Page 33 of Rescuing Brinley

“I did.” Brinley gave him a wobbly smile. She looked out the window next to her. “Will there be anyone to meet us when we pull up to the pier?”

Even as she was finishing her sentence, Shadow saw lights from an emergency vehicle pull into the parking lot not too far from where the docks were located.

“Guess that answers my question.” She looked behind her at the women, who hadn’t stirred. “Are they…”

“They’re alive,” he said quickly, understanding what she wanted to know without her having to finish the sentence. He’d been glancing back at them periodically, and he could see their chests rising and falling. Not able to help himself, he reached up and wiped a bead of sweat off her temple.

She wrinkled her nose and turned away from him at the same time she brought a hand up to her hair, attempting to smooth it back, clearly self-conscious about what she looked like.

Shadow didn’t like that his actions had somehow made her feel that way. That he’d brought attention to her physical appearance. He didn’t give the smallest shit about the fact that her face was flushed, her hair was in complete disarray, and that she was sweaty. To him, she was the most beautiful person in the world because of who she was and what she’d done, not because of how she looked.

But that wasn’t to say he wasn’t also physically attracted to this woman. A vision of them getting cleaned up together in a spacious shower sprang to mind, and it took every ounce of discipline to keep his cock under control. Now wasn’t the time for any of that. They were going to be inundated with questions once they got to shore, and the women behind them should have their complete attention.

But even telling himself that didn’t make Shadow’s attraction to her any less.

Taking a deep breath, Brinley pointed the nose of the plane toward the dock. As they neared, more and more emergency vehicles arrived. There were plenty of people waiting to help tie up the plane and, after she shut off the engine, Brinley turned to Shadow and gave him a shy smile.

“I did it,” she said again.

“Yes, you damn well did,” he said proudly.

The shared moment of triumph was interrupted when two police officers shouted at them to put their hands up. Looking out the window, Shadow realized he was looking down the barrel of two pistols, pointing at his and Brinley’s heads.

She immediately lifted her hands in the air and gaped at him in fear.

Shadow was pissed.

At the terror that had returned to her eyes.

At the police, who should be treating them both like heroes instead of criminals.

“Easy, Brin,” he murmured. They were both still wearing the headphones, allowing them to communicate. “I’m sure they’re just being cautious.”

Shadow wasn’t sure of that, actually, but he wouldn’t freak her out any more than she was already by saying anything different. He hoped once the unconscious women in the back of the plane were removed and they could explain what was happening, things would work themselves out.

The next few minutes were dicey, but Shadow was still as proud of Brinley as he could be. She did everything right. Didn’t make any sudden movements, didn’t try to speak. Simply complied with the orders of the officers by keeping her hands up and not protesting.

At least the women who’d been drugged were being helped. They were unloaded from the plane one by one, and after they’d all been taken away on gurneys to the waiting ambulances, two officers climbed onboard and ordered him and Brinley to slowly remove the headsets and unbuckle their shoulder harnesses.

It took a couple of minutes once they were out of the plane for the authorities to relax. The man in charge was on the phone, and even though Shadow wasn’t sure who he was talking to, he guessed it was someone back at the resort. Probably not one of his teammates, but one of the men in charge of the local police force who’d been involved in rescuing the hostages.

“Sorry about that,” one of the officers said.

But Shadow wasn’t ready to forgive them. Not when Brinley was literally shaking in his arms. As soon as they were allowed to move freely, he’d pulled her toward him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, and it seemed to him that she was taking comfort from his embrace.

He couldn’t help but notice that she fit against him perfectly. He was much taller than she was and it felt amazing to have her in his arms.

“What’s happening back at the resort? Casualties?”

“The siege is over. The Red Vipers are all dead or taken into custody. Two civilians are dead and about a dozen injured, not including the women who are on their way to the hospital here. We’re going to need you both to come down to the station and give statements.”

Shadow didn’t want to. He wanted to take Brinley back to the hotel and lock them both in a room and make sure she was all right. Physically and mentally.

Before he could tell the officer that he’d get his statement later, Brinley straightened.

“It was my idea to take the plane. He had nothing to do with it.”

“We aren’t in trouble,” Shadow tried to reassure her, but she wasn’t listening.