Page 33 of Duty Bound

“Pat would have insisted he get help.”

She sniffed.

“Exactly.”

“You ready to get going?” Blade asked.

Lily gave a weary nod, then her gaze flicked to his lips.

She was remembering their kiss, and she wasn’t the only one. It had been soft and tender, completely different to the first time, back in the cabin when she’d thought he was Joe.

“Blade?”

Now wasn’t the time.

Besides, he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what this thing was between them. This weird magnetic pull drawing him to her like a moth to a flame. A cliché, but it was true. But the attraction didn’t matter. She wasn’t available. Never would be. For him, anyway.

He had to stop thinking like that.

The thought made him wince, almost like a physical pain. What the hell was that all about? He never got this hung up on anyone. And certainly not while on mission.

“Once we’re across the river, we can rest for a while. Maybe get some sleep.”

She gave a tight nod.

Damn, he’d sounded harsher than he’d meant to. Holding out a hand, he said, “Not far to go now.”

After a second’s hesitation, she took it. Once he pulled her to her feet, she immediately let go.

Blade led her across another couple of fields and over a few more low, stone walls. Finally, they reached the river—a broad, dark oil slick curving through the pre-dawn landscape.

It ran thick and fast. White specks on the surface rolled over onto each other, spitting up spray. It hissed angrily as it rushed past.

Lily halted, her eyes widening. “We're going to cross that?”

“You can swim, can’t you?” He hadn’t thought to ask. Shit, if she couldn’t, they’d have a problem.

“Yeah, of course.”

He exhaled. “Good. We’re going to wade across. It’s deep in the middle, so we’ll have to swim that part, but I’ll make sure we’re tied together, so you won’t get washed downstream.”

Lily stared at the frothy channel in the middle.

“It’ll be okay,” he muttered, praying he was right. The danger with water was often not the current or the temperature. It was the panic. When people freaked out, they were done for. Flailing around would only make things worse.

But they didn’t have much of a choice. It was cross the river or be caught.

Blade glanced back the way they’d come. After their mad dash across the fields, he half expected the enemy to come charging toward them, tipped off by a surprised farmer. The darkness worked in their favor, and if anyone had seen them, the message would take a while to filter back to the Taliban camp.

They had some time. Not a lot, but a small window in which to vanish across the river.

“I’ll tie us together using the rope.” With her rucksack weighing her down and the powerful current, she’d battle to cross on her own. Anyone would.

“Okay.” Her gaze was fixed on the raging river.

Reaching around her waist, he wrapped the rope and tied it in a bowline knot. Perfect for a rescue situation, it held up best when there was constant pressure pulling against the knot, like in a moving current. Then he repeated the process, securing the rope around himself, but leaving a decent amount of slack between them. Enough to give them swimming space, but short enough to haul her in should she run into trouble.

Next, he shrugged off his backpack, took out a thick, black plastic bag.

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