “Or we can slip out the back window and take off.”
“I wish.” She slid off him and hurriedly dragged her clothes on while he dressed, pulling on her shirt on the way to the door. Then she flipped on the kitchen light on her way past and pulled the door open.
A stony, deep blue stare greeted her.
Megan stepped back. “Come on in.”
Trinity walked in wearing another understated yet sexy wrap dress and heels. She brushed past Megan and perched on a stool at the kitchen island.
Megan tucked her hair behind her ear, dreading what was coming but ready to face it head on. She was a big girl. She could handle the consequences for her actions. “You want anything? Coffee maybe?”
“No. This won’t take long,” she answered, her tone ominous.
Tyler came up to stand beside her, wrapping a steadying arm around her waist. “Trin. What’s up?”
Trinity crossed one elegant leg over the other and leveled her gaze at Megan. “There was an incident at the holding facility an hour ago.”
She kept her expression blank. “Oh?”
“Yeah. Seems there was a corruption in the security system during a brief power outage. And when the power came back on, your sister was gone.”
She put on a surprised expression. “That’s crazy.”
Trinity sighed. “Did you do it?”
“She’s been in bed with me all night,” Tyler answered, tugging her closer.
His willingness to cover for her after everything else he’d done stole the last ragged piece of her heart. “I appreciate that, Ty, but no.” She faced Trinity and raised her chin. “Yeah, I helped her escape.”
Tyler cut her a sharp, incredulous look but she kept her attention on Trin. She didn’t want him taking any heat for this. He had nothing to do with it. Any fallout that came from her actions should fall directly on her and no one else.
Trinity shook her head in exasperation. “And just how did you two accomplish that?”
&
nbsp; “I gave her my burner phone this afternoon. She used it to hack the system and shut the power down at eleven. I helped her get out.”
“Through what? A sealed plate-glass window?”
“A heating duct,” she answered, then shrugged. “The main air intake vent let out on the side of the building, so we just rappelled down.”
A tremor ran through Tyler, as if he was suppressing a laugh.
Trinity sighed. “A burner phone. She shut down that entire system with a burner phone.”
“Don’t ask me how, because I don’t know. That’s out of my area of expertise.”
“But not the escaping part. That’s definitely your area of expertise.”
Another shrug. “I’m not bad at it.”
Trinity cocked her head and gave her a fond what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you look. “You realize the potential consequences of your actions?”
“Yes. But I did the right thing. She’s the only one who can find Hannah, and we both know it. She literally just hacked out of your high tech facility with a phone.”
Trinity held her stare. “You think Amber’s actually going to try and find her? Or did you just help her disappear on us again?”
Megan shook her head. “She’s going after Hannah. She wants to help us.”
“You sound pretty sure about that.”
“I am sure.” As sure as she could be, though a niggling worry persisted. You’d better not screw me over, Amber. “It’s a sister thing. Did anyone else escape?”
“Thankfully, no. Only her cell door malfunctioned, it was so strange,” Trinity said dryly. “Where is she now?”
“I have no idea,” Megan answered honestly. “I asked where she was headed but she wouldn’t tell me anything. She said she’ll contact me once she’s found Hannah. Then we can plan the extraction as a team.”
To Megan’s surprise, a smug smile curved Trinity’s lips. “Perfect.” She slid off the stool. Looked at Tyler. “Safe flight home, if you’re still going.” Her gaze shifted back to Megan. “I’m flying out tomorrow as well, but I’ll be in touch soon.”