Hiding Out At The Circle C

by Jill Shalvis

  She tried to take it all in—that he knew, that he'd rescued her, that the others were safe. "What?"

  "I need you to trust me." His eyes met hers briefly over their joined hands. "Tell me you do, and mean it."

  "How are you going to stop him—"

  His eyes were glued to the road, his teeth locked together. "Tell me, Haley."

  She thought of how this was supposed to be, how she'd left him safely asleep, thinking she'd never see him again. She had everything to lose, and most of it was looking right at her. His eyes searched hers as he slowed for traffic.

  "I do," she whispered. "I trust you," she said softly, meaning it with all her heart.

  Instantly, the tension left him. "We have a lot to discuss, you and I."

  She looked away from him, out the window.

  "There're going to be questions, Haley. Plenty of them, and not from me. I wish I could take you far away from all this, but I can't. Not yet."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The authorities—"

  "You're … going to turn me in?" she asked in disbelief. This was how he was going to repay her trust?

  "It's the only way. You're innocent. We'll prove it."

  He believed in her. No one else would, she knew. "We're going back to the ranch?"

  "Yes. We'll meet everyone there."

  Everyone. The police. Extradition. Possible execution. Her stomach sank.

  "Haley?" He touched her hair, her face. "Are you ready for this?"

  "Yes." She had no choice.

  * * *

  A short time later, he pulled the truck into the driveway and she opened her mouth to cry, No! Wait! First let me have just a minute to think!

  But Cam wasn't looking at her—only at his house, and he was frowning. He'd stopped the truck at the bottom of the drive instead of pulling all the way up, as usual.

  "What—"

  "Shh!" He lightly squeezed her thigh, staring intently ahead at the house. Something was wrong; very wrong, he thought. The house was dark. Okay, so maybe Jas had actually done what he'd said and gotten Nellie out. He better had. And Zach was probably still at the airport with the cops, trying to apprehend the owner of the slick, evil voice on the telephone. But Cam knew how well prepared Zach always was. Because of that, Cam had expected to have house protection, as well.

  "I don't think we're going in." He reached to put the truck in reverse.

  "Cam, I—"

  "Luckily for you, it'll have to wait." He switched his gaze back to the road, then the rearview mirror, and gripped the wheel tightly. "Oh, hell."

  Haley's head whipped up and she looked at him. Her eyes widened. "He's here," she whispered. "Oh, God, he's here."

  He felt her freeze up beside him. Slamming his truck into four-wheel drive, he gunned the accelerator and headed directly over the wild grass between the barns and the house.

  Haley gaped at him, then twisted in her seat to look behind.

  A set of headlights slowly followed them.

  "Police?" she asked hopefully. After all, when it came right down to it, extradition was better than dead.

  Cam shook his head, staring into the left-hand mirror, as dread welled up. "Not in a black BMW."

  She gasped. "He saw you. Oh, no, he saw you! And now he knows I've told. He'll—"

  A gunshot rang out into the still night and Haley slapped her hands over her mouth, stifling her scream, as Cam fought to keep control of the truck.

  The next shot ricocheted off the side of the truck with a loud ping.

  Cam hated guns with a vengeance, but wished with all his might he had one now. He veered around the toolshed, dust flying up in front of the headlights and forming a cloud around them. Haley screamed as a third shot hit the back of the truck.

  "Get down!" he yelled, turning off the headlights, plunging them into pitch-darkness. Another shot echoed in the night. He swerved onto the narrow horse trail he'd taken Haley on the fateful day of the library incident.

  "He's still following," she announced fearfully, craning her neck. "He can see us in his lights."

  "Not for long." He hoped. "Stay down." She bumped her head on the ceiling when he hit a dip in the dirt path. "Dammit, down!" he shouted again as yet another shot rang out. When Haley just stared at him, her eyes glossy with shock, he swore and shoved her head down between her knees.

  Again a shot splintered the night. It plowed through the window precisely where her head had been a second before, and Cam's heart nearly leaped from his chest. Glass shattered and rained over them as Haley slowly raised her head.

