He’d touched her intimately, against her wishes, and she’d responded. She’d felt her body arch toward him. Shame filled her at the thought, at the realization that she still wanted him. A shiver rolled down her body, and she shook it off, forcing herself to forget the feeling of his lips on her skin, forcing herself to forget the lazy grin on his face as he teased her.
Tears ruthlessly gathered in her eyes. She’d let herself hope and dream of a future with Jared. And now that dream had turned into a nightmare. You should know better, Sparrow. White trash doesn't get to dream.
“Keep up.” Jared's harsh voice pulled her from her thoughts. She could clearly see his muscles straining under his shirt as he carried his brother. Her arms were exhausted from carrying the bag, so she could only imagine the exhaustion he must feel. But he didn't slow down, not once.
Sparrow had recognized Jimbo's handiwork the second she'd seen Hoyt’s back. A few years ago he had forced her to watch as he skinned a man alive. But that man hadn’t survived. Sparrow didn't know who is luckier. If Hoyt lived, the memories of his torture would haunt him forever.
The memory of witnessing it haunted her.
According to Jimbo, that man had been stealing from Miss Kay. So he’d made an example of him—an example of what would happen to anyone who went against the Crowes. When Jimbo finished, he hung the man’s ruined body from a tree in the middle of the clearing to serve as a warning.
The Crowes owned the mountain and the people on it. The cops never showed. They were either too scared or already in Miss Kay’s pocket. No one dared to talk openly about the body. The example had been swift and effective and gruesome, but it had ensured the honesty of everyone who dealt with Miss Kay.
The mountain dropped off suddenly to the right and they both stumbled. Jared's leg shot out straight, barely managing to catch himself, but the force of the momentum sent Sparrow sailing through the air. She didn't have the luxury of catching herself with her hands, not when they were bound. Her body impacted the ground, the duffel bag just barely saving her face from smashing into a rock. Pain crawled up her legs, but her momentum caused her to roll downhill. And she would have continued rolling if Jared hadn’t planted his feet. The short length of rope pulled tight, yanking her back like a fish caught on a hook. Fire burned through her shoulders and arms.
“Get up.” There was no concern in his voice. No emotion of any kind. Just bottomless black eyes staring at her with loathing.
She sympathized with him, really she did. She knew his anger was coming from his pain and concern for his brother, from his conviction that she’d done something unforgivable, but there was only so much a girl could take.
As much as she wanted to say, Oh excuse me for falling, your highness, the giant gag choking her mouth prevented her from issuing any sound. So Sparrow settled for a good glare and simply lay there on her stomach.
Which didn't exactly make Jared happy.
“I said, get up.” Miss Kay’s boys would've yelled at her, probably kicked her while she was down. But not Jared. His voice got quiet. Cold and deadly, kind of like the calm right before the tornado ripped through your house and destroyed your livelihood. She fought the instinct to shiver.
She had gotten so good at not being noticed. Her whole life, everything about her had been carefully chosen to be neutral. Her clothes. Her lifestyle. Her expressions. But this man pulled forth a range of reactions from her, all of which were anything but neutral. And right now the emotion he tugged on most was anger.
Thank God for the gag or she might've stuck her tongue out at him in a childish tantrum. But she couldn't do that. So, hands bound, lying flat in the dirt in a shirt that showed more skin than a goddamn bikini, leaves and sticks snagged in hair, Sparrow lifted her bound hands and flipped him off.
Jared blinked, unmoving except for his clenched jaw and the veins bulging on his neck. She swore she saw a tremble move through him—not, not a tremble, more like tremors. Like his body was shaking in an attempt to contain his rage. “I warned you what would happen. The more you slow me down, the worse off you’ll be. The old man will pay for everything you do.”
Her anger deflated like a worn-out balloon. He wasn't just angry. He was deadly and she had every reason to fear him.
