by Barb Han
One look into those haltingly green eyes, transparent like single perfect gemstones, and Nick might forget his real reason for being there. Protect his witness without getting overly involved. Not generally a problem for him. Discipline was more than his middle name. It was his life’s creed.
Nothing and no one had threatened his ability to focus. Or could.
This was different. Her circumstance reminded him too much of his little sister’s. The thought of another woman being targeted by a man hell-bent on revenge when she was innocent ate at his insides. Many of the people in the program he came across could use a fresh start. Giving them a new job and home also provided a new lease on life. Not Sadie. What had she done wrong? Nothing. By all accounts, she should’ve had a promising future with a business consultant in accounting. She’d be well on her way to two-point-five kids, a big house and a Suburban.
None of this had been invited into her life. A crazed criminal had sent her to the ICU.
People called her lucky for living.
Luck wasn’t her gig. She’d had enough courage to defy the odds and enough spunk to fight when her future was bleak.
What she had was a hell of a lot better than chance.
And yet, seeing her now, she looked small and afraid. Chin up, she was determined not to give into it.
He’d give anything to ease her concern and put a smile on her face. Wanting to protect her and needing to were two different things.
Why was he already reminding himself of the fact?
He pulled the truck onto a narrow dirt road. “I have better transportation stashed here. Besides, we won’t make it five miles without drawing attention with the condition of the truck.”
Winding down the lane wasn’t a problem. Turning off the lights and navigating in the dark was a different story. He’d memorized the area easy enough. But he hadn’t had time to make a night run.
A thunk sounded at the same time they both pitched forward. The air bags deployed. Sadie gasped and Boomer yelped as he banged against the back of the driver’s seat.
“Hold on, boy,” she said.
Nick focused on Sadie first. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
He hopped out of the truck and opened the door to the backseat of the cab. Running a hand over the frightened dog, Nick didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. He checked his hand for blood. Relief was like a flood to dry plains. “Shook him up a bit.”
She struggled to work herself free from the airbag, and then climbed over the seat. “But he’s fine, right?”
“Yep.” Nick owed the big guy upstairs one for that.
What caused the wreck? Had he misjudged the road?
He circled to the front of the cab. His eyes were adjusting to the dark. The sight before him pumped his stress level fifty notches. A tree blocked the road.
He seriously doubted nature had caused the barrier. Had someone found his hiding spot?
A branch snapped to his right. Could be an animal evading, but he wouldn’t take unnecessary chances with his cargo. He moved to the truck. “We can’t drive through. We’ll have to go on foot.”
Sadie nodded, coaxing Boomer to follow.
Nick shouldered his backpack. They had enough supplies to last a couple of days. He hadn’t expected to need them.
“Where’re we going?” Sadie’s eyes were wide and she blinked rapidly. Fear.
“There’s a place about a day’s hike from here. If we can make it by nightfall, we’ll have safe shelter.”
Her gaze locked on to the barrier behind them. “That wasn’t an accident, was it?”
He shrugged his shoulders casually, not wanting her to panic. “I’d rather not take anything for granted.”
The crack and crunch of tree limbs on the ground grew louder.
Boomer faced the woods on the opposite side of the truck. His shackles raised, and he growled low in his belly.
Nick reached for Sadie’s hand, and then wound his fingers through hers.
“We have to go. Now.”
Chapter Three
Nick pulled Sadie into the woods at a dead run. Branches slapped her face and arms, stinging her skin.
Boomer quickened his stride, keeping pace by her side step for step.
They could’ve been banging drums for all the noise they made. No chance they’d slip through the brush unheard. Nick seemed more intent on moving fast. Another reason her pulse kicked up and her anxiety levels roared.
Her thighs hurt. Her lungs burned. She pushed forward, determined not to complain.
He stopped at the edge of a lake. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Her ears were numb, frozen. Every other body part overheated.
Sunlight pushed through the trees, which meant they’d been on the go at least forty-five minutes. Her lungs felt as if they’d explode, whereas Nick hardly seemed affected. Of course he was in shape. His job—his real job—would demand excellent physical conditioning. She forced her gaze away from the way his muscles expanded against his jeans when he walked.
The rustle of leaves and bird whistles were the only noise. “Is it safe to take a break?”
He stood, listening. Then he scanned the area. “We can take a minute.”
“What about the racket we made?”
“I made a few shortcuts that made it harder to track us.” He opened his pack and handed her a bottle of water, taking one for himself. “Let me know when you think you can move again.”
She could barely open the lid. Tired and dirty, her stamina waned. The cool liquid was a godsend to her parched mouth. “So what’s the plan?”
“Shelter. But it’s a ways ahead,” he warned. “It isn’t much, but it’ll get us through the night.”
“No. I mean ultimately. Where is all this hiding going? Surely no one expects me to keep this up forever.”
