Extreme Exposure (6 page)

When she turned around to face him, that stubborn lift was back in her chin. “I owe it to Amber to figure out what happened.”

“How are you supposed to figure it out, especially if the police can’t?”

“Can’t or won’t? Even if I disappear, they’ll find me.”

It was as if she hadn’t heard him at all. She was calm again, her tone resolute. How could he possibly talk some sense into her? He had to try.

“I can help you disappear.”

Stopping, she squinted at him. “What do you mean?”

“I could help you find another place to live. You’d get a new identity, start over. They’d never find you.”

The look on her face was skeptical. “How?”

“I once helped a woman get away from her husband. He would have killed her if she hadn’t. It’s not easy, especially in the Internet age, but it can be done.” He still kept in touch with the woman. She was still fine, her daughter growing up without an abusive father. Emily could have that chance, too. All she had to do was ask.

He said, “Before, you were ready to leave your family, your job?”

“For a little while, but not forever. To tell you the truth, if it were just my family and my job, I could do it. Especially now that Amber is dead.”

“What about your mom?”

“We could figure out a way to see each other once in a while.”

“She wouldn’t mind that?”

She shrugged. “I think once in a while would suit her just fine. We’re not terribly close. She’s pretty well known in town, has lots of friends. And she has a boyfriend. He’s a judge. They’re a power couple. Besides, I might be putting her in danger just by sticking around.”

Walking again, he said, “What about your job?”

“I work as a chef at my mother’s hotel. It’s only temporary. I did a year of law school. I’m thinking of going back. Harold, that’s my mom’s boyfriend, actually sparked my interest in law. I can’t be a lawyer if I disappear.”

With forced restraint, he said, “You can’t be a lawyer if you’re dead.” The gutsy determination he’d earlier found so appealing was now irritating him even more. The thought of the risk she was taking sent a chill up his spine. How could he get through to her?

Turning around to see if his words had hit home, that determined look in her eyes was even stronger. Underneath it all, she was probably scared as hell, but it was as if she had made up her mind and nothing would change it.

She said, “I am not your problem, Matt, as much as you want me to be. I answered your questions, but that’s all. It doesn’t mean I want you to fix my problems.”

“You became my problem when I fished you out of the water this morning.”

“You did your duty. I thanked you for that. But what I do from here on in is my business.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Maybe I do have trust issues.” Her eyes darkened. “But I know I want to do this alone. That way if it doesn’t work out, I only have myself to blame.” She tightened her lips. “I don’t want to debate this anymore. We’re just wasting time.”

Balling his hands into fists, he resisted the urge to grab her shoulders and shake her. She knew the risk, but it didn’t matter. And she was doing anything she could to push him away. Why? It made no sense.

Unless she really was the crankiest, most stubborn person he’d ever met. Or her dislike of him was that intense.

Man, she pissed him off. He welcomed the anger, knowing if they had any chance of getting out of this alive, the anger was better than the desperate ache of his desire.

Turning around, he picked up the pace, knowing her shorter legs would have to do double time to keep up with his long strides.

First things first. It wouldn’t matter if he couldn’t get her to Egerton alive. When those guys found out they weren’t headed for the road, what would they do? They would get a boat and head out on the cove.

They were totally screwed.

If they somehow made it to Egerton, against all odds, what then? She was reckless enough to go back to Riverton.

What about him? Could he abandon her to those murderers?

Or would he be the bigger fool and take her to Riverton? Would she even let him?

*  *  *

Emily could feel the tension radiate off Matt as he shot off down toward the cove. It was as if he had some sort of sixth sense that danger was ahead. There were more trees for cover now, but in some ways it was riskier because it meant the hit men would have the same advantage.

After twenty minutes, struggling to keep up, she said, “I thought you said we could slow down once we got to the trees.”

He whipped his head around, glared at her. “That was before we got shot at. If we slow down now, we’re dead.”

“All right. All right. I was just asking.” She motioned him forward with a flick of her hand.

She had to have water soon. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her head throbbed, as if a thousand tiny hammers were pounding away at it.

Matt seemed no worse for wear. He was hypervigilant, constantly scanning the trees, as if he expected a gunman to pop out from behind one of the gnarly trunks at any moment. Every couple of minutes, he stopped and listened, head down. The only sounds were the wind and the buzzing of insects. Satisfied there was nothing, he would move on, taking big steps, landing on the balls of his feet to minimize noise.

Of course, he might have been just showing off his tracking skills, but there was one good thing about it. Being on red alert meant he wasn’t peppering her with questions. He seemed almost unaware of her presence.

The muscles of his broad shoulders and back strained against his dark green T-shirt. Khaki shorts hung low on narrow hips, which seemed to roll back a bit with every step.

Studying that movement, her stomach did a little flip. Did every man walk like that? She’d never noticed it before, although she’d never spent much time watching a man’s backside.

Stop
. What was she doing thinking about him like that? She didn’t even like him.

