Page 31 of Unchained

“Must be.” His words broke through the air. “Of course, I can’t be sure, but I remember living near the water and mountains.”

“You spent a lot of time outdoors?”

He tilted his head toward her. “Only a guess.”

She nodded slowly, taking in his physique. “Well you’re awfully tanned. Even for someone who hasn’t seen a lot of sunlight for months.” She tripped her gaze down the tapered length of his legs—man, even those were stacked to carry his large build. “And you’re in excellent shape.” Her throat tightened on the words, almost stopping them. She coughed to clear her passageway, but heat sprang to her cheeks. Sliding her gaze cautiously back to him, she saw a smile lingering on his mouth.

“There’s that interest again.”

She opened her mouth to protest and snapped it shut. “Anyway. Glad we figured out where you might be from. Family?”

He slid his hand to the top of the steering wheel, and the skin over his knuckles grew thin from his grip. She’d touched a nerve. “Sorry. I’m just hoping—”

“It’s fine. I feel like . . . I don’t know.” He sank a hand in his hair. “Whenever I think about family, I get this stabbing sensation in my chest and all I can associate it with is grief.”

“Maybe the reason Conrad took you is because of your family—revenge?”

His mouth solidified into a line. “Could be.”

“That doesn’t sit right?”

“I feel like I had something they wanted. Or knew something.” He growled and pounded the heel of his palm on the steering wheel. “Fuck! I hate not remembering. Everything I need to know is locked inside my head.”

She ran her fingers down his forearm and back up. “It’s okay,” she said soothingly. “All we need to do now is get to Seattle. Everything will come back to you. You just need to let it happen without forcing it.”

He merged onto the interstate. Catching her fingers in his, he squeezed. “Thanks.” He rested his elbow on the console, not letting go of her hand. His touch should have made her hesitant. Instead, it sent a trail of fire from her fingertips to her loins. His tattooed knuckles against her pale skin put every bad-boy fantasy she’d ever had to shame. Since when did she want a guy who was tatted up, strong and ruthless enough to crush another man’s neck, and carrying a wounded heart?

And how in the hell had that combination become so freaking attractive? His thumb brushed over her index finger, sending a jolt to the apex between her legs. Good god, she needed to get laid. And not by Brooks. Definitely not.

He needed restitution, and she needed to see him through this unscathed for her own benefit.

A blue car flew up beside her window. She pressed her back further into the seat and tightened her hold on Brooks’s hand. “Watch that guy in the Lexus. He’s—”

Brooks yanked away from her hold. “What’d you say?” he barked, whipping his head toward her, his eyes lit with shock. Their vehicle drifted into the other lane.

She shot forward and caught the steering wheel. “Brooks!” she screeched.

He shook his head. His hands trembled as he brought the car back into their lane. Hitting the emergency lights, he changed lanes then bumped onto the shoulder, skidding to a rapid stop. She lurched forward, catching the dash.

“What happened?”

He ran his hands over his face. “Something you said—it—it triggered something. Fuck.”

She flipped through the events in her head. “I told you to watch the other driver.”

“No.” He tore his hands from his face and wrestled himself free of his seatbelt. “Something else. A name.”

The moisture left her mouth. He could be suffering another withdrawal symptom. She had to calm him before he did something to hurt himself. She rested one hand on his shoulder, the other on his thigh. His skin was so hot it singed her palms. “Brooks, listen. I think it’s the drug working its way out of your system. Why don’t you let me drive and we can go rest somewhere?”

“No. Say it again.”

Seconds ticked by. His gaze never left the windshield. Cars whipped past, and the wind shook her car as if it were a toy. She rolled over her words carefully. “I said to watch the guy in the Lexus. That’s it.”

The air changed in the vehicle. Brooks didn’t move, but his chest rose and fell wildly. Sharp hisses came from his nose. Every exhale pierced the air. His chin quivered. She leaned closer, catching his face in her hands and turning him to her. Tears misted his eyes, making the deep irises shimmer like clear glacier water.

“I have a sister,” he said on a breath. “Alexis.” Tears rolled down his cheeks.

She pulled his head to her shoulder and held him. God, he was remembering. He had a sibling. Someone who was looking for him—someone who probably thought he was dead.

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