  "You okay?" he demanded, scarcely breathing. Cold air whipped over them as she brushed glass off her. "Haley!" he shouted. "Answer me!"

  She nodded, but he could hear her choppy, panicked breathing. He started to sweat as he stared at where the glass had broken over her. The next bullet whizzed harmlessly by.

  "I can't believe it." She gripped the hand he held out. "He's armed and I'm with the only cowboy in the Wild West who doesn't carry a gun." She swore when she bumped her elbow on the door as he hit another dip in the trail. "Where are we going?"

  Cam prayed he had this path memorized as he navigated in the dark. At least twenty-five yards behind them now, the headlights of the BMW bounced eerily as the car hit every rut. "As far away as we can get."

  "Can you even see?" she called out over the roar of the engine as he gunned the truck forward.

  He imagined she didn't really want an answer to that one since it was obvious—no one could see. Everything around them—the trees, the rocks, the mountain, everything—was a dark blur that whizzed by. He whipped his truck around a large bush and over a fallen tree stump. A minute later he risked a glance at Haley and saw how pale, how absolutely terror-filled she looked in the eerie glow of the BMW's headlights. The image of her in the clutches of the nameless evil behind them had Cam tensed and coiled for the fight of his life.

  He forced himself to concentrate when he took the next turn too wide and nearly dumped them down a small ravine. By the time he'd shoved into reverse and gotten them straight, the BMW had closed some of the distance between them.

  They came to the top of the first hill and Cam knew they couldn't go much farther in the truck. The tires slipped on the sharp, jagged rocks as the trail grew steeper and all the more difficult because he could hardly see a thing.

  "There's no moon," Haley whispered as he slowed. "It seems so black, so … scary."

  He wished to hell he had a third hand so he could wrap Haley close to him. He could hear the panic, feel the terror vibrating from her, and he'd never felt quite so helpless.

  "He can't stay on this trail as long as we can," he assured her grimly as he steered sharply to the right to avoid a dark shape. It turned out to be a huge tree trunk that would have stopped them cold.

  Another quick turn saved them from a nice gouging by a low, jutting branch. Now the BMW was nowhere to be seen. Cam knew that to the left rose a high, sheer rock face and to the right was a steep, unforgiving cliff that fell to the canyon floor below.

  Horses would have no problem on this trail—in fact this was the exact trail he'd taken Haley on before—but his truck was a different story entirely. His tires protested against the rocks. His back right tire slipped off the edge on his next turn, and he knew it was time to call it quits. He went just a little farther, to where the terrain had evened somewhat and the rock to his left had leveled out to a small wooded area.

  The headlights behind them had disappeared, but he knew their pursuer was still back there, waiting, biding his time. The cliffs Cam and his brothers had camped out in last summer weren't far now—just beyond the creek and through some dense brush and trees. He could get them there. They could hide in a cave where no one could find them until daybreak.

  Stopping the truck abruptly, he yanked out his flashlight from the glove compartment. "Come on. Quick." He pulled Haley out the driver's side, and then because she looked so damn petrified, he gave her a quic
k, hard kiss and took her hand. "Hurry."

  "Hurry?"

  The pop of a gunshot above their heads had her complying as they ducked and sprinted into the woods.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  « ^ »

  Running wasn't easy in the dark, but having been shot at was great motivation. Within a few seconds, the woods had completely swallowed up Haley and Cam, surrounding them in an eerie, echoing darkness.

  Though he couldn't hear signs they'd been followed, Cam forced them to keep moving, knowing they shouldn't stop.

  Deeper and deeper they went, up the mountain. "Hurry." Mercilessly, he tugged the panting Haley over rocks and branches, through trees, farther into the black woods. "Come on."

  When she fell suddenly, she nearly tore his arm out of its socket. He dropped to his knees, groping for her. "Haley?" he whispered, frantic.

  "I'm okay."

  She didn't sound it, but he knew it was too soon to slow down. The sudden rustling of bushes from where they'd just come reinforced that feeling. "Can you walk?"

