Page 12 of Provoking Bryan

“As long as it takes to keep you alive,” Sara shot back, stepping closer, her eyes blazing. “You can’t help anyone if you’re dead, Bryan. Stop being stubborn and let me do my job.”

The heat between them crackled like static electricity. Bryan’s jaw worked as he wrestled with the decision. Finally, he nodded, the fight draining out of him.

“Fine,” he said, his voice low. “But this doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.”

“Noted,” Sara said, her tone softening just slightly.

While Sara made a great show of packing his things, he gave instructions to staff. Once they’d set off, he couldn’t help but notice Sara making her way toward the jungle and not the coast.

“You do know you’re going the wrong way, right?” he asked.

“Yep, but I don’t want anyone watching to know where we’re going. The savanna is wide open. Everything is easy to spot. The jungle gives us better coverage.”

Once they were moving along the trail, Bryan froze as he saw a Land Rover dead ahead. Before he could say anything, Sara laid her hand on his arm.

“Easy, doc. We always knew this was a possibility.” She pulled up alongside them. “You’re going to need to give them your phone, just in case, and we’re going to swap clothes and cars.”

Bryan shook his head. “Remind me not to doubt you in the future.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Sara laughed. “They’ll keep going in this direction and by the time anyone realizes it isn’t us, we’ll be lounging on the beach slurping back drinks with tiny umbrellas.”

Bryan laughed. He felt like it had been forever since he laughed.

In short order, they were on the road again—in different clothing and hats with brims that obscured their faces. They made good time, and the closer they got to the sea, the more refreshing the air. He’d never thought he’d be so grateful for the sound of crashing waves and seabirds.

The safe house was nestled on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, the constant sound of waves against the shore providing a steady backdrop. The isolation was stark, the nearest road barely a winding dirt path, but he recognized the difficulty someone would have getting to them. There was an open field of fire to the heavily re-enforced back and a steep cliff to the front.

Bryan moved around the cottage, his arms crossed as he stared out at the horizon. The salt air was bracing, but it did little to cool the heat simmering under his skin.

Behind him, Sara moved through the small kitchen, her steps quiet but deliberate. She was always moving, always watching, like a predator waiting for the slightest hint of danger.

“You’re pacing,” she said without looking up.

“I’m not pacing,” Bryan replied, stopping himself as he said it.

She glanced at him, one brow arched. “You haven’t stopped moving since we got here. I have all the alarms set up. We’ll know they’re coming long before they get here. If the Land Rover can get us out safely, we’ll take it. If not, we get to the boat at the end of the dock via the pathway or to the one hidden in the cave. We reach that one via the emergency exit in the floor of the kitchen pantry.”

“Just because I’m moving doesn’t mean I’m pacing.”

Sara rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching. “You’re impossible.”

Bryan turned to face her, the anxiety from the day finally spilling over. “And you’re infuriating. You think dragging me out here is going to solve everything?”

“I think keeping you alive is a good start,” Sara shot back, her voice sharp.

Bryan stepped closer, his gaze locking onto hers. “And what happens after? You can’t keep me in a bubble, Sara.”

Her jaw tightened, her usual composure slipping. “We’ll figure it out.”

“That’s not good enough,” Bryan said, his voice dropping lower. “You want me to trust you? Then tell me how this ends.”

She hesitated, her defenses cracking under his intensity. “I don’t know,” she admitted finally, her voice quieter now. “But I’ve never lost anyone on my watch, and I’m not about to start now.”

There was a vulnerability in her words that he hadn’t expected. Bryan stepped closer, the space between them shrinking until he could feel the heat rolling off her.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” he said, his voice soft but firm.

Sara’s breath hitched, her walls trembling under the weight of his gaze. But before either of them could say more, she stepped back, the moment breaking like a snapped thread.

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