Page 42 of Deceptive Lies

Although she inched closer to him, breathing still harsh, fine tremors still wracking her body, she did as instructed, and honestly, he couldn’t be more proud of her. No matter what was thrown at her, she handled it. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid, she wasn't a machine, she was a human being who got scared like any other, but she had the ability to push through, fight the fog of fear, and do what had to be done.

Not only did he respect the hell out of that, but it gave them a better chance.

While the leader and three others remained still, weapons aimed directly at them, two other men approached cautiously. Their grip was firm when they snagged his wrists and yanked them behind his back, but they were not overly aggressive.

They had to be mercenaries, probably former military, now in it forthe money. At least he could rest easy that they didn't appear to have a sadistic side. Not that it meant they wouldn't hurt him, or Willow, or both of them, but at least they likely wouldn't go above and beyond.

Once their wrists were secured with plastic zip ties, they were both marched further away from the pyramid and toward two idling white vans. The back doors of one were open and they were shoved inside.

With their arms behind their backs, there was no way for them to break their fall. While he caught himself and rolled so no one part of his body took the brunt of the impact, Willow didn't know to do that and cried out as her already battered body bounced onto the floor of the van.

The door was slammed shut behind them, and Cooper was eternally grateful that no one had climbed in the back with them.

“Willow?” He pushed up onto his knees and awkwardly crawled toward the shadowy, huddled form he knew was her body.

“I-I'm okay,” she stammered, and he saw her try to push up. Unable to get her body to cooperate, she slumped back down just as he reached her.

“Hold on, honey.” Leaning forward, he lifted his arms and then brought them down hard on his backside. It took three tries, but the zip ties broke, and he rotated his shoulders, shifting his arms forward. Since they hadn't been bound long, there was the mildest tingling as normal blood flow returned but not the horrendous pins and needles he’d suffered in the past after being restrained that way.

“Did you get free?” she asked as he managed to snag an arm around her waist just as the idling vans took off sending them both sliding sideways. Now that he was free, he’d be able to protect her from getting tossed about and getting bruises on top of bruises.

“Sure did.”

“Heard about how to do that but never seen it done, cool,” she murmured as she snuggled into his arms. “Do you think we’ll be able to try anything when we get wherever they’re taking us?”

While Cooper would love for the answer to be yes, the truth was, he doubted there would be much they could do. They were outmanned and outgunned, and until he could get his hands on a weapon, nothing was likely to change that. Maybe when they arrived only one man would enter the van to drag them out. Maybe he could get his hands on theman’s weapon if he had one, but even if he could, that didn't mean he could get himself and Willow out of this alive.

“You don’t, do you?” Willow whispered.

Tightening his hold on her, Cooper shifted them both backward until they were in one of the corners. It was easier to brace them there, and he planted his feet on the floor, pressed his back into the corner, and tucked Willow between his knees.

“It’s not impossible but the odds aren't in our favor,” he agreed.

“If Professor Mahmoud didn't know for certain you were the one who saved me, he does now. I'm sorry, Cooper.”

There was too much emotion in her voice, and he instinctively tightened his hold as though he could somehow forcibly eject it from her body.

“What the hell do you have to be sorry about?” he growled.

“You're here because of me. If you hadn't saved me, you might have gotten more information from the professor about your mom. Instead, you’ve been kidnapped at gunpoint, and … and … what if … you have a family … I don’t … if you don’t make it home … because of me …”

Unable to take a second more of her pained rambling, Cooper grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head up. It was dark in the back of the van, not nearly enough light to see her eyes, so when he dipped his head, he allowed his lips to hover above hers.

He heard her sharp intake of air.

Felt the warm puff against his lips as she let it out slowly.

When she didn't pull away, didn't tell him this was wildly inappropriate, he took that as permission.

That first taste was enough for him to be hooked.

Given where they were and what they were about to face, Cooper kept the kiss soft, sweet, and short. While he would love nothing more than to get lost in her sweet taste, he needed to keep a clear head, think, be able to focus, and take any chance that presented itself.

“Don’t say that again,” he whispered against her lips when he finally pulled back. “None of this is your fault.”

“But you're only here because of me. Because I wanted to find enough evidence to bring Professor Mahmoud to justice.”

“Which is not a bad thing,” he reminded her. “I made the choice tosave your life because I couldn’t have lived with myself if I just left you there to suffer your fate.”

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