I decide to get a cab to the one place that always seems to calm me and help me cool off. For a moment, I consider that Ethan might come looking for me, but in the end, I decide not to care.
I’ll be back in a few hours anyway.
As he said, I need him to be able to get out of this country safe and sound.
Chapter 7
(Ethan)
______
I’m going to murder her.
Audra has been gone all day. At first, I thought she just needed to step out for a while and cool off. When she didn’t return after an hour, I decided to look for her. I thought she’d be at a coffee shop or a restaurant nearby, but she was nowhere to be found.
Feeling helpless, I’ve done nothing but pace the length of our room all day. I’m worried, nervous and scared. What if she was found out. What if the terrorists took her again. I know I fucked up, but her behavior is downright ridiculous.
What am I supposed to call this? Her own version of a punishment? She wants to drive me out of my damn mind with worry. She’s injured, for Christ’s sake. She didn’t let me dress her wound before she left, and she certainly didn’t use her medication.
She’s a grown-ass woman and yet she’s acting like a child. It’s annoying as hell. I’ve never met anyone who can frustrate me as much as she has. I’m already worried about our survival, and she just had to go and pull this fucking stunt on me.
It’s 6 pm when she walks back into the room. Casually, with a smile on her face like she’s done nothing wrong. Surprisingly, all my anger dissipates as soon as I see her. I walk forward and pull her into my arms before letting out a huge exhale of relief.
“Where have you been?” I ask quietly, letting her go.
Now she looks guilty.
“I know disappearing on you was dumb of me,” she starts.
“You think,” I interrupt.
“Okay, I deserve your anger. But I was furious too. I just needed to go cool off.”
“And where did her Highness go to cool off?” I question sarcastically.
“The beach,” she replies quietly.
I take three continuous breaths to calm down. I don’t want to yell at her; that’s not me. I might be pissed, but I’m also grateful she returned in one piece.
“You went to the beach. Right now. In this situation we’re in. Anyone could have spotted you. People will be looking for us. They could have alerted those guards, and you would have probably been killed on sight.”
“But I wasn’t,” she states.
I groan.
“I can’t even look at you right now,” I tell her, moving to sit on the bed.
She follows me.
“Were you really worried?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course, I was,” I say, looking at her.
“It’s just I thought you weren’t bothered. That I was just some woman whose life you happened to save. And who you happened to fuck last night. I didn’t think you’d care all that much where I went.”
I stare into her inquisitive green eyes.
“You know…for someone who’s supposed to be a smart detective, you’re actually pretty dumb.”
