Safe by His Side

Faster! She had to run faster or he would catch her. Thick old growth and trees forced her to return to the main trail. She ran as rapidly as she could, despite the fact that her legs felt like rubber and her head throbbed as though it might explode any minute.

Tripping and clutching at anything in her path for support, she didn’t look back. She couldn’t stop. Run! She had to run!

Kate’s lungs felt ready to burst. Her chest hurt. She gasped for air, but she couldn’t stop. She had to keep going.

What was that sound?

Louder…it got louder with every step she took. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood roared in her ears.

Water. It was only the river running alongside the trail.

Run, Kate, run. She pushed forward a little faster. Her entire body stung now from a lack of oxygen, but the desire for survival spurred her on.

What was that?

Kate shifted to look back, lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. It took a few moments for her mind to catch up with her sprawling body. Kate jerked herself up and turned around, fully expecting to find Raine towering over her.

There was no one or nothing there.

Kate shook herself, trying to shrug off the prickling feelings. She had to keep moving.

She moved swiftly but cautiously across a footbridge that was nothing more than a fallen tree with the top side hewn down flat. A primitive handrail provided support. After crossing the footbridge, she walked up the massive stone steps of a natural-rock formation. Under different circumstances, the formation might have captured her attention, but not now.

Right now she had to move as quickly as she could.

The steps took Kate through the huge rock and back to the trail. There was still no sound behind her. She smiled to herself. Undoubtedly Raine was still on the ground curled into a fetal position holding his pride and joy. She’d really nailed him good. He’d be in serious pain for a while yet.

Or maybe, she considered hopefully, he had decided going after her would be too much trouble and had already taken off in the car. Could she be that lucky?

Just to be sure the coast was still clear, Kate glanced over her shoulder once more as she started to run again. At first the sight of Raine moving swiftly toward her didn’t register in her brain—then suddenly it did.

He was only a few yards behind her. Kate lunged up the trail’s steadily climbing grade as fast as her weak body could take her. She couldn’t let him catch her.

Faster! She had to move faster!

The trail made a sudden left. Kate veered a bit too sharply and lost her balance. Raine’s powerful arms closed around her and they both tumbled to the ground.

They skidded to a grinding halt in the rocks and dirt. Kate struggled to free herself, but Raine pinned her to the ground with his full body weight.

“Let me go!” she yelled vehemently as she managed to grab a handful of his sandy hair.

A string of curses exploded from his mouth when he jerked her hand out of his hair. His eyes blazed like fire. He clenched his jaw so hard a muscle jumped furiously in his cheek as he immobilized her completely beneath his strong body.

Kate could do nothing now. The run and subsequent struggle had drained her already weak body.

For several seconds, neither moved or spoke. The only sound was the wind shifting through the trees and their ragged breathing. He felt hard and heavy on top of her. She watched his nostrils flare and that same muscle tic in his jaw. His mouth looked hard and grim. When their gazes collided, he tightened his hold on her wrists to a bruising intensity. For one fleeting instant sexual awareness sparked between them, strong and hot. Then it was gone, replaced by fury.

“Let me go,” Kate demanded once she’d caught her breath. Fear zipped through her at the possibility of what lay in store for her. He was really angry. A number of unpleasant scenarios flitted across her mind.

“I ought to do just that,” he growled as his blue gaze burned into hers. Kate could see the depth of the barely checked rage there. “You’re nothing but a pain in the ass—more trouble than you’re worth. I should just leave you for the cleanup team. That would put us both out of our misery.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate managed to say with the last bit of strength she could muster. “I want you to let me go.” Her entire body trembled as much from weakness as from fear of the man crushing her into the ground.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” His tone was cold and impatient, his piercing gaze ruthless. “They’ve seen you with me. You’re marked…history…dead meat.” With a frustrated exhale and a pained groan, Raine pushed himself up, pulling Kate up in the process.

Kate watched in confused disbelief as he dusted himself off and shoved the hair from his face. It pleased her immensely when Raine’s face paled slightly and his hand went to his stomach as a wave of nausea obviously hit him.

“Why should I believe you?” Kate crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. She was covered with dirt and her hair was a mess, but she didn’t care. She only wanted to get away from this man…this killer. Danny’s words replayed in her head. There’s no telling how many men he’s killed. Kate backed up a step. “I…I don’t believe anything you say,” she stammered.

“You know, I really don’t give a damn whether you believe me or not. If you think those guys we left back there weren’t for real, then maybe you’ve lost more than your memory.”

Kate tried to decide what to think. How could she know what was real and what was not—who she could trust and who she couldn’t? She didn’t even know who she was! Completely overwhelmed and scared out of her mind, she broke down and cried, real, soul-shattering sobs. She couldn’t take any more, she was truly at the end of her emotional rope.

“Don’t start that again.” Raine ran both hands through his hair and shifted uneasily.

“What am I supposed to do?” Kate gasped out between sobs. “You got me into this mess.”

Raine blew out a long breath, his eyes softened just a little as he took the step she’d retreated. “I know I got you into this mess.” He looked away for a moment before continuing. “You have to understand that as long as you’re with me and I’m breathing, I’ll keep you safe. But if you pull another stupid stunt—” Anger flared in his eyes again. “You could get us both killed.”

Kate’s knees went weak. He was right. She had no idea what was going on. She didn’t stand a chance without him. “Are you still going to take me with you?”

With a resigned sigh, he replied, “Yes.” His eyes locked with hers. “I just hope I don’t die regretting it.”

Relief flooded Kate at his response. She didn’t understand the situation, but she felt certain he did. She would just have to trust him to straighten things out.

“Thank you.” She swiped at her tears. “I promise I’ll do whatever you say from now on. You won’t regret it.”

“I already do.” Raine turned and headed back in the direction of the parking lot.

Kate combed her fingers through her mussed hair and let out a weary breath. Relief rushed through her, calming her frazzled nerves. She dusted the dirt from her clothes and started out after her less than saintly savior.

Raine stopped abruptly and turned around. He grabbed Kate by the shoulders and squeezed hard. His expression was stone cold as he stared into her eyes for a seemingly endless moment before he spoke. “But, I swear, if you do anything else that pisses me off, I’ll kill you myself.” With that said, he released her, turned and stalked away.

Judging by the look in his eyes, Kate had no doubt that he meant exactly what he’d said. She hugged herself tightly for a moment and watched his angry retreat.

He was crazy. He had to be. But, she was hopelessly at his mercy. Those other men were killers. It would take a killer to protect her from them, if everything he said was true. Kate had no alternative but to follow him and do whatever he told her.

And she did, still feeling dazed and brushing the dirt from her rumpled attire.

The last of the sun’s warmth showered down on them through the opening canopy of tree branches as they neared the parking area. Kate noticed that her breath fogged the cold air. She wondered, as she marched behind Raine like a prisoner being led to her execution, where in the world they were. She had no idea even what state they were in.

Without warning, Raine stopped and Kate smacked into his wide back. He motioned for her to keep quiet as he stepped closer to the edge of the woods and surveyed the parking lot.

Kate peeked around him. A uniformed man was inspecting their car—the car they’d left in the parking lot, she amended. It wasn’t really theirs, it belonged to the two goons. After the man in uniform circled the vehicle, he returned to his truck and spoke into his radio mike. He wasn’t a policeman. Kate strained to make out the markings on the truck.

A park ranger.

So they must be…she suddenly made out the rest of the words: Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A ranger! He could help them. If only… She looked at Raine.