Page 34 of Being Bold
She’d messed up by not staying in the car. Now those men had found her. If they worked for Mr. Dao, she was dead.
Regret choked her to the point she couldn’t breathe. Her vision started to waver at the lack of air, then her thoughts fuzzed, leaving her with nothing but a plea.
Help me, Bo.
Chapter 10
Selene
“What are you doing?” demanded the enraged whisper in her ear.
Bo!Selene silently screamed, nearly collapsing with relief. She tried to explain, but he hadn’t uncovered her mouth.
“Four men are coming. We have to go. Now!” she mumbled through his fingers.
The statement came out more as sounds than words, but he understood because he released her lips, spinning her around. He gripped her upper arms, and she tilted her head, struggling to see his face in the faint light filtering through her bedroom window.
“Explain.”
Words rushed out of her as she told him about the black SUV and the men in suits.
His jaw worked, clenching and tightening before he growled in a low voice, “You should’ve stayed in the outfit.”
He was probably right, but still . . . she was only trying to help. And they so didn’t have time to debate this. “Where’s Yumi?”
He huffed out a breath and dropped her arms. Though the look in his eyes promised he planned to revisit the topic of herdisobeying his order. “I don’t know. We both hid when we heard the front door.”
“Do you have the tech?”
“Yes.” Yumi stepped out of the shadows, making Selene jump.
Sweet baby Jesus!
She could do without any more scares today. Lowering the hand she’d lifted to cover her heart, she told them, “We can use the service elevator. I don’t think they know about it.”
Yumi glanced at Bo, a silent question passing between them, before he said, “I’ll take her. Meet us back at the cabin.”
Selene would’ve protested them not all sticking together, but she was too busy trying not to wince at the bite underlying his words. She didn’t know if he was pissed at having to be the one to babysit her, separating from Yumi, and therefore the information on that microchip, or both.
Yumi opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of the front door opening froze her into silence. The stillness lasted all of a second before Bo pulled Selene into her bedroom, and Yumi disappeared down the hall.
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
Leaving the bedroom door cracked open, he tucked Selene behind it. Then, he stepped in front of her. Placing a finger to her lips, he signaled to stay silent. She nodded, but he frowned down at her rapidly rising chest. She was in total freak-out mode. Her breathing was way too loud, sounding like thunder in her ears.
Bo laid a palm over her heart and mimed taking a deep breath. His touch soothed her a fraction as she obediently filled her lungs. When she released her breath, the fear clawing at her melted into something else.
With his hand on her, his body was close enough that she could smell his citrus and salt scent, and warmth built low in her belly. No matter how inappropriate, she couldn’t help it. With Bohovering over her, blocking her from harm, she felt safe. And she desperately needed that right now.
She couldn’t be sure in the dark, but it felt like he leaned closer. Tilting her head, she searched for his eyes among the blackness, then sighed. The door blocked the moonbeams, leaving her dissatisfied. She’d have to wait and hope her eyes adjusted enough to see him better.
Kiss me.
She didn’t dare speak but wished he could hear her. She wanted him to kiss her and make her forget the danger waiting for them. Because if she thought about that, she’d panic.
Please let us make it out of here alive.
Her heart tripped, then jumped into overdrive with the thought. He must’ve felt it under his palm, because his forehead met hers. His even breathing fanned across her lips, infusing her with reassuring calmness. Unable to resist touching him, she gripped his waist, comforted by the solid feel of his obliques beneath her hands.
