Page 52 of Silk Shadow

She nodded.

Phoenix didn’t comment.

"How about we get some shuteye and regroup in a couple of hours? Say ten o’clock?" Phoenix suggested, once they got to their rooms.

Viper could barely keep his eyes open. He could count the number of hours sleep he’d had since Izzy was kidnapped on one hand. “Roger that.”

Izzy paused, before she unlocked the door. “Thanks for saving me.” She looked at both of them. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come to get me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Phoenix said. “Besides, Pat would have killed us if we hadn’t.”

That made her laugh, and Viper was pleased to see her face light up, even if it was just for a moment. A glimpse of the old Izzy. “He can be pretty scary, can’t he?”

Phoenix grimaced. “You have no idea.”

“We should let him know you’re safe,” Viper said.

Phoenix nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”

Viper nodded his thanks. He hoped to hell that getting Izzy back would redeem him in the eyes of the former SEAL Commander, who would let him keep his job.

CHAPTER 22

Izzy walked into the hotel room and flopped down on the bed. "I'm so exhausted, I can hardly move." She caught a whiff of herself and frowned. Saltwater, adrenaline, sweat, fear, and dirt clung to her like an unwelcome second skin. "But first, I need to take a shower."

"I'll go after you," Viper said, his voice tense.

He hadn't looked her in the eye since she'd booked the two rooms. The awkwardness was palpable, more so than the fatigue weighing her down. Up until now, they'd always had adjoining rooms. He'd been next door, a shout away if she needed him.

God, how she'd taunted him, calling him to help her choose an outfit. It seemed ridiculous now, in light of all that had happened.

Still, she didn't regret her decision. She was keeping him close to her until this fiasco with the mine was over.

"I'm sorry about what's happened," she said suddenly.

He frowned. "It's not your fault."

"Well, it sort of is. It's my inheritance that's causing all this trouble. That's why they're coming after me. You didn't ask for any of this. You and Phoenix nearly got killed because of me."

"Actually, I did ask for it." He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "That's my job. It's what I'm trained to do."

She digested that. "Okay," she admitted with a thin smile. "I suppose it is."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Despite her exhaustion, her pulse raced like the inflatable boat they'd left on the beach.

"Thank you," she blurted out. "For saving me. Twice."

He gave an embarrassed nod. "Like I said, Miss Beaumont, I was only doing my job. This is exactly why you hired me."

She couldn't work him out. The gentle giant was gone, replaced by a controlled, polite demeanor that irked her so much she'd made a fool of herself trying to budge it.

"Why do you do that?" she asked.

"What?" His blue-green eyes flickered. In the hotel light, they looked like the water in the swimming pool.

"Act so distant."

He looked confused. "I'm being professional."