Page 44 of Courting Danger

“Oh, no.” She rolled her wrist, gesturing like she was trying to wind time forward with her bare hand. “Please, carry on. We’re not in the middle of enemy territory, or anything.”

I responded by primly flipping her off, but I did climb down from Garrison’s embrace. The ground seemed to shift under my feet as my balance failed me, and I clung to Garrison for support. Closing my eyes, I waited for the dizziness to pass.

“Come on.” Garrison led me away from the open container that had almost become my coffin. “Let’s get you out of here.”

A hidden car waited for us a few blocks away. Ghita climbed behind the wheel while Garrison and I both slid into the back.

Without needing to ask, Ghita started the car and pulled out of the alley, obviously heading for a specific destination.

I didn’t bother to ask where we were going, trusting that my cousin and Garrison had a plan. Instead, I slumped over to lay my head in Garrison’s lap.

“Wake me up when we get there.”

It was a surprisingly short drive, not even enough time for a power nap. Just outside the city limits, we pulled into a shockingly average cottage. The only noteworthy feature was the amount of land it came with. Several acres of untamed trees surrounded the modest structure, hiding it from the world with a natural fortress of greenery.

When we stepped into the already furnished and well-stocked house, I revised his decision about questions.

“Okay, so, where are we? This isn’t one of our properties.”

Garrison tossed aside a bag filled with water bottles and cleaning supplies—they’d already explained about their homemade water bottle bombs—though he didn’t remove his weapons. “This is apparently one of D’Angelo Bianchi’s safe houses.”

I paused. Certainly, I’d heard that wrong. “D’Angelo, the man who just tried to kill me?”

The plaid sofa cushions bounced when Ghita collapsed onto the furniture, exhaustion evident in every line of her body. “He claims it wasn’t him. Said he was set up, though I’m not sure how much I believe that.”

Garrison didn’t sit. He remained on guard, standing just off to the side of the door and watching out the window.

“I think he was telling the truth. All the details of your kidnapping were too obvious. Dosed with a drug that only the Bianchi family controls. Taken to a property that the Bianchi family owns. If they actually did kidnap you, then they were going out of their way to incriminate themselves.”

With her eyes closed and her head tipped back against the couch, Ghita shrugged. “I guess it does sound suspicious. And D’Angelo did help us out. At first, I thought it might be another trap, but he pointed us toward where you were being kept, and gave us access to this safe house.”

Nodding along with what they were saying, I only half paid attention as he sidled closer to Garrison. “Guess I’ll have to thank D’Angelo later.”

Garrison turned away from the window, apparently satisfied that there was no danger lurking in the trees outside. “I wouldn’t mention it. Apparently, the rest of the Bianchi family were eager for your death, even if they weren’t the ones who did it. He had to help us secretly. Said something about already having enough of his own problems, he didn’t need yours as well.”

“Right. We can worry about that later. It’s been a long... hours? Days? How long has it been since I was kidnapped? Whatever. Finding a bed sounds fantastic right now.”

Half of Garrison’s attention was still out the window, but luckily Ghita picked up on the odd tone in my voice. She glanced in my direction, her gaze flicking between me and Garrison, before heaving herself off the couch with more noise than necessary.

“This place seems to have several bedrooms. I’ll be taking the one at the far end of the house, as far from you two as I can, and I don’t expect to be bothered until morning.”

Then she left the room, muttering under her breath about how it might actually be afternoon before anyone saw her.

Her departure left Garrison and I alone. The silence between us was nearly as smothering as the concrete I had been buried under.

“So...” Garrison shifted so his already immaculate posture stood a little straighter. “We should probably talk.”

“Yeah, we should,” I agreed, stepping closer to the man. “After.”

“After?”

Before Garrison could say any more, I grabbed the front of his jacket and kissed him. It was sloppy, uncoordinated, and the best thing I had ever felt. Inside that container, frigid panic had hollowed out my chest. Even once I’d been saved, that emptiness remained. I tried to remain calm, cutting off the many emotions that threatened to spill out of the hole that panic had chewed through me.

The heat of Garrison’s body pressing against mine filled that emptiness, but it wasn’t enough. I needed more.

When Garrison pushed me away, I whined low in the back of my throat. The only thing that stopped me from losing my mind completely was the feeling of Garrison’s hands still gripping my shoulders.

“Come on. Please.” I tried to pull Garrison closer.

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