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“And if I take the vehicle?”
“It doesn’t even have half a tank left, so good luck getting far.”
Half a tank of gas in a car would still take her much farther than his legs would. “I don’t need a full tank to get far enough to ditch you.”
“We both know I’ll always find you, Anna.” His words were spoken with a raw honesty than burned right through her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard Hayden speak with such conviction.
Staring at him in the darkness, she bit back the quick rebuttal she wanted to give, and thought it over, instead. Because, as much as she’d like to deny it… she had a funny feeling in her gut that Hayden was right.
He was far too smart, far too intuitive, far too determined. She had no idea how he did it, how he got access to the information he had, but she also couldn’t deny that he always had it. When something was going on, Hayden was aware, if he wasn’t pulling the strings himself. In the short time she’d known him, she’d come to know that.
There was no escaping him. Wherever she went, if he wanted to find her, he would. Especially considering this time, he knew exactly where she was heading.
Escaping was futile.
He’d just track her down all over again. And he may not be as forgiving the next time… though, based on his track record, she doubted that.
“I could kill you while you sleep.”
He didn’t flinch at that, didn’t move at all. His face was so empty, eyes closed, that for a moment, she thought he’d fallen asleep.
Not fully believing he could’ve passed out so quickly, she lifted her hand to poke his cheek.
Before she’d even touched the stubble-covered skin of his face, his hand was on her wrist, holding her back as he stared into her eyes. “Try it,” he challenged.
She pulled her hand from his, pouting. “So testy.”
He didn’t say a word, simply resettled in the bed, closing his eyes and ignoring her once more.
Fine. Maybe she would try it. She certainly would if he reached over and touched her while she slept. A small part of her hoped he would, just so she’d have an excuse.
Good man, she reminded herself. Does good things. Or whatever.
Yeah, her mental reminder wasn’t quite working.
Anna fingered the knife in her pocket, drifting off to sleep as she rubbed her thumb over the smooth wooden handle and fantasized about using it. Not on Hayden, but on the man she really wanted dead. The man who was responsible for the unending anger she felt to her core. Joseph Greene. The man who’d taken everything from her.
Those thoughts, as they had for the past decade, quickly soothed her to sleep.
? ♥ ?
The warmth wrapped around her was fantastic. Her back was cold, the thin, dust-covered blanket doing nothing to keep her warm. But thick, strong arms were wrapped around her, chasing the chill from her bones. She inched closer, burying her face in her muscled furnace, deeply inhaling the deliciously musky smell that she’d come to love, the smell that always hung off of--
Hayden.
Anna’s eyes shot open, only to see the thin cotton shirt that covered Hayden’s chest. His arms were wrapped around her, completely enveloping her. And, dammit, his thigh was firmly planted between hers, as if she’d been clinging to him in the night.
She wanted to blame him. Wanted to roar and rage at him for coming over to her side of the bed and taking advantage of her sleepiness. Only, he was still on his back, on his side of the bed, in the exact position he’d been in when she’d finally drifted off to sleep.
She was the one who’d scooted over, threw herself all over him and wrapped herself up in his body.
Dammit.
She was cold. The temperature outside was freezing, if not below freezing, so of course she’d moved closer to share body heat. That wasn’t her fault.
She pulled out of his arms, sitting up in bed and looking around. On the small table by the bed, next to the lantern that had long since gone out, was shiny metal. Taking a closer look, she saw what they were.
The handcuffs.
