by Cynthia Eden
For the SUV to be abandoned there...
“The driver had to go someplace,” Hayden said. He looked around, but there was no sign of another civilian vehicle, just Deputy Hollow’s patrol car and his vehicle—Hayden had gotten Jill to drive over with him. “Not like the guy just vanished into thin air.”
“We can check the car for prints,” Jill said as she stood near him. “The suspect probably left plenty of evidence behind. He was looking to ditch the car and make a break for it. Our run-in at the cemetery probably scared him.”
Hayden still wasn’t so sure of that fact. During the past ten years, he’d learned to never ignore his instincts. When he was in the field, they always warned him when danger was coming. Right then, his instincts were screaming at him.
Jill was being watched at the cemetery. Now the vehicle her watcher used is abandoned and the driver is long gone. He turned toward her. “I think you should have protection tonight.”
She laughed.
He didn’t. “I’m serious, Jill. This scene...” He waved his hand. “It’s not right. It’s...off...and you know it.”
“I’m an FBI agent, I think I can manage to look after myself tonight.” She turned away.
He followed right on her heels. Hayden reached out and curled his hand around her shoulder.
She looked back at him, frowning. “Hayden...”
“Even FBI agents need protection.”
“Look, I get that things are personal between us, but I just have a few scratches. It wasn’t anything life threatening.”
“He tried to run you down!”
“Because he panicked.” She looked over his shoulder, gazing at the abandoned SUV. “Prints are going to turn up in there. You’ll find the guy, I have no doubt. The streets of Hope will be safe again.”
But would she be safe?
Jill didn’t seem worried.
Hayden sure as hell was. Because...
This is you, Jill. And I will always protect you.
* * *
HE’D MADE A mistake at the cemetery. He should have stayed farther back. Should have kept his distance.
But he’d wanted to get closer.
She’d looked so sad as she stood there, staring at the grave. She’d seemed such perfect prey. All alone. Prime for the taking. But...
Then he’d heard her voice, barking with authority, reminding him that she wasn’t the girl he’d known before. She was an FBI agent now and he hadn’t been able to tell if she was armed.
If she’d had her gun...if she’d shot at him...
I don’t want to die. That was his truth. He wasn’t anywhere near ready to die.
So he’d run. Fast. Hard. He’d fled and when she’d come rushing out of the woods, well, he’d taken that opportunity to end her. But he’d missed. She’d seen his car, and he’d had to dump it.
No big deal. He’d taken the vehicle when he’d been in Jacksonville. Taken it because...
Some habits die hard. I always liked to keep a throwaway vehicle close, in case I find a special girl.
Jill West was a very special girl to him. Very special, indeed. The one that got away. The one that had changed so much for him.
He glanced up at her beachfront cabin. It was dark now because she was gone. Probably out hunting for him. Never expected that I’d be waiting at home for you, did you, Jillian? But here he was...
And he’d stay in the shadows. He’d wait until she came back. And then the real fun would begin. Because he’d carefully considered the situation with her. He didn’t want to launch an attack straight at her, no, with her FBI training, that wasn’t a fight he wanted.
He’d take the easy way. The better way.
He’d attack Jill when she was vulnerable. And the most vulnerable time for a woman? For anyone?
That would be during sleep. When Jill slipped away in her dreams, he’d go to her. He’d wait and bide his time and he’d watch. But the moment her guard was lowered, he would be there.
And, Jill, you will pay for everything that you took away from me.
Chapter Five
Her little rental cabin was dark when Jill pulled into the narrow drive. She’d stayed at the scene with Hayden, she’d helped search the area, but the driver had been long gone. Maybe he’d slipped away on some of the trails in the area. Maybe he’d had another ride waiting.
The maybes hadn’t mattered. One fact was clear—he was gone, and it was highly doubtful they’d find the guy that night.
Hayden had taken her back to the station. She’d gotten her car, refused his protection one more time, and she’d pretended not to see the frustration that had filled his gaze. Spending the night with Hayden wasn’t a good idea. She knew that.
Her feelings for him were too raw. When he’d been bandaging her hands in that little bathroom, she’d stared at him and just ached.
Too many memories were between them. Too much desire still remained.
When she climbed up the long flight of wooden steps that led to her cabin, Jill felt a bone-deep weariness. She unlocked the door. The wind blew off the ocean, bringing her the salty scent on the breeze. Jill looked back at that water. The waves gleamed beneath the moonlight. The water had always soothed her, even when she’d been at her absolute worst.
The water...and Hayden. Her two constants in life.
Jill turned away from the ocean. She shut the door behind her and flipped the lock. There was no security system at the cabin, so she took a few moments to do a quick search and to double-check all of the locks on the windows and on the screen door that slipped away from the kitchen and led back to the big front deck. Side effect of the job...being hypervigilant. She’d seen too many horror stories, firsthand.