  She surged to her knees, bumping her head on his chin so hard he saw stars. "Oh, Cam, I'm sorry!" She reached for him with chilled hands.

  He took them in his, gritted his teeth against the pain in his chin and pulled her to her feet. "Farther."

  She groaned but moved, and they continued on. The sounds of their ragged breathing seemed loud to Cam's ears, but he couldn't control it. He could hardly see in the moonless night but he could hear the running water of the creek. The tall trees blocked any light the stars would have afforded. Twice he stopped to listen, pulling Haley close while he concentrated. A haunting silence filled the air; the kind of unworldly quiet that precedes a storm—just what they didn't need.

  But finally there was no sign that they were being followed. Still, they ran. Near the creek, they stopped for a third time. Haley bumped into him from behind, gasping for breath. Turning, he held her tightly, alarmed by how cold she was, how she shivered despite their exertion.

  "I think we've lost him." She nodded and pulled closer, burrowing her face and icy nose into his neck.

  And right there in the dark, in the most dangerous situation of his life, his heart swelled with such an overwhelming protectiveness, it took his breath away.

  "He couldn't have followed us this far without a light, could he?" she asked.

  "No." He hugged her close for a moment, then made them go a little farther to a small clearing that was lined with sharp, jutting rocks. "We can't go back," he said. "Not until the sun comes up. It isn't safe." He pointed to the rocky side of a ravine close to them. "See over there? Some of those rocks cover shallow caves. We'll rest there."

  He helped Haley climb up the rocks—not an easy feat in the dark. Several times he caught her as she slipped, saving her from a nasty fall. Finally, at the top, they settled with their backs against the sheer granite, covered overhead by an outreach of stone. Darkness loomed around them, so complete that Cam couldn't ascertain exactly how big an area their small cave afforded them. But if they didn't light a fire and they kept their voices down, no one could see them, even if someone passed directly beneath them in the bush.

  Pulling Haley into the crook of his arm, Cam stared at the opening of their cave, his heart still thundering from their escape. When he could breathe normally again, he gave Haley a slight squeeze. "You okay?"

  He felt her nod against his shoulder and he wished it weren't so damn dark. "We're safe enough for now." She shivered and he ran his hand up and down her arm, pulling her closer.

  "He'll find us in the morning."

  "Haley—"

  She jerked back from him. "You're still mad at me, I suppose. I'm sorry, Cam. I know I deserve this, but you don't."

  "You don't deserve— Come back here." His stretching fingers couldn't find her. "Where are you, dammit?" He crawled forward, found her huddled against the back wall. On his knees before her, he cursed the dark that made it impossible to see her expression clearly. "What the hell did you mean you deserve this? No one deserves to be chased with a gun through the wilderness, hunted down like an animal."

  "I brought this on you," she said softly. "When all I ever wanted was to protect you. And the others. Where're Nellie and Jason? And Zach, Cam. Where are they?"

  "They're safe. We heard your phone conversation. Jason took Nellie into town. And Zach was supposed to get help and be at the airport—"

  "To arrest me."

  "To protect you."

  "You were going to turn me in."

  "I wanted you safe, dammit."

  "It doesn't matter. I would have turned myself in long ago, if it was that simple. I'm afraid for you. I wanted to draw him away from Colorado." Her voice sounded bitter. "But now we won't know if Zach, Jason and Nellie are safe, really safe, until we get back there. God, if something happened to them, any of them, it'll be all my fault."

  "No." He believed, had to believe, that Zach had gotten out. "Zach will be all right. He knows how to take care of himself."

  "You have every right to hate me."

  He touched her, found her sitting cross-legged, her head in her hands. "Hate you?" He slid his fingers into her hair and held her face, trying to blink away the darkness, struggling to see more than just her outline. "For someone so smart, Haley, you can be incredibly slow-witted. I told you how I felt about you."

  She shoved his hands away. "You can't still mean it."

  Flowing adrenaline had his usually nonexistent temper kicking in. "Stop it." Again he reached for her, but she'd started to scramble away. "Come back here."

