Kam took a step closer.
"Don't," Taylor barked. "Why are you here?"
Taylor always appreciated the truth without any pretense, so the harsh reality of what they faced was the only response he knew she would believe. "There is an assassin approaching the house with you as their target."
He reached up and lowered the gun. "You're just as beautiful as I remember."
She deflected his touch and shoved him into the wall. Putting her arm across his chest, she got in his face. "Why should I trust you?"
"I've spent every day for the last three years fighting so that one day I could be with you again. If it wasn't too late."
She growled out of frustration and pushed herself away from him. She made it two steps down the hall before doing an about-face.
Before his brain could process what her intentions were, she was kissing him hard. His body didn't have time to react because she pulled away just as fast as she started the kiss. She dashed into one of the bedrooms. Kam stood in the doorframe, trying to wrap his head around her reaction.
She still had some feelings for him, but his absence hurt her. He fisted his hands. If only he could go back and change the past, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do now was protect her and hope that the pain of the past wasn't too great for them to overcome.
Taylor threw the backpack over her shoulder and pushed past him. Back to being cold. Or maybe just focused. Taylor was the same in many ways, but there was an edge to her now. His gut clenched at the thought that he caused that change in her.
Taylor reached the end of the hall and stopped. "Did you know about this?" She hitched her thumb over her shoulder.
Davin appeared in front of them. "He's our best bet at keeping you safe."
Bullets started to spray the front of the house. Kam grabbed Taylor and shoved her toward the kitchen.
Davin shouted over the noise, "Get her out of here."
Kam took Taylor's hand and led her out the way he came in. She didn't let go of his hand when they reached the bottom of the stairs, which he didn't mind in the least. The muffled sounds of Davin's return fire seeped through the floorboards.
Kam looked at Taylor. "When I throw open the door, you run straight into the woods and keep going. I'll be right behind you."
Taylor nodded. He dropped her hand and hoisted the old door open, praying that the sound of Davin's fire would cover the noise they were making. With one last look at him, Taylor took off up the steps and dashed into the woods.
Kam prayed as branches snatched at his clothes and smacked him in the face. They needed some of God's protection right about now. He kept his eyes on Taylor as she ran. Now that they were back together, he wouldn't let her go again.
CHAPTER 4
The night became silent around them, and Taylor stopped running. Kam came up beside her. She still couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that he was standing there next to her. Alive. Her heart wanted to take him in her arms and never let go, but her head told her to proceed with caution. Three years was a long time for someone to change.
"Do you hear that?" she whispered.
"No more gunfire." Kam's breath tickled across her temple. Images of him holding her close on a beach, whispering promises for tomorrow, filled her mind. She gave herself a mental shake. She didn't know if this was the same person. She wasn't the same.
No, what she needed to do now was focus on getting them both out of here, preferably alive.
"We should get moving," they said in unison.
"I am a federal agent. I can take care of myself." She huffed and started to move again, watching her steps.
"I know. Even FBI agents work on teams." Kam moved with the grace of a cat on the prowl. Effortlessly silent.
"Fair. Where exactly are we going?" Taylor attempted to step exactly where Kam did.
"My truck is about another half mile on a service road."
They continued in silence, and Taylor took the time to think through everything she knew. About the case. About Kam. It was a lot to sort through.
Kam put his hand up and a finger to his lips. The ones that she had kissed. She wasn't sure what she was thinking except that if he disappeared again, she wanted something to hold on to when she grieved all over again. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to endure that pain again. She had to guard her heart no matter how much it longed for Kam to take her away with him this time.
