Page 61 of Saved By the Mountain Man

Out of nowhere, a figure emerged from the trees and launched over me. I expected a hit, the final blow, for them to whisk Rae away and probably kill me.

But this guy tackled my assailant instead, and they started fighting. The figure was a blur at first, moving with fluid grace, military training evident in every calculated strike. He took down the man pinning me with a swift, decisive blow.

“Bear?” I gasped, struggling to my feet when the old mountain man turned to me and grinned through his beard. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced at Rae and shrugged. She stumbled into me, and I held onto her so that she wouldn’t fall.

“Found some files in the forest,” Bear said, looking at Rae when he did. “Looked like the storm dislodged them and washed them in my direction. They looked important, so I did some research. Put two and two together when I saw your full name.” He glanced back at me again. “I was going to come talk to you when I saw you heading after Rae and followed. Saw her getting taken and tracked the license plate.”

Rae looked at him, confused. I couldn’t believe it, either. I’d always been alone, battling shit on my own because it was safer.

At least, that was what I’d believed. But on my own, I would have been a goner for sure. Bear had saved me.

“That’s some sensitive information you got in those files,” Bear said to Rae. “I’m assuming that’s what all this is about.” He waved a hand at the warehouse.

“Did you show anyone else?” she asked.

“Your secrets are safe with me, Rae,” he said gravely. “But we should get you to safety, too.” His voice was gentle when he talked to her and his eyes warm. He was such a great guy. I owed so much to him. Even more now.

“Thank you,” Rae breathed.

“No time for thanks,” Bear said, scanning the area. “We need to move.”

We turned, but like bees out of a hive, a whole bunch of henchmen poured from the warehouse.

Damn it, how many people had this guy brought to take out one woman?

Bear and I fought the attackers as they reached us, our movements like a dance. We moved with our backs to each other so that no one could take us by surprise.

A thug lunged at me with a knife, and I sidestepped, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back with a horrible crack. He cried out, dropping the knife, and I kicked it away before punching him in the jaw, sending him to the ground.

Bear was a blur of motion next to me. He disarmed one attacker with an easy sweep of his leg, then spun and delivered a crushing blow to another’s solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. Another man rushed at Bear, but I stepped up and landed a series of punches to his torso before slamming my elbow into his temple, knocking him out.

The forest echoed with the sounds of our fighting—the grunts of exertion, the thuds of bodies hitting the ground, the sharp intakes of breath. Despite the hell we were in, we kept fighting. Each man we took down seemed to make room for another one, but I wasn’t going to give in, and Bear didn’t look like he wanted to surrender, either.

Bear took down another guy with a jab to the throat and then a knee to the stomach. I glanced over just in time to see a thug sneaking up behind him with a metal pipe. I grabbed a fallen branch and swung it with everything I had, connecting with a shoulder and knocking him off balance. Bear finished him with a kick to the head.

But then, everything seemed to slow down. In the middle of the chaos, I saw Jethro coming out of the shadows, his eyes wild. Before I could do something, he grabbed Rae, yanking her against his body and pressed a gun to her temple. My heart stopped, terror flooding my veins.

“Stop!” Jethro shouted, his voice echoing all around us. “Or I’ll kill her.”

Bear and I froze, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as we stared at him. Rae’s eyes were wide with fear, her face pale, and tears rolled over her cheeks. A cold sweat broke out across my skin, the weight of the situation crashing down on me. I couldn’t lose her.

Not now.

Not ever.

“Let her go, Jethro,” I demanded, my voice trembling, and I hated how weak I sounded. “Leave her out of it.”

Jethro laughed, a cruel, merciless sound. “She made her choice when she took those files.”

Rae winced as Jethro tightened his grip, the gun pressing harder against her temple, biting into her skin. Jethro’s finger was on the trigger. It would take less than a breath and she would be dead.

My mind raced, trying to think of a way to save her, to get us all out of this alive. But every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, the fear of losing her paralyzing me.

The sound of police sirens sliced through the air. Relief and dread washed over me at the same time. The authorities were finally here, but would they arrive in time to save Rae?

Jethro’s eyes flickered with uncertainty as the sirens grew louder, closing in on our location. He glanced around, realizing that his time was running out. For a moment, his grip on Rae loosened slightly, and I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes.

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