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14 Nathan

The sound of her scream had me spinning away from the direction I was heading and sent me running.

She was here. She was close. She screamed for a reason.

I prayed I wasn’t too late and I moved stealthily over the uneven ground, dodging trees and branches as I ran. My heart rate wasn’t erratic. My breathing was steady.

I was trained for this. I was trained to search through the woods, to find my way. I was trained to keep cool in bad situations. I was trained to run toward the danger and not away.

I heard Lex yell, his voice sounding more maniacal than I ever thought he was capable of, and I drew up, stopping my mad dash. I crept through the night, keeping my eyes peeled for a flash of movement, for the outline of a man.

Lightning cracked overhead, illuminating the sky, and it reflected off the wicked-looking blade of a knife.

In that split second, my brain processed the scene before me and sketched it out in my head as the sky went dark once more.

Lex had her pinned to the ground as she kicked her legs to no avail. He produced a knife, one that I had no doubt he had nefarious plans for. I thought about pulling out my pistol and taking a shot.

But the girl was wiggling too much; she was kicking too hard. What if I accidentally shot her? She was already wounded enough. I left my gun tucked in the waistband of my jeans and rushed forward. I had the element of surprise and the fact he was distracted immensely on my side.

I was on him before he realized his mistake. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him off her, tossing him onto the ground and then driving my fist into his jaw. It felt really good to punch this sick bastard in the face.

I got in another really good hit before Lex recovered and realized what was happening. With a great roar, he swiped at me with the knife. I pulled back in time to avoid the blade, and he leapt to his feet.

I heard movement behind me and I knew it was Honor, but I didn’t turn to look at her. I kept my eyes trained on Lex and his knife.

“You should have stayed out of it,” he spat.

“It’s over. Just put the knife down.”

In response, he lunged forward, swinging the blade. I spun away, but not before the edge caught on the sleeve of my jacket. The fabric made a sharp ripping sound.

I moved quickly, slamming my arm down across his elbow and making the knife drop to the ground. Then I kicked him in the kneecap and he stumbled.

Both of us pulled out a pistol at the same time. I trained mine on his chest. He trained his on Honor.

“Drop the gun,” I demanded.

“I’ll shoot her before you even pull the trigger,” he said around a sick smile.

“Run,” I told Honor.

When I didn’t hear the scuffle of rushing feet, I yelled, “Run!”

I heard her then, retreating away from us.

Lex pulled the trigger. The sound of a bullet discharging from his weapon filled the air around us. Then he swung the gun at me and squeezed off a shot. I dove to the side and shot off a bullet of my own.

He went down at the same time I did. His bullet missed me, but I prayed to God mine hit him. He didn’t move, and I hoped that meant he was injured.

I heard Honor yell my name, and I pushed off the ground and ran toward her yell. The chances of her being shot were high. If she was injured, I would need to get her out of here stat.

I saw the flash of her white shirt just ahead, and I dropped to my knees beside her.

“Are you hit?”

“Shot?” she asked, her breath coming in short spurts.

“Yes. Are you shot?”

“No.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

I pulled her up and wrapped an arm around her waist. I started leading her away from Lex. We would have to take the long way around.

We made it about three steps.

Then she shocked the shit out of me by yanking the gun out of my hand and rushing away—back toward Lex.

“Honor!” I yelled, thinking this chick must be out of her mind.

I ran behind her and she tore through the woods, skidding to a stop beside the manmade hole that was dug into the ground.

“Where is he!” she demanded, holding the gun out in front of her like she meant business.

My eyes went to the spot where he fell.

It was empty.

“Come on you sick bastard!” she challenged. “Not so tough when the playing field is even!”

She stole my gun and ran back to where she was being held captive with the intention of shooting her captor?

She was one crazy bitch.

It was awesome.

Nothing around us moved and as awesome as her kickass attitude was, it was also kind of stupid. He had a gun. He could be lining up a shot right that minute.

My gut told me he ran off, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.

