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As she hurried through the woods, Rachelle searched for a hiding place. She’d have to hide if Hale’s men got too close.
Reaching a clearing, she hesitated. In the large open space, the moon’s rays lit the area like a spotlight. Although she didn’t see Hale’s men, one of them might be watching the clearing. Not only that, her ribs ached with every breath she dragged into her lungs.
Nearby, twigs snapped, and a low male voice cursed. Not Cal or his teammates.
Rachelle glanced around, hunting for a place to hide. Trees. More trees. No convenient caves or huge rocks to hide behind. The sounds of thrashing grew louder. She was out of time.
Her gaze stopped on a huge tree that had fallen in a dark pool of shadows. Out of options, she climbed over the tree’s rough wooden surface and scrambled to the other side. She dropped to the ground and scooted close to the tree, wincing at the heightened pain in her ribs. She’d love one of Jackson’s pain killers.
Rachelle froze when heavy footsteps and ragged breathing alerted her to the presence of one of Hale’s men. She waited and listened.
The footsteps paused.
She bit her lower lip, praying the darkness would conceal her. She wanted a future with Cal, one including a home and family. That dream wouldn’t become reality if she was discovered and taken back to Hale.
“You see anything?”
Rachelle’s eyes widened. At least two men were nearby.
“Nope. The boss can buy any woman he wants. Can’t figure out why he wants this one so bad. I heard her boyfriend is a military hero. Why does the boss want a woman already taken by a guy like that?”
“Don’t know and don’t care. The only thing I want is to be sure he doesn’t blow my head off losing the broad. Letting his prize escape would set him off.”
A loud sigh. “I shouldn’t have accepted a job with this nut case, but the money was too good to pass up.”
The second man snorted. “Now you know why.” A pause. “We got no way out, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The only way out of this job is in a pine box. Come on. Let’s keep looking. The woman can’t have gotten far.”
Their footsteps faded away along with their low-voiced conversation.
She frowned. Why were they talking? She’d be an idiot to go near them. Had they seen her or suspected she was in this area and pretended to leave in order to draw her out?
Rachelle started to move, but remained in place when she heard a soft noise that reminded her of fabric brushing against something. The two talkative thugs might have left a friend behind to catch her if she left her hiding place. Until she was positive the area was clear, her best course of action was to do nothing.
Rachelle remained tucked close to the log, listening. A short time later, another brushing sound reached her ears. Her hand fisted, preparing to defend herself. She didn’t stand a chance in a one-on-one confrontation, but she might escape the hold of one man.
An eternity passed before footsteps crisscrossed the area. Could it be a member of Wolf Pack? She had to know one way or the other. She didn’t want the Fortress team to miss her in the darkness of the woods.
Slowly, Rachelle angled her head to peer through the branches of the fallen tree. The man’s back was to her, but she knew he was one of Hale’s men.
She lowered her head again and waited. The longer this guy hung around, the greater chance Cal and the others would arrive and infiltrate Hale’s home, looking for her.
Finally, the third man growled in frustration and muttered some uncomplimentary things about Rachelle and her mother. Gunfire rang out from the direction of the mansion. Swearing, the man pivoted and raced toward the sound of the shots.
After he left, Rachelle sat up and glanced around. She didn’t see anyone, but her skin prickled as though someone watched her.
Not good. She couldn’t return to the mansion because of the gunfire. Cal would tell her to steer clear of the battle. While the third man had backtracked to the mansion, Rachelle suspected some of the thugs would continue to scour the woods for her. The trackers would tell Cal where to find her if she continued on her current trajectory.
Rachelle stood and set out again. Minutes later, she’d skirted the large clearing. She stumbled and would have fallen except a strong hand grabbed her arm to steady her while another hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her cry of surprise. Between one heartbeat and the next, she was pulled against a broad chest.
A soft, familiar voice murmured in her hear, “It’s Cal.”
Relief swept over Rachelle. She nodded. When Cal loosened his hold, she twisted, threw her arms around him, and kissed him.
He drew back too soon. “We can’t stay here. The woods are filled with Hale’s men.”
