Sweet Surrender: A MacKenzie Family Novella

by Liliana Hart

  He followed her into the bedroom and did the same. He laced up his boots and stuck his knife in the sheath down inside it. He didn’t bother layering more than a black T-shirt and a dark flannel shirt. He didn’t want anything hampering his movements. He needed every advantage he could get dealing with Caine and keeping Liza safe too.

  He went back into the living room and checked the windows once more to see if there was any movement.

  “All right,” she said, coming out of the bedroom, her purse strapped across her body.

  “I want you to press the unlock button on your key fob. If we’re lucky, she’ll think we’re running for safety and pop a long-range round into the car.”

  “Seriously, it’s an eighty-thousand dollar car.”

  “I know. You mentioned it. Ready?”

  Grant stabilized his observation position and looked through the scope of his rifle—the same rifle she was using.

  “We’ll have to move fast,” he told her. “And this is one time when you need to follow instructions.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and put a hand to her hip. “I’m not an idiot. I can take instruction when needed. Now let’s move on so you don’t stick your other foot in your mouth.”

  Grant grunted and turned back to the window and his rifle. There was no need for him to watch the BMW still parked crooked at the side of the bakery. His focus was on the elevated foothills.

  He opened his eyes wide to allow his vision to clear. There were four potential shooting plateaus that he would have selected. He practiced scanning across all four of the spots where Caine might be without allowing his head to travel too far before springing back. That would waste the precious few seconds he’d have to spot her immediately.

  “Make sure you press the unlock button.”

  “Got it,” she said.

  “Now.”

  Grant made sure to focus his glare away from the BMW’s tail and interior lights. He’d adjusted his vision to see through the night, and the flashing car would’ve diminished it. He heard the double beep as soon as she hit the button.

  He bore down against the high-powered scope—his breath trapped deep in his chest so his movements stayed steady. He was like a stone statue. But there was nothing at plateau one…or two…or three. His heart sank—she wasn’t out there.

  “Wait,” he hissed. “I see her.”

  Liza pressed her back to the wall. “Where? Can you get a shot off?”

  “I saw a reflection from the lens on her scope. She’s on the third plateau. From this window, she’s at exactly three o’clock. She’s not in a position where I’m comfortable taking a shot.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Time to blow this popsicle stand.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m really sorry you got mixed up in this, but I’m not sorry for the time we’ve spent together.”

  “No regrets,” she agreed. “But next time you want to get in my pants, just ask. No need to spice things up with an assassin. I didn’t realize that’s what you meant about kinky sex.”

  He snorted out a laugh and opened the square hatch hidden under the rug in the living room that led down to the sheriff’s office below. “Baby, you haven’t seen kinky yet. Now get that sweet ass down the ladder and let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Chapter Five

  They made it downstairs to the sheriff’s office and took the keys from the hook behind the receptionist’s desk. There was enough light for them to find their way, and like Grant said, it was essential to get out of town and draw Caine’s attention away from innocent bystanders. She’d been worried that Deputy Greyson might come back to the sheriff’s office and start flipping lights on. He’d be a prime target. But Grant had assured her that he’d told the deputy to steer clear of downtown.

  Liza’s skin tingled with adrenaline. She’d always been a thrill seeker, but this was a little more than she’d bargained for. In less than twenty-four hours she’d been shot at and had the best sex of her life. Now she was on the run. There was no guarantee if she stayed behind with the MacKenzies that this Caine woman wouldn’t come after her. Just the fact that she’d been with Grant might be enough to put her on the assassin’s radar.

  “Seriously?” she said, looking at the keys to the vehicle he’d selected. “Do you want us to get caught?”

  “It’s exactly what we need,” he said, holding onto the old Bronco keys. “It doesn’t have a remote start and that thing is built to be durable and go over some rough terrain. Plus, it’s still a police vehicle, so we can haul ass if we need to.”

  “I’m just saying, someone needs to do something about the police budget around here and update the vehicles,” she said.

  “That’s pretty much what all police budgets look like, rich girl,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But maybe that’s something you can advocate for if you decide to stick around. You seem like you’d be one of those people who likes making waves in the community.”

  “I’m not rich,” she said. “My ex-fiancé was rich. There’s a big difference. When I left to come to Surrender, all I had was my clothes, the car, and what was in my savings account. Every month I’d withdraw cash from the allowance account he’d set up for me, and I’d deposit it into the savings account. Just in case.”

  “Trusting soul, aren’t you?”

  “In hindsight, no. I never trusted Richard. It was just a niggling feeling in my gut. I had a successful online business when I was in Canada. I sold novelty cakes and pastries. It was a booming business, and it still pisses me off I sold my house and that amazing kitchen because Richard wanted me to move to New York and become a politician’s wife. He told me it would look better if I established myself and eventually opened a respectable bakery, but not until the kids were in school.”

  “Novelty cakes?” he asked. ”What’s a novelty cake?”

  “You know those cupcakes that are shaped like boobs? Those were very popular. I shipped them all over the world.”

  “Boob cupcakes,” he said.

  Liza felt her back stiffen. She’d always been very proud of her work, but there were some people too prudish to realize there was an art behind it. “Yeah, boob cupcakes. You disapprove?” she asked, her voice sharp.

