Page 22 of Captivating Nash

Deanna froze. Her blood ran cold.

Hartley.

Her mentor’s name hit her like a punch to the gut. She couldn’t have misheard it. She wouldn’t have. She crouched lower, her body trembling as she inched forward to get a better view of the people speaking.

Two men stood near the entrance of the facility, both dressed in dark, tactical clothing. Their faces were sharp, hard—men accustomed to danger. One was speaking urgently, his tone laced with frustration, while the other nodded, his expression grim.

“We’ve been moving the equipment as fast as we can,” the second man said. “But it’s delicate. Hartley knew what he was asking for when he got involved with this. He can’t expect us to get the tech off the island overnight.”

Deanna’s heart pounded in her ears. She didn’t want to believe it. It didn’t make sense. Professor Hartley? Her mentor, the man who had guided her through her academic career, who had always been an advocate for ethical research and integrity—he was involved in this?

Nash, crouched beside her, glanced over and saw the look on her face. His brow furrowed, but he didn’t say anything. Not yet. He was still listening, still watching.

The first man spoke again, his voice growing more urgent. “Hartley’s playing with fire. Al-Fayed’s not just going to sit back and let us siphon off her resources. She’s already sent men after the Americans. If they find her…”

Deanna’s stomach twisted. They were talking about her.They knew she was here.

Nash looked at her. He’d heard them, too, and realized there must be more to her research than he’d been led to believe.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, her thoughts spinning out of control. Her mentor—the man she had trusted, admired—was somehow involved in this conspiracy. He was using Fatima Al-Fayed’s network, involved in something dangerous and illegal. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, but it was like trying to assemble an image she didn’t want to see.

Professor Hartley, the man who had mentored her for years, wasn’t who she thought he was. He was wrapped up in something dark, something that went beyond simple academic curiosity. But how deep did it go? And how much danger was she really in because of it?

She felt Nash’s presence beside her, steady and calm despite the storm of emotions inside her. He didn’t say anything, but placed his hand on her arm, giving it a brief squeeze. But his gaze was heavy, as if he could sense the conflict raging in her.

The men continued their conversation, but Deanna couldn’t hear them anymore. Her mind was reeling. She had to make a choice. She had to figure out what to do with the information she now had.

Do I trust the man who taught me everything I know?

Or was it too late for that? The evidence was staring her in the face, impossible to ignore. Hartley was involved in something big, something dangerous. If she stayed loyal to him, if she tried to rationalize his involvement, it could cost her—and Nash—their lives.

But the thought of betraying him, of believing that her mentor was capable of such treachery, made her feel sick.

Deanna’s hands trembled, but then she felt his firm, steady grip on her arm. Nash. His touch was grounding, pulling her out of the spiral of thoughts.

“We need to know what’s going on,” he whispered, his voice soft but commanding. His eyes searched hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw something—concern, maybe. Understanding. He didn’t push her for answers, didn’t demand she explain what was going on in her head, but she knew he understood the weight of her internal struggle.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside her. There wasn’t time to process all of this now. They had to move, to get out of there before those men realized they weren’t alone.

Nash was already shifting into action, his body tense and alert. But he waited for her, giving her the space to decide. To choose.

Deanna closed her eyes for a brief second, and when she opened them, there was a new resolve. She wasn’t going to let this destroy her, no matter what Hartley had done. She wasn’t going to let his betrayal define her—or stop her.

She met Nash’s gaze, and in that moment, she made her decision.

“I’m with you,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “We get what we need, then we get out of here and figure out the rest.”

Nash gave a single nod, and Deanna realized she trusted Nash more than anyone she’d ever known. Even more than the man she had once believed would never betray her.

Chapter Nine

Nash

Nash crouched in the shadows just beyond the tree line, his gaze locked on the hidden research facility. The low hum of machinery vibrated through the thick air, and the occasional flash of light from inside the building cut through the jungle’s natural darkness. His instincts screamed at him to keep moving, to get as far away from this place as possible before Fatima’s men caught up with them. But something tugged at him—something that told him they couldn’t afford to leave. Not yet.

They needed more information. What they had stumbled upon wasn’t just a routine operation. It was bigger than that. Much bigger. And he knew that the answers to the questions swirling in his mind were inside that facility. If they could figure out what this Hartley and Fatima were involved in, what they were doing with this advanced military tech, they might have a chance to get ahead of Fatima Al-Fayed and the people hunting them.

But getting those answers meant infiltrating the building. And Nash knew exactly how dangerous that was.

---