Hudson snickered.
“Of course. I don’t understand why we’re still standing around talking,” Dominik said in exasperation. “If you’re not going to shoot me, then get lost already. Hudson says you’re good people, so prove it. Keep my sister safe.”
Either he’d gone crazy, or that was actually grudging respect flowing through him. It both enraged and mystified him, but Connor didn’t waste time analyzing either response.
He nodded at Dominik, then met Hudson’s beautiful gray eyes. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s time to go.”
The drive to the landing strip was a festive one. Rylan had hugged the living daylights out of her when she and Connor had rejoined the men, and even Pike had looked happy to see her. But Connor… he’d clammed up on her. He’d referred to her as his woman in front of Dominik and then acted as if it had never happened, sitting silently behind the wheel as they sped away to safety.
Hudson hadn’t asked where they’d gotten the car. She hadn’t asked how they’d managed to find a working helicopter. She’d simply basked in the joy of escaping the compound with her skin intact and allowed that feeling of liberation to fuel her patience.
Now that patience was wearing thin, and Connor’s silence was grating on her nerves, so the first thing she did when they got out of the car was address Rylan and Pike with a stern look. “I need to talk to Connor. Alone.”
Both men seemed to be fighting grins.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rylan drawled. He smacked Pike on the arm. “Come on, pilot. Let’s get the lady’s ride ready to fly.”
The moment they were out of earshot, she advanced on Connor with single-minded purpose, enjoying the way he gulped.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said accusingly.
“Ah… which question was that again?”
“Playing dumb, are we? Fine, let me be more clear.” She met his adorably awkward gaze. “Why did you come back for me?”
She half expected another stalling tactic, but she should’ve known better than to think that Connor would beat around the bush.
“Because I love you.”
Her mouth fell open. “Oh.”
“Oh?” His lips quirked. “That’s really all you have to say?”
“No, I have a lot to say, actually. But it can wait, because right now I just want to do this.”
She raised her hand and slapped him right across the face.
A loud snort sounded from the vicinity of the chopper, but Hudson was too furious to check which one of the men was taking so much amusement from her very genuine indignation.
“You exiled me! What the fuck is the matter with you, Con?”
He rubbed his cheek, but the smile didn’t leave his lips. “You can hit me again if you want. God knows I deserve it.”
Hudson glared at him. “You do deserve it. And trust me, that won’t be the last slap you’ll be getting from me. You might have let my brother go – and I’ll never forget that or stop being grateful for it – but that doesn’t mean I’m going to forget what you did back at camp. I’m going to bring it up every time we get in a fight, and every time you piss me off or annoy me or tell me I can’t do something. Every damn time, Connor! You’ve officially made it possible for me to lord this over your head for the rest of our lives.”
“The rest of our lives, huh?” His voice thickened. “Does that mean you still love me?”
Her annoyance slowly seeped away. She shot him a thoughtful look and said, “Do I still love you? I don’t know – what do you think?”
“I think I screwed up. I think I acted irrationally and made the biggest mistake of my life when I forced you to leave. I think I let my need for revenge blind me from what really matters to me.” Vulnerability creased his rugged features. “I think you might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His voice shook. “And I’m afraid I’ve lost you.”
The earnest words cracked her heart wide open. Without a word, she moved closer and cupped his face with her hands. “You haven’t lost me. I’m right here.” She gently stroked the red mark her palm had left on his cheek. “And I never stopped loving you, you ruthless bastard.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Do you forgive me for exiling you?”
“Do you forgive me for lying to you?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. Just steadfast sincerity.
“Good. Because I forgive you too.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his lips. “I promise I’ll never keep anything from you again, Con. But you have to promise not to shut me out. This is only going to work if we’re completely honest with each other. If we trust each other.”