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“Fuck.” He swung Savannah over his shoulder.
“What?” she hissed.
“I think they’ve found our tracks.”
Her body tensed on his shoulder. Anger pulsed through his core. If he didn’t have Savannah with him, he’d stay and kill every one of the bastards that’d nearly murdered them.
Don’t stray from the job.
It was one of his and Rami’s mantras. He hadn’t been hired as a hitman; he’d been hired as a bodyguard. But Savannah’s safety was beyond compromised now. Outrunning the men was becoming more and more unlikely. Going up against gang members, injured and without any idea as to how many there were, wasn’t smart. But he didn’t have a choice.
Hunt or be hunted.
First, he had to be sure Savannah was safe and that help was on the way in case something happened to him. The anger did a good thing for his body. With renewed strength and energy, he pivoted toward the road. His stride chewed up the distance. He paused a few feet from the gravel stretch, being careful to hide behind the trees and brush. No noises came from either end of the road.
Toth hiked Savannah up higher on his shoulder, sprinted across the gravel strip, and broke into the line of trees on the other side. He continued for another twenty minutes, his body now moving on autopilot. Just a little more distance from the crash and Red Eyez’ men. Then he could stop.
Sweat dampened his shirt, and the cool air made the material uncomfortable on his skin. The backs of Savannah’s satiny thighs were cold against his hot palm. Too cold? Shit. He’d had tunnel vision, so eager to get them to a place where they could rest and call for help that he hadn’t checked in on her.
He paused and gulped down a breath of mountainy air. The scent of pine collided with the damp smell of mulch and his own sweat. He dropped Savannah’s bag to the ground then pulled her off his shoulder. Rather than set her on her feet, in case she was unsteady, he held her against his chest. Her feet dangled next to his legs and her face met his.
Moonlight leaked through the canopy of trees. This close, he could see the fatigue and pain creasing the skin around her eyes. She’d lost a lot of color. Her lips were only a shade darker than her face. “Are you okay?”
Her tongue moved between her teeth as she laid her hands flat against his chest. “Thirsty. Tired. But probably better than you.” If she was uncomfortable with him holding her, she didn’t look it.
With her snuggled up against his abdomen, he was aware of every curve of her body. She was slighter than she looked. Hell, it was probably her fierce attitude that made her seem bigger than she was. Her breasts were firm against his chest and her sweet, fruity scent invaded his airspace, tickling every neuron in his lust-filled brain. He didn’t take his gaze off her face. Why’d a crime lord’s daughter have to be so fucking pretty?
One of her eyebrows twitched, as if she’d read his mind. No, she was probably wondering what the hell he was doing staring at her like a creep.
He grunted and looked away from her to study their surroundings for a beat, wanting to ensure the area was clear. Other than the trickle of a shallow creek that carved through the landscape twenty feet away, the area was dead silent. “I’m fine. But I could go for some water too.” Satisfied there was no nearby danger, he leaned down and set her on a large boulder then pulled his bag up beside her and dug through it for the water bottle he’d refilled that morning. He unscrewed the cap and passed it to her.
She clutched the black stainless-steel cannister with both hands and brought the rim to her lips. She took three big gulps before wiping her mouth and handing it back to him. “Thank you.”
He took one long drink, secured the cap, and returned the cannister to his bag. Then he pulled out his satellite phone.
Savannah’s gaze lifted with interest before she slid off the rock and bent to her bag. “I think we lost them,” she said softly, removing her runners.
He scoffed. “For now.” He waited for her to put on her shoes and a cardigan. The temperature had dropped drastically, and while April was mild enough, the air was still damn cold at night.
Toth checked the clip of his gun, more out of habit than necessity, and then returned the weapon to his waistband. His knife was clipped on the inside pocket of his dress pants. He patted it to make sure he hadn’t lost it along the way. He had one other gun in his bag, and while he sure as shit might need it, Savannah might too. He passed it to her.
Her eyes rounded, but she accepted the weapon as if she’d done so a hundred times. No hesitation. He didn’t want to think about the situations in which she’d needed to defend herself. Damn Danny Carrington for entangling his daughter in his affairs.
She placed the gun on her lap and covered it with her hand. “Where are you going?” Her voice rose a fraction of an octave, and if he didn’t know Savannah Carrington and her badass streak, he’d suspect she didn’t want him to leave.
“I need to make sure they don’t find you.” He sat beside her on the rock, pulling up his contacts on his phone. There were only two. “This one here, R, is Rami. N... N is someone else.” He forced the pile of words down his throat. He couldn’t exactly explain who N was. Not in a nutshell, anyway. “Call Rami. Tell him our situation and that we need him here now. He could track my other phone, but he’ll find us faster if we give him our coordinates. Can you do that?”
She made a face. “Of course. But how will you find your way back? These woods are huge.”
“Don’t worry about it. If I get lost, Rami will find you and get you outta here.”
He stood, but Savannah’s slim fingers grabbed his bicep. “If help is coming, then you don’t need to find Red Eyez’ men.”
He studied her face. Her golden hair was messy and debris clung to the long strands. Streaks of dirt smeared her forehead, and her cheek appeared discolored. His chest tightened. Leaving her alone was all kinds of fucking wrong, but they couldn’t run forever. He had to put an end to Red Eyez’ search, at least for tonight. “Yeah, I do. It could take Rami hours to get here. There are some protein bars in my bag. Help yourself.”
She dragged her top teeth over her bottom lip, and her gaze flicked over the dark trees before returning to his face. Goddamn. Savannah affected him. Not in a good way, either. Until now she’d just gotten on his nerves and gotten him hard. But now...
Vulnerable Savannah was a side he’d never witnessed. Jesus, he didn’t want to leave her. He swallowed what little saliva had accumulated in his mouth. “Call Rami. Stay put. I’ll come back.” He moved away and her arm fell.
