Page 159 of Bodyguard By Night

Ransom

Just Stay Put, Dammit

I booked it down the hill. Every gravelly punch to my knees made me angrier. I didn’t care how much it cost to pave this drive, it would be done this year.

After I killed Willow.

I got around the break in the trees and all my muscles clenched tight. Why the hell had she stopped?

Glimpsing the open door caused me to pick up speed. What the hell was she thinking running from me? I shouldn’t have freaking told her.

The itch between my shoulder blades burned. Not my lungs. I could run for days, but something was wrong.

“Willow!” My throat was on fire from yelling her name.

A glint of something came through the trees, then a swath of red hair on the ground seemed to glow in the darkness. I skidded down the steep incline at the bottom of my property, hopping over stones and old tree stumps.

A figure in a dark hoodie and dark jeans crouched over her.

“Hey!”

He looked up, the hood dipping low over his face. Something flashed in his hand just before he tried to lift her.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” I snarled.

I was no better than a rabid animal, ready to rip out this bastard’s throat for even daring to step on my land.

As he scrambled back, whatever he held in his hand fell to the ground.

His head whipped between her and the weapon.

Jesus, aweapon.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” I got to the end of the truck and slapped on the metal back panel.

He snatched the weapon and sprinted for his car.

I ran right to Willow and carefully lifted her head to rest on my leg. “Chaos. Please, please.” Flashbacks of Jones slammed into me, and for an instant, the blood from my friend transferred to her pale, freckled skin.“Willow.”

The car fishtailed on its way off my property, and I managed to drag my attention away from her long enough to look up. A quick shake of my head dislodged my brain from the past, giving me enough clarity to finally focus and look for a tag.

The license plate was missing off the back of the car.

“Fuck.” I crouched over her, protecting her with my body even if that was all I could give her right now. “Chaos,” I whispered. “Come back to me.”

She moaned, lifting her hand to weakly grip the back of my shirt.

“Thank God.” I moved her hair and saw the burn mark at the back of her neck.

Taser.Thank God.

As awful as it was, I was so grateful it hadn’t been a gun.

“Mmm.Ransom?” Her voice was groggy.

“It’s okay. Take it slow.”

“What the hell hit me?”

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