Page 23 of Thirst in the Mountains

“Please, Emmanuel,” she says, clutching her hands together as she steps back from my car. “He’s my best friend in the whole world.”

She’s terrified. The poor thing is shaking.

“You can count on me.”

It’s the last thing I say before I turn my lights and siren on, and haul ass toward the highway.

I’m going to make this evil fucker pay for making my girl cry. He pissed off the wrong motherfucking cop.

Cara and Henry are working tonight, but I don’t call them for backup. This one is all mine.

I’m not going as Police Officer Rush.

I’m going as her man.

And I don’t wantanywitnesses.

My cruiser fishtails as I take a corner hard, sirens blaring through the quiet mountain town. I’m already doing eighty by the time I arrive at the ramp to the highway.

I’m going to catch up to this bastard if it’s the last thing I do.

The dark highway stretches out ahead of me, long and empty under the moonlight. I grip the wheel tight and hit the gas. The engine roars as I fly forward.

“I’m coming for you, asshole.”

Lucy is a sweetheart. She doesn’t deserve this.

She deserves peace. She deserves a life where she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder every five minutes. She deserves a man who’ll burn the world down before he lets anyone hurt her.

I’ll be that man for her. I’ll be her protector.

I’ll keep her safe from the world forever.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Lucy

“Sandra!” I shout as I burst through the door. “Sandra!”

She comes rushing over with tears in her puffy eyes. Even Rocky looks devastated as he runs over with his head hung low and his tail between his legs.

“I’m so sorry,” she says between sobs. “I didn’t know he was out there.”

I wrap my arms around her and cry too, hoping my best friend is okay.

“Did you call the police?” she asks, pulling away from me.

“Emmanuel is on it,” I say, feeling a burst of optimism just thinking about the intensity in his eyes when I told him what happened.

If anyone can get Cutter back, it’s him.

CHAPTERNINE

Emmanuel

Isqueeze the steering wheel when I see the bastard a half mile ahead—huge Escalade with the patchy camo wrap, like that’s gonna hide him from me.

My lights are off. My siren quiet.

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