There were two guards. Saskia was laid out on a cream couch, unconscious.
His jaw tightened. She was okay. He could see her chest rising and falling.
Hold on a bit longer, sweetheart.
“Get that in the galley,” a guard grunted at Cam.
“Yeah.” He kept his head down.
“Leo, I’ll check with the pilots. We need to get to Montana. Mikhailov is waiting for his prize. You check on the woman.”
As the first guard headed to the cockpit, the other leaned over Saskia.
Cam dumped the box in the galley and continued on.
There was a small luggage compartment at the back of the jet. He pulled the door open and slipped inside. He pressed against the wall. There were only a couple of bags in the space.
He heard the guards talking.
“Catering guy gone? Okay, let’s go.”
Montana. So Mikhailov had holed up somewhere there.
Well, there was no way the sick fuck was getting his hands on Saskia.
Cam sat down and listened to the rumble of the engines. The plane taxied, and he braced himself as they took off.
He’d had rougher rides.
Once they were airborne, he heard the guards talking and crashing around in the galley. Then he heard a higher-pitched voice.
He tensed. Saskia was awake.
A moment later, he heard her quiet weeping. The sound stabbed at his heart.
His head hung to his chest. Shit. Her pain was his. He realized now that there was no going back.
His destiny was forever tied to Saskia Hawke.
He waited, time moving like molasses. After things turned quiet, he cracked open the door. The guards had gotten food and were sprawled in the chairs at the front of the cabin. One was asleep, the other had headphones on.
Saskia sat on the couch, her legs curled to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Cam had to stop himself from going to her and pulling her into his arms. He slid out of the compartment, careful to stay out of sight of the guards.
He waved his hand.
Her head jerked up. Her eyes went wide, and every drop of color drained from her face.
She made a small sound and swayed.
It took everything he had not to charge across the cabin to her.
He flexed his hand and held one finger up to his lips.
Her tears increased, but a smile bloomed on her face. She squeezed her eyes closed for a second, then she stared at him. Like she couldn’t believe he was real.
Cam pressed a palm to his chest.
Her lips trembled, then she pressed a palm to her own heart. A second later, she blew him a kiss.
It was hard, but he forced himself to slide back into the luggage compartment.
He blew out a breath.
She’d be in his arms soon.
Then he’d get her safe, once and for all.
Chapter Seventeen
Saskia paced the small bedroom.
She didn’t pay much attention to the space. The walls were large logs, and there was a bed and an armchair. Everything was decorated in a modern-rustic style.
She suspected the two large windows would offer amazing views, but right now, it was pitch black outside.
Cam was alive.
She released a shuddering breath. She was half afraid she’d imagined him on the plane. He’d stood there, alive and very real. For a second, she was back in that truck, watching the man shoot Cam. Her stomach did a sickening turn. When her legs turned to water, she dropped back on the bed.
When she’d thought he was dead…
Her chin dropped to her chest. She tried to pull air into her tight lungs. It’d been like someone had cut her open, and all her hope had bled out.
She was in love with Camden Morgan. Every shattered part of his soul.
Thinking she’d lost him had been pain beyond imagining.
She wanted to go to sleep with him every night. Wake up with him every day. She wanted to coax laughs from him. Feel his strong hand squeeze the back of her neck. She wanted him inside her, fucking her hard. He could be rough, and it was exciting, but she never doubted he was also making love to her at the same time.
One day, she wanted to see those scarred, callused hands cradling their baby. A little girl to help love her wounded-warrior daddy.
God, Saskia had almost lost him.
A sob tried to escape. She’d been so trapped in her grief that she hadn’t cared that she’d been loaded on a personal jet to be carted to Mikhailov.
But when she’d seen Cam…
Of course, her protector wouldn’t leave her. He’d promised to get her free of Mikhailov.
The only place she was truly safe was in Cam’s arms.
Saskia took a deep breath. Now, she just had to wait for him to make his move. She knew he was coming.
She wished she knew exactly where they were.
Suddenly, the bedroom door cracked open, and her pulse spiked. She shot to her feet and grabbed a pretty hunk of amethyst off the bedside table.
Cam slipped inside.
His gaze dropped to the rock in her hand and his lips quirked. “That’s quite a welcome, sweetheart.”
“Cam.” She dropped the amethyst onto the rug and ran to him.
She threw herself into his arms, holding on tight. His arms closed around her and something wrenched inside her chest.
She tore at his shirt, needing skin, needing to confirm he was alive. She slid a palm in, over his chest, and felt his solid, steady heartbeat.
He was breathtakingly real and alive.
“Saskia.”
She cupped his stubbled cheeks and pressed her mouth to his.
His taste filled her, his tongue stroking hers and his hard cock pressing into her belly.
So very alive.
“I saw them shoot you.” She felt that raw pain all over again.
“Baby.” He kissed her. “I was wearing a vest. Apart from some bruises, I’m fine.” He gripped her wrists. “We need to go.”
She nodded. She noted that he was now wearing a sheepskin-lined coat and boots. There was a backpack on his shoulder.
“I raided the place and found some gear and supplies.” He dropped the backpack on the bed. “I have extra clothes for you. You’ll need to bundle up.” He pulled out a drab, olive-green coat and boots. “These will probably be a bit big, but it was the best I could do.”
She nodded, then started dressing. “Where are we?”
“Montana.”
She faltered. “Oh.”
“I scouted around. Mikhailov has a few guards. We’re on a ranch. Looks like some rich guy’s fishing hideaway. My best guess is it belongs to some buddy of Mikhailov’s, so he can stay off the radar.”
She pulled on the coat. Next were the boots, which were too big, but an extra pair of socks did the trick.
“Let’s go.” He took her hand.
“Where are we going to go?”
“We get out of the house, and make it to the trees.” He released a breath. “I’m not going to lie, Saskia, we need to put as much distance between us and this place as we can. We have to do what they least expect. Can you do that?”
She lifted her chin. “If it means us getting away, then hell yes.”
He kissed her nose.
They slipped out of the bedroom. He was silent, a ghost, and every one of her steps sounded like an elephant on the wood floor.
They heard the murmur of voices in the distance, and the sound of a TV.