by Rita Herron
MIA DEBATED WHETHER TO ASK THE SHERIFF TO GO WITH HER. SHE wasn’t a fool. She knew she was walking into an ambush.
But before he’d hung up, Geoff had warned her she’d better come alone. That the moment he spotted a second person, he’d kill Alex.
She couldn’t take the chance.
Besides, what did her life matter if Alex died because of her? She’d never be able to live with the guilt.
Because she loved him.
Dammit. She hadn’t wanted to. She’d fought her attraction to the sexy Ranger, and knew loving him was insane.
But her rational side had avoided the warning, and she’d fallen for him anyway.
Mentally reviewing tips from her self-defense class, she tugged on a jacket, and stashed a canister of mace in her pocket. She tucked her revolver into her bra, then strapped a small switchblade to her ankle beneath her jeans.
Alex had dropped her off at the hospital so she hotwired Henry’s pick-up, then called and left him a voice mail telling him she’d borrowed it because of an emergency.
Somehow, someway she’d make all this up to him and Joy.
That is, if she survived.
Her heart roared in her chest as she sped down the old highway toward the deserted lodge where Geoff had told her to meet him. The place had been closed for two years for renovations, but the owner had filed for bankruptcy and the property hadn’t been touched or visited in months.
A good place for a criminal to hide.
She just prayed Alex was still alive.
The pick-up chugged and churned over the ruts in the graveled road, gears grinding as she hit pothole after pothole and dirt spewed from the tires.
Woods surrounded her, the road narrowing through the thick foliage, an area known for hikers and hunters, and those who sought seclusion for days.
Tendrils of fear clawed at her insides as she slammed over a rough patch, and the truck vibrated so hard the impact jarred her teeth. But she clenched the steering wheel tighter, keeping the vehicle on the road as she barreled around a curve and skidded down a hill.
Ahead the foliage broke, and a sliver of moonlight streaked the battered rundown wooden building, which looked like it should be condemned.
She braked, slowing and steering around a pile of rocks and a pothole, then cut the lights on the truck and shoved it into park.
To the side of the lodge, tucked between a copse of trees, sat a black SUV. Alex’s SUV.
The sound of the rusty pick-up screeching as she opened the door echoed in the silence. She automatically checked left and right, and the periphery of the house, her senses alert. Geoff was here. Waiting. Watching.
Ready to jump her any second.
She had to be ready. To fight.
She grabbed the flashlight from under Henry’s seat, flipped it on, and slid from the driver’s seat.
Her boots crunched gravel and twigs, an animal foraging in the woods nearby growled, then a noise sounded from behind her. She whirled around, her stomach lurching when she spotted Geoff aiming a gun at her head.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EVERY MUSCLE IN ALEX’S BODY THROBBED FROM THE BEATING
Jones had given him. Prison had obviously enhanced his physical skills.
He blinked, the world a blur as he searched the darkness for the creep. But he didn’t see or hear him in the room.
He had to find a way to escape.
He struggled against the ropes binding his wrists. Pain ripped up his arms as he jerked and twisted, but the damn rope was so tight, he couldn’t pull his hands through. Heaving a breath, he turned one hand to the side, using his fingers to work at the knot.
But a noise sounded from a few feet away, a faint stream of light seeping in, cloudy with dust motes, then he heard Mia’s voice.
“Where is he, Geoff?” Mia asked.
“Keep walking, sweetheart,” Geoff said in a menacing tone.
Footsteps echoed across the wood floor, the sound of Alex’s own breathing punctuating the air. He strained for control, working more vigorously to free his hands.
“Alex,” Mia called.
The door slammed shut, blocking out the light. Alex swallowed hard, trying to orient himself, but one of his eyes was swollen shut, the other blurry.
“Get out of here, Mia,” Alex shouted. “It’s a trap.”
Suddenly the sound of a match being lit struck the air, then Alex looked up to see Jones holding the flame in front of him with one hand. His other held a gun to Mia’s head.
Terror for Mia filled him. “Let her go, Jones.”
