gloom. He clearly did not expect Claire to be ready to face him head-on. She squeezed the trigger before he could swing his gun her way. He screamed in agony as the pepper spray shot out of the canister she held. A gun clattered at her feet. She kicked it, sending it flying across the cabin to land under the battered couch.
Roscoe, snuffling and sneezing from the mist in the air, leaped at the second man before he could enter the cramped space. He slammed him to the ground as his gun went off. The window next to the door shattered, spraying glass that narrowly missed Claire.
The first man clawed at his face, cursing and writhing in pain. The second man cried out, his gun falling to his side as Roscoe latched onto his forearm. The dog stood over him, teeth clenched tightly as the man tried to push him off.
Claire stepped out of the cabin and gasped, sucking in fresh air. Though she’d used the stickier, gel-type pepper spray, the fumes still lingered. She blinked hard a few times, clearing her vision but not allowing herself a moment to slow down.
“Heel!” Claire commanded after she grabbed the second gun and tossed it into the trees. Roscoe let go of his target and bounced to her side. Claire was ready. The moment Roscoe was out of her way, she shot off what was left of the pepper spray. The second man shrieked, his cries melding with his cohort’s.
A third figure, dressed in black, emerged from the tree line. He shouted something at her, probably her name, but it was mostly drowned out by the sound of her heartbeat crashing through her ears.
“Come.” She grated out the stern command, unwilling to let Roscoe go after the newest threat. These thugs worked for the man who’d had Jared, her husband, murdered. She knew they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a dog.
Claire took off at a dead run, circling to the backside of the cabin. She lacked brute strength and she was outnumbered. If she’d known there was a third henchman, one who was able to pursue her, she may have been tempted to keep the gun. It was too late now. She prayed she hadn’t made a grave mistake. She had God on her side. He had brought her this far, she was counting on Him to bring her the rest of the way.
Her hiking boots pounded across the thin edge of lawn before she charged full-speed into the thick copse of trees. The sun had just slipped past the horizon, plunging the world into the murky gray of twilight. Darkness would work to her advantage. She knew these woods. She’d already planned her escape through them.
Adrenaline spilled through her body, making it easy to push ahead. Her heart pounded chaotically and her spine tingled, anticipating a bullet at any moment. She knew the two men at her door would be down and out for several minutes. The third man posed an enormous threat.
She tore through the dense forest, dodging trees, leaping over fallen logs. Pine boughs and oak branches slapped at her, tore at her skin. Roscoe obediently raced alongside her.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. This had become her mantra. She was in about as deep as she could get. She was drowning in troubles but it gave her comfort to know she was never alone. He was always by her side.
She didn’t dare a glance over her shoulder. She couldn’t waste precious seconds by slowing down, and if she looked while running she’d likely crash into a tree. It didn’t matter. She didn’t need to look. Claire had no doubt she was being pursued. She didn’t have to see him to know. She could feel his presence behind her. This knowledge drove her to move even faster.
Her escape plan was on a constant loop, playing through her mind. Up ahead the woods were bisected by an overgrown logging trail. If she continued to run straight, she’d hit the trail eventually. The trail led to the gravel road that would ultimately spill onto a county road leading to the highway.
Freedom was within her reach.
If only she didn’t trip, crash into a tree or get shot in the back first.
“Claire!” The harshness of her name grated out in frustration caused a sharp whimper of surprise to bubble up in her throat. She hadn’t realized her pursuer was so close. Her skin broke out in a chilled sweat and it had nothing to do with exertion. Her legs burned, and her lungs ached. She couldn’t move any faster. Even if she made it to the logging trail, with her pursuer so close, she’d never have the extra minutes she desperately needed to get away.
Now that she was aware of his nearness, she could hear branches snapping and footsteps racing up behind her.
She winced, fully prepared to be taken down.
The man’s voice rang out again. Louder, clearer. Closer this time. “Roscoe! Come!”
The sharp command was like a mental punch to the gut. She whirled reflexively, nearly tripping over her own feet at the sound of the unexpected voice. It was doubtful Xavier’s men knew the name of her dog. Even more doubtful they’d take the time to toss out a command. Not when they had an arsenal at their disposal. And that voice... It caused her heart to rattle because it was so familiar. Yet impossible.
The dog yipped as his agile body changed course. He circled around, leaping up, plastering his feet against the chest of their pursuer. The man was prepared. He braced himself so the enormous dog didn’t take him down. One hand gripped the dog. The other hand gripped a firearm.
Roscoe’s massive form blocked Claire’s view of his face. But she’d caught a glimpse. Just a glimpse of that bronzed skin, the charcoal hair and those coffee-colored eyes.
Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. Maybe the stress she was under was messing with her mental state. Had she finally cracked under the pressure? Was she hallucinating? She felt she had to be.
Now that she’d skidded to a stop, her legs felt like rubber. She willed them to move. Taking a step backward, she didn’t take her eyes off the dog and man. Only a few seconds passed but it felt like an eternity before the man gently pushed the dog aside.
Roscoe landed on all fours with a disappointed whine.
She had been prepared, as prepared as she could have been, for Xavier’s men.
But as the weeks dragged by, she hadn’t prepared for herself for this. Hadn’t been prepared for him. His presence stole what little was left of her breath, leaving her gasping. Her already wobbly legs threatened to give out and send her toppling.
She might as well have been looking at a mirage because Alex Vasquez was the absolute last man she’d expected to see.
* * *
“Alex?” Claire gasped for breath as she pressed a hand against her chest. Her gaze slid over his shoulder, scanning the woods behind him. “What are you doing here? How...? Why...?”
“Your sister sent me.”
Her eyes widened at the mention of Beth.
“I don’t have time to explain.” He cast a glance over his shoulder, as well. He’d seen Claire take down two men. He couldn’t have been more impressed. But he knew they wouldn’t be down indefinitely. He would’ve liked to have incapacitated them, tied them up, let the law deal with them, but in doing so he would’ve lost Claire. He’d had to make a split-second judgment call. Chasing after her had definitely been the right choice. If he’d lost her, he was certain he wouldn’t have found her again. “We need to get out of here.”
Claire pivoted and took off again. He jogged after her.
“I have a vehicle parked back there,” he explained. “We need to loop around the cabin, keep a wide berth and head to the west.”
“And risk running into Xavier’s men again? No.” Her tone was firm.
“What do you suggest we do?” He wasn’t really expecting an answer, but he was on board with putting more distance between them and the men. It would be dark soon. Nighttime would offer them the cover they needed to skirt back around, as he’d suggested.
He easily kept pace with her, though she was moving at a steady clip.
She shot him a look that was full of questions.