Page 128 of Obsession

“You say his name isn’t on the deed for this land?” Sam asked. He looked in his rearview mirror to make sure Nate’s deputies were behind him.

Beside him, his father shook his head. “He said he represented a holding company.”

If it hadn’t been for his dad, Sam doubted they would have ever found the property.

“There!” his dad said when the SUV headlights picked up a side road. “Turn there.”

The road wasn’t much bigger than a path. Certainly not big enough for two cars if they met someone. They rounded a curve and Sam slammed on the brakes. They’d almost plowed into a pickup truck.

74

Corey’s shoulder throbbed. He couldn’t believe Emma was like the others. Where was she? He’d grabbed the nightscope he kept in his truck and lifted it to his eyes, scanning the area. Nothing moved. He thought about attaching a thermal scope, but the woods were too thick.

A north wind blew, chilling him. Emma didn’t have on a coat, so she would probably move soon. And when she did, he’d have her.

Emma braced against the tree with the tire iron still in her left hand. She’d run until she could run no more. Her feet hurt. And she was cold. She edged around the tree. Corey was to her left and down from her. He had a gun, maybe even a nightscope. That’s the only way he could have tracked her. If he did and she moved, he would see her. How did he move through the woods so silently? She peeked again.

He was gone. Her heart leaped into her throat. Where was he? If she threw the tire iron and then ran in the opposite direction, she would have nothing to protect herself with. If she could just find something, a branch, anything.

Emma knelt and ran her hand over the ground. Her fingers closed in on something smooth and hard. A rock. Using the sharp end of the tire iron, she dug around it and tried to pry it loose.Once she had it loose, she transferred the rod to her weaker hand. Which way to throw the rock? She had no idea where she was or how to get back to the main road.

Doing something was better than waiting for him to find her, and she drew the rock back to throw it.

“Drop it.”

Her heart almost stopped. He stood not ten yards away.

“Emma!” The shout came in the opposite direction from Corey.

That was Sam’s voice! She jerked her head toward the voice. “He has a gun!”

Had Sam heard her?

Corey’s hand closed on her shoulder. He held a pistol to her head. “You will never get away from me. Now drop the tire iron!”

She dropped it but still held the rock in her good hand. “Why, Corey?”

“You’re mine. If I can’t have you, no one can. But right now, you’re my insurance. Now walk.”

He pushed her toward a clearing. When she stumbled, he jerked her up and she swung the rock, hitting his head. Corey went to his knees, and she took off running again, this time toward the voices. “Sam! Where are you?”

Corey grabbed her ankle, bringing her down. Seconds later he stood over her. “Do that again and I’ll kill you. Now get up.”

Corey used a scope to scan the area. “This way.”

They walked, getting farther and farther away from the voices, until they came to a road. “To the left,” he said.

At least walking was easier here. “Where are we going?”

“You don’t need to know.”

She could barely get her breath, but Corey wasn’t even breathing hard. Why hadn’t Sam found her? Emma tried to slow down, but Corey nudged her with the barrel of his gun. After they’d walked for what seemed like miles, a cabin came into view. Who would build a home in the middle of this wilderness? She heard water lapping against land. The Mississippi River?

“Too bad you didn’t want me. This could have been yours.”

“Are we stopping here?”

“You ask too many questions.” He turned and cocked his head toward the path they’d just taken. “Where did they go?” he murmured.

---