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had to choose between dying and going back to her husband, then she chose death.
    Every time.
    “When do we leave?” She held her back straight as a rod and looked him in the eye; she’d make the bastard work for his money. The thought almost made her laugh—there was no goddamned money. David had promised him a cut of a bounty which didn’t exist. She wasn’t sure who the biggest fool was: herself for getting caught, or Murphy for believing a word David said.
    “In a minute. I don’t want to give you enough time to plan an escape.” His smile was anything but friendly. It was sour and contrived, reminding her of the way David used to look at her.
    She started clutching at straws. “You’ve been drinking. Are you able to drive?”
    “You’re worrying about my driving?” He let out a short laugh. “Oh, baby, we’re going to have so much fun.”
    The inanity of her own words hit her, making her want to laugh along with him. Hell, she even believed him about the fun bit. She’d spent the whole week flirting with this guy, and until ten minutes ago she’d been considering fucking his brains out. Knowing he wanted to take her back to David didn’t eliminate the frisson of attraction between them.
    “You want to use the restroom before we leave?” Murphy offered, finally standing up. He towered above her. His hard, muscled frame made her feel petite and exposed. She could see the strong muscles of his chest defined against his tight t-shirt and the ripples where his flat stomach lead down to lean hips. There was something about him that still made her breath stutter, even if she wanted to smack that handsome face of his until her words sunk in.
    Violence wasn’t the answer here. She was never going to overpower him.
    “Yes, please.” A moment alone to think things through was too good to turn down. Even if it was crammed inside a leaky stall. The words “beggars can’t be choosers” never seemed so apt.
    Murphy grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into the soft flesh surrounding her bicep. Pulling her across the bar to the public restroom, he kicked open the door with the toe of his boot. “You know I’m gonna watch, right?”
    Rachel rearranged her features, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Can I at least have a little privacy?” When his body didn’t move an inch, she added, “I’m on my period.”
    She was lying, but she needed time. Enough to sit on the lid and think things through clearly and work out what her next move should be. The thought of his dark eyes staring at her as she did her business made her cheeks burn with discomfiture. She really didn’t want him watching.
    “I’ve seen it all before, sweetheart, so go ahead and do your thing.” She almost expected him to wink.
    “Fuck you.” The words escaped her mouth before she could swallow them down, sounding strange to her ears. She knew she needed to control her anger, but it felt so much better than fear.
    “Maybe later.” He scanned her body with amused eyes. “For now I’ll settle for watching you go.”
    Was it wrong that his words excited her? Despite his reasons for being there, he was still the best looking guy she’d seen in a year. She hadn’t been touched in all that time, not the way she wanted him to touch her now. Christ, this was so fucked up.
    Walking across the grimy, tiled floor, she could feel her bladder weighing heavy on her abdomen. She’d never make it more than a few miles on the bumpy roads without having an accident. Measuring up the embarrassment of going in front of him against the shame of pissing herself in his car, the shame won out.
    “Fine, enjoy the show. Just try not to stare too hard.” She pulled the door open so hard the whole frame vibrated. She took a deep breath and bit down on her rising fury, concentrating on riling him instead. Turning so she was facing forward, she pushed her chest out, her feet slightly parted. Slowly and deliberately, she began to unfasten the top button of