“I see you’re beginning to understand that I'm serious. Good. This is my last warning.” Jared squatted, his movements careful, and she watched his fingers curl around the handle of the duffel as he stood back up. She couldn't deny the small slip of relief inside her. A relief that disappeared when he turned and walked away, the short slack of her rope disappearing as he dragged her across the ground. The nearly nothing clothes she wore offered absolutely no protection from the rocks and sticks and thorns scattered across the forest floor.
Sparrow rolled from side to side, trying to avoid the more hazardous objects jutting out of the earth, but she had no protection against the elements of the Tennessee Mountains. And still Jared didn’t slow. So she gritted her teeth and used all of her strength to yank her feet beneath her, staggering into a walk.
The bare skin of her stomach, knees, and thighs burned. Why the hell didn’t I change before I left?
The answer taunted her. It was because of the way Jared had looked at her in these clothes—like she was a goddess walking the earth. That sexual power had made her heady. So instead of changing like any idiot would have done, she’d slapped on her snake boots, tucked in her knife, and sauntered around for him to drool over.
Her knife. She had completely forgotten about the knife stuffed in her boots.
Escape was possible.
* * *
Hoyt started shaking in his arms. The thin shirt draped around him was doing little to shield him from the elements. His body turned hot, then cold, then molten. The chance of infection was a real threat to his brother’s life
For the hundredth time that night Jared gave thanks that he’d received field medical training in the Special Forces. After they got to the boat, he could patch his brother up. But even if he survived the physical wounds of what had happened, would he stand a chance at surviving the mental ones?
Ignoring his own pain and fatigue, Jared continue his steady pace forward, never stopping, never slowing. His only thought was for his brother. He burst through the edge of the trees at the riverbank and ground to a halt.
Sparrow didn't slam into him this time and Jared glanced back to see her gazing out at the water, her expression wary. Good. As soon as he got them on the boat he could relax. There’d be no chance of her escaping and he would be one step closer to getting Hoyt the serious medical attention he needed.
Jared surveyed the area, spying the fallen tree a few hundred feet downriver to his left. He’d tucked his boat beneath that tree, concealing it with camouflage netting. His brother groaned and the tremor that shook him was so fierce that Jared would’ve dropped him if he hadn’t been holding on tight. Hoyt’s fever seemed to be climbing at an alarming rate. Jared's heart raced at the very real threat to his brother's life and he took off toward the boat with renewed vigor.
A few minutes later he stood staring down in shock over his hiding place. The boat was gone. Jared shook his head. Must be the wrong tree. Maybe he’d come out of the woods too far upriver. Determined, Jared continued down the bank, steadily scanning the edge of the river, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding seeping down his spine.
After traveling several more feet, he was forced to stop when the riverbank fell off sharply. At that moment, any chance that the first spot he’d stopped at was the wrong one completely disappeared. Jared turned around, brushing past a startled Sparrow, and headed back to his starting point. He stopped at the fallen tree once more and stared down. There was nothing but leaves and water.
“Son of a bitch.” Fucking hillbillies. Nothing was safe in these parts. Not even a fucking boat.
Sparrow made some type of moaning sound and Jared turned his furious gaze on her. She kept gesturing and nodding her head. Determined to ignore her,
he turned back to face the empty spot, but for what? His only means of transportation was gone. And the threat to his brother’s life had increased a thousand times over. Sparrow tapped him on the back, but Jared clenched his jaw and ignored her. Adrenaline pumped through his bloodstream, his heart rate increasing with each second. What was he going to do? There was no way he could carry his brother the next fifteen miles to the nearest town. Especially before sunrise.
Sparrow nudged him again, reminding him that this was all her fault, and he turned, ready to unleash the full force of his fury on her. “Touch me again and lose a finger, got it?”
Instead of backing up, she rolled her eyes. The freaking girl rolled her eyes at him. When he could snap her neck with a flick of his wrist and toss her lifeless body in the river.
She kept indicating some spot beyond him with her head and lifting her hands.
