Ransom by Erica Sutherhome

down.
                  Lance clenched his jaw in regret, tossed his gun and left the building.
                 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
                  Triana saw him exit the building once more, saw there was a bit more haste to his departure.  The grim look on his face was unmistakable.  What had happened?
                  He reached her in time to push her down. She relented because he was too heavy to cast aside. 
                  Then the earth roared in her ears, and she screamed as he covered her body with his.  It was an explosion.  She felt it, but could not see.
    After a few minutes, she lifted her head. “Damien,” she whispered.  “What happened?”
    She was rolled. She felt hands, arms holding her close, hands brushing the hair away from her face. She gasped, shutting her eyes briefly against the sunlight. Or was it the fire? When her eyelids lifted, he was on his knees beside her.  “Damien…”
    “Triana, it’s all right.  Everything’s okay now.”
    “What’s going on?” she asked, feeling the panic rise in her throat. Had he just blown the building up to cover his tracks? To cover for his boss?
    No, that couldn’t be the case. He had gotten her out. He could have left her to die. Obviously, he’d expected something to happen. And he’d protected her from it.
    “Hush,” he said against her temple.  “It’s over.”
    She nodded. After a moment, she pulled away to look at him. “What now?”
    He frowned. “That’s up to you. Will you press charges?”
    She thought about it. From everything that he’d said before and everything she’d witnessed, it was obvious he wasn’t the one who’d kidnapped her. “No.”
    He didn’t speak for a moment. “Even after everything I did to you?  Everything I made you do?”
    She shook her head. “You did nothing I did not already want.”
    He nodded. “In that case, I should be honest with you.  Damien isn’t my real name.”
    “I figured that.”
    “It’s Lance. Lance Redding. I got involved in this because I had to get my cousin out.  I…I was blackmailed.  I was told if I helped Sanson, then my cousin would be safe.  He would go free.  He wouldn’t end up dead.”
    She frowned, then she stood up and turned away.
    He followed her.  “Triana?”
    She tossed her head to avoid his strong gaze.  She felt betrayed.  “You could have told me,” she muttered.
    “I couldn’t take the chance of risking your safety.”
    “Is that what you call my safety? Keeping me locked in a joke of a room for nearly a month?  It wasn’t my idea of fun, you know!”
    “No, I never thought it was fun for you.”
    Her breath caught in her throat.  He hadn’t told her the truth until now, yet he was the only man who made her feel protected. How could she tell him he’d kept her from losing her sanity? “How is your cousin?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.
    “Better, I hope, once he gets through surgery.  He was shot last night.  I suppose it could have been worse.”
    Triana nodded.  She could imagine how his cousin might have turned up if Lance Redding hadn’t taken action.  Lance…it was a nice name. But, it was still hard to remember after having referred to him as Damien. He was right. That name had never suited him, not once. He was too good to have the bad boy reputation. Although he had been convincing at it. “And Sanson?”
    “He was arrested before with the ransom money.  His hand was effectively caught in the bag.  And his thug couldn’t have survived that explosion.” He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over her face.  “How are you?” he asked softly.
    Tears swam before her eyes at his sudden concern.  “Lance,” she choked.
    He pulled her into his arms.  “That good, huh?”
    “If you hadn’t been the one, I would really be a mess.”
    “I don’t know. I think I played it well.” His manner was in attempt