Page 57 of Ranger Belief
He’d broken down every one of her barriers. Wormed his way into her heart day-by-day. A friendly ear to tell her problems to, gift packages when they were apart, vacations taken together, long talks late at night.
Holding her hand at her mother’s funeral. Her sister’s wedding. Asher’s birth.
Birthdays. Christmases. Attending church together.
There wasn’t one major incident in her life in the last ten years Jonah hadn’t been a part of. The good and the bad.
She loved him. And she’d allowed fear to hold her back. Fear of abandonment. Fear of the future. Fear of truly handing him her heart and trusting that he would keep it safe. Laney had thought nothing could be worse than loving Jonah and losing him. But there was worse.
It was losing Jonah without him ever knowing how much he meant to her.
“Did you hear the gunshots?” Garrett asked gleefully, pulling her back into the present. Into this living, breathing nightmare she was facing. “Normally I like to kill a woman’s significant other in front of her, but you and Jonah proved to be a challenge.”
Laney eased one of the hands trapped next to her body down to the ground. She clawed at the gravel and dirt. “You tried to shoot Jonah at my cabin. You put the rabbit on the porch for him.”
“Good job. You figured it out.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brett lying motionless. “Brett?”
“A useful idiot. He had no idea what he’d stumbled into. And while I’d love to spend our time talking about my escapades, the clock is ticking. It may take the deputies a while to find us, but it won’t take all night.” He pouted. “Unfortunately. You are exquisite.” His hand came around her throat, and he squeezed lightly. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.” His licentious smile twisted her stomach. “After I’ve had my fun, of course.”
His gaze dropped to the buttons on her uniform. He reached for the first one.
Laney knew she had seconds to act. Garrett’s position pinning her arms gave him control of her upper body, but in his arrogance, he'd left her legs free. Drawing on her militarycombat training, she bent her knees sharply, pulling her legs up toward her chest. In the split second Garrett glanced down at the movement, she thrust her hips upward, creating just enough space to whip both legs around his neck. She locked her ankles behind his head, using her core muscles to tighten the grip.
Garrett’s eyes widened in shock as she twisted her body violently to the side. The sudden shift in weight and leverage sent him toppling off her. His hands clawed at her legs, trying to break her hold, but she increased the pressure, using her thighs to cut off blood flow to his brain. He thrashed. She kept the hold, knowing that it would take time for him to lose consciousness.
And then his fingers wrapped around her injured ankle. White-hot pain exploded through her as he crushed the delicate bones with a bruising grip. She screamed and lost her hold on him.
Garrett scrambled away, coughing and choking, curse words eking past his lips.
Laney's own breathing was ragged as she struggled to her feet. She scooped up little Alli and turned to run when a hand locked on her uninjured leg. She spun with a solid round kick to the head, followed it with a groin shot, and then for good measure threw the dirt and rocks in her hands at his face.
Garrett fell back.
She ran.
Fiery agony burst from her ankle with every step. She feared it might be broken. Adrenaline kept her from succumbing to the pain. Her heart thundered as she ducked into the shelter of the trees. Roots and thick branches slowed her progress, but the thick foliage made her and Alli harder to find. Soon—far too soon—she heard Garrett’s thundering footsteps behind her.
“I’m gonna kill you, Laney.”
Terror rocketed through her. It sounded as if he was close. The weight of Alli’s little body in her arms was a reminder ofwhat could happen if she failed. Garrett was merciless. Laney didn’t believe for a moment he wouldn’t kill Alli. She was a witness.
And that’s exactly why Garrett had targeted her. At least initially.
Until obsession took over.
Chest heaving, Laney plowed ahead. Pine needles smacked her face, and burrs tugged at her clothes. She tried to quiet her steps while still keeping up a quick pace, but it was hard.
Lightning burst overhead. The woods became as bright as day. Movement to the left caught Laney’s attention. She whirled in time to see Garrett moving towards her. He held her gun. “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you and the little girl.”
She froze. Her mind whirled, trying to figure a way out of this, but every option put Alli at risk.
Suddenly the bushes next to her vibrated, and a blur of fur and motion whipped past Laney and leaped toward Garrett. He screamed. Laney turned to bolt when another form, this one much larger, burst out of the trees. Large hands grabbed Laney’s shoulders. She began to resist when a voice said, “Take cover with Alli.”
Her knees went weak with relief.
Jonah!
