Page 44 of Rescuing You

Finally, they reached the apartment building. Michael stopped at the corner just inside the mouth of the alley and nodded to the green door behind him. “Go. I’ll be right there.”

The women passed and went inside.

He waited until the door closed. Waited another minute. Two. Three. Five.

Just in case.

Ten minutes later, certain he’d lost anyone who might have tried to follow, he went inside. Up the stairs, through the door.

In the dim room, Leila stood a few feet beyond the threshold, facing him as if she’d been waiting.

She was alive and well and, as far as he could tell, no worse for the trouble she’d gone through to get there.

He shut the door, closed the space between them, and wrapped her in an embrace. “Thank God. Thank God.”

At first, she seemed reluctant, almost stiff. And then she melted in his arms.

And wept against his chest.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Leila hadn’t realized how afraid she’d been until that moment.

She’d feared that she would be captured and returned to the compound.

Feared that Michael hadn’t escaped the guards. That his body would lie in the desert forever. That his family would never know what had happened to him.

Those fears bubbled up as she gripped his soft T-shirt, afraid that if she let go, it wouldn’t be real. He wouldn’t be there, and they wouldn’t be safe.

“Sweetheart.” His voice was low, a rumble against her ear. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”

But they weren’t safe, were they? It was more like they were in the eye of a storm. Trouble behind, certainly. But more ahead. There was no end to the trouble.

Which only made her cry harder.

“Hey, hey.” He gripped her shoulders as if to ease her back, but she tightened her grip on his shirt, not ready to be out of his embrace.

“All right, sweetie.” He leaned down, swept her feet out from under her, and lifted her into his arms.

His strength took her breath away. How could he be so strong when she felt so weak?

He carried her into the living area and sat on the sofa, draping her legs over his lap. When she was settled against him, she nestled in as if he could protect her. As if, right there, nothing could harm her.

But she saw pain in his expression. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Are you?”

She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she didn’t have it in her to demand the truth. She sniffled, tried to speak, and settled for a shake of her head.

“Is your sister?” He looked over her head, searching the room she’d barely looked at, only watching, hoping he’d come.

She’d been terrified that, seconds after finding him, she’d lose him again.

Concern crinkled the skin around his eyes. “What is it?”

“Jasmine’s in the bathroom.” Her sister had hurried to the small en suite the minute they’d arrived. She hadn’t been back out of the bedroom since. “We’re both okay.”

“Thank God.” He pulled her against his chest again. “When I got here and you weren’t here, I feared the worst. What happened?”