When they got to the cove, she would jump in, stay underwater for a minute to wash off that smell, and the sweat and grime. Get her hands on some drinking water, concentrate on finding a way to get to Egerton. Get something to eat, although she wasn’t hungry anymore. She’d get out of town as fast as she could, maybe beg a ride from some trucker. After that, she’d have to figure out how to pick up the investigation. Start with Jason Hatt. The last time she’d spoken with Amber’s boyfriend, she’d had a feeling he held something back.

She had to get out of here first. Matt was leading her on a crazy zigzag route down through the trees. She wanted to ask if he was sure it was a direct route, because her sense of direction was all messed up and the cove wasn’t visible through the trees, but she held her tongue. He didn’t look receptive to questions right now and maybe he knew exactly what he was doing, which meant she would sound like a total idiot.

Looking down, she focused on picking her way over the uneven ground. The trees gave some shade, but it was still hot. Her feet throbbed and a blister was forming on her sockless left foot. Boss Man would object if she stopped to check her feet. He wouldn’t say anything, just give her that cocky smile. She really didn’t like him or that smile. It was too cocky.
He
was too cocky. She’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for a guy like that a couple of years back, a bad-boy type, confident and assertive, always quick with a smile. Too quick. He turned out to be a jerk, mean even to his mother. But she’d hung on for too long, done his bidding, even when she’d had his number.

Maybe Matt wasn’t a bad boy, but her fine-tuned radar picked up a couple of blips of something. Women would come way too easily for a guy like him. That road could only lead to heartache.

Looking up, she caught him watching her in that way she’d become all too used to, as if he was assessing her. As if he knew her thoughts, had her all figured out. Knew how scared she was. Messed up.

You have no idea, buddy.

Half an hour later, she didn’t think she could go on. Swallowing was impossible. Plus, the hammers in her head had now turned into sledgehammers, each in a competition with the other to see who could pound the fastest and hardest.

Looking up through the trees, her head spun crazily around. Trying to steady herself, she put her hands on her hips, looked down at the carpet of ferns, mosses, and lichens at her feet. When she looked up, her eyes caught a flash of movement at the base of a pine tree about fifty yards ahead.

Lurching forward, she grabbed Matt’s arm and motioned with a shaky hand through the trees. “I saw somebody, behind that pine, the big one that looks like it has two trunks,” she whispered. “Close to the ground.”

“Get down.” His voice low and urgent, he quieted her with a finger to his lips.

They crouched down. She listened to the soft rustle of the wind in the trees and the sharp, buzzing call of a small bird. With shaking hands, she clutched a handful of moss, squeezed it tight as she ran scenarios through her head. If it was the men, she wouldn’t stand a chance. She had no energy left, but Matt could run.

After a minute, he stood up. “It’s okay. It was just Mr. Fox.” Amusement tinged his tone.

Letting out a breath, tears sprang from her eyes, completely unexpected. She looked down at the moss, soft and feathery in her mud-caked hands. She couldn’t do this. It had been a false alarm this time, but what about the next?

“Are you all right?”

Wiping her eyes, she forced herself to her knees.

He knelt down in front of her, and his deep-set eyes examined her face with new concern. He had the beginnings of a five-o-clock shadow, the dark stubble thickening around his chin. “We’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure you get out of here.”

Warmth crept into her cheeks. There was too much sexy in those eyes, full lips, and strong cheekbones. There were flaws, too, his eyes a little too close together, the jaw a touch too prominent. Oddly, those imperfections only made him better looking.

He reached his hand out to her shoulder, and she leaned back quickly, crossed her arms in front of her stomach. She couldn’t have him touching her, pitying her. She didn’t want to be this person she felt like right now, weak, unable to handle herself. Worse, she didn’t like the way her body craved him. Wanted him to touch her, even though her brain tried to fight it.

Putting a hand on the ground, she pushed herself up, avoided his eyes. “Let’s go.”

They didn’t stop until an hour later, a mile from the cove. Crumpling to the ground, she started a damage inventory. Thirst emerged the clear winner, followed by the pounding in her head and the legs like rubber bands stretched to the snapping point. Prying off her shoe, she added the blister, an inch-long raw patch on the side of her foot.

He looked at it in disgust. “Why didn’t you tell me? I have a first-aid kit. We could have fixed it up.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I thought we didn’t have time to stop.”

Letting out a huff, he said, “I think you would have been able to go faster if your foot was okay.”

“That’s great.” Her tone was frigid. “Nice to know you’re more concerned about going faster than the fact that my foot was killing me.”

A shake of the head suggested he was finished with the conversation.

She would have felt better if he’d looked worse for wear. But he didn’t. Sitting on his haunches, his head was straight up, the longish hair falling loosely over his face. Unfocused eyes looked into the distance. Maybe he was wondering how much of a target he was, now that they had seen him with her. Maybe thinking about what his next move would be. Whatever it was, emotion didn’t come into it.

He stood up. “I’m going down to the shore to scout around, see if any of the cottages are empty. I’ll see if I can get some water.”

Grabbing her shoe, she said, “I