He laughed hard and released her hand to tuck her into his side.

For the first time since she’d met him she heard his breaths even out and Neil fell asleep.

Chapter Eighteen

“I have Raven in my sights, Mac.” Billy’s face was lowered over the rifle, his finger inched toward the trigger.

Mac twisted on the inside. Squeeze the trigger. Damn it, just squeeze and take back all the pain.

“Damn.”

“What?”

“Gwen. His kids jumped in Gwen’s lap.”

No! That can’t be right. She’s not here. She’s back at the tower. Safe. I locked her in myself.

Mac shoved Billy back, looked himself. Just like he thought. Kids were in Raven’s lap. Not Gwen. She’s safe.

Billy jumped up, turned an accusing finger his way. “You should have done your job. You didn’t make the call and I’m a walking dead man.”

Everything moved slowly. Boomer, Robb, and Linden followed Billy through the dark heat. They penetrated the compound, took out three in their path.

“This time we’ll all come back alive,” Mac whispered to himself.

Boomer and Robb moved in first, Linden close behind. The kid was there, just like before. This time Mac was ready for him. Only this time the boy ran to her…he ran to Gwen. Then blew them both to pieces.

“Neil! Neil!”

He jerked awake, his arms around something.

“Neil, wake up.”

Gwen lay in his arms. Alive.

“Can’t. Breathe,” she gasped.

Neil released his vise grip. “Damn. Sorry. Did I hurt you?”

She sat up and ran her hands up and down her bare arms. “I’m OK. But you…” Gwen pushed his hair back. “That must have been an awful dream.”

He pulled her back into his arms, gently this time. “Go back to sleep.” He checked his watch. He’d slept longer than he had in years, but it was still only four in the morning.

Gwen wrapped her arm around him and intertwined one of her legs with his. “Do you have nightmares like that often?”

Not like this one. “Sometimes,” he told her, hoping she’d not pry. His heart rate needed to slow down. The image of her blowing into a zillion pieces was fresh on his mind.

“You don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t.”

They lay there for a few minutes, neither of them talking, neither of them sleeping. Gwen ran her hand over his chest as if trying to calm him.

He kissed the top of her head and assured himself she wasn’t gone. That Raven hadn’t removed her from his life. Neil closed his eyes and tried to think of something pleasant.

Gwen’s face as she came. Now that was a much better picture to take to bed.

Gwen ran her leg up his and between her touch and his memory, his body responded.

“Hmmm,” she hummed. Her fingers moved lower on his stomach. “Let me erase the nightmare, Neil.” He always thought her hands were tiny. Compared to his they were, but she found him, gripped him, and he shot to full attention.

Then he remembered the lack of condoms in his wallet and cursed under his breath. He stopped her playful fingers. “I’m out of condoms.”

She shook off his hand and ran her fingers up his length. “Good thing I bought a whole box.”

His brow drew together. “When did you do that?”

“At the store with the hair dye and the shampoo.”

He grinned. “You planned on this the whole time?”

“More like hoped.” She crawled over his body, her firm ass stuck in the air, as she dug into her bag on the floor. Sure enough, a box of premium condoms appeared in her hand. “See.”

“When you told me you picked up the essentials, I should have known.”

She grinned, and tossed her now brown hair over her shoulder. “So what do you say, Neil? Want me to chase away the dreams?”

Gwen sat back on her bent knees, her body bare for him to touch, to taste.

He reached for her. “Dreams are overrated.”

They drove to the next one-horse town and ate at a dive. Gwen hadn’t stopped smiling at him since they left the motel. For the first time in a long time, he felt like smiling back. She had a unique way of chasing away the darkness. If he turned his mind to his dream, his nightmare, he’d fall into the black abyss again. He didn’t want that.

It didn’t take a shrink to tell him his brain was working through the trauma of his past. Things he’d brushed away long ago and forced himself not to think about. He’d blamed himself for not calling the shot when he had a choice. Boomer, Robb, and Linden were dead because of it. And now Billy. And Gwen’s neighbors.

“You’re calling the detective this morning, right?” Gwen placed a dainty bite of eggs into her mouth.

He glanced at his watch. Still too early in California. “I am.”

“Will that pinpoint our location?”

“I don’t see the need for Dean to trace our location, but you can’t be too careful. The conversation will be short.”

Gwen swallowed her food. “So long as Blake knows we’re safe. He’ll worry otherwise.”

They would all worry. Neil knew he asked a lot of them when he told them to do nothing for three days. It would have killed him to wait. In three days you can disappear into Mexico, Canada…or fly out of the continent altogether. He needed a week to get them where they were going…to keep Gwen safe. Then Neil could set his trap. Give Rick enough time to join him.

Right before he’d left, Neil sent a message to Rick telling him he’d have complete radio silence and that there had been a change of plans. If Rick moved on to the Smokey Mountains without him, he’d have to double back.

All of which would give Neil a little more time with Gwen alone.

After they’d made love a second time, he’d fallen into a restful sleep. He’d considered two safety zones for Gwen. One more indestructible than the other. Getting her to stay there without him…that would be the trick.

“I’ll need you to make a phone call to Karen in the morning.”

Gwen questioned him with a look.

Neil looked behind him. The morning crowd at the restaurant stayed close to the front door, giving them some privacy.

“You’ll call. Just to assure her you’re OK. Tell her where we’re at.”

“I’ll what?”

“You’ll tell her we’re close to the Canadian border.”

Gwen set her fork down. “We’re nowhere close to the border.”