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His other hand landed on my hip, and the press of his fingertips into my flesh was the first touch between us that was something more than friendly. It sent a flash of need through my entire body, enough to make me suck in a breath.
He pulled me closer to him, until our bodies were almost flush, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I was not going to stop him if he kissed me. It would take “rushing things” to an entirely new level, but I was past caring. I wanted something good, something formeand no one else. I wanted Gunner.
Letting go of my wrist, his hand found its way into my damp hair, fingers dragging across my scalp as he worked the hair tie out. I tilted my face up, completely lost to the whirlwind of the moment, but before we could cross every line that there is, someone coughed discretely next to us.
Gunner raised his head again, and bit out, “What!?”
The guard looked awkwardly between the two of us and, as if coming back up for air and realizing what was about to happen, Gunner released me and stumbled back.
“We’ve spotted some suspicious vehicles along a few of the sideroads, sir,” the guard reported. “We can’t confirm yet, but there’s a possibility that it’s the Syndicate.”
Gunner cursed, fists clenching and unclenching. “Rachel, we’re leaving. Do you need to grab anything before we go?”
I shook my head, and that’s all the confirmation Gunner needed before pulling me towards the Range Rover, already on a call with his head of operations as he did so. He talked to them in quick, clipped sentences, only shoving the phone back in his pocket once we reached the SUV.
I didn’t need any more instructions, climbing in without hesitation and buckling in. The concern that it was about to be a bumpy ride made me more nervous by the minute. Gunner got in his side, gripping the steering wheel in a white-knuckled hold, and it looked like he was torn between different things.
“Don’t we need to go?” I urged, looking nervously down the long, winding driveway.
“This is your call. Do you want to stay and fight, or run and try to avoid them? It’s your revenge, and I don’t want to take it from you.”
Taken aback, I stared at him blankly. “Revenge?”
“They killed your fiancé.” He spat the last word like it was bitter on his tongue.
I reeled, but we didn’t have time to get into this right now. “Trevor made his mistakes. I don’t want your employees harmed forrevenge,of all things. Let’s go!”
Gunner threw the vehicle into gear, gravel and dust thrown behind us as we jolted forward. We’d traveled maybe one hundred feet when Gunner jerked the wheel, taking us off the road and into the trees. I screamed, but clapped a hand over my mouth to quiet it, not wanting to distract him.
“Surveillance said they’re in cars, not trucks. They won’t be able to go off road. Just hold on,” Gunner said through his teeth, brows drawn together with the intensity of his concentration.
The Range Rover could handle the rougher terrain, but that didn’t mean the ride was pleasant, and I grabbed the handhold above the window for dear life. Everything flew by so quickly it was nothing but streaks of color: green, brown, green, brown.
“Just a little farther, and we should be behind them,”
All I could manage in reply was a squeak, my teeth clacking together from the intensity of the ride.
“Now.”
He pulled us hard back onto the asphalt, the suddenness of the undiluted sunlight and the smooth road almost like a shock. I craned my neck to look behind us, and there was nothing to be seen. Nothing forward, either.
“Oh my God,” I breathed shrilly. “Gunner—”
The camouflaged Humvee tore out of the scrubby forest like a bat out of hell, jerking erratically left and right before it straightened out and powered towards us at breakneck speed.
Gunner didn’t curse, or yell, or even tell me to hold on again. Every molecule of him focused on what is going on around us, and the control he had over the Rover. His face was grim but determined as he laid on the gas, and we raced forward, out of bumping distance.
The Humvee wasn’t deterred, though, and tried to match us acceleration for acceleration. Time slowed to a crawl as it burst forward again, this time tapping our bumper before the Range pulled out of reach.
“They’re going to try and out maneuver us,” he growled.
My mouth wouldn’t work, and all I could do was look at him with wide, owlish eyes.
“Spin us out,” he clarified. “If that happens, and we don’t roll, get on the floor and cover your head. If we do roll, try to stay hidden. If I’m unconscious and you need to run,run.There is a .22 in the glove box.”
“I won’t leave you,” I choked out.
He didn’t say anything else, but my words seem to ripple across him, and his determination somehow became even fiercer. I braced myself as the Humvee surged forward again, and this time when they hit us, the Rover wobbled. It took all of Gunner’s effort to keep it from spinning.
