Page 12 of Fighting Salvation

Hurricane’s voice over the intercom made him sit up sharply, every instinct going on alert and Rafe gripped the armrests as if sensing something too.

Standing, both men walked to the cockpit and he didn’t stop Rafe from following him.

“Hurricane, what is it?”

His smile stretched across his face. “They found Val.”

Chapter 4

“Where?”

“She was taken to a hospital in Barcelona after they found her unconscious near the embassy.”

Bás snatched up the radio, needing to hear the details first-hand, not relayed through a third party. His heart beat double time in his chest at the news she was unconscious, which he knew could be nothing or it could be that the bastard had hurt her. God help him if Hansen had touched her. He would peel his skin from his bones.

“This is Bás. Sit rep?”

“Bás, Val is okay but she was suffering from some kind of bite and was in a bad way when they found her. Other than that, she was in good shape. They have her on fluids and have administered antivenom.”

Duchess sounded as relieved as he was but she was holding it together better than him. He wondered what they’d think if they saw the images of his slaughtered family that burned his retinas. He had a million questions about the bite but he’d ask the doctor in charge of her care for details. The thought that she might have been exposed to venomous spiders on purpose was hideous for him, especially as he knew she had such a fear of them already. A memory of her screaming the facility down when a spider crawled across her bed had him momentarily smiling inwardly. He’d jumped out of his bed in just his boxers and ran next door to her room, barging in without a second thought and finding her standing on the chair in just her sleep shorts and tee, a bat raised above her head.

It had been that night he’d realised his feelings for her were so much more than they should be because it had taken everything in him to walk away from her after dealing with the little arachnid.

Shaking the thought away, he concentrated on Duchess again. “I’m on my way. Is anyone with her?”

“Reaper sent Lucía to check on her as she was already in Spain for a function with the King.”

“Tell him thank you.”

“Will do.”

“We should be there in a few hours but until I get there, have Reaper call in a favour and get her some security. I don’t trust this bastard not to take her again and he has an agenda.”

“Already done. Two of Lucía’s men are with her and will stay until we get there.”

“Are you in Germany yet?”

“Yes, we’re on our way to the hotel, now.”

“Keep me posted.”

He hung up and turned to Rafe, who had, to give him his due, remained silent while he got the information he needed. The man looked wrung out and he felt much the same way.

“She’s okay. She has some kind of bite which they’re treating, but they have her secured.”

He placed a hand on Hurricane’s shoulder, but he was already talking with control about the change of destination. He nodded and motioned for Rafe to head back to the seating area so he could update him properly.

“Did they say if she was awake or any details?” Rafe was gripping the edge of the seat tightly, his concern for his sister clear to anyone.

“No, but I didn’t ask either. I want to keep the channel clear as you never know who is listening.”

Rafe nodded, understanding in his eyes. He blew out a breath through his lips and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. She’s my best friend as well as my sister, although she was annoying as fuck when we were younger.”

Bás liked hearing about Val. He let himself indulge as a way of keeping his mind off the nightmare situation they could have been in if something had happened to her. He wouldn’t survive it.

As Rafe talked, he listened until both men fell silent, lost in their own thoughts and memories. He closed his eyes thinking back to the night he’d known he had to end his flirtation before it became something he couldn’t walk away from.

The pub was quiet as he walked in and scanned the bar area. Snow was safe with Sebastian and the rest of the team had headed into Hereford on a rare night out to let their hair down. They’d all tried to get him to go with them but he had no desire to drink, and certainly not dance.