It’s just another body, my brain told me as my body filled with lust the second his fingers unbuttoned his jeans. A super fine body, but just a body.
I tried to keep my gaze away from him as he stepped out of his jeans, leaving them puddled on the floor in my line of sight, but doubts filtered through and I realized how obvious I was being. I was about to straighten and casually hand Bash the boots when the scent of my own arousal hit my nose.
I swallowed a groan and lifted my eyes to see Bash watching me with amusement and the reflection of my response in his emerald eyes. I let a smile tug at my lips for a moment, then looked away, and met Daniella’s intense gaze.
My eyebrow cocked of its own volition. “What?” I asked in my best non-hostile tone.
She gave me a slow smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and slowly shook her head. “Nothing.”
I didn’t believe her but this wasn’t the time nor the place to be starting a fight, plus, she was injured and I wasn’t half the bitch she was.
“Ready.” Bash patted his hands over the uniform then fit the mask over his face with a grunt. “Let’s escort the prisoner.” He reached a hand out to his sister without looking and she automatically slipped her smaller palm into his.
I stared at that small and intimate physical connection between them and suddenly knew without a doubt that Bash would sacrifice what was growing between us for his twin. I drew in a long breath and let it out slowly.
If we survived, I’d have to figure out a way to live with Daniella.
Chapter 20
I kept my back rod straight as we marched Daniella through the front doors of the Administration building. I figured that’s the way most terrorists walked.
The hallways inside the building were empty for the most part. We moved down the long hallway without encountering anyone and met only one distracted-looking guard as we turned and ascended the stairs. He was past us before I even realized he was there.
My stomach muscles relaxed as he moved around the corner away from us. Even with the mask and uniform, I felt utterly exposed. I couldn’t imagine how Daniella felt.
I glanced at her, walking stiffly between Bash and I, and frowned. There was a sheen to her skin now that hadn’t been there earlier. I leaned forward and shook my hand to get Bash’s attention. We’d agreed on talking as little as possible during this trek.
He turned his head and frowned down at me then shifted his gaze when I tilted my head towards his sister. The frown intensified when he saw her and his hand moved from her arm to her waist for more support.
Daniella sagged against him with a small mewling sound that was so out of place with her usual snark that I nearly stumbled on the next stair. Instead, I shifted my hold on her good arm and leaned in to support her other side. She was going downhill, and fast.
My muscles were screaming from her sagging weight, as little as it was, by the time we made it to the nurse’s office. A sign stuck out from the door, like an old-time doctor’s office. Bash shifted his sister into his arms so I could try the door.
It opened without a sound.
My head flew up in shocked surprise. Every small victory today had been won through hard work and endless effort. To have this final obstacle just swing open without complaint was beyond belief. I looked up and down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and whispered, “Get her inside.”
Bash scooped Daniella into his arms as if she weighed nothing and disappeared into the office.
Where an armed guard stood leaning against a counter, casually eating an apple.
“Hey,” he said in a perfectly normal voice. “Just grabbing a snack.” He plucked another from a basket and held it up. “Enough for everyone.” Then, as if he’d just noticed Daniella, he nodded towards her. “What’s up with the rich bitch? Looks like she’s not long for this world. Just dump her and take a load off.”
Bash’s body stiffened and every nerve in my body screamed to reach out to him to stop whatever he was about to do. A moment later, my arms were full of Daniella and the crunch of fist on bone filled the air along with the scent of blood.
I pulled Daniella back from the flying fists and grunting males. She was dead weight now and her eyes were white, rolled back in her head. Cursing, I pulled her over to an examining table and managed to get her on top a moment before Bash flew across the room and landed, with a grunt, against the wall. I spun around to see the guard reaching for his weapon, which, I saw now, was in Bash’s hand.
I stared at it, then up at him, my mind a flurry of questions, the foremost being, would he actually use it? Seconds ticked by as the guard obviously wondered the same thing then, deciding it was worth the chance, lunged across the room with a roar of fury.
Bash tossed the gun at me and met his opponent mid-air.
I yelped, terrified for an instant that I’d accidentally shoot someone, then shoved the gun behind me where I could grab it if need be. I watched them grapple for a few seconds more then, convinced Bash could take care of himself, I turned back to Daniella.
Her skin was turning grey and her breathing was shallow.
Panic heated my face and made my brain buzz until I was lightheaded and flushed. Trying desperately to ignore the full-fledged brawl happening just feet away from me, I turned to the wall of cabinets and pulled at the first door.
“Of course it’s locked,” I muttered. My own breathing was coming faster now. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on my chest, making it hard to inhale. Part of my brain understood this was just a little panic attack, perfectly normal in the face of what I’d experienced today, but the other part was too busy hyperventilating to fully grasp that.
I spun around, looking for something sharp, once again, to bust open the cabinets so I could find the damn antidote. There was plenty of broken wood and plastic, but nothing I could use. I closed my eyes and leaned against the exam table.
Something shifted behind me and I whirled around, afraid Daniella was falling, or seizing, or dead, but it was just the stirrups shifting in their slot.
Laughter bubbled up in my throat and exploded, which caught Bash’s attention for just a split second. His look of concern distracted him just long enough for the guard to deliver a solid punch to the gut. The breath whooshed out of him and he doubled over.
My mouth dropped open and the mania that had been threatening disappeared in an instant, replaced by fury. I let loose a bloodcurdling scream and charged.
The guard looked up at the last second. His eyes went wide and he threw up his arms to protect his head from the metal stirrup descending on him.
It smashed into his forearms with as much power as I could deliver, cracking bones that split like dry wood and punctured through the skin. Blood spurted from his arms to the floor, the perfect distraction.
Bash brought the chair down on the man’s head and shoulders and, together, we watched him crumple to the floor.
Jagged breathes filled the silence. I lowered my still raised metal weapon and glanced over at Bash, who was wiping blood from a split lip. He was battered, bruised, and looked a little raw around the edges, but he was alive.
I spun around and ran to Daniella. I called for Bash to “lock the door” without looking back to see if he did.
She was quiet now, her breathing so shallow that I could barely hear it. I pressed my ear to her chest and felt her heart struggle to beat.
“She’s dying,” I said quietly. I tore the other stirrup out of the table and handed it to Bash. His face, blood red just a moment ago, was pale now. “Help me find the antidote.”
I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but there was no time. Daniella’s wound was so much worse than I’d thought. I shoved the metal end of the stirrup into the first cabinet door. It splintered.