The engine roared to life and Gabe maneuvered out of the alley. "Very observant. Yes, this is a Jaguar XK8, and you'll never find a sweeter ride. Except…" He grinned at her. "One other." She scowled at him again and Gabe chuckled. Damn, she was cute when she scrunched up her nose like that. He fished a bottle of motion sickness pills out of his pocket and tossed the vial to her. "Take a couple of these. I don't have any more ski masks, and we're in for a long drive. There's soda in the cooler behind your seat and some sandwiches if you're hungry."
"Look, you seem reasonably intelligent." She'd regained control over her voice, but a lingering edge of apprehension clouded her lovely eyes. "Be sensible and let me go. You can move faster, and the police won't hunt you as intensely without a hostage."
"What's your name?"
She eyed him warily. "Tessa."
Gabe shifted gears and the car roared past an oil truck. "For your own protection, I can't turn you loose. Unfortunately, you've stumbled into a bad situation, which I can't explain." He wished he could. But if he could find out how much she knew and still keep her in the dark, he might be able to safely release her. For her sake, he hoped so. The scum he'd just thwarted with his rip-off played for keeps, and they'd already left too many bodies in their wake. Whether either of them liked it or not, Gabe had been thrust into the role of guardian angel. He covered her hand with his. "I'm Gabriel. Call me Gabe."
She slapped his hand away. "Keep your hands to yourself. So, who are you, really? Bank robbers are edgy and taciturn, they don't make jokes. They don't take hostages on the spur of the moment unless they're trapped. And they're certainly not considerate of their captives. You're having way too much fun." Her remarkable eyes narrowed. "I suspect you've got an agenda. The misplaced payroll checks in the bags you asked about, maybe?"
He bit back a grin. The lady was way too smart for her own good. His impulsive decision to grab her had netted him a lot more than he'd bargained for. "Relax. You're safe with me. But the less you know, the better."
"Let me guess. You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me." She glanced out the window, her conflicted body language telling him she wanted to believe him, but didn't quite dare. "Where are we going?"
"A place where I can protect you until I sort this mess out."
"And how long will that be?"
"Ah, yes. You mentioned an important appointment?"
"I'm getting married in two weeks and I have a million details and an overbearing future mother-in-law to deal with."
"Why do you want to do an idiotic thing like get married?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"A rolling stone gathers no chains." Gabe shuddered. "I can't imagine anything worse. Except being locked in prison."
"Try being kidnapped, taken on a roller-coaster car ride by a lunatic and jailed with giant rats. Not to mention having your promotion blown to kingdom come." She frowned. "You are disturbed. But I suppose your attitude shouldn't be surprising for someone who robs banks for enjoyment."
He threw back his head and laughed. "You've got a point. Now swallow a couple of those pills. I don't want to have to run the inside of the Jag through a car wash, it's a loaner."
"Or stolen. A thrill a minute."
"Why, Tessa, I'm hurt." Gabe fluttered one hand over his heart. "You have such a low opinion of me."
"If the ski mask fits…"
He grinned. "Hand me a couple sandwiches, would you? I'm starving."
Tessa woke disoriented on a double bed in a paneled room. She remembered trees streaming past the car window and then fading to a blur. The pills must have knocked her out, a normal side effect. But everything was swaying, not a normal side effect. She blinked, but the room continued to roll. High-pitched squawking scraped across her eardrums. The rhythmic slap of water caught her attention, and terror clawed up her spine.
She tore open the door and raced upstairs, then skidded to a horrified stop. Endless blue-green waves crashed across the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. A scream ripped out of her and she collapsed, shaking. Her chest heaved in labored breaths.
Pounding footsteps vibrated the boards, and then Gabe's strong hands gripped her shoulders. "Tessa, what's the matter?"
She tried to speak, but couldn't. Head spinning, her vision