So, yeah, Hudson had grown up fast.He wasn’t reminiscing to wallow in self-pity, just to understand why he’d been closed off all these years and how he could feel a close bond with someone he hadn’t known existed forty-eight hours ago.He’d been plunged into Cassie’s world headfirst, and now he was actively trying to find reasons she should let him stay.
At the turn, he rolled down the window and tapped on the side of the truck.“End of the line, buddy.”
“Thank you, sir.”The youth jumped off the back and waved before heading east.
Hudson took a good look.That boy had been him years ago, walking these farm roads and hopping into a truck bed to shorten a walk.He really did feel old.The world was going to grow and change around him.He needed to accept it and adapt, or die.Because he’d felt dead inside for more than a decade.Being with Cassie had made him realize how much he’d shut himself off from the world.
What the hell was he supposed to do with that?
Cassie could’ve swornshe just saw the mountain lion.She suppressed a gasp as she studied the area.Several minutes passed.The predator hadn’t followed her across the road, not directly anyway.Could it be circling her?Aware that she’d realized its presence?
It might not be stalking her at all.Much like running into an ex in line at the grocery store, coincidence could be a bitch.In this case, it could be deadly.
She sat down long enough to hydrate, crush the plastic bottle, and drop it into the bottom of the backpack.Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a long time.She polished off an apple and then stood.
A twig snapped.She froze.
Slowly, she turned in a circle.There was no sign of the animal.Heart hammering against the inside of her ribcage, she figured moving was better than staying put.After shouldering her backpack, she took her first step.
And then she heard it.A sneeze.Human.Close.
Cassie took off running toward the road, praying someone would drive past and she could signal for help.Branches slapped her in the face and torso as she bolted through the thicket.Scrub brush threatened to snag her foot.She had to pick her legs up higher, which caused her thighs to burn even more.She was expending a lot of energy on an already low-fuel tank.At last, another shot of adrenaline kicked in, giving her a much-needed boost.Could she outrun whoever was behind her?She didn’t dare look back.That could cost her the small lead.It would be Jarek or one of his people.Or someone hired to bring you back.It occurred to her that Jarek had a network of criminals to draw from.She might not even recognize the person gaining on her, even if she dared risk a backward glance.
Zigzagging through the trees would make her a difficult target if the person from behind decided to shoot.Calves and thighs burned, and a painful cramp in her side threatened to take her down.
Should she run deeper into the trees?Not one vehicle had passed since the one from earlier, and no one she knew had been behind the wheel.Since Jarek could be sending just about anyone for her, she couldn’t risk reaching out to a stranger unless it was clear the person couldn’t be working for him or financially benefitting from her being found and returned.A reward for her as a “missing person” could be on the table.She should have asked about it when she’d had the chance.
Of course, she hadn’t known the situation would come down to her being alone in the woods and running from a threat that was close behind.
Since giving up wasn’t an option, she wondered for a half second if she could turn around and fight.Could she take a peek at who she was up against?Determine if the risk was worth the fight?
A thud practically moved the ground underneath her feet.Resisting the temptation to turn around and look, she took the opportunity to put more distance between them.Darting across the road, she picked up more speed.Being out in the open meant taking a chance, but it was paying off as she no longer heard footsteps behind her.
The person chasing her might have gotten a toe caught in the underbrush and taken a tumble.
From across the road before she darted into the thicket, she looked behind her.
A linebacker-sized male had been chasing her but she couldn’t get a good look at his face.He was wearing hunters’ clothing, which seemed horribly appropriate and unnerving at the same time.It meant he’d come here to hunt her down like a deer on the wrong end of a rifle’s scope.The fact that he hadn’t fired any type of weapon at her gave her a glimmer of hope that Jarek wanted her back alive.An involuntary shiver rocked her body, thinking about being forced back into Jarek’s life not to mention how he would punish her for leaving in the first place.Could she convince him to release Nikki if that was the case?
By now, she prayed that he’d received word that she was on the move and far away from Sturgess land.Hope that Nikki would be released unharmed blossomed.Having witnessed Conrad’s pain firsthand had pushed her to make this decision, and it was the right one.This way, she was the only one in jeopardy.She was the only one who would pay for her mistakes, as she should.Plus, she was the only one who could fix this.
Risking a glance behind her, she couldn’t get a good enough look at the man’s face and had no intention of sticking around long enough for him to regroup or get close enough to make out details.
“Help!”came an all-too familiar voice.It sounded muffled and more than a bit panicked.But she was almost certain it was Franco.
Was he serious?
She had no cell or she’d check for bars.He was most likely trying to get her close enough to trap her.
“No!”
It occurred to her the mountain lion might still be around—even more reason to get the hell away from there.No way was she falling for the helpless act.Whoever chased her, if not Franco, was either an experienced criminal or someone directly connected to Jarek—someone who worked for him or with him.
At least the Feds were onto his activities.Could they bust him any day now?Could she stay hidden long enough for them to gather enough evidence to put him away for life?Another thought struck as she navigated the terrain.He could turn on his bosses in exchange for his own freedom.Would that place him in Witness Protection?Would that bring an end to his hunt for her?
She highly doubted it.The thought that he could be given a new identity and a new lease on life in exchange for testifying made her sick to her stomach.Or did he plan to snatch her before making a run for it?Force her to live in another country under an assumed name?He’d have to drug her.
The possibilities circled through her mind on a hamster wheel of hell.