Jones’s sinister laugh reverberated off the walls. “Why, because you want her?”
“I want her to be safe,” Alex growled. “Safe from you.”
Alex gave Mia a pleading look, praying she’d understand and run. But her gaze rested on his face with a weary kind of resignation and fear blended with some other emotion he couldn’t quite define.
He jerked his head toward Jones who looked wild-eyed and crazed with bloodlust. “Do whatever you want with me, but don’t hurt her.”
Jones answered with a cynical smile while tears filled Mia’s eyes. She spun toward her ex husband and touched his arm.
“I did what you asked, Geoff. I’m here. Now leave him alone and let’s leave.”
Geoff shook his head, his lips twisting into a snarl while Alex continued working the rope. He had one end through and was tugging it through the loop.
“If I leave him, he’ll just come after us. Besides,” he said with a victorious smile. “I need his name for us to escape. There can only be one Sergeant Alex Townsend.”
A heartbeat passed. “You can kill me, but you won’t get away with it,” Alex said. Hopefully the authorities had already been alerted to Jones’s plan.
“Geoff, please. He’s tied up, and no one knows where we are or that he’s here.” Mia tugged at Geoff’s arm. “We can be out of the country before anyone realizes the truth.”
“Shut up, Mia,” Geoff said. “He’s going to die, and it’s your fault. You have to be taught a lesson.”
“Like you tried to teach her when you beat her half to death,” Alex muttered.
“She needs to learn to be an obedient wife,” Geoff said as if his logic made perfect sense. He jerked Mia by his side, then tossed the match onto the floor.
It had been too dark to see earlier, but now Alex noticed that the man had crumpled newspaper around him in a circle. The fire caught the papers, fire crackling as it quickly spread around him.
“Geoff, no!” Mia reached inside her pocket, and Alex saw her pull out a canister of mace. But she wasn’t fast enough, and Geoff karate chopped her wrist and sent the mace flying across the room.
Mia cried out in pain, and dropped to the floor, doubling over as if she was hurting. Then Alex saw her slip one hand beneath the hem of her jeans. Slowly she worked her fingers until a small pocketknife appeared in her hand. She folded her fingers around it to keep it hidden from Jones’s view. Alex held his breath, praying the man didn’t see what she was doing.
Geoff gripped Mia’s arm to haul her back up, and desperation hit Alex in the gut. He struggled vigorously with the rope. But Mia quickly brought the knife down and jabbed it into Jones’s leg.
Geoff bellowed in pain and reached for the knife, but she yanked it from his leg then ran toward Alex. She jumped over the flames and managed to slice one of the ropes around his wrist before Jones vaulted toward her.
Geoff was on her in a flash. He yanked her by her hair, dragged her through the flames, then slapped her across the face and threw her to the floor. His fist flew up next, and he slammed it into her jaw.
Alex cursed, hating the man with every fiber of his being. The flames were inching toward him, eating up the paper and licking at the pants of his jeans.
Mia covered her face to fend off another blow, and fire seared his ankle, catching onto the threads of his jeans as he desperately yanked at the rope to free himself.
MIA HAD
TAKEN BEATINGS BEFORE. BUT THIS WOULD DAMN WELL be her last.
Using moves her self-defense instructor had taught her, she brought both feet up and kicked Geoff in the stomach. He grunted, his expression shocked for a second just before rage seethed in his eyes.
“You bitch, you will learn,” he hissed.
He dove at her, and Mia rolled to the side, lurching to her feet. But he tackled her, sending her face down. She caught herself on her hands and knees, but he was too strong, sent a blow to her lower back that made her collapse.
Blinding pain mingled with tears and nausea. Jesus, he knew how to hit.
But he was not going to win this time.
The sound of the fire crackling mingled with her own moan as she struggled for a breath. A second later, Geoff jumped on top of her, holding her down as he shoved her hair away from her cheek and licked the side of her face.
“You want me to show this fucker how a man takes a woman,” he growled near her ear. “Then he’ll remember that you’re my wife, not some whore for him to touch.”
