means to me? We may have started out on the wrong side of things—at least that’s what I thought—but he’s always been there for me. Even when I thought the worst of him, he was literally there to rescue me.
I hoped to be wrong. I hated the weirdly insane attraction I felt for him, back when I thought he was nothing more than a despicable slave buyer, but now…
Now?
Now, I just want to make it out of this hellhole alive. I want to see if whatever this thing is between us is real. First chance I get, I’m going to find out. Before that…
“Can you walk?” Knox helps Max to his feet.
“I’m good.” Max breathes through his pain. “Back the way we came?”
“Either that or reopen that door?” The two men confer while I soothe the screeching monkeys. They’re back on my shoulders. I guess I’m their safe place.
Max does something to his gun. All I hear is the sound of metal scraping against metal.
“There are probably more of his men out there,” Max says. “We go back.”
I don’t like the way Max braces against the pain. The urge to go to him, help him, overwhelms me, but he looks up at me with a fixed stare. I read his message. Now is not the time.
“Eve, lead us out of here.” Max issues a command. That tone, it’s sexy as fuck, but I need to focus on getting out of here. Not on naked fantasies with Max.
Naked fantasies?
Yeah, that’s totally what’s going through my mind right now. Me and Max, together, skin touching skin, hands seeking hands, mouths colliding as desire consumes us.
I give a shake of my head. Definitely not what I need to be thinking about right now.
Turning on my heels, I take us back down the long passageway. We reach the section leading off toward the Oasis. For a split second, I almost take it.
Max wants to meet up with his team on the south side of the compound, but if we go back to where we started, I can take us to the western side of the estate. We can escape into the jungle and find his team later.
Whatever timetable his team is on, we’ve already blown through it. Or, so I assume. Also, there’s a second reason I head back. Benefield may not know where the access panel is to the door from the kitchen side, but one of his men will know. We’ve got seconds to get out of here before we become sitting ducks. I don’t know how to lock the door, but that alcove had a bookshelf in it.
We should be able to push it in place and block his men from following us.
I take Max and Knox back down the hall. Max loops an arm around Knox’s shoulder. Knox helps him walk. We make it to the original door we came in when I hear the sound of a door scraping against the floor in the darkness behind us.
We exit into the alcove. Max looks like shit. There’s something shiny on his sleeve and on his pants leg over his thigh.
Blood.
Two bullets meant for me.
“Knox, they’re coming,” I warn Knox.
He grabs Max and gets ready to move.
“The bookcase.” I point to the massive bookcase. Just as I speak, shots ring out. No need to explain what I’m thinking to Max or Knox.
They get it.
Knox glances at the large bookcase and exchanges a look with Max. Max gives a nod. He steadies himself on his good leg and leans into the bookcase. The floor-to-ceiling bookcase scrapes over the floor.
I wouldn’t be able to make it budge, but the two of them get it shifted in place. While they do that, I do my part for our team.
Max is losing too much blood.
Working with a troop of monkeys on my back is challenging, but I use my teeth and rip off a strip of fabric from the hem of my shirt. Turning to Max, I tie it tight over his arm.
His smile is something else; talk about swoon worthy. Every girl should have a protector like Max, but not Max. He’s all mine. Or will be if we ever get out of here. I rip another section off the bottom of my shirt and tie it around the wetness covering his thigh.
Knox gives an approving nod as Max shifts his weight to the bad leg. A grimace fills his face, but he soldiers on. The three of us take off at a slow