Page 70 of Extracted

As shitty as it was, their once-a-year romp really was for the best.

“You’re quiet.” The rumble of Dallas’s voice made her want to demand he pull over the vehicle and say to hell with her fucked-up plan.

“There’s a lot to think about.”

“Having regrets?”

She picked up the water bottle beside her thigh and ran her thumbnail over the label. “Of course. You think I want to do this?”

“Uh, kinda.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and shot him a fiery stare. “Can you cut the attitude?”

He brought his hand to his forehead and ran his palm down his face. “Sorry. I just . . . this isn’t right. We should be together right now. I know you’re trying to protect me, but please. I’ve protected myself my whole life. I can handle this—and keep you safer than they can.”

She rested her palm on top of his hand relaxed on the console. “I know that. But all of this is my fault. If I go back and work for them . . . even just for a little while . . . it’ll make all this go away. If I’m not in Colombia or Ecuador, there will be no way Silas can find me. Which means the heat will be off you.”

He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. “If you’d just wait a few hours, we could both be on a flight out of here.”

“We could both be dead, too. Especially because now you have Silas meeting you,” she said, flinging her hand into the air.

“I didn’t have much choice. Turning down the deal would have sent up even more fucking red flags.”

She squeezed his knuckles. “That’s why we have to do it this way. We’re both in volatile situations.” She wet her lips. “How would you feel if Silas and his men ambushed us? Shot me in the head and then—”

“Don’t even go there. It wouldn’t fucking happen. I wouldn’t let it.”

She pressed her lips together. “You’re a tough guy, Dallas, but you’re only one man.”

“If my fucking brother would just get back to me—”

“He will. And once Silas sees you’re not a threat and you’re not harboring me, you’ll be free to leave the country after today.”

“I want you to call me when you get to your posting. I can meet you and we’ll leave from there. Okay?” Hope lightened his voice.

He turned his palm to hold her hand. “Promise me. I can’t wait another fucking year to know if they kept their word to you.” He shifted his gaze away from the road. His hazel eyes were full of anguish.

“I promise,” she whispered, meaning it.

He brought his focus back to the road, lifted their joined hands, and kissed her thumb. “Good. You can bail on the CIA then.”

She bit back the urge to argue. Right now, she had to let him believe it’d be that simple. But the plan was good . . . if they only had to separate for a day or two, that’d make this a whole lot easier on her heart. “If things go well with you and Silas, then yes.” Several beats passed. “Do you think everything is okay with Cole? You seem worried.”

He shrugged, the corner of his eye scrunching. “Not worried. I’ve gone a hell of a lot longer without hearing back from him. But it’s weird because he’s helping me with something. He wouldn’t just—”

Crash!

Glass erupted. Gemma’s body slammed into the door. She screamed as fear seized her spine. Dallas’s arm pressed against her chest, holding her in place, but the vehicle that collided with Dallas’s door was ramming them toward the edge of the road. Terror screeched inside her head. The scraping of metal on metal split her eardrums.

“Hold on!” Dallas yelled.

The car caught the edge of the shoulder and tilted into the ditch. The vehicle hitting them reversed then gunned forward.

Crash!

Dallas flung his body over hers, anchoring her to the seat at the moment of impact. Her head bounced against the window. The car hurtled down the ditch, rolling once, twice. Gemma tensed and held the door and Dallas as he jostled on top of her. They landed upside down with a sharp smack. Dallas’s head slammed against the dash.

Panic stretched her veins and her heart raced as she gripped Dallas’s arm. It was limp. “Dallas!” The movement made her head spin.

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