Page 35 of Line of Resistance

“I’m not the one who showed up tonight and decided to make everything even weirder.” She started grabbing the items around them, stuffing them into her bag before shifting around the blanket and the sleeping bag. “I was doing just fine out here all by myself. I have food and water. I would have been okay for a few days.” She scooted away from him, putting as much space between their bodies as possible as she fought with the mess of supplies, wadding the majority of it up in her arms as she wiggled away. “But now I’ve gotta sit here with you and listen to you explain all the reasons you’re not interested in me while you pretend like I’m not the problem.”

“You’re not the problem.” He grabbed the bag, a little upset she was trying to put so much between them—physically and emotionally—right when they were starting to genuinely know each other. “I’m the fucking problem. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” He snatched away the blanket, shoving it into the bag so she would have less to use as a barrier. “I like you, Eloise. I think you’re funny and smart and kind and sexy as fuck, but if shit goes wrong between us, I’m the one who’s going to be left out in the cold.” He leaned closer, lining his eyes with hers so she would be forced to see the truth he was offering. “Tyson and Naomi and everyone else at Alaskan Security love you. They will keep you around and I will be the one shoved to the side. I’ll be left with nothing and no one. Again.”

Eloise stopped, her dark eyes barely widening as the hard line of her jaw softened. “Again?”

He opened his mouth, fully intending to lay himself bare in a way he’d never done before so she would see the reality of his situation. The decision he had to make. But an odd pinging sound cut them off. It was completely unexpected and eerily familiar. It came again, and this time there was no mistaking the metallic edge.

“Shit.” Nate grabbed Eloise, hauling her toward him. One hand splayed across the back of her head, shoving her down right as the first bullet cut through the side window, spreading cracks racing across the glass like spiderwebs.

Someone was fucking shooting at them.

He leaned against the side door, pulling the handle and tumbling out into the night, dragging Eloise and his weapon with him as they rolled through the snow, tumbling down the slope and toward the heavy tree line.

This was bad. Real, fucking bad.

The bullets continued to pierce both SUVs as he collected the large, canvas-backed blanket that tumbled out with them. He flipped it flannel side out and flung it around Eloise, hoping the light blue fabric would camouflage her dark clothing. Scooping up the bag and sleeping bag she’d managed to hang onto, he clamped them under one arm before wrapping the other around Eloise’s waist and all but carrying her into the thick clog of fir trees. It was the only cover available and offered little more than patchy concealment, but it was still better than being stranded out in the open.

He paused behind one of the thickest trees, lining their bodies behind the trunk as he held his breath and listened.

Eloise’s hands fisted in his shirt but she didn’t make a sound. Even the fog of her exhales stopped, proving she was far more experienced in the outdoors than she let on.

When the sound of voices carried down the hill, Eloise’s eyes lifted to meet his. He’d been in situations like this before, but never with someone he genuinely cared about in tow. Everyone he protected paid for his services so he was concerned for their well-being in the general sense, but not much beyond that.

The thought of something happening to Eloise, especially if he was the cause of it, added a layer of tension that made it difficult to find clarity. To rely on the years of training Pierce paid him so well for.

Because his first instinct was to run. To get Eloise as far from here as possible. Away from whoever was on the roadway. But doing that would create a commotion. Generate movement that would give away their location and make them easier to see, especially Eloise. The blanket wrapped around her body helped, but one wrong move and her dark hair and dress would put a bullseye on her back.

As much as he hated it with every fiber of his being, the best option was to hold his ground. To remain still.

Nate leaned closer, pinning Eloise tighter to the tree, using his body to cover as much of hers as possible as he wrapped the light-colored blanket tighter against her thick dark hair and deep grey coat.

Eloise gasped softly as his body pressed into hers. The sound was a dangerous one and it threatened more than just their ability to stay hidden.

Nate leaned closer, bringing his lips against the shell of her ear before speaking as softly as possible. “Be as quiet as you can.”

Eloise nodded her head, but she didn’t make another sound. Unfortunately her silence came too late to save his sanity. His mind was already replaying that single soft gasp over and over and every inch of him was desperate to hear it again. To figure out how to drag the same sound from her out of something other than fear.

It was yet another distraction he didn’t need. Never in his life had he struggled to find focus in a moment like this, but with his body lined against Eloise’s lush curves, breathing in her scent with every slow inhale, he was struggling to think of anything but her.

It was a huge fucking problem.

The voices on the other side of the tree line got a little louder, finally pulling his focus from the woman against him. Eloise’s hands twisted tighter in his shirt, her body going stiff as she buried her face against his chest.

He hated finding any sort of pleasure in her terror, but it was impossible to ignore how fucking amazing it felt having her clinging to him like this. Looking to him for comfort. For safety. He’d wanted to be needed this way for so long and it was like getting the first hit of a drug you’d never be able to quit.

He instantly needed more. Would do whatever it took to get it.

“It’s okay.” He skimmed his fingers over the chilly skin of her cheek, wanting to soothe her, pretending it wasn’t also a self-serving act. “We just need to wait them out.”

It seemed plausible. It was possible whoever shot their cars didn’t realize they were occupied. Maybe it was just a couple of punk kids out to fuck up anything they could and they would move on when their rage was satiated.

As long as no one looked too hard at the snow on the shoulder, they might not even realize they were there. The chances were slim, but not none.

Eloise stood perfectly still, clinging to him as the seconds ticked past, dragging out into minutes. The sounds coming from the road continued but were difficult to identify. A collection of hushed voices and engines made it impossible to know what was happening.

Or what might be headed their way.

After what felt like an eternity, everything went silent. Quiet enough he could hear the falling snow as it started to come down again.

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