I approached Honor like a cowboy approaching a nervous filly. “Hey,” I said gently. “It’s okay now. He ran off.”

She still stood rigidly, holding the gun out in front of her like she would shoot anything that freaking dared to breathe.

“Honor,” I said, stopping at her side. “You’re safe now.” Slowly, I reached out and wrapped my hand over the gun, pulling her arm down and gently taking the pistol from her grasp.

I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck. Her skin was ice cold to the touch. The warmth of my palm seemed to break through whatever mental state she was in and she turned her head, her eyes searching for mine in the dark.

“You came,” she whispered like she never really thought I would.

Something inside me cracked at her tiny, whispered words. “Of course I came.”

She folded herself against my chest, pressing her face into my jacket and letting out a deep exhale. My arm left her neck and wound around her, clutching her against me, supporting her weight, and noting how small she felt in my arms.

She might be tiny, but she was a survivor.

“You did good, sweetheart,” I murmured. “You did real good.”

I felt a shudder move through her and I wanted to gather her even closer. I was tempted to sit down right there on the ground and pull her into my lap and hunch myself around her, to shelter her with my body.

But I couldn’t.

We had to get out of here.

Lex might not be in sight, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t lurking.

“We gotta get out of here,” I told her. “Can you walk?”

She stayed curled against me for a minute longer and then she looked up. Even in the darkness, I could see the swelled area of her eye, make out the bruises all over her face.

Cold fury rose up within me and seeped right into my bones. Men who hit women were the lowest of low. There was a special place in hell for SOBs like Lex.

“I can walk,” she said, reminding me that I asked a question.

“Come on,” I said, tucking my arm around her waist. She stiffened and I moved to pull back, but her hand caught mine and pulled it back around her.

She looked up, giving me a sheepish look. “You’re warm.”

My lip lifted in half a smile and then I stopped. I was an ass. I pulled my arms free and quickly pulled off my jacket. “Here,” I said, wrapping it around her.

She sighed like she was in heaven and pushed her arms through. I tried not to be endeared by the fact that the sleeves hung well past her hands, but a guy could only withstand so much.

I reached between us and fumbled with the zipper, finally getting it to catch and then sliding it up right beneath her chin. The black fleece swallowed her whole.

It was cute as hell.

“Come on,” I said gruffly, not really knowing how a woman I just met could climb under my skin so fast.

I told myself it was her bravery, her willingness to fight for her life.

But really, I think it had more to do with how she felt fitted against my side.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” The fear in her voice made her sound vulnerable.

“If he does, I’ll kill him.” The words weren’t meant to make her feel better. Those words were the truth. The next time I saw Lex, I was going to kill him.

It took forever to get back to the Jeep. Honor’s movements began to slow the farther we walked. She held herself stiffly, and I knew she was injured in places I couldn’t see.

This sick, twisty feeling took over my gut as ideas of what he did to her stole my thoughts. I wanted to ask, but I was afraid I would upset her.

“That’s my Jeep up ahead,” I told her when I saw its dark shape come into view.

“Thank God,” she murmured, stumbling a little.

My grip tightened around her waist, trying to keep her from falling. She yelped. I jerked back like I’d been burned.

“What?” I hadn’t been rough.

“Sorry,” she replied, hunching over a bit. “I think my ribs are broken.”

Shit, I’d been holding her around the middle the entire trek back to the Jeep. It had to have been killing her. “Why didn’t you say something?” I said harshly.

Her head swung in my direction. “Because it doesn’t change anything. We have to get out of here.”

She was right. I hated it.

I took her hand, knowing not to touch her middle, but not being able to not touch her at all. I led her to the Jeep where it sat partially concealed by the trees.

Something was wrong…

I squinted at the dark shape of the vehicle again, trying to figure out what wasn’t right. I pulled the flashlight out of my pocket and aimed it at my car.

It was sitting lopsided.

I directed the beam at the tires.

They were slashed.

We weren’t going to be driving anywhere.