“Stay still.”
“I’m going to throw up.”
“Rider, see if there are any drinks aboard,” Gavin uttered, pulling her back down across his lap. He took the ice pack from her and pressed it more firmly against her forehead.
“I will. I know where they are.”
Ginny couldn’t place the voice and, at that point, she didn’t care, her concentration on keeping her stomach from heaving.
“See if there are any crackers.” Shaking out a barf bag that Agent Collins him, Gavin placed it under her chin.
“I hate being sick to my stomach,” Ginny complained.
“So you’ve told me.”
Taking the bag from him, she debated whacking him with it, she was so miserable.
With his hand free, Gavin began gently rubbing her belly. “I find it amusing that you took Allerton beating the hell out of you without making a sound, yet you’re complaining about a sick stomach as if it’s the end of the world.”
“No woman wants to barf in front of others.”
“Believe me; if you do, most of them won’t be watching. They’ll be joining in. They’re a bunch of pansies where puking is concerned.”
The thought of making The Last Riders reach for barf bags had her almost laughing. “You’re not helping,” Ginny berated him through swollen lips that couldn’t really smile.
“Perhaps these will.”
A Sprite and a package of crackers appeared in front of her. Ginny didn’t take the offering after seeing who was holding the items.
“Mr. Beck.” She’d seen him holding the door open for them when they left the resort, and while she wasn’t afraid of him, she wasn’t thrilled to see one of Allerton’s close friends either.
Gavin reached out to take the soda and crackers.
Squatting down next to the seat, Desmond made a wry face at her. “I can understand your hesitation. I’m not proud of myself that I was a business associate of a man capable of doing this to you. I do want to make one thing clear, however. I was not involved in the death of your friends or the villagers who lived on Clindale.”
“Desmond’s the one who gave us the information so we could get onto Clindale. He knew whose palms we had to grease for them to look the other way,” Viper offered the information from his seat. “He also helped get us into the resort.”
“I wondered how you all managed to get there.” Ginny took the opened can of Sprite away from Gavin to take a sip. “How much money are you talking about?”
“That’s not important.” Opening the crackers, Gavin tried to give her one.
Ginny stared Desmond down to get the answer she asked for.
“Nothing compared to how much it took to pay off Gabriel’s assistant; he’d agreed to fake Gabriel’s authorization for the plane to take off … with him on it.”
“Allerton is here?” Ginny tensed on Gavin’s lap.
“He’s handcuffed at the back of the plane,” Desmond confirmed, then tried to ease her trepidation. “Jackal and another man—I believe his name is Jonas—are watching him quite diligently. Although, I doubt he has the ability to move in the shape he’s in.”
Ginny couldn’t help the spurt of pity she felt knowing how much pain she was in.
Desmond’s keen gaze didn’t miss the flashing emotion in her expression. “You feel sorry for Gabriel after what he did to you?”
“That cane hurts,” she said simply.
“I feel certain Gabriel was aware of that fact. If not, he definitely knows now.” Desmond rose to his feet, intending to go back to his seat.
“Wait—do you know how much money they had to spend?” Ginny asked him before he could move away.
Desmond gave her an appreciative smile. “However much, it was money well spent, don’t you agree?”
“I do,” Ginny hastened to agree, not wanting any of The Last Riders to think she didn’t appreciate their help. “But it doesn’t help me figure out how much money I owe them.”
“Jesus …,” Viper gave a loud, self-recriminating groan. “You don’t owe us any money.”
“But I—”
“Ginny, eat the cracker.” Gavin removed the Sprite from her hand to give her the cracker. “You can pay Viper back in installments.”
Satisfied that Viper would listen to his brother, Ginny took the cracker. “Thank-you for your help, Mr. Beck.”
“Anytime.” Desmond reached into his suit jacket, then handed her a card. No sooner had Ginny taken the card, it was snatched out of her hand to be replaced with the cracker.
“That was rude.” Taking a small nibble of the cracker, she thought her stomach would revolt, but then it settled down enough for her to take another small bite. Her mouth hurt like heck, but the cracker was easing the nausea, so Ginny considered it a trade-off.
Ginny thoughtfully stared down at the cracker in her hand. “Gavin?”
“I haven’t gone anywhere.”
Ginny ignored his attempt at humor. “Where did they take you after the guards took you away? Allerton said, when his men were done with me, that I would be reunited with you and my father. Did you see him? Was he being held against his will? Was my mother there? Did they want to leave with you?”