“Geoff, please,” Mia begged. Her cheek throbbed like the devil.
If she could get him off of her, maybe she could reach the gun she’d tucked inside her bra.
His laughter rumbled with evil. “Please what?”
“Please don’t do this here. Let me up, and we’ll go some place nice and quiet. Then we can make real love before we leave the country.”
She heard Alex fidgeting with the ropes as Geoff rolled her over to face him. God help her. Blood had soaked Alex’s chest and pants. He needed a doctor fast.
If the fire didn’t engulf him first.
She had to save them.
Geoff’s gaze met hers, a heady sense of hunger blazing in his eyes as he traced a finger over her breast. “Do you know how many nights I dreamed about having you again while I was in that hellhole?”
She shifted, fighting nausea at his touch. “I’m sorry, Geoff. But you’re here now, and so am I.” She gestured toward the fire. Smoke was billowing around them, clogging the air and making it harder for her to see Alex.
He had to be weak from blood loss. And now he was inhaling smoke.
She faked a smile, forcing a soft flirty tone to her voice that sickened her. But she’d do whatever was necessary to save Alex.
“Let’s get out of here before this old place goes up in flames.”
Geoff studied her for a moment as if weighing her words for sincerity, then pushed off of her, stood and took her hand to help her up. Suddenly Alex tore loose and lunged at Geoff, throwing him sideways and sending them both crashing to the floor.
The two men traded blow for blow, but Geoff delivered a hard kick to Alex’s wounded knee, and Alex groaned and fell backward.
Rage at Geoff surged through Mia, and she yanked the .22 from her bra, braced it in her hands and aimed to shoot.
“Get off of him,” Mia hissed.
But Geoff wasn’t listening. He jerked Alex up by the collar and ground his foot into Alex’s injured leg. More blood seeped from the wound, and Alex’s face contorted in pain, but he shoved a fist into Geoff’s abdomen. The blow was hard enough to force Geoff to stagger back.
Her heart raced as she aimed the gun and fired. The bullet slammed into him, his eyes widening at the impact. Then he lunged toward her with a sadistic scream.
He knocked her down, but she pressed the trigger and released another shot.
Geoff knocked the gun upward though and the bullet hit the ceiling. Then he ripped the gun from her hand and tossed it across the floor. A second later, he wrapped his hands around her neck.
She struggled, kicking and trying to fight him off. But his fingers dug deeper into her throat. She was choking, suffocating, couldn’t breathe.
She tried to fight, but he was so heavy, she couldn’t move.
Dear God. After all this, he was going to kill her.
ALEX STAGGERED TO HIS FEET, DISORIENTED FROM THE PAIN. BUT Mia was fighting for her life, and he didn’t intend to lose her.
Not now.
Smoke clogged the air, the fire spreading to the far wall and eating at the floor. The stake where he’d been tied was completely engulfed in flames.
Dammit. He was too weak to beat Geoff. He needed a weapon, and had no idea what Jones had done with Alex’s Sig.
Frantic, he visually searched the room and spotted Mia’s .22 near the flames. He pivoted and spotted the shiny metal of Jones’s .45 against the wall.
Shoving one hand over his chest to stem the blood flow, he staggered to the corner, bent over and picked up the gun.
Mia was gasping for a breath, kicking her feet to try to knock Jones off of her.
Cold fury engulfed Alex, and his adrenaline kicked in. He crossed the room in seconds and stood behind Jones, then pointed the gun at the back of Jones’s back.
“Get off of her now.”
Alex jammed the barrel into his back. “I said to let her go.”
Slowly, Jones released Mia’s neck. She gasped for a breath, and Jones raised his hands in surrender. But Alex didn’t trust the son of a bitch.
And with good cause.
Jones whirled on him to get the gun. Alex didn’t hesitate.
He fired the weapon, catching Jones straight in the heart. Shock widened the man’s eyes as he realized he’d been hit.
Then he lunged at Alex.
Alex smiled, grateful he did. It gave him a good reason to shoot him again.
