Page 36 of Hiding out with a Royal Billionaire

“I think so.” She moaned and dipped her head. “Dizzy.”

The door slammed open.

“Kiss me.” He leaned toward her. They had a chance if no one suspected Isabella to be the fighter she was. If they thought he was just his girl, they’d let down their guard.

Immediately her mouth was on his. Memories of the time they had dated came back. Her mouth was familiar to him. But none of the feeling followed that kiss. He tried to make it look passionate, seem important, desperate, but really, all he could do was wish to never kiss anyone but Skye again.

“Do you think they even know we’re here?”

He whipped his head around, trying to grasp what he was hearing.Skye?

The men jerked her to a sitting position and tied her and Chase together at a metal pole across from them. A beam of dim light from an upper window lit their faces. Neither looked injured. Skye looked irritated more than anything. And Brooks felt his situation tighten around him in a great impossibility. All he could do was scowl at Chase who returned his glare with a passive one of his own.

Their captors left and for a moment, the four of them sat in silence. Then Brooks tried to piece things together. “Chase?”

“I think you should ask Skye.” Chase adjusted so that he sat closer to Skye. They seemed to be doing something in the dark.

“We’ll get the two of you out of here and Isabella safe at home.” Skye’s voice was deceptively congenial. And Brooks could only guess what was going on inside her head. And none of it positive towards him.

Isabella lifted her head and Brooks could almost feel her bite the inside of her cheek. “Do we know this woman?”

He nodded but he said, “No. She must be here with Chase. What’s the update?”

Chase adjusted his body. His closeness to Skye bothered Brooks even more. “They don’t know where we are. The last image we saw was the fight, Isabella dive for your position, then the satellite went dark.”

Isabella leaned forward as far as she could. “They aren’t tracking us?”

“As of last night, no, they don’t have a read on you.”

She tipped her head back but there was nothing to lean against so he adjusted his body and nudged her to rest on his shoulder. Her dizziness was a growing concern. Concussion being the least of his worries, and her inability to fight or help herself the greatest at the moment. His eyes moved to Chase and Skye. They seemed close. He tried to not say his next words, but his frustration won out. “What are you doing here? You were safe…” The one thing that had been keeping him together was the knowledge that Skye was safe.

“What am I doing here? The same thing you are. We were captured.” Skye looked away. “A security team is in the area. I think. I’m not really sure where we are. But should we even be talking about this? I feel like they can hear everything we say.” She patted her thigh and Brooks wanted to groan in frustration. “I cannot see why that was a good move.”

“I wasn’t planning for any of this to happen obviously.”

“No one ever does, that’s why you take precautions. Like staying inside the house. With things. Safe in the house with you.”

“Until some people go missing. What precautions were you taking standing around in the middle of a parking lot?”

He bit his tongue. He refused to continue this conversation.

“Good point.” Chase’s voice was too satisfied. He was enjoying this situation.

“I don’t see what’s funny here.”

The door banged open, and Brooks used the new urgency to fuel his words. “What are you doing? “

The guards came forward, light behind them, toward Brooks and Isabella. “Don’t touch her. She’s got nothing to do with any of you.”

“We’ll be the ones to decide that.” He reached forward and unlocked her feet from the chains, lurching her to her feet.

She called out, and Brooks was proud of her. To anyone looking on, she looked helpless.

“No! Leave her be.” Brooks heard the desperation in his voice. He hoped he was convincing enough. Hoped they would focus in on Isabela and leave Skye out of it.

But they reached for Skye next. Chase sent his foot out to trip them up but they just retaliated with a strong kick to Chase’s thigh. He grunted. But Brooks was impressed he took it with no other reaction.

Skye was jerked to her feet and both ladies were drug from the room.

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