They were silent on the walk back to the Range Rover except for the sounds they made while moving through the jungle. Lainey and Shane waited on the muddy road as Gideon drove the Rover out on to the road. They climbed inside, Shane riding shotgun. Gideon sat for a moment, staring out the windshield.

“You lost your passport?” He spoke without turning to Shane.

“Yeah. First thing they took.”

“Okay. We need to get you to the US Embassy in Guatemala City. It’s about an eight-hour drive from here.” Gideon put the vehicle in drive. They started down the muddy track, the vehicle bumping over tree roots and threatening to slide off the slick surface into the jungle.

To Lainey, the drive seemed endless. Shortly after they reached the paved highway, Shane asked to trade seats with Lainey and he stretched out across the back seat, falling asleep almost instantly, head pillowed on Gideon’s duffel bag. It alarmed her; Shane had always been healthy and active. Seeing him like this, all bloody and bruised, tore at her heart. She watched him for a moment then turned around.

“Do you think he’s okay?”

“He’s exhausted, but otherwise he’s just a little banged up. It’s mostly surface stuff. Looks worse than it really is. I think a couple nights’ sleep, some decent food, and he’ll be back to normal.”

Lainey sank back into the seat. Gideon’s words helped a little, his matter-of-fact tone reassuring her. If he said it, then it must be true. Or at least she’d pretend that was the case. But other thoughts raced through her mind, focusing on Gideon and her, on whatever it was that had happened between them.

“What happens now? I mean, after you…after we…after we get to the embassy?”

Gideon kept his eyes on the road. “It may take a few days to get his passport. I’d suggest you two find a decent hotel somewhere close to the embassy and take it easy for a few days. He can rest, you can find some new clothes…” He cast a sidelong glance at Lainey.

She looked down. Her shirt and pants were torn and dirty, and she knew she needed a long hot bath. And a new pair of shoes. The sneakers she’d started this trip with were caked with mud and falling apart. But that wasn’t what she meant.

“Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”

As Gideon drove, she tried to work up the nerve to ask her next question. As if reading her mind, he turned and looked at her, dark glasses obscuring his eyes.

“You’ve got more questions, don’t you? You fidget when you have something to say.” He turned back to the road. “Ask what you want.”

She took a deep breath. “What about you? And, well…us?”

“Us?” She watched his profile and saw his eyes flick briefly in her direction, but he didn’t turn his head.

Lainey’s heart stuttered in her chest. She’d hoped he’d at least acknowledge something had happened between them, something other than just sex. At least she’d thought it was something more than just sex.

“Us. I mean, what happened…back there.” She waved her hand over her shoulder in the general direction of back there.

“We slept together.” His voice held no emotion.

Her heart sank. “Yeah. I know. I was there, both times.” It was hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “What I’m asking is did it mean anything to you? Other than taking advantage of the situation? Or me?”

“I didn’t take advantage of you,” he snapped. “If I recall correctly, you were a willing participant.”

“You’re right. But is that all it was?”

Gideon blew out a breath, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “We’re just going to keep going around and round about this.” He finally looked at her, but his expression was impossible to read behind the dark sunglasses.

“Look. I’m not who you think I am, Lainey. I’m a guy who does dangerous jobs for money. Jobs no one else wants to do. That doesn’t make me the good guy. I’m a monster. There’s nothing redeeming about me, no reason for you to be interested in me at all other than the job you hired me to do. I’m not exactly a guy in a position to be able to even think about a relationship, if you haven’t noticed.”

Lainey’s face went numb, her heart dropping like a lead weight into her stomach. “So…that’s it?”

A muscle tensed in his jaw. “It is what it is. I am what I am. And I made a rare mistake; I should have followed my first instinct.”

“I don’t care what you are, Gideon.” She glanced back at Shane sleeping and lowered her voice. “Lions, tigers, bears, panthers… None of it scares me.” When he didn’t respond, she continued, “So, you’re not attracted to me? There’s nothing here…at all? I was a mistake?”

“What do you want there to be, Lainey? I told you, I’m not set up for relationships.”

“Because of what you do?”

“There’s that. But there’s who I am.” He shook his head. “Look, I’m not like other guys. I’m damaged goods. So, you’re better off getting any idea about there being an ‘us’ out of your head. It’s safer for you.”

The sudden hot prick of tears against her eyelids surprised Lainey and she turned away. She leaned against the car door, looking anywhere but at Gideon.