Jill headed into her bedroom. When she passed the TV, the floor gave a low groan. She couldn’t help but tense at the sound. This day has been too long. Now she was nearly jumping at—quite literally—nothing. She’d shower and crash into bed. And maybe, if she was lucky, she wouldn’t dream about two bright headlights coming toward her. She wouldn’t remember the heat of the engine as it growled beside her.
If she was lucky.
* * *
HAYDEN SLOWED HIS vehicle as he slowly drove by Jill’s cabin. One light glowed in her cabin. Jill was still awake. She’d refused his multiple offers of protection.
And he got it, he really did. She could take care of herself. Hell, yes, he’d read the stories about her work. Jill had often been in the headlines, particularly when she worked high-profile cases. She’d taken down some of the worst scum out there. He knew she was smart, tough and absolutely deadly with her gun but...
But this is Jill. If something happens to her, I worry I’ll lose my damn sanity.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel.
And, as if on cue, the light in her cabin turned off.
Jill was in, safe and sound, for the night. Time for him to get the hell out of there. He accelerated but... Hayden couldn’t help glancing back in his rearview mirror.
This is Jill. If something happens to her...
* * *
WAKEFULNESS CAME IN a sudden rush. One instant, Jill had been completely asleep, lost to her dreams, but in the next, her eyes were wide-open and a cold chill iced her blood.
She didn’t move in that bed. Her heart galloped in her chest. She had an animal awareness crawling over her—something is wrong. Something had woken her, but she didn’t know what. She didn’t move so much as a finger as she tried to figure out what had brought her awake with such a sharpness.
Then...she heard the scraping. A small, faint sound. And...
She knew what caused that sound. When she’d opened the sliding glass door before—the door that led from the kitchen to the front deck, the screen had scraped when the door
slid open. Wind and time had damaged the screen and when the door slid open a few inches, the screen scraped.
But she’d checked that door before bed. She remembered checking the lock. The door had been closed. There was no reason for it to scrape now.
Unless someone is out there.
Her fingers slowly moved toward the pillow on the other side of her bed. Before she’d gone to bed, she’d put her weapon there, wanting it to be close just in case. Her fingers touched the gun.
And she heard a groan.
This time, the sound was a little bit louder. As if the groan had come from the den. And again, she knew that sound...when she’d walked in front of the TV out there, the floor had groaned beneath her feet. There was a weak spot of wood. A spot that creaked when someone stepped on it.
Someone is out there. Someone is coming closer.
She’d shut her bedroom door. Locked it but...
Did she hear the soft click of that lock turning? Was it her imagination?
Jill took a deep breath. Her index finger slid off the safety of her gun. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she was staring straight at her door.
It was opening.
“Freeze!” Jill yelled. “Freeze or I will shoot.”
The door stilled. Each breath she took seemed far too loud.
Then...
Laughter. Cold. Mocking laughter. “You think you’re the only one with a gun, Agent West?”
Oh, damn.
“You should have left Christy Anderson alone.” The snarled words came from her doorway.
She dived for the side of the bed even as the thunder of a gunshot filled the room. You missed! She stayed low but Jill lifted up just enough to fire back.
But he was running. She could hear the thunder of her intruder’s footsteps. Jill didn’t hesitate. She jumped to her feet and rushed after him. “Stop!” she yelled.
He didn’t. He did fire wildly back at her and Jill had to duck when the bullet sank into the wood a few inches away from her. The screen door scraped and his footsteps thudded over the wooden steps outside.
She should call for backup. Jill knew it, but she also knew if she stopped long enough to call the sheriff’s office, her intruder would be long gone.
So she clutched her gun and she ran after him. When she got on the long line of wooden steps that led down to the beach, she saw him fleeing beneath the light of the moon. A man, tall, with broad shoulders. He was moving fast, too fast. Sand kicked up around his feet.
“Stop!” Jill yelled.
But he didn’t.
And neither did she.
* * *
SO HE WAS OBSESSED. Hayden knew he had a problem. When it came to Jill, it was a very, very long-standing problem.
It was the middle of the night and he couldn’t sleep. And he was driving by her cabin again because he obviously had issues.
But when his headlights cut across the beach, he caught a glimpse of a woman running—a woman wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
A woman with a gun clutched in her hand.
Jill.
He slammed on the brakes. Hayden grabbed his own gun from the glove box and took off after her. His heart pounded a double-time rhythm in his chest. Jill was zigzagging in front of him, rushing frantically down the beach and kicking up sand in her wake. The moonlight shone down on her and—
And on the jerk she’s chasing.
Because Hayden could see him. A dark, shadowy form about twenty feet in front of Jill. A shadow that was whirling back around and lifting his gun. Firing.
“Jill!” Hayden bellowed.
But she’d already ducked. The gunfire blasted and Hayden thought it had missed her. He prayed it had. The guy seemed to be shooting wildly now, panicking. Whoever the hell that man was, he’d better be afraid.
