Page 20 of Guarded from Havoc

This need to keep her safe.

Not just that, but to comfort her. To reassure her that everything’s going to be okay. That I’ll get her back home safely. That before she knows it, her life will return to normal again.

I don’t want to see the tears brimming in her eyes. Or how her face keeps twisting as she works to keep from crying. I don’t want to keep glancing over at her, seeing that gruesome bruise on her cheek as a terrible reminder of what happened back at my cabin. I don’t want to hear her tremulous whisper because she’s too scared to speak any louder.

This shouldn’t be happening to her.

And I can’t help feeling like it’s all my fault.

They came to my cabin, after all. Not hers.

And of the two of us, who’s more likely to have enemies? Sweet Tatum, who lives in the middle of nowhere and works as a property manager for a small vacation rental company? Or me—former Special Forces and current member of Blade and Arrow Security, who’s come face to face with more evil than I like to think about?

It wouldn’t be the first time one of us was targeted because of our past.

But I’m prepared for it. I accepted the possible repercussions when I enlisted, and again when I joined Blade and Arrow, feeling the reward far outweighed the risk.

Tatum, though? She shouldn’t be a part of it.

Shit. If only I’d known, I would have taken the bags she thoughtfully packed for me and sent her on her way. I never would have invited her inside. Wouldn’t have suggested sharing the sandwiches she brought over. I wouldn’t have let myself consider the possibility of getting to know her any more than I did already.

But damn it, Iwantedto spend time with her. After years of staying single by choice, of occasional one-night-hookups in San Antonio without any expectations of commitment, of focusing on my job and my friends, for the first time, I met a woman who truly interested me.

Not just because she’s beautiful, although she most definitely is. With her golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes and delicate features that brighten whenever she smiles, she reminds me a bit of the princesses in the books my mother used to read to me when I was little. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Rapunzel, except with shorter hair.

But she just has thisgoodnessabout her. I saw it when I first met her during our morning hike, when she could have easily turned around and gone the opposite way, like many women would have understandably done. I know I intimidate some people, with my height and size and constant alertness that can be construed as danger.

I wouldn’t have blamed Tatum for detouring around me. But she didn’t. She slowed for only a few seconds before continuing towards me, introducing herself and offering to help if I had any questions about the area. And as we talked—just for a few minutes, though afterwards, I wished it were longer—she was so damnsweet. Kind. Interested in what I had to say. She seemed like she really wanted to know more about me instead of just asking to be polite.

And then last night, when she showed up unexpectedly at my cabin… Though practicality told me it couldn’t go anywhere,that I was only staying at the cabin for a few more days before returning to Texas, I couldn’t say goodbye without at least asking her to stay.

Now look where my selfish impulse got her. Hurt. Terrified. In danger.

Tatum’s nails dig into my palm, jerking my thoughts back to the present. Silently, I curse myself for even allowing my mind to wander for a second. Of all people, I should know just how treacherous a lack of focus can be. Especially when I have someone else relying on me.

I give her hand a little squeeze as I lower my mouth to her ear. “It’s okay,” I tell her quietly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But…” She casts another quick look around us. “If someone hears us… Or… What if the cameras…”

I haven’t spotted any more cameras since the one I noticed where we first woke up. But I’m not presuming that to mean there aren’t more of them—not with the thick swathes of trees providing so many hiding places. There are so many opportunities for a tiny camera to be tucked away, secretly recording our every move.

Could they be recording our voices, too? Possibly. But given what I know about security systems, I think it’s highly unlikely that our whispers could be picked up with any reliability. Honestly, at this point, I’m more concerned about attracting the attention of more men like the one we just ran into. Real-life people with weapons instead of faceless ones on the other end of a tiny surveillance camera.

Am I concerned about them, too? Of course. Because the people watching are the ones behind this fucking mess. They’re the ones responsible for putting us here. For the tripwire. The gunfire, most likely. And for whatever other dangers await us as we move through the woods.

But traps are stationary. They can be spotted. Avoided.

A man covered in blood sprinting towards us with a rock in his hand? A rock he fully intended to use as a weapon? A rock he could have thrown at Tatum, injuring her badly?

That, I’m more worried about.

“If there are cameras nearby,” I murmur, “I don’t think they could hear us talking like this. But.” I pause, scanning our surroundings again. “We do need to be careful how much noise we make walking. With all the branches on the ground… and if there’s someone else out there…”

Tatum pales and clutches my hand harder. “Do you think there are more people out here? Are they trying to escape, like we are? Or are they trying to find us?Hurtus?”

“I don’t know,” I reply. “But one thing I learned from my years in the Army is to always be prepared for the worst. Hopefully, we won’t run into anyone else. We’ll find our way out of here and before you know it, you’ll be back home. Safe. Putting this nightmare behind you.”

Tatum shoots me a disbelieving look, and in hindsight, I can’t really blame her.

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