Page 60 of Wrecked
Chapter 19
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Hallene blinked hardand opened her eyes wide. She shook her head to stay awake. She’d been driving for seven hours, which wasn’t long, but they’d stopped to dump this vehicle and drive a different one she’d stashed just in case Leclair’s team had tagged the first one with a tracker.
After all that, it was closing in on early evening.
She hadn’t slept enough in the last few days to keep going at this pace.
She should have gotten four hours this morning and felt better but sleeping in the chair had been difficult enough. She kept waking up every time she shifted her position. She’d glance around with her gaze stopping on Sam’s body twisted up in the sheets. With so much exposed body, her weary mind would drift off into Fantasy Land, wondering how he’d look with the rest of the sheet and the boxers out of the way.
Exhaustion should have sent her back to sleep right then, but no. Her lusting mind used that first thought as a launching pad for Full Monty Sam.
She’d end up wide awake and longing to climb into the bed with him. A small part of her brain that still retained some sense wanted to slap her for finding Leclair desirable in any way. The guy had slept like a baby all alone in the bed while leaving her stuck in a chair with only her shoulder bag to snuggle.
Being dismissed to sleep in the chair put everything back into perspective.
He was here only because she forced him, not because he had been willing to join her voluntarily and help even with the chance to find the kidnapped person his team failed to extract in Venezuela.
Her method to motivate him might have been unorthodox, but would he not do the same in her shoes?
Who knew? His heart might be made of stone. Coop had been considerate to her, but he’d told her up front his duty and the missionsalwayscame first.
She yawned and shook her head again, keeping an eye on traffic. The one time she’d gone deep into sleep it had ended with a nightmare about Phoebe screaming as someone dragged her into a dark hole.
Hallene had watched the terrified girl disappear knowing that had been her last chance to save Phoebe. She’d jolted awake and stayed that way until she’d woke Leclair to coach him on their fake relationship.
Her head nodded. She snapped her chin up and pulled the car back to the center of her lane. It had started to stray.
This was dangerous. She couldn’t drive much longer.
She tossed a glare at Leclair.
He’d dropped his head back as soon as they exchanged vehicles twenty minutes from Clercville and slept as if he had no care in the world about where she was taking him.
Maybe he didn’t. Angry didn’t cover his attitude.
Could she trust him to stay on course and not pull anything funny if they swapped seats?
Coop would be scowling at her. He’d admonished her time and again about running herself into the ground. “Every good soldier must rest.”
At least he’d be happy she had backup this time, though he would think her choice a crazy one.
She had to let Leclair drive. With both of their phones in her shoulder bag, he shouldn’t be able to get a message to his team. If he did, his team would grasp control and shove her aside. Their high-profile captive would take precedence over a teenage girl. Hallene would not risk her last chance to find Phoebe and bring her home.
She’d told Leclair she’d help find his missing person, but so long as Hallene remained in control, no one came before Phoebe.
She had considered the risk to Leclair, but he had gone into a high-risk line of work. To be honest, he had a better chance of surviving than her and she felt confident about her abilities.
That was her logic, and she was sticking to it.
Coop would not agree.
