Page 67 of Covert Mission

He picks me up and shoves me into the back seat of a black truck before climbing in beside me. As the engine roars to life, Belle glances back at me from the front passenger seat.

I reach for her arm. “You okay?”

She nods tightly, but her pale skin tells me she’s feeling as upset as I am.

I sit back and watch Beast methodically pulling gear from his bag. A respirator. Gloves. Glasses. An ammo clip.

Talk about boy scouts. These guys are prepared.

He pops something into his mouth.

“Is that your radio system?”

“It is.”

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll swallow it?”

He smirks as he fills his pockets with medical supplies. “It clips onto one of my back teeth.”

“Fancy.”

His eyes flash to me. A silent pulse of heat reverberates between us.

I clear my throat, with burning cheeks, I try to focus on the rain, but every exhale he makes causes my skin to tingle.

I need to stick my head outside to cool off before I start smoking up the inside.

Beast squeezes my thigh. I turn to look at him just as Evan calls out from the driver’s seat. “Where are we leaving the ladies?”

“With the rescue command center.”

“Can’t we help?” I ask and earn myself a fierce scowl.

“It’s not safe. You’re not digging. Since I can’t keep an eye on you, I want you to stay with the oversight team.”

“But—”

He cuts me off as he drags me across the seat toward him. “Don’t argue. I need my head in the game. I can’t be worried about you. Someone’s life is at risk right now.”

“I could help…”

“Yes, you can. By doing what I say.”

The town is not far away. After bumping over the broken dirt road for a few minutes, Evan parks next to a cluster of rescue vehicles. As we pile out, a man passes Beast’s team yellow hard hats.

Thankfully, the rain is just a drizzle now. Belle and I stand to the side as other men join Beast and his team. There’s a mix of young local men and some strong-looking members of other aid organizations too.

Everyone's faces are masks of grim determination.

There’s a hush over the whole area. The only sound is the bark of a rescue dog somewhere within the crumbling structure.

Beast meets my gaze through his clear protective lenses. “Stay here. I want you as close as you can be to the supervisor of the earthquake team. I’ll be back.”

My eyes prick with tears. I grab his arm. “Please be safe.”

“Will do my best.”

His gaze falls to my hand. The skin on his arm goosebumps below my fingertips.