Page 85 of Unlawful Seduction

“They’re beautiful,” she whispered, remaining close to me as she peered out at the extensive clearing. A family of deer was nibbling off some fallen foliage near the edge of the woods.

The snow created a blank space, no sight of anything including wreckage, but we were able to catch a glimpse of the mountains.

“The area is gorgeous,” she said under her breath as she flanked my side.

“Yeah, that may be true, but we’re all sitting ducks at this point. Stay alert.”

“I am,” she whispered, her tone filled with anxiety.

The chill in the air was biting, wind kicking up from the incoming backside of the storm. Seven miles to get off the damn mountain. Seven. Not fifty. Yet the situation seemed dire.

We weaved our way through the trees, the light beginning to fade into darkness. When we both heard a distinctive sound, I gripped her arm, nuzzling into her ear. “You’re going to run. Do not stray from the path. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Yes.”

We took off running. I muddled our path, shifting back and forth to try to keep the tail from finding us. I needed a few minutes inside the hidden shed alone.

By the time we reached the locked secure building, my instinct told me there were at least four of them. The bounty on my head was higher than I’d expected. I almost grinned at how much I was worth.

Twilight had settled in, the cloud cover creating a series of ominous shadows. I’d always enjoyed them before, but the shapeless forms held hiding places, chances for the fuckers determined to end my life to lie in wait.

I’d been a fucking fool to think I could ever find normalcy again. I’d gone after the wrong men, believing I could beat them at their own game. Lesson learned. I had to be even more cunning and ruthless than they were.

From what I could tell, the building hadn’t been found and the lock was intact. A little luck was on our side.

“We need to hurry. They’re coming.” I tried to keep all emotion from my voice, but it was impossible to keep anger from reaching the surface. Thankfully, Jax remained quiet. He’d been trained for something exactly like this occurring. However, the pup was exhausted, worn out from the day’s adventure. Getting him down the mountain would be another challenge.

I swung our gear onto the back, wasting no time tying it down. All the while, Mallory was studying me, her body shaking. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her, telling her everything would be okay, but at this point, I was having doubts that it would be.

I grabbed the harness I’d created several months before, worried something of this nature would happen. “Put this on.”

“Why?”

“Because Jax isn’t strong enough to run down the mountain himself. You’re strapping him to your chest. It’s the only way to keep both of you safe.”

She darted her eyes down to Jax who was staring at her with adoration in his. I would have enjoyed the touching moment had there been more time. My gut told me the fuckers were closing in.

I lifted Jax, instructing her how to tighten the harness. Other than a single whine, Jax didn’t complain or try to break free. Her breathing remained ragged and as soon as the last clamp was in place, I cupped her face.

“We’ll be fine. Seven miles and we’re off the mountain.”

She tried to smile, but it waned. “Just tell me one thing. How did you save the woman? What happened?”

Huffing, I heard a sound and every muscle tightened. “I was sent to kill her for theft. What I found was a single mother struggling to make ends meet because the man who’d spawned her child had no fucking decency inside of him. I gave her a new life and ended his.”

“Who was he?”

“Don Valenti’s soon to be son-in-law. He was also once my best friend.” We were done talking. I lifted and placed her onto the seat, turning out the light and opening the shed door as quietly as possible. “Mask on. Whatever happens, stay with Jax. He will make certain you get to safety. Do you understand me?”

“Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“Just promise me, Mallory. Get off this mountain. Stay with Jax. He’ll guide the way.”

“Okay. Fine. But you’re scaring me.”

“Good.” Jax would know what to do. He was a good boy. He was the best boy. He’d keep her protected.

I grabbed a third set of goggles. There was even one for Jax. I waited until she adjusted both, making a plan of how I’d head off the property. After moving to the location, I’d forged a different path in case something like this occurred. It could be tricky to get to, but once there, the path down would be shorter. I slung the holster of the crossbow across my chest, snagging the bag of ammunition as well. We certainly couldn’t be too weapon-heavy.

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