  “Not at all,” he said, looking surprised. “I was just trying to imagine walking into the bakery and seeing boob cupcakes on the shelf. It might take a little getting used to in a place like Surrender. But Cooper told me his sister-in-law sells intimate items in the back room of her clothing boutique, so maybe y’all could work something out.”

  “I had no idea she was selling that kind of stuff here in town,” she said. “I’ve been so busy with the bakery I haven’t really had a chance to do much of anything else.” But it was most definitely something to think about. She didn’t have a plan for her life. Not really. And there was no telling how long it might take to sell the bakery, especially now that it was in the condition it was in. She doubted there was a swarm of people looking to open businesses in a small town like Surrender.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “Not really, but what the hell? Let’s do it anyway.”

  “If we get to where we’re going alive, I promise to make it worth your while,” he said, patting her butt.

  “I’m going to hold you to it. And it had better be chandelier-swinging sex.”

  “Sex?” he said innocently. “I was just going to cook you dinner.”

  She laughed and felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders, and then she nodded that she was ready to go.

  He unlocked the back door and handed her the keys, and she paused, looking nervous. “Tell me why we’re doing this again? Why can’t we wait for help?”

  “Because the closest town is an hour away and it’s smaller than Surrender, and all the trained MacKenzie agents are out on assignment. And we’re leaving this building because Caine likes to set fire to things and watch them burn. It’s only a matter of time before she does the same to us. Our best bet
is to escape and lose her on the way to Thomas’s cabin. We’ll need to hide the car along the way and walk in. Hopefully, we’ll lose her in the mountains. The trees are thick and will give good cover. She won’t be able to track us properly until daylight, but at least innocent bystanders will be safe, and it gives a little more time for a backup team to be put together and arrive.”

  “Right,” she said. “I’m not liking our odds.”

  “I’ve had worse. Now go quickly and stay hunkered down so you’re a smaller target. I’ll cover you best I can. If you hear shots, get in that Bronco and drive. Understand?”

  She nodded and then waited for his command.

  “Go,” he said.

  She did as he said and found her hands shook as she tried to unlock the passenger side door. The click of the lock as it opened was the best sound she’d ever heard. And then she hit the button to unlock the driver’s side.

  Grant scooted in and laid the rifle between them. “Hold on,” he said. “We’re going to do this quick.”

  Liza’s heart pounded in her chest and she sucked in deep breaths. Her fingers were white-knuckled around the oh-shit bar as she stared through the window, waiting for the attack to come. The ignition caught and the engine revved as she felt the Bronco lurch into gear.

  “Get down,” Grant yelled.

  There was a roaring in her ears and Liza caught a glimpse of Grant’s right hand coming toward her, pushing her down. The windshield exploded, and tiny pieces of glass rained down on her.

  “Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod,” she chanted as she squeezed her quivering body against the door.

  Grant kept his head down and his foot pressed on the pedal. The solid-body Bronco roared from the parking spot and bounced as Grant drove over parking barriers and curbs. Bullets rained in from the front and then through the driver’s side door.

  Liza felt the heat of tears against her cheeks and a fear unlike anything she’d ever known take over her. She waited for Grant’s instructions and any indication he’d been injured. She held her breath as Grant sat up to see where he was going.

  “You can sit up, but stay slouched in the seat as best you can.”

  She nodded because her voice wasn’t working, and then she stared down at her shaking hands. What had just happened wasn’t really processing, and she had a pretty good feeling she was in shock.

  Then she looked over at Grant and felt her stomach roll. He was covered in blood, and it was flowing freely from the cuts on his face and head. She brought her hand up and brushed the shards of glass from his hair and shoulders.

  “I don’t understand what just happened. I thought you said you saw her in the foothills? How’d she get to us so quickly?”

  Liza pressed her hand over her mouth because it came out as more of an accusation than a question.

  “She set us up. She’s anticipating my moves.”

  “Just what does that mean?”

  Grant’s face was dark and menacing. “It means this is going to suck.”

  “At least the Bronco is still…”

  On cue, steam erupted from beneath the hood. It was a miracle that only the radiator had been torn apart by her shooting.

  “Fuck,” he said, slapping his hand against the steering wheel. “She did that on purpose. Laid down fire for fun to watch us scramble, and then she put one shot through the radiator so we’d end up stranded. It’s always a fucking game to her. And now she can hunt us. Climb in the back and see if there’s anything we can use. We’ve got to get moving. The directions Thomas sent are about ten miles from here.”

  “Ten miles?” Liza asked. “But you’re injured.”

  “It’s not the injuries or the distance that’ll kill us, it’s the screwing around out here that will. Let’s move,” Grant demanded, getting out of the car.

  She crawled into the back and looked around. “There’s nothing here but a few roadside flares.”

  She was glad Grant had suggested the tennis shoes and sweatshirt. It was cold, and would only get colder as they were out in the elements. And there was still snow in the higher elevations.

  Grant grunted and started moving in a northeast direction. Liza shoved the flares in her purse and followed after him.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened back there?” she asked.

