Page 18 of Extracted

Dallas’s arm swooped around her waist. “You’ve been shot.”

“No shit,” she rasped, as he swept his other arm under her knees and carried her to the bed. Blood ran down her thigh, soaking her robe and pajama shorts.

Dallas disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a towel. “Let me see.” He jerked up his chin, indicating she move her hand.

“There’s no time,” she said, shaking her head wildly. The rest of the men could already be on their way up. They had to keep moving. She snatched the towel from his hand. “My bag’s in the closet.”

Frustration tightened his jaw, but it didn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” she said, wheezing. “Just grab it.”

He went to the closet and yanked out her bag that she’d stored at the hotel since she’d arrived in Cali. The muscles in his arms bulged near the short sleeves of his shirt. He went into the bathroom. Toiletries clanked.

He exited the bathroom and set the bag on the bed. “You can’t leave like that. Let me fix it so you’re not a walking target.”

He had a point. If by some stroke of luck they made it out of here, the blood rolling down her leg would cause a scene. She gave one curt nod.

He dropped beside her and took the towel from her white-knuckled fingers. “I don’t think the bullet’s in there, but we need to examine it.” He mopped up the blood, keeping one end of the towel pressed to the wound. “Hold this.”

She did as he asked and waited while he went to the bathroom again. He quickly returned with a hand towel. He positioned it under her then wiggled it between her legs, his knuckles brushing the inside of her thigh. An electric current shot to her loins. Goodness. How could she be turned on at a time like this?

“This might hurt.”

He cinched the material around the injury. She let out a howl and stomped her good foot. “God, Dallas!”

“Sorry.” He dug inside her bag and pulled out her loose-fitting jogging pants. He helped her to her feet and reached for her robe.

“I can do it.” She flicked away his hand with shaking fingers but couldn’t undo the knot. Somehow the fabric of her robe kept her breasts concealed.

He batted away her hand and undid the tie then swept off her robe. He took out a long-sleeved shirt and fitted it over her head and the ripped camisole top. Next, he grabbed her shorts and tugged them down her legs.

Heat flushed her skin. Finally, he helped her step into the joggers then pulled them up to her waist.

“There.” He slung her bag over his shoulder and placed his arm under her elbow. “Bear your weight on me.”

She nodded, all her gusto leaving her body with the force of a tide. She had to keep it together.

* * *

It took everything in Dallas not to pick up Gemma, who was hobbling down the hallway at his side, but they didn’t need to draw attention to themselves.

It’d be bad enough tomorrow when housekeeping went to Gemma’s room and found a dead body. He punched the elevator button and a few minutes later, there was a ding.

Gemma sighed with relief. Inside the elevator, he hit the button for the main floor and the doors shut. The cart sped downward. He shifted his focus to her. Gemma’s gaze was fixed on the ground, her face as white as a sheet and her dark hair a tangled mess.

Quite frankly, she looked like shit.

Hot shit. But that was Gemma. Not much could steal her appeal.

He gave her arm a jiggle. “You okay?”

Her muscles tensed in his hold. “’Course.”

The elevator dinged again and the doors slid open. A quiet lobby met them. Keeping her tucked close to his side, Dallas scanned the large windows at the front of the building. They could exit via the side door, but he’d still need to lead her to his car and pass the guys in the SUV.

He pushed open the front door. The night air hit his face, warm and thick. The SUV was still idling about thirty feet away and a man stood on the sidewalk next to it pacing.

“Tell him to hurry up!” a man called from the driver’s seat out the passenger window.

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