Page 64 of Depths of Destruction

I groan. "We haven't been given our room yet. Somehow, I don't think extracurricular activities should be done on your ex-boyfriend's deck."

She snuggles into me, resting her cheek on my chest and sighs. "How long do you think we will be here?"

"Depends on the passports."

She tilts her head up, and worry fills her eyes again. "So, we're going to get through this, together?"

I stroke her cheek. "I'm not planning anything different, are you?"

"No. All my plans involve you."

"Then I guess we should both stop worrying."

"You were worried?" she asks.

"You have twenty years of history."

"That isn't anything for you to think twice about."

"No?"

"No."

I peck her on the lips. "Okay, then. Let's both do what we have to do and not doubt what's going on between us."

She smiles. "I like that plan."

"Me, too."

As she leans into me and I tighten my arms around her, relief is a well I tap into. I remind myself I need to focus on getting Naomi to safety and not allow Darien to get into my head. I can't question anything regarding Naomi's and my relationship.

But the depths of destruction can be more lethal when the heart is involved than physically ruining something. And I shouldn't have forgotten such an important rule.

11

Naomi

Time passes,and it gets dark out. Andre and I do laundry, shower, and make dinner. We finish cooking and eat. Darien still isn't back, and I'm getting worried something terrible happened. "Where could he be?"

"He didn't mention how far his friend lived, did he?" Andre asks.

"No." A nagging feeling in my gut grows the longer Darien is away. "Do you think something happened to him?"

Andre paces. He quietly states, "It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?"

"How's he getting passports for us if he doesn't have pictures?"

The hairs on my arm stand up. "My picture is all over the internet."

"Mine isn't."

Tick, tick, tick.The sound of the clock echoes in my ear.

"How well do you know what he's involved in?" Andre asks.

"What do you mean?"