Page 59 of Forbidden Wish

“But I’m not in danger.” Loosening her embrace enough to look up at him, certainty was all she could give. “You’d never let anyone hurt me. No matter what it took, you’d find me. I know you would.”

“Baby, there’s nothing in this world that would keep me from getting to you.”

“I know.” Doubt didn’t exist at that moment. “And she’s out there. Yvonne’s out there, alone, with no reason to live. Any second she could give up, hurt herself or let them hurt her. What if we’re too late? What if we don’t find her and they take someone else? An innocent, oblivious woman in the city tonight could be their next victim.”

“You’re the media, baby. Write something. Warn them.”

“What? That they can’t get into a cab? That’s the closest thing we have to an MO, and it’s not exactly airtight. We know this, this tiny morsel of information. With all the legwork, everything we’ve tried and we’re still no closer to—”

“We have the footage. We’ll go through it second by second until we find something.”

“And if we don’t? We can’t just stare at the Carlyle forever, we have to find Bryan. And even if we do, I…”

“What?”

But she didn’t want to admit Bryan may not be forthcoming. Whether it was protecting himself or the Manzanis, she doubted that just asking Bryan what was going on would reap results.

What did that leave them with?

The cops, she could go to Lachlan, but if they didn’t believe her, would they really charge Bryan with a crime? No, they’d let him go and he’d split town. She could play bait. Though that might be tough unless they could nail down the exact cab and where it would be. And they’d still be relying on it stopping for her.

Somehow, she couldn’t exactly see Jagg just being okay with her being abducted and carted off to wherever.

“Maybe I’m not strong enough to do this. Maybe I’m not good enough. If I’m all these women have to rely on—”

His kiss silenced her. That was what she wanted, the oblivion of how he made her feel. But it was wrong, they shouldn’t, not while Yvonne was still out there.

Pushing his chest, she leaned back on his stabilizing forearm. “It feels wrong to feel good.”

All those times Lachlan was preoccupied now made sense. She’d chased a story before, countless times, but this was the first time her failure would sentence another person to death.

“It puts it into perspective…” His thumb traced her cheekbone. “How little time we might have, the bullshit we worry about, these tiny things we make our whole lives.”

“Being allowed to surrender is an honor.”

No was a word that meant something in their world, in the real world. It wouldn’t wherever Yvonne was being held.

“You surrender when you’re beaten.” His caress continued, soothing and igniting her, pleasing and arousing her. “You’ll never be beaten, Genny.”

“You’re the one undefeated.”

“And I’ll always be by your side. This is not on you. It’s on us. If we’re fucking this up, it’s because I’m not good enough. It’s because I’m letting you down.”

“No!” She grabbed his neck. “You’re in this because of me. We’re in this, and in danger because—”

“I couldn’t stay away.” Gripping her waist, he guided her backward. “Because I can’t stay away, Genny.” Her back hit the wall. “How did I live without this? Without you?”

In a way, they hadn’t been without each other. All their lives, each drifted in and out, always on the periphery.

The tighter his grip got, the shallower her breathing became. “We’re against the wall.”

As if that was enough, he hooked her thighs to clamp her against the cold concrete, pelvis to pelvis.

“It’s risky.”

Although it was late, they had no idea who might be around or if Ford was still awake.

Looping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself up to kiss him. “You really are afraid of my brother.”

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