The bullet pierced Jones’s heart, then he staggered back. Mia rolled to the side just before the son of a bitch hit the floor.
Alex stared at the man for a minute, then knelt and felt for a pulse.
Nothing.
Relieved, he stumbled forward, collapsed beside Mia and pulled her into his arms.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
She clung to him, her breathing ragged. “Alex…”
“He’s dead.”
“We have to get out of here,” Mia cried. “The fire’s spreading.”
“Go,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She framed his face with her hands. “No way I’m leaving without you.”
“Mia…” He was fading, the world spinning again.
“Come on, cowboy.” She slid her arm beneath his shoulder and helped him to stand.
Together they wove through the smoke-filled room and through the door to the fresh air waiting outside.
Alex felt his legs buckling and tried to hang on. But he lost the battle and went down.
The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was Mia kissing him on the lips.
He wondered if it was the last kiss they’d ever share.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TERROR FOR ALEX GRIPPED MIA AS SHE WAITED ON THE AMBULANCE and sheriff to arrive.
His face was stark white, his breathing shallow. And he’d lost so much blood…
Fear mushroomed inside her. Would he make it?
The lodge was completely ablaze as the rescue workers arrived. The sheriff climbed from his car, his face earnest as he visually scanned the scene.
Mia waved the medics over to where Alex lay on the ground, hundreds of feet from the burning building, and they began to work on him, taking vitals, examining his injuries, using blood stoppers to help stem the flow of blood.
They moved him onto a stretcher, then started an IV.
“Is he going to be okay?” Mia asked, her heart in her throat.
The medics exchanged concerned looks. “It’s hard to say, Ma’am,” one of the medics said. “He’ll need surgery. We’ll take him to the closest trauma unit.”
The other medic narrowed his eyes at her. “It looks like you need medical attention yourself.”
“No, I’m okay,” Mia said. A few bruises were nothing compared to what she’d endured before. “Just get Sgt. Townsend to the hospital ASAP.”
Mia wanted to go with him, but the sheriff was waiting on an explanation so she told the medics she’d meet th
em at the hospital.
“What the hell happened here?” Sheriff Leonard asked as the ambulance raced away.
Mia explained about Geoff’s call, that he’d ambushed Alex and shot him, then about the fight that had ensued inside.
The sheriff jerked his thumb toward the inferno that used to be the lodge. Rotting wood burned fast. “You mean Jones is in there?”
Mia nodded, her throat thick with emotions and raw from where Geoff had tried to strangle her. “Somehow Geoff got Alex. He shot him, brought him here and tied him up then called me. I…had to come, to save Alex.”
The sheriff grunted. “You should have called me, brought back-up.”
“I know,” Mia said. “But he said if he saw any police, he’d kill Alex.” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t let him do that.”
“And let me guess. When you got here, he tried to kill you.”
Mia sighed. “I think he planned to kill Alex then take me away. But I fought him and shot him once with my .22. Then Alex got untied and they fought. Alex managed to get Geoff’s gun and shot him with it.”
“How did the fire start?” the sheriff asked.
Mia’s anger churned. “Geoff. He tied Alex to a stake and was going to burn him alive.”
“Jesus Christ,” Sheriff Leonard muttered.
A fire truck wailed down the dirt drive, then the men jumped out, unrolling hoses and dousing the flames. The building was lost, but if the blaze spread to the woods, they might have more serious problems on their hands.
“I’d like to go to the hospital and check on Alex,” Mia said. And she needed to return Henry’s truck and apologize for borrowing it without permission.
The sheriff nodded. “I’ll need a formal statement. But I’ll catch up with you later.”
Mia nodded, then jogged toward the pick-up truck, jumped in and sped away. The image of Alex’s ashen complexion and his still body flashed in her mind, and she prayed that he’d survive.
SOME TIME LATER, ALEX ROUSED FROM CONSCIOUSNESS. HIS BODY felt heavy, weighted, his leg and chest throbbed, and machines beeped around him. An oxygen tube was attached to his nose, an IV in his arm pumping God knew what into his system, and his chest was bare except for the bandages.