Page 49 of Impossible Rapids

She shuddered, turned into him, and held on tight.

“Jules,” he murmured, kissing her temple and stroking her back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.” Her voice trembled. “Thanks to you.” She blinked up at him with a hero worship that he found he liked a lot. “You really are Thor, my Viking Hero.”

Shawn smiled. He wished they were alone and he could kiss her. He’d messed that up earlier and didn’t know if he’d ever have that privilege again.

Chapter

Fourteen

Julie wished she could cling to Shawn and kiss him with all the gratitude she felt. He had saved their lives by his intuition, his instincts, and his quick action. All the other men were heroes as well, especially Hays and Paul for climbing the rock wall and being able to see and shoot the men.

Shawn called for a helicopter to extract them and informed the police and FBI what had happened. Multiple helicopters came and thankfully they didn’t have to stay in that nightmare place. They did have to talk to the police and FBI for hours. Five of their attackers were dead, two were injured, and one had disappeared.

When they made it back to Dallas, Shawn insisted Julie come and stay at the mansion. He wanted her safe, and she was grateful for that protection. The terror on that riverbank stayed with her.

The day they returned home, Shawn immediately distanced himself from her. She had guards with her when she went to work or to run any errand. Focusing on the reality show and her charity helped. She hadn’t won the money for her episode, but Shawn had transferred a million dollars to her charity. She’d tried to protest. He’d said he understood, but the money was there and there was nothing she could do about it now.

Franz flew home from Augustine, full of stories and lit up from his adventure. It was good to see him doing well.

A few days after they returned, an FBI representative gave them the news that all the men were from France, discharged soldiers, and the company that secured the rafting permit was a bogus company but had been well disguised. They couldn’t find any connection to Lucas and Arianna. Again. That didn’t surprise Julie, as she could sit down and list half a dozen ways to pull off the permitting without linking it to her, and she’d never even been someone to keep things hidden.

Another week passed. They all stayed busy with work, but it felt like they were in an awful holding phase. Franz, Shawn, and Julie were sometimes home together in the huge mansion, but it felt like she was utterly alone. When Hays was around, she didn’t feel so lonely.

Things were awkward with her and Shawn. The kisses they’d shared made her feel tongue tied and hot from head to toe when she ran into him at the offices or at the mansion. She debated moving back to her apartment or going home to see her family, but either would spread their guards out and she didn’t want whoever was trying to kill Shawn to have any advantage.

It was late after a long day of work. Julie had skipped dinner and all she wanted was to go into her suite, take a long bubble bath, and hopefully sleep before another big day tomorrow.

Hays and Theo escorted her down the hall. They reached her door and Hays stayed with her while Theo went in to sweep her room. She appreciated their diligence but had no idea how any attacker could get into the mansion with all the guards, cameras, sensors, and high-tech gadgets protecting them.

Footsteps came down the hall. She turned and her breath rushed out. Shawn strode toward them. His strong, determined stride, well-built body encased in a gray suit, and his ultra-handsome face all mesmerized her.

“Jules.” His voice was husky. His gaze swept her. “I hoped to find you. Are you doing well?”

“I’m fine,” she managed. He wanted to find her? That was a change. “I’m ready for a bubble bath and bed.”

His eyes widened. “I don’t know how to stop thinking about that now,” he said, reminding her of that fateful night they’d kissed and then the world had exploded.

She sucked in a breath and leaned against the wall. Would he stride over and kiss her? What had prompted him coming for her?

“I’m doing very well too, thank you,” Hays quipped.

“Hays,” Shawn and Julie both said at the same time and then laughed.

“Thank you, friend.” Shawn stepped forward and shook Hays’s hand. “Knowing you’re here eases my mind immensely.”

“All clear,” Theo reported.

“Thank you,” Shawn said.

Theo nodded and walked to the end of the hall to wait.

“I’ve loved being here. The rafting adventure was almost as intense as a SEAL assignment.” Hays smiled, but then he turned serious. “My medical leave is up and Jagger’s off his honeymoon. I’ll need to meet him in Virginia Beach tomorrow.”

Julie’s stomach dropped. She felt much safer with Hays around, but of course he needed to get back to his important SEAL assignments.

“I understand. Thank you for taking this time.”