This was Hayden’s town.
He drove himself faster, faster, determined to catch the jerk up ahead. But the man had rushed off the beach, heading toward another dark cabin. A moment later, the growl of an engine reached Hayden’s ears.
He saw a motorcycle hurtle from beneath that cabin. The motorcycle rushed into the darkness, flying away with its light off and the driver not even looking back.
Jill lifted her gun and aimed after him. Then she shook her head and Hayden heard her curse.
He ran to her, grabbed her arm and swung her toward him. “Jill!” His gaze flew frantically over her, but he didn’t see any injures. “Baby, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.” She jerked away from him. “He got away!” She still had her gun gripped in her hand. “Should have known he had a getaway vehicle close by.” Jill whirled on her heel—her bare heel because he realized she was shoeless—and glared into the night.
Hayden yanked out his phone. “Not gone yet.” He connected with the sheriff’s office. He started barking orders to Dispatch even as he grabbed Jill’s arm. They ran back toward his vehicle and he pushed her into the passenger’s side. “We’re tailing the suspect now,” Hayden said into his phone. “Get backup out here...this guy is armed and dangerous and I’m not having him run wild over my town.”
He threw the SUV into reverse. The wheels squealed as he gave chase. “Tell me what in the hell happened.”
Jill flattened her palm against the dashboard. “I woke up...and I heard him coming into the cabin.”
What?
“He came to my bedroom.”
The SOB was going to pay.
“I told him to stop, that I had a gun.”
His foot had rammed the accelerator all the way to the floorboard.
“And he told me that he did, too. Then he fired.”
His hands had fisted around the steering wheel. “You’re not hurt.” He needed to hear her say those words again.
“I’m not.” She leaned forward. “I don’t see him.” Frustration hummed in her words.
He didn’t see the guy, either. The road they were on was long and twisting, and it didn’t connect with the highway for another six miles. He was hoping one of his deputies would cut off that highway entrance—that had been his order. The deputy would block the guy from the front and Hayden would get the guy from the back.
Provided, of course, that the guy on the motorcycle didn’t go off road. If he did, if he slipped onto any of the trails around there...
We lose him.
* * *
HE HAD TO get off the bike. He risked a quick glance behind him and saw the glare of two headlights. He had a lead, a damn good one, but Jill would make sure everyone in Hope was looking for a man on a motorcycle. She’d get an APB out on him, and he’d be hunted.
I have to ditch this thing.
Where and when...hell, that was the question. It was dark, so that worked to his advantage. If he cut across the sand, his tracks wouldn’t be spotted until the sun was up.
He could go through the woods. Follow a trail. Ditch the bike there or...
The scent of the ocean teased him.
Or he could try a different escape path.
He drove off the road. The bike spit up sand as the wheels churned. The beach was deserted, as it freakin’ well should have been at that time of the night. He ditched the bike, tucked his gun into the back of his jeans and his gloved fingers fisted as he ran right toward the surf.
Jill could get every deputy in the area to search the roads for him, but he wasn’t escaping via land.
He was heading for the water. The last place they’d expect to look. Search the roads all night. Search every trail. I won’t be there.
The water lapped at his feet.
Good thing he was a strong swimmer.
* * *
THEY REACHED THE highway and Hayden braked when he saw the flash of patrol lights. Deputy Holl
ow stood beside her car, her hand on her holster. Hayden jumped out and ran toward her, aware that Jill was following close beside him. “Tell me you saw the guy,” he said.
But Wendy shook her head. “Sorry...no one has come past me.”
He whirled back around and stared at the darkness behind him.
“He diverted,” Jill said. “He wanted to stay off the main road. He was planning this from the beginning, that’s why he was on a motorcycle. Easier for him to slip into the woods.”
To vanish.
“Get more units out here,” Hayden ordered. “I want to search every trail. This guy is armed, he’s been shooting, and I want him taken down.”
Wendy nodded quickly and she slid into her car as she contacted Dispatch. Jill started to rush by Hayden, but he caught her arm. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to help search. When backup arrives, we can coordinate into teams to divide the area and—”
“You don’t even have shoes on your feet!” He pulled her closer. His voice dropped as he said, “I told you that you were in danger.”
He heard the stutter of her breath. “Hayden, I’m fine.”
“He shot at you.” And that shook him, straight to his core. “I should have been with you. I should have—”
“We’ve covered this before.” Now her voice was nearly a whisper. “How many times do I have to tell you, you can’t protect me twenty-four hours a day?”
It was an old argument between them. Actually, it was one of the things that had driven them apart. When it came to Jill, he held on too tight.
He wanted too much.
Hayden glanced down at his hands. Too tight. He forced himself to let her go.
“He said something else.”
Hayden shook his head, not following her.
“Before he fired at me, in my bedroom, he said...he said I should have left Christy Anderson alone.”