Page 28 of Fighting for Ella

Too terrifying.

She felt trapped all over again, only this time in a different way than being locked in Raul’s house.

“The tracker, activate the tracker,” she told herself aloud just to break the crushing silence.

Her fingers fumbled as she found the tracker she’d hidden in a cute tiara ring she always wore. It looked too small to fit a tracker, and since it was a simple piece of jewelry, she’d hoped that Raul’s men wouldn't remove it if they decided to search her.

With the tracker activated, she spun in a slow circle.

What should she do now?

Keep running?

Wait for Miguel?

What if he never came?

What if he was already dead?

Don’t be dead.

Please, don’t be dead.

“Told you to hide, honey.”

The voice startled a squawk out of her, and she spun around to see Miguel standing right behind her. How had he done that? How had he snuck right up behind her without her even realizing it? Probably the same way he’d tricked her when she thought she lost him by hiding in the tree and never noticed that he was following her the entire time.

Ignoring the reprimand in his voice, Ella just threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and clinging to him. He was alive. The relief at knowing he’d escaped, too, was almost overwhelming, and not just because she needed him to get her out of there alive.

Because he’d been kind to her when he hadn't had to. He’d killed for her on two occasions. He’d been willing to sacrifice his life to give her a chance.

“You're alive,” she whispered, burying her face against his neck.

Slowly, his arms came up to hold her, and he gave her a tight squeeze. “Course. Wasn’t going to leave you alone out here,” he said, tone light-hearted, but she could feel the tension in his body.

That wasn’t all she could feel.

This position was more intimate than she’d realized when she threw herself at him. In the moment, all she cared about was holding onto the man who would have made the ultimate sacrifice for her without giving it a second thought. Now that she was in his arms, she could feel the hardening ridge of an erection nestled right against the part of her that had been violated earlier.

A wave of panic at the thought of anyone touching her there ever again was chased away by a wave of desire for this man and this man only. Another wave of panic followed in its wake as she remembered the feel of the guard’s finger forcing its way inside her, and she quickly pushed at Miguel’s shoulders, needing to not be touched right now.

Like he seemed so good at reading her, he set her on her feet and even took a step back to give her space.

“Sorry,” she murmured, completely mortified. Ella wasn’t even sure what she was apologizing for. For almost getting him killed? For implying he was like the man who would have raped her? For throwing herself at him? For reacting to his touch?

“Hey, you don’t have anything to be sorry about, you’ve had a hell of a last couple of days,” Miguel spoke in that soothing tone that actually seemed to work at calming her nerves.

Just as she was about to thank him for what he’d done in the bathroom and just now at the fence, he stiffened and spun around.

A second too late.

Another bang.

Another gunshot.

This one must have hit its target if the grunt of pain from Miguel was anything to go by.

Something dark and deadly stirred inside her.

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