Her silence must have made him worry because he gently pulled her to a stop. “What’s wrong? Another leg cramp? I can massage—”
“No way.” She jerked back, not wanting him to touch her. She was so dirty and sweaty her face flushed with embarrassment at the thought of him even being close to her.
At his questioning look, she sighed. “Nothing’s wrong, other than I desperately need a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Oh, and the fact that gunmen may or may not be following us. And that my own brother may or may not want me dead for reasons unknown.”
He looked so handsome and unaffected by everything happening that she wanted to punch him. Or kiss him. No, not kiss him. Not in her current state. She switched back to resentment and wanting to punch him.
“Remember those yummy fresh eggs we had for breakfast?” he asked.
She drew several deep breaths, trying to slow her racing heart. She’d always considered herself fit. Apparently, she wasn’t. There were visions of Pilates and yoga in her future, if she survived long enough to leave Mystic Lake.
“Yes, of course I remember the eggs. Why?”
“Because that fine family’s little farm where I pilfered those eggs isn’t far from the tunnel exit up ahead. If you can hold on just a little longer we’ll soon be at their place. I distinctly remember several cars near their farmhouse. I’m certain that once I offer amends for the eggs and explain that we need assistance, they’ll be happy to drive us off this mountain.”
She glanced down the tunnel. “When you say something isn’t far, that’s my warning that I’m in for another long hike. Apparently you have no concept of actual distances. But what did you mean about the exit up ahead? That next patch of light isn’t a ventilation shaft?”
“Not this time. It’s the real deal. The end of our journey. Well, except for a short hike to the farm of course.”
She groaned. “Your short hikes are half-marathons.”
“It really isn’t that much farther. Promise.” He glanced behind her down the long, dimly lit tunnel that led back to the cabin. “I haven’t heard anyone behind us this entire time. But I can’t imagine they’d give up until they figure out where we went. We need to get going. I can carry you on my back if you want and—”
“No, no way. I’m filthy.”
“You’re beautiful even with a little tunnel dirt. I don’t mind carrying you.”
She ignored the ridiculous burst of pleasure inside her at his compliment. He didn’t mean it. He couldn’t, not in her current level of disgusting.
She held out her hands to stop him when he took a step toward her. “I’m fine. Really. You let me rest long enough this time so that I’m not miserable. And your carrot of catching a ride down the mountain along with the stick of the gunmen still looking for us is enough to get me going again. Lead the way.”
In spite of her words, he did as he always did. Instead of leading he walked beside her, constantly on alert for dangers both in front of and behind them. If the man hadn’t been a cop, she’d swear he was perfect. But unfortunately, that didn’t make him perfect for her. There could never be anything permanent and lasting between her and a man like him. They were from two completely different worlds.
Even though she’d strived her entire life to stay away from any of the questionable things her father and his sons did—admittedly including her two biological brothers to a lesser degree—it was impossible to steer clear of their bad reputations. They tainted her own reputation, making people assume the worst no matter how hard she tried to prove she wasn’t like the others.
Of course, she really only had herself to blame. She’d made her own choices in life. If she’d left her family as soon as she’dgotten old enough to realize there were shady things going on, she could have lived a life on her own that wasn’t overshadowed by theirs. But leaving wasn’t something she’d been willing to do. She loved them, in spite of everything. And she refused to give them up regardless of the consequences to herself.
Well, unless one of them actually was trying to kill her.
Her shoulders slumped as the questions about Esteban swirled around in her mind. But there were no answers. Not yet. And until she got those answers, she’d be torn about what to do about him.
“Stop right there,” Beau whispered when they reached the tunnel exit, obscured by stones and a boulder just like the other tunnel they’d used on their way to the cabin. “Let me scout it out first. I don’t expect your brother and his men would have figured out about this tunnel yet or made their way through the forest this far searching for us. But I never expected them to find the cabin in the first place. It’s best to be extra cautious.”
He took off his go bag, then his backpack and set them on the ground beside her. Crouching down, he unzipped the backpack and rummaged inside, grabbing an extra magazine of ammunition for his pistol. Then he jerked his head up, frowning at her.
“Really, Sierra? You took one of my guns?”
“You have two more in there. Plus the one you always have holstered at your hip. I didn’t see why you couldn’t share.” She pulled the right leg of her jeans up revealing the pistol in the ankle holster.
He shook his head and stood, pocketing the extra magazine. “You do realize it’s loaded, right?”
“Pfft.Of course. I wouldn’t have taken it, otherwise.”
“What’s rule number one?”
“What are we, fifteen? Prepping for the SATs?”
“If you prepped for your college entrance exams at fifteen, you’re the true genius here. Rule number one?”
