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What the fuck? I’ve chosen the worst kind of hiding spot on this earth.
Three against one? Overkill much and that was probably their point. But how did they trace me? All those spy movies my dad loved on rainy days come to mind. My cell phone. The battery hadn’t died fast enough and I’d been too jacked up on adrenaline and fear to think. That has to be it.
I breathe out a harsh breath when goon three turns, spots me and takes off in my direction in a hard run. His long legs cover a lot of ground fast, and he’s as big as the other two with a gun drawn. I don’t stand a chance.
My eyes are adjusted for the dark, but there’s still not enough light to keep me from tripping over gnarled roots and jutting branches as I weave my way around large oaks and pines.
My bare feet slow me down, but I take felled trees with a leap and push faster. I thrust a hand out and catch a few low hangers from hitting me in the face.
I push through the pain of finding cones and jagged roots with no other thought in my head than to hide. But where?
A thick limb catches my shoulder on one end while the wispy mesh of my dress snags on a thorny bush. I swear this dress has nearly killed me twice tonight. I’ll have a better chance without it than with it at this point. With more effort than it took putting it on, I reach around and yank at the zipper, but only manage it halfway before it catches.
Son-of-a-bitch!
The deeper I go, the thicker the darkness until it’s nearly pitch black. But that doesn’t seem to slow them down. Damn! They must have night vision or something because those heavy footfalls are getting closer.
A tight grip on my shoulder brings me to a dead stop, my feet digging into the soft forest floor. Casting around for a weapon I realize I have a limited array of options.
My breath freezes in my lungs. These are not the men from last night. How many of them were there?God help me.
I strike out with my elbow, taking satisfaction when I hear a garbled grunt. Yeah, asshole. Like chasing women? I drive my heel down at the same time and deliver a good amount of pain to the bridge of a foot and get another grunt.
With him bent over holding his hopefully broken nose, I grab a fistful of hair and rear my knee back.
With a maneuver I don’t see coming he moves behind me and traps me with thick arms around my waist. I’m pinned to a solid chest before I get the chance to drive my knee into the goon’s face to finish the new nose job I started with my elbow.
He can move fast. I’ll give him that.
I’m trying not to think of all the many ways these three can kill me slowly, when big hands snag my wrists and cross them over me, preventing my knee from going up.
“Ugh! Son of a bitch! Hold the fuck up, woman. Don’t try to kill me, for Christ’s sake. You have enough spit and vinegar in you to manage it. We’re here to help you, for crying out loud.”
“Let me go!”
Over the blood rushing in my ears I trip back on what I hear.
Help?
Over the thick musty scent of the woods and freshly turned soil, I catch the heavy scent of arrogance and pure masculinity.
I know that combination.
And would-be-killer-stalker-kidnappers don’t say things likehelp.
I still from driving another elbow blow into my second capture’s jaw at the sound of a familiar deep voice. Every nerve ending in my body jolts. How many times have I wished to hear that baritone? No way! I have to be imagining.
The first rays of glittering sunlight break through the canopy of leaves to reveal a dark thatch of hair and a pair of deep brown eyes staring down at me from a very large man.
I sway, and my knees threaten to give. The arms around me tighten, and I feel faint. Honest to God, I want to faint as though I’m some Victorian chick in need of smelling salts.
My body is taking the lack of sleep and sporadic spurts of adrenaline particularly hard.
I force my shaky legs and trembling hands to lock it down and turn to see Boone looking down at me with those dark eyes of his. Behind that inscrutable mask and dusting of stubble, I see a war going on.
Tight fingers loosen around my wrists but don’t release me. His entire expression softens.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he says like no time has passed between us.