  “She’s better than when I trained her,” he said. “She set up her scope to look like a rifle’s shooting platform. She knew that flattening the glass lenses directly toward the apartment window would cast a glare. I fell for it. I never looked beyond the glint of light to confirm she was behind the scope. I was in too damn big of a hurry. Or I was distracted by you.”

  “So she still has her long-range rifle?”

  Grant stopped and looked at her briefly. “Yeah, but the good news is, she left her scope on that rock.”

  “What if she had two scopes?”

  He stared at her and then kept walking.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Just thought I’d mention that.”

  He grunted again and picked up the pace. About a mile and a half into the forced march, Liza stumbled and fell to her knees. She was tired, cold, and she couldn’t see shit. But Grant was there immediately and helped her back to her feet.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I’ve got it.”

  “I never suggested otherwise,” he said. “You know, it’s okay for people to help you. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”

  “I’ve always done everything on my own. I don’t know any other way.”

  “That’s an interesting insight,” he said.

  “Not really. It is what it is.” She walked off a little way to make sure she hadn’t twisted something important. There was a long way to go. She yanked her cell phone from her bag. “This is ridiculous. It’s twenty-first century America. There’s got to be someone we can call for help.”

  Grant pressed her activation button and showed her there was no signal. “This might be twenty-first century America, but it’s also Surrender, Montana. Help has been called. But it takes time. We have to have people who are trained in this terrain and are familiar with tracking someone like Caine. They’ll be able to find her a hell of a lot easier than I can because I know jack shit about Montana territory, so our best option is to find that cabin and hold her off as long as we can until the cavalry arrives.”

  “Why doesn’t she just kill us? She’s had all day to try and get in upstairs or burn us out. Why’s she waiting?” she asked as she continued to follow him across the rough terrain. The temperature had dropped and their elevation had increased.

  Grant’s breath came out in white puffs, but he didn’t seem tired. In fact, she would’ve said the opposite. He looked energized. She hated to think what she looked like at the moment, but it probably wasn’t good.

  “It’s a game to her.” He swigged from a bottle of water and then passed it to her. “It’s always been a sick, twisted game. From the time I spent training her to when she seduced me and eventually betrayed me. It’s easy to see in hindsight.”

  “But you were thinking with the wrong head?” she said sweetly.

  He cut her a look. “Something like that. She could’ve picked off either of us back there. She’s allowing you to live so you’ll slow me down.”

  “I’m your anchor?” Liza asked, wishing she could muster up the courage to be insulted, but she knew it was true.

  He grinned as she passed the water back. “Don’t worry, sugar. You’re not too heavy.”

  “I’m so relieved,” she said dryly.

  Something howled and she shivered as Grant picked up the pace. She wasn’t a country girl. She had no idea if it was the wind she was hearing or a mountain lion. Or if Montana even had mountain lions.

  She’d also never really understood what true darkness was until she’d come to Montana. Even in downtown Surrender there were still streetlights, and her neighbors left their porch lights on. Wherever they were now, the absence of light was absolute. Not the sliver of moon
or the few stars in the sky could light a darkness that vast.

  The ground was uneven, the roots from trees sticking above ground to act as tripwire. The rocks and loose dirt made some of the inclines almost impossible to grab a foothold.

  “Shit,” he whispered. “Do you see that?”

  It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but there in the distance she saw it. A single bouncing light. Immediately her gut went on high alert. It was as if Caine was using the light to tease them, like one would do with a penlight to taunt a cat.

  “I really hate this woman,” Liza muttered.

  “Join the club. At least you didn’t sleep with her.”

  “That’s true. There’s no accounting for taste.”

  “Nice,” he said. “I’m taking left. I want you to take right. Let’s split ourselves as targets and make it harder on her. Go exactly fifty paces and find cover. I’ll find you once I’ve gotten a better hold on her position. I’m willing to bet she’s using some kind of reflector on that light to make it seem like she’s in a different location.”

  Liza swallowed hard. “You want to split up?” she asked, the sick knot of dread returning to her stomach. She was a baker for Christ’s sake. Not G.I. Jane.

  “You’ll be fine. The probability of her being in that general direction is a lot smaller than the way I’m going. I’m going to try and draw her attention to me.”

  “Right,” she said. “Fifty paces.”

  He grabbed her hand before she could take off. “You’re doing good, baby. Real good. I’m proud of you.” Then he squeezed her hand and he was gone.

  Had anyone ever told her that in her entire life? Her parents certainly hadn’t. Maybe her aunt had a time or two when she’d helped at the bakery in the summer, but it was a distant memory. And she knew for certain Richard never had.

  She shook it off and started counting her paces, and in her hurry she couldn’t remember if she did the thirties, so she counted them again. The consistency of the ground beneath her changed. Her feet slipped on loose rock, and then it was something entirely different. Entirely flat. And entirely hard.

  She heard the creak and give of whatever was beneath her moments before there was a sharp snap and it all gave way as she plummeted into nothingness. She screamed. She couldn’t help it. Her hands grasped for purchase, slowing her down as she went into the mine shaft. Her hip slammed against a metal railing just before she hit the bottom with an oomph, knocking the air out of her.