“You think I'm going to untie you?” As a matter fact, he had every intention of doubling up the rope as soon as he got her into a boat or truck or whatever the hell method of transportation he could find.
She shook her head no and indicated her gag. It was obvious she wouldn’t let up until he heard her out and his back was screaming for a break. Jared gently settled his brother onto his stomach on the ground and sat the duffel bag down next to him. The he yanked her to him, using the rope as a leash. Her chest slammed into his and physical awareness shot through his body. How could he still be physically attracted to such a monster? His reaction only made him angrier. “You that desperate you can't wait until we get out of here?”
Jared cupped her ass and lifted her against his hard cock, forcing her to feel his body. She moaned and shook her head, but he didn't release her. “As much as I look forward to it, too, sweetheart, we can't right now.”
He thrust against her belly again and watched her eyelids grow heavy. Her nipples budded beneath the near see-through material of her cropped shirt. Fuck she was hot. And deadly. Jared forced himself to remember what she had done to his brother. He tangled a hand in her hair and yanked her head back, eliciting a grunt of pain from his captive. Jared nuzzled against her neck, up to her ear, savoring the shiver his touch evoked. Whether it was aversion or arousal or some combination of both, he didn't care, his body craved hers. But no matter how much he wanted her, he couldn’t force her. “Don't worry, I promise to use your body as soon as possible.”
She jerked against him, pushing against his chest with her bound hands, but her attempt was laughable.
When he pulled back, he fully expected to see tears in her fearful eyes, but she shocked him once more. Her golden gaze had turned molten with fury, and she reached up and started tugging at the gag, making noises like she was trying to talk. Fuck. He let go of her hair and yanked the gag down, pulling the wad of material out of her mouth.
Sparrow coughed and sucked in deep heaving breaths. He could only imagine how she must long for a drink of water. But had she given his brother the same courtesy?
“The boat.” The words rasped out of her mouth and Jared stiffened.
“My boat? Where the fuck is it?” Before he knew what he was doing, Jared buried his hands in her hair once more, bending her backwards. She’d probably asked someone to move it while she was busy playing the innocent seductress and distracting him.
“Where the hell is my boat?” He was so close to pushing past reason. His vision didn't turn red. And it didn't turn black. It just hazed over from the force of the rage surging through his veins.
“Not me. I didn't take it.”
Jared gave a tug on her hair again. “Of course not, you were too busy trying to get me naked. Miss Kay’s boys, though, where did they stash it?”
“I don't know. I have no idea. I swear.” She shook her head fervently, and he wound her hair around his fist, holding her immobile.
“Just like you swear you didn't set me up?” The rage beat at him, battering down his logic. The need to punish her rose fast and hot. He pushed her away from him, knowing the more he touched her, the closer he was to losing control.
“I know you don't believe me, but I had nothing to do with what happened to your brother. I could never hurt anybody like that.”
“If you don't want me to gag you again, you'll shut your mouth right now. I'll never believe another word you say.” She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she wisely chose to close her mouth. Good.
Focus. Think. He had to get as much distance between them and the Crowes as possible. Jared unzipped his duffel, grabbed his sat phone, and dialed headquarters. Merc, Task Force Scorpion’s deadliest assassin, answered. “Where the fuck have you been?”
Shit. They were probably pissed. “No time. Need an evac pronto.”
“Where?” His team might want to grill his ass when he got home, but they were efficient at their job, and Jared knew Merc would recognize that he meant business.
“Hold for location.” Jared quickly ripped the topographic map out of his bag and shined a small flashlight, locating the nearest feasible extraction point. After communicating the coordinates, Jared added, “Merc, make sure Aaron brings his medical kit. I also want the Doc prepped and ready to go as soon as we get back to Mercy.”
“What the fuck happened? Are you hurt?”
“Not me. Hoyt.”
The line went silent for a second then Merc asked, his voice deadly, “Who did it?”
