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She kept moving but threw her arms in the air.Please see me.Her leg muscles ached, and lungs burned. The sound of footfalls grew louder, closer.
The truck shifted and sped toward her. A beat of apprehension pulsed through her temporary relief. What if the truck was here to take her away? What if she was running toward her captor, not her rescue?
Not willing to take the risk, she switched gears and darted toward the woods.
The truck skidded to a stop, the sound of gravel pinging against metal sent a cawing bird into the night, and the groan of opening truck doors made terror fist her rapidly beating heart. She didn’t stop to see who’d arrived. She sprinted toward the covering of thick tree trunks and overgrown brush.
“Stop! Police!” A familiar voice shouted.
Cruz.The knot of tension gripping her entire body loosened. Help was here.
Bang!
Another blast of gunfire had her covering her ears with trembling hands and ducking in the tall grass. She squinted through the darkness, the long, thick blades obscuring her view. Someone fell to the ground followed by a shuffle of feet across the lot. Anxiety pressed against her chest, and she swore the sound of her heartbeat shook the ground at her feet.
“Izzy!” Beau shouted.
Excitement launched her to her feet, and she ran from her hiding spot and flew into Beau’s open arms.
He stumbled backward and grunted, letting out a hiss of pain but held her close, placing kisses over her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. “We found you. You’re okay. Oh my god, I was so scared I’d lost you forever. I’m so sorry.”
A torrent of emotions leaked from her system and her body trembled. She pulled back, searching his handsome face. “Are you hurt? I saw blood. Cory shot you. I thought you were dead.”
He grinned the devilish smile she loved so damn much. “Just a couple gunshot wounds. I’ll be fine. What about you? Did he touch you? Hurt you?” He skimmed his hands up her sides and cradled her jawline in his palms.
She shook her head. “I’m okay. Did Cruz shoot the man who was running after me?”
Beau glanced over his shoulder then faced her again with a deep frown. “Yes. Looks like Cruz has him in cuffs now. He won’t hurt you ever again. And this time, we’ll make sure no one else is out there.”
“This time, I have you,” Izzy said, a new kind of warmth trickling through her.
He hooked up an eyebrow, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth. “Is that what you want?”
“More than anything in the world. No more running away from what scares me. No more second guessing what my heart is telling me. I’ve loved you most of my life, Beau. And I want to keep on loving you.”
His half-smile erupted into a full-blown grin, and he pressed his lips to hers. “I love you, too Izzy. Never stopped from the day we met. Now let’s get you home.”
She nestled her palm in his, leaning against him as he led her back to the truck and toward a new future they’d share together.
* * *
Anxiety tightenedthe muscles in the pit of Beau’s stomach as he stood on the wide, wraparound porch of the lodge at Crossroads Mountain Retreat. He glanced at his phone. No texts or calls from Izzy, and she was now ten minutes late.
Six months had passed since the nightmare that had almost stolen Izzy—the nightmare that had brought the two of them back together. And even though the sex-trafficking ring behind Izzy’s abductions had been destroyed, he still was uneasy any time Izzy was running behind.
A little sedan rolled into the packed parking lot, and he let out a long breath. She was here but watching her park and jog up to greet him only increased his anxiety.
She jumped up the steps and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late. Class ran long then there was an accident on the way back to town.”
“No problem. But we need to get inside before everything starts.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the wide double doors. “How was class?”
Izzy had decided to attend a local college when the fall semester started, and he couldn’t be prouder of her decision to go into a field that would enable her to help troubled teens and young adults. She had a few more years of school to get through, but he had no doubt all her work and dedication would be worth it when she became a trauma counselor. In the meantime, Brooke had hired her to work the front desk once the retreat opened next week.
“Good. We’re finally getting into some interesting stuff in the psychology class. I think I’m going to like it, even if it can be triggering at times.”
He looped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. “That’s what Dr. Kirkton is for. To help you though any issues that arise.”
She grinned up at him. “You’re a pretty good shoulder to lean on, too.”
