Page 25 of Unchained

He lifted his lip. “It’s fine. I don’t blame you.”

“No, I shouldn’t have assumed you were involved in his crimes. It was just a strange connection.”

Brooks nodded. “Don’t worry.” He caught her fingers and held them in his grip. “I’m going to find him.”

Color returned to her face. Her peachy tone looked delicious enough to taste. “Why?”

He rubbed her knuckle between his thumb and forefinger. Renewed meaning flooded him. He had a purpose. Now was his time to fulfill it. “I’m going to kill him.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t.”

“Oh, but I am.” His voice grew thick with determination. “You’re telling me if someone enslaved you and then sold you to be tested on and tortured you wouldn’t want revenge?”

“Of course. But he’ll be in jail soon for what he did.”

Brooks firmed his mouth. “I don’t fucking care. I want him dead. Besides, the crimes he’ll be charged with don’t include what he did to me.” He brought his gaze to the clock on the nightstand. “We should go before they find us.” He lifted the hem of his towel an inch. “Think you could help me out with some clothes?”

“The towel suits you.” She snickered. “There’s a Walmart across the street. I won’t be long.” She let go of his hand and shoved her feet in her shoes. “Is there anything else you need?”

He rubbed his fingers over the scraggle of hair on his chin. “Yeah, a beard trimmer, please.”

She winked and left.

He sat and hung his arms on his knees, his gaze focused on the stained carpet at his feet. He’d find Conrad if it was the last thing he did. Then he’d go back for Leonetti. They’d all burn for what they did to him. If it wasn’t him they were torturing, it’d be someone else. He couldn’t let that happen.

* * *

Getting Brooks clothing turned out to be more of a shopping trip than Camryn had anticipated. He needed everything. She held a package of men’s briefs—he was big. So large would probably be best. Desire stirred inside her. He’d be large everywhere. Oh gosh. She couldn’t let herself think about his penis. Would he prefer boxers? She threw the briefs into the cart. Underwear was underwear. After piling in three shirts, two pairs of jeans, and a few pairs of socks, she headed for the shoes. So much trickier to pick out. She grabbed boots in a size 12. Even if they didn’t fit comfortably, at least his feet would stay dry.

Next, she found a beard trimmer, a toothbrush, and other toiletries he might need. At the self-checkout, she paid with the cash she kept on hand for emergencies—if they were looking for her, better not to lead them right to their location by creating a bank trail.

She loaded the bags into the back seat of her car and headed to the motel. The warm, desert air warmed her skin, making her momentarily forget the chilling events of the last two days. After parking, she scooped up the items and bumped the car door shut with her hip. Moments later, she heard two car doors slam in the parking lot. Two men stalked up to the motel’s office with determination. One studied the parking lot, and then they entered the lobby.

Her heart pounded in triple time.

They couldn’t have found them so fast—could they? She bustled to the unit and unlocked the door. Brooks stood pacing the room, his fingers threaded behind his head, his hard, ripped body on display. Any other time she’d be content just to watch his unadorned masculinity at work, but not now. She dropped the bags on the floor. “I think we have company.”

He dropped his arms and advanced on the window. She shut and locked the door as he moved the blinds. “Who?”

“I don’t know. I could be paranoid, but something about them just made me uneasy.”

He bent down and tore open the bags, going for the underwear first. “Trust your gut.” He yanked off his towel—clearly modesty wasn’t his thing—and pulled out a pair of black briefs. “Thanks for all this. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get my shit together.”

She swallowed over the thickening mass in her throat. Her eyes burned with the need to trail down his body, but she forced them to stay glued on his abdomen. At least she could take in his muscles for god’s sake. As he bent forward and stepped into the briefs, her gaze dropped to his dick, thick and large. She whipped around to face the door.

“It’s all right. Look if you want,” he said, amusement dancing on his words.

Swallowing and keeping her face turned away, she picked up the bag with his toiletries and set it next to the bathroom door beside her go-bag. She knotted her hands at her sides, waiting to face him. “Do they fit?”

“They’re a little snug in the front. Should have gotten an XL.”

She snorted and clapped her hand over her mouth. Hot, funny, and cocky—in more ways than one. She turned around, balancing her hands on her hips as he fit his arms through the black cotton T-shirt. “If you’re done trying to embarrass me, can we go?” Where they were going was another story. But the hair standing at attention on the back of her neck screamed at her to get out.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’d check you out if you were naked, too.”

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. “I see you’re feeling much better.”

“Nah,” he said with a shrug. “Pretty sure the nausea’s coming back and my blood pressure is skyrocketing. Think you can check my vitals again?”

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