Jared's gaze cut to Sparrow, who had sunk down to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. With her forehead resting on her arms like that, she looked for all the world like a lost little girl. “Don't worry, I've got her. Just get here ASAP.”
“Her?”
“Hurry.”
“Okay, ETA twelve hours. Extraction Hoyt Romeo. We’ll chopper in as close as we can, then send a boat to bring you back to the chopper. I'll have the medical team ready and waiting for your arrival back at the compound.”
“Roger.” Jared hung up the phone and stared at his captive. The sympathy he felt for her only pissed him off more.
“Get up. We have to move.”
“Where?”
“Why do you care? Get the bag.” Jared squatted down next to his brother and did a quick check. Hoyt’s breathing was shallow, his pulse was weak and rapid, and his blond hair was drenched in sweat.
“I know this mountain better than anybody. They'll track us. We have to move fast.”
“Isn't that what you want?” Jared snarled.
Chapter 13
The damn man was infuriating. Hardheaded. And what she wouldn't give to place a well-aimed kick to his butt. But her muscles lagged in fatigue, so much so that the bag nearly dragged on the ground in front of her. She kicked it with each step, not on purpose, but because she didn't have the strength to heft it further up.
They stayed as close to the river as possible, using the moon to light the way. How had she ended up in this mess? And why had Jimbo said that about her? Why had he even known to say it? Thoughts swirled in a confusing tornado. Jimbo had known the real reason she had brought Jared to the cabin.
No one had told her about the brother.
A knot of fear started to grow in her belly. The more she thought about it, the more she knew they’d set her up. Used her to lull Jared into a sense of safety so they could ambush him. No way Miss Kay was involved. If she’d known, Jared and Hoyt would already be stiff in the dirt. But Jimbo, she could definitely see Jimbo pulling something like this. Only his plan backfired. Her stupid older stepbrother hadn't counted on the sheer power possessed by Jared Crowe. The attack he’d made on Jimbo had been so fast and brutal and efficient.
But the gentleness he’d used with his brother was the exact opposite. And her skin would never forget the sensation of his soft caresses. He was a man of extremes, Jared Crowe.
God, she really was like her mother. She needed to get her head on straight. Focus on the situation and not on her confusing feelings for Jared.
She couldn't abandon them yet, not until she
knew they were safe. From the conversation she’d overheard, it sounded like they just had to make it through until the morning. Jared kept a fast pace heading downriver, which meant they were moving south.
An area Sparrow knew well. She had hunted and trapped here her whole life with Squirrel. She knew the ravines, the valleys, the steep climbs and eddies. The small caves where critters like to hide.
Ravines. Sparrow ground to a halt. “Stop.”
Jared kept walking like she hadn't spoken at all. Sparrow dug her heels in and leaned backwards as far she could, resisting his momentum with all her might. “You've got to stop now and head east.”
“East?”
Resisting the urge to stomp her foot, Sparrow said, “If you continue south along the river, you're going to hit a huge ravine and a drop off so steep there's no way you can cross it. Then you're gonna have to walk up the whole length of the ravine to go around it. You might not lose a day, but you'll definitely lose a few hours.”
Jared studied her, his expression inscrutable. His brother moaned and shifted in his arms, still unconscious.
“Look, I know you don't believe me. I guess I wouldn't trust me either right now. But I swear, if you don't cut back east, you're going to lose hours. And he ain't got that many hours of travel left in him.”
“Shit.” Jared bit out the curse.
“Either way, we're still heading away from the Crowes. My way is faster.”
His silence stretched out, grating along Sparrow’s nerves. Finally, he spoke, “All right. You take lead, but I swear to God…”
“I know. You'll slit my throat and kill everyone I know.” She tried to make light of the situation, but her attempt sounded pathetic even to her own ears.
A cold wind rushed across the river and swept up the side of the mountain and she couldn't help the shiver. She was dressed for midday August heat, not the crisp fall night air. But she wasn't going to give Jared even a moment to second-guess her idea. They took off once more, this time with Sparrow in the lead.
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