It suddenly struck Tilly. ‘There’s only you and me left, Soph! They’ll all have to be fed on top of everything else. I wonder how Luke is, and when he’ll be back?’

‘Worry about it tomorrow,’ Connor said. ‘Can you get that blanket now? I’ll secure our resident thug, and then we can all get some rest.’

Chapter Thirty-eight

It was very late by the time they all retired. Connor took one look at Tilly’s bed, and then pulled the mattress onto the floor. ‘Not so far to fall if I roll over.’ He stripped to his boxers and lay down. With a sigh, Tilly spooned in beside him and reached to hold the hand that held her snug against him.

‘What a day!’ She sighed and shuddered, remembering. ‘I’ll have nightmares about it for months.’

‘Well, it’s over now.’ He kissed her hair and his arm momentarily tightened around her. ‘And you’re safe here with me. Sleep now. It’s not long till morning.’

‘You saved my life.’ Her voice was drowsy as she pushed the words out against her closing eyes. ‘I think I love you, Connor.’

‘We saved each other. And I know I love you, dear heart.’ It was a voice on the edge of hearing, no more than a whisper in a dream, but Tilly heard it. She slept smiling, the words a promise for the future.

The following day started late for them all. The caged wildlife had to be fetched back from the camp and released into their temporary homes, then fed and watered. When it came to the two olive pythons, Sophie waited until Connor finished photographing them and then propped the cages open.

‘We’ve nothing to feed them on,’ she said, when he eventually noticed their absence. ‘If Luke was here . . . But he’s not. If you want them back, you’ll have to go catch them yourself.’

‘They were evidence!’ He was put out and showed it. ‘Where’d they go? Which direction?’

‘I wasn’t watching,’ Sophie said shortly. She too was suffering from lack of sleep.

When his gaze switched to Tilly, she held up her hands. ‘Don’t look at me! I might tackle baddies, but I’m not taking on snakes. Just so you know,’ she added firmly.

By the time they were through with the feeding, and everyone, including their captive, had breakfasted, the plane could be heard approaching. Wilmot, handcuffed again following his breakfast, was hustled into the vehicle. Tilly slipped into the seat behind him, determinedly clutching the refilled pepperpot, which she showed him as a warning against trying anything. Another Customs officer was on the plane to take charge of the awkward business of getting Wilmot aboard without the use of his still-secured hands. Connor threw a small travel bag in after them and turned to take Tilly in his arms.

‘You will be careful?’ she said anxiously. ‘How will you get back?’