“If you’re tired we can stop.”
“I don’t mean now.”
His face tensed. His glare intensified. His slack jaw became rigid.
“What? No answers?”
“You want the truth? We catch him, figure out who else is involved and why, and get your life back.” He turned to face the lake.
“I doubt that,” she huffed. “What good did it do me to testify? I never got my life back. His men kept searching for me. I’ve had two homes in two years. Now, he’s out. Hunting me. I’m running for my life. Again. Your boss made promises he didn’t keep.”
Nick bent down and poured water on his palm, allowing Boomer a drink. When the dog was hydrated, Nick took a swig of water. “He shouldn’t have done that.”
“It was all well and good when people wanted me to help them.” She pulled her knees into her chest. “I’m sure it didn’t hurt his career to be able to put a man like Grimes away.”
He whirled around on her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“How much do you trust your boss?” Anger had her bating him into an argument.
“Smith is fine. You’re tired.”
“Is that right?”
“I hope so because if this is your personality, it’s gonna be a long night.”
“You think this is funny? Forgive me if I don’t laugh along with you.”
Nick cleared his throat. “I never said that. I’m not here to hurt you. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m trying to help.”
“For how long? You can’t watch me the rest of my life. Maybe I should go after him for a change.” What she’d said was the emotional equivalent of raising a red blanket in front of a bull. She had two choices. Fight or cry. She’d rather fight.
“Now you’re being crazy.”
Tears welled, but she’d be damned if they were going to fall. “First I’m tired. Now I’m crazy. Which is it?”
“I get why you’re...freaking out.”
“Do you? You think you already know what’s going on inside my head? Why don’t you tell me, then, because I’m confused.” She shot daggers at him with her glare. Fear pushed away the cold air, replacing it with heat. Her body vibrated from anger, her defense mechanism for not losing it and crying.
She stood and took a step toward him. She expected to see anger or confusion. Instead, he faced her with his whole body. His hands were open at his sides. His relaxed gaze moved smoothly from her eyes to her mouth and back. His lips softened at the corners in a smile. She steeled her breath, but nothing prepared her for the warmth of his big hand on her shoulder.
The fight drained from her.
“We have a long walk ahead. You should save your energy.”
Her chest deflated. She plopped onto the cold ground. Boomer nuzzled his cold wet nose on her neck.
“Give me a minute. I’ll be fine.”
* * *
THE LAST THING Sadie looked was fine. If he’d learned one thing from having two sisters, the word fine didn’t mean good things. He’d give her a minute to regroup even though he’d feel a lot better if they kept moving. They’d put some distance between them and whoever was following, but for how long? “For what it’s worth, my sisters tell me I’m stubborn. If I were in your situation, I’d be crazy, too.”
She rewarded him with a smile warmer than a campfire. “Smart women.”
“Don’t tell them that.” He bent down on his knee, fighting the urge to provide more comfort than his words.
“Do I detect a case of sibling rivalry?” Her brow arched.
“No. But I do have two younger sisters to keep track of.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“Not really. They can take care of themselves mostly. Both work in law enforcement. They humor me, though.”
She relaxed a little more. “Bet I could learn a thing or two from them.”
“I doubt it. You’re a survivor.”
“How do you know?”
“You’ve made it this far.”
“You never told me where we’re going. Do you have a hunting cabin or something out here?” she asked.
“Guess I didn’t adequately fill you in. I’d apologize but I’ll just do it again. My sisters tell me I tend to get in a zone then information comes out on a need-to-know basis.”
“Does that mean your brain can act and speak at the same time?”
He laughed. “It’s possible. Words are empty, though.” He could hear his grandmother’s voice in the back of his head echoing the same sentiment. “Actions are better.”
She’d also taught him to be grateful for what he had instead of sorrowful for what he’d lost. Some lessons were easier to catch on to than others.
Sadie’s laugh had the same effect as the first spring flower opening. “You’ve been surrounded by a lot of smart women in your life, haven’t you? You’re lucky.”
“Not sure if you would hold on to that thought if you spent more than five minutes with them.”
Her gaze focused on the water and she absently picked at a leaf. “I’m afraid I don’t have a big family to draw experience from. It’s just me. Has always been just me.”
He nodded.
She glanced at him. “Right. You already knew that didn’t you? You probably know everything about me, don’t you?”
“The agency gave me your intel. For what it’s worth—”
“Don’t apologize. You’ll just do it again when you need information about someone.” She half smiled.
“True.”
“I know you were doing your job. I’m not blaming you personally. It’s just surreal to me that there’s some file out there with my life history in it.”
Silence sat between them.
“It’s been me, alone, for so long, I can’t remember what it’s like to have a real family. It was just me and my parents growing up. I never had more than that. They were always working. I wouldn’t know what to do with siblings who watch over me.”
“A big family sounds like heaven in theory. In real life, not so much. Add my mom and grandmother into the mix and I’ve had four women constantly telling me what to do for most of my life.” He chuckled.
“Sounds like the promised land to me right now.”
“Mom had a lot of mouths to feed when my dad disappeared. She’d come home beat, but tried not to show it. I became a handful. My dad leaving didn’t do good things to my head. But then I saw how much pain I added to my mom. She was already devastated. Being the oldest, I got a front-row seat to her pain.”
“From the looks of it, you turned out okay.”
“That’s still up for debate.”
“You’re a U.S. Marshal. You change people’s lives with your work. I’d be dead right now if not for you. I’m sure dozens of other people would say the same thing.”
He tightened his grip on the water bottle as he screwed on the lid. “Think you can walk?”
“I’d like to hear more about your family.” Her voice hitched on the word family. Was she thinking about his family, or the husband and kids she should already have with the accounting consultant in Chicago?
A twinge of jealousy heated his chest. He ignored it. “There isn’t much else to tell. I have two brothers.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you focused again?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Not intentional. I’m thinking about getting us both through the night.”
She straightened her back and glanced around. “Any chance they gave up and went home?”
“They’ve come this far. They won’t stop looking.”
“You said there’s a place we can stay?”
He nodded.
“That the best idea? I mean, shouldn’t we get out of here altogether? Maybe call for backup?”
“Afraid we’re on our own this time.” A warm sensation surged through him when he thought about the implication of being alone with her in the small cabin all night. One bed.
She turned and his gaze drifted down the curve of her back to her sweet bottom. Another time, different circumstances, he could think of dozens of things he’d like to do with her on that bed. This wasn’t the time for inappropriate sexual fantasies.
“Why are we on our own?”
“Smith made the call. I agree. Can’t risk anyone on the inside knowing your status or whereabouts in case there’s a leak. We have to consider the fact this might be bigger than Charlie.”
“How many people in the agency know about me?”
“Now?”
She nodded.
“As far as we know, me and Smith. We’d like to keep it that way.”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“If Grimes found a way in with Charlie, I wonder what other connections he made. We think we’re the only two with your intel, but we can’t be sure. Your file was with Charlie. Now it’s missing. Did he tell anyone else about you before he was killed? We have no clue. There’s too much uncertainty.”
“I know what they did to me, but what other crimes are they responsible for?”
“Grimes is well-connected. Has his hands in contract killings, loan sharking, gambling, bribery—to name a few. His channels run from South America to Canada, and straight through Chicago.”
“Sounds big-time.”
“Ever play the game Six Degrees of Separation?” He looked at her.
“Yeah. Sure. Why?”
“He’s the Kevin Bacon of crime.”
She shifted her weight and looked at him. “Or he was...”
“Until you put him away, which started a war. Now that he’s out, we have no idea what to expect.”
“Pandora’s box?”
“Armageddon.”
“Still doesn’t explain what he wants with me. Except good old-fashioned revenge, I guess.” Sadie stood and wiped the dried leaves clinging to the back of her jeans.
“He’s not exactly a nice guy. He’s capable of doing a lot of damage on his own. We can’t underestimate him or his connections.”
“Lucky me.”
Nick closed the water bottles, zipped the pack and shouldered it. The winds had picked up and the air had a cold bite. “We’ll catch him. Or the marshals, or the feds will.”
“You believe that, don’t you?”
“It’s my job. The system isn’t perfect. Sometimes it fails. I see it succeed ninety-nine percent of the time.”
She stared at him incredulously. “You don’t need to tell me about the system. I’m living proof it doesn’t work.”
Nick didn’t offer a defense. Sadie was the exception.
He inclined his chin and powered forward.
The best thing he could do for her was give her a half-decent night of sleep in a comfortable bed. A hot shower and warm bowl of soup would defrost her and revive her energy.
“You good at what you do?”
“The best.”
“Excellent. I wouldn’t want to be stuck out here with an amateur.” She turned and made kissing noises at Boomer, who dutifully followed.
Nick kept a brisk pace until they reached the small cabin before dark, only stopping long enough to eat a Power Bar for lunch. Sadie followed close behind; the crunch of tree branches under her boots and her labored breathing the only indication that she kept going.
The first thing he did when they got inside was to fill a bowl of water for her dog. Boomer trotted over as though they’d become best friends. Maybe they had. They had a common bond. Protecting Sadie. Nick scratched the big red dog behind the ears.
“Shower in the bathroom works. Water’s warm.”
“Sounds like paradise.”
“This place isn’t much, but it’ll get us through the night.”
Her gaze moved around the one-room cabin, stopping on the twin bed. “Rustic, but has everything we need. Is it yours?”
“Belongs to a buddy of mine. Keeps it for when he wants to be alone. There’s nothing and no one around for miles.”