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“And I’m the queen of England.”
Travis dropped his hands to his sides. He couldn’t prove it to her. “What can I do to convince you.”
“Nothing. Just leave me alone. Turn around and go back to your fire.” She motioned with the gun.
“If I don’t, are you going to shoot me?” Most people would have a problem killing someone in cold blood, and he was betting she wouldn’t pull the trigger. If he could keep her talking and get close enough, there was a chance he could take the gun away from her.
“I’m not the one you should be afraid of, you know? You’d be dead at the bottom of a cliff by now if I hadn’t gotten you out of there.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and sidled closer.
“And you’re not the most reliable source of information. Why would I believe you? Alex may be many things, but he’s not a murderer. He would never hurt me.”
“So you’ve said, but I heard him lay out the plan for Brody. And Brody wouldn’t think twice about hurting you. You know that, right?” Travis heard the catch in her breath and knew he was getting through. “You saw how friendly Alex was with Brody, and you knew something was wrong the minute you saw him there.” He moved a couple of steps closer.
“You’re just trying to confuse me. Even if Alex were in some kind of trouble, he wouldn’t hurt me. Did you and your friends get him involved in something illegal?”
Travis kept taking small steps. “They’re no friends of mine. I told you, I work for the FBI. Put the gun down, and I’ll explain everything.”
“I’ve heard enough. Don’t come any closer.”
The moon peeked from beneath a cloud, and the rays illuminated the tears streaming down her face. Somewhere close, a small animal screamed its death cry as it became dinner for a predator further up the food chain. Jordan jumped and swept her gaze to the shadows beneath the trees. Travis lunged across the fifteen feet that separated them and tackled her. The gun cocked, and the firing pin slammed home as they hit the ground. He reached for the weapon and tore it from her fingers, realizing she had indeed pulled the trigger and would have shot him if the chamber hadn’t been empty.
Chapter Nine
Oh man, he’s reallymad!
Travis paced back and forth a few feet away, still holding her gun in his hand. After checking and finding the cylinder empty, he’d shaken his head and laughed, but not in a good way. Bristling with fury, he resumed pacing, glaring at her if she dared to move.
Slowly, Jordan eased to her feet, absently sweeping her tangled hair from her face. She’d hesitated at the creek, debating whether to run or believe Travis had told her the truth. When she’d heard him coming, it was too late. Taking the gun from her inside pocket had been her last resort. Pointing the useless weapon at him was nothing but a desperate and ill-conceived gamble. She should have known he’d call her bluff. Squeezing the trigger had been a result of their struggle. When Travis had tried to take the weapon, she’d tightened her grip. The unloaded revolver hadn’t been worth fighting over, but it had bolstered her confidence. She’d pulled back the same instant Travis tried to yank the weapon away.Damn it, what did he expect would happen?
“What now?” She stood tall and blurted the question. Fear still churned her stomach, but exhaustion had numbed her emotions to the point she had trouble caring what he would do to her. “This is at least half your fault—you know that, right?”
He stopped and slowly turned to face her, and his gaze locked with hers as he strode into her personal space. He’d already proven he had no qualms about hitting a woman, so she braced for the worst-case scenario. He could overpower her in a heartbeat and exact any revenge he required.
“Where’d you get the gun?” With less than a foot separating them, he studied her.
“I stole it from Brody’s tent.”
One of his eyebrows cocked upward, and a grin softened the harsh plains of his face. “Why didn’t you steal some ammo to go with it?”
“I would have, but Brody almost caught me going through his things.” When Alex arrived in camp, she’d believed her ordeal was over. She’d forgotten about the gun until she came up with her latest brainstorm—pulling it on Travis to scare him away.As if. Clearly, she hadn’t thought her plan through.
“My lucky day then.” He laughed softly.
He’s not angry?Something in his voice tugged at her heart. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to pull the trigger. Do you think I wanted you to know the weapon was empty?”