  "Too bad we don't have the cell phone. You could call the cops on me from here." He lunged after her but she evaded him. "I should leave, Cam. Now. It would keep the others safe if I did."

  "No." One last tug and her heel clipped him hard on the chin. "Dammit, Haley." She rose. He yanked, pulling her down to the hard, gritty floor, ignoring the fight she put up—until she managed to knee him.

  He sucked in a sharp breath of air and lost his grip on her.

  Haley surged up to her knees, preparing to worm away from him, but he let out a pained breath and flattened her down with his hands. By the time he flipped her onto her back, they were both panting and furious. The dark prevented him from seeing her face clearly, but he had no trouble tasting her frustration.

  "Let me go," she choked out.

  "You're not going anywhere without me tonight, Haley. Not until this thing is over." Crawling up the length of her, he held her prisoner, but she renewed the fight. A flailing hand hit his chin, the chin she'd already bruised. Swearing, he gathered her hands together, then yanked her wrists over her head, anchoring them there. She squirmed and struggled beneath him, to no avail.

  "Hold still a minute, would you?" he panted, resting his forehead on the ground beside her. "Please, don't scream." Who would have thought such a tiny thing could fight so nasty?

  "I'm not a complete idiot," she retorted, giving up bitterly.

  Beneath him, her chest rose and fell harshly, her breathing uneven and raspy. Warmed from their wrestling, she no longer shivered. But now that she'd stopped fighting him, her body became soft and pliant under his, and he had to quell the urge to turn their position into something sexual.

  He must not have been entirely successful.

  "Dammit." Her hands flexed in his as their hips slid together. "Let me go."

  He lifted his head, but could still see nothing of her expression. "Not until you stop this. I told you, I would have used the police's help, yes, I'd do anything—anything—to keep you safe."

  "Why?"

  He sighed. "Because I love you, Haley. Someday you're going to believe that."

  She fell silent, though he could almost hear the wheels of her brain spinning. Finally she said, "It's just … new for me. All these feelings. I … I still have things to tell you."

  "Well, at the moment," he said, irony heavy in his voice, "I have nothing but time to listen."
<
br />   She made a noise that might have been a laugh. "The man chasing us is Lloyd Branson. My ex-boss. I thought he was dead, but he's not. He's the one killing my team."

  "Why does he need you?"

  She wiggled her wrists entrapped in his hands. "You're hurting me, Cameron."

  He loosened his grip, but didn't let go, still afraid she'd take off to surrender herself to save him. Beneath him, he could feel her every line, her every torturous curve.

  "Branson needs me to go back because he can't re-create the system, only I can. He doesn't know how. I've studied earth movement, both above and below sea level, for years now. He was just a businessman, though a damn shrewd one."

  "What, exactly, was this system?"

  "It predicts earth movements."

  "Earthquakes?"

  "And volcanic eruptions."

  He let that soak in. A cold breeze brushed over his skin, but he barely felt it. "I thought your system monitored earth movement."

  "I never said that."

  She hadn't, he realized. He'd just assumed, because in his wildest dreams, he hadn't imagined this. "A system like that would save a lot of lives."

  The sound that escaped her was more like a choked laugh than an agreement. He let go of her, then eased up to cup her face. Concentrating hard, he found that he could just barely make out the outline of her features. He didn't know if it was because he could actually see, or if he was just incredibly in tune with her, but her pain and suffering became his own. "What happened to you down there, Haley?"

  "My dream came true."

  But it was bitterness and defeat he heard, not joy. "The system worked? You can predict?"

  His fingers holding her face became wet. With her tears, he realized with great dismay, and his stomach tightened.

  "Could. Before it was destroyed in the bomb blast."

  "Oh, darlin', I'm sorry." He pushed up on his arms and knelt over her, awed by what she had accomplished. "Branson got greedy."

  "We weren't allowed to go public and make the announcement. I didn't understand then." She sat up and covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I didn't see it. But we were so high on our discovery…"