Page 40

CHAPTER 40

R aven tried the door again, knowing her efforts were futile.

But she felt better knowing she was doing something . Standing around and waiting for someone to find them would only make her anxiety worse.

When it didn’t budge again, she let out an exasperated grunt and pounded her fist against the metal in frustration.

“Hey.” Jake gently gripped her arm. “Maybe you should sit down a minute and take it easy.”

That was the last thing she wanted. She needed to do something . “Too much is on the line for me to take it easy.”

“I understand where you’re coming from. But pacing won’t help.”

If Jake was saying those words, then he probably had a point.

Raven knew if he could think of a way to get them out of here, then they’d be out.

Maybe sitting back and reevaluating was a decent idea after all. The breather might be good for both of them.

She walked toward the wall, leaned against it, and slid down.

Jake lowered himself beside her.

A moment of silence passed as they both seemed to try to comprehend what had happened.

Then the flashbacks started to hit her.

Flashbacks of when her father’s enemy had grabbed her. Locked her in a dark cellar for two days.

Jake had been hired to find her. To rescue her. Then to guard her.

Ever since then, dark places had terrified her.

Being locked in dark places terrified her even more.

Panic began to capture her muscles until an earthquake rumbled in her chest.

“Hey.” Jake’s voice sounded soothing, as if he were reading her thoughts, her fears. “It’s going to be okay.”

But it was too late.

Her mind had traveled back in time.

She remembered the hopelessness she’d felt. She’d been certain no one would ever find her. She’d known she was going to die down there without ever fulfilling any of her dreams.

Her life had changed when her mother was murdered.

Then it had changed again after her abduction.

But Jake had changed all of that.

He’d made her feel hope again.

Until all of that crashed down also.

She’d been left with so many questions as she tried to pick up the pieces. She’d done therapy and eventually poured herself into her schooling then her career.

She’d done everything she could to forget her pain.

“This isn’t going to be a replay of what happened last time,” Jake murmured. “I promise.”

The next instant, his arm was around her, and he pulled her close.

Raven nestled into him, suddenly forgetting their past. At least, forgetting the bad things in their past.

“I’ve got you,” Jake whispered.

His words thawed something inside her that had been frozen for a long, long time.

She’d craved feeling Jake’s arms around her again. But she’d never thought it was a possibility.

Right now, she didn’t care about their past. She only cared that he was here now.

Had they been given a second chance? Or maybe even the opportunity for closure?

She wasn’t sure.

All she knew right now were her feelings, her desires.

Her need for connection.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Raven glanced up at Jake.

Her throat went dry at the sight of him here in the shadows of the confined space.

He was the only man she’d ever loved.

He’d hurt her, but suddenly that didn’t matter anymore.

Without thinking, she reached up and pressed her lips to his.

Jake’s heart pounded in his ears as Raven’s lips pressed against his.

Instantly, he relaxed as their bodies pressed closer. As her familiar scent filled him.

As his heart stammered out of control.

He wanted nothing more than to dive into the moment and embrace it.

But a voice nagged in the back of his mind—one he couldn’t ignore.

As much as he wanted to kiss her back . . . he couldn’t.

Not right now. Not like this.

This situation had rendered Raven too vulnerable. She wasn’t thinking clearly.

He wanted nothing more than this . . . but he didn’t want Raven to have any regret.

He forced himself to pull away. “Raven . . .”

Raven stared back at him, her eyes wide with confusion. “What? I . . .”

Instantly, rejection washed over her features, and she withdrew. Even in the dark, he could see the embarrassment on her face.

Had he just made a colossal mistake by pulling away?

His heart told him no.

“I’d love nothing more than to kiss you.” His voice came out hoarse with emotion. “But can we please talk first? We just need to have a conversation.”

Raven looked away, pressing her eyes closed as regret captured her features. “I’m not sure what else there could be to say. You broke my heart.”

“It’s more complicated than that. I just want the chance to explain. Please.”

She rubbed her neck. “I guess if we’re going to die in here, then I might as well die knowing what happened.”

“First of all, we’re not going to die in here. Secondly, it would mean everything to me if you’d just listen.”

She pressed her lips together, her expression strained even in the dim light. Finally, she nodded. “That sounds fair.”

Jake swallowed hard before beginning. “The truth is that when I left you in New York to go back to my job, I had every intention of calling you. Of seeing you whenever I could. Of the two of us planning a future together.”

Raven’s gaze remained skeptical. “Go on.”

“When I was at the airport waiting to catch my flight, I ran into an old friend. Danielle.”

Surprise captured Raven’s expression, but she said nothing. She only waited.

“Danielle and I had dated in high school, and I hadn’t seen her in years,” Jake said. “I never thought I’d see her again. She was a wonderful person, but I couldn’t see us spending our future together.”

“Why not?”

“We were too different. We wanted different things. I guess it’s true what they say—when you know, you know. And I knew my future wasn’t with her.” When he and Raven had been together, he’d known also—known that he wanted to be with her forever.

Those plans had been interrupted. Detoured. Ruined.

“So what happened?” Raven stared at him, caution in her gaze.

“We talked a while longer.” Jake looked at the ground as memories filled him. “She told me she only had six months left to live.”

“What?” Surprise lit her voice.

“I know it sounds crazy and dramatic. But it’s true. She’d been diagnosed with a very aggressive kind of brain cancer. The only reason she’d come to New York was because she had a bucket list, and she was crossing things off. She had a friend with her who confirmed everything she said. She wasn’t the type to do things for attention.”

He paused and drew in a breath.

This was a lot. And he never talked about what had happened.

Never.

Raven stared at him now, and he couldn’t read her expression.

“Should I keep going?” he asked.

Raven finally nodded. “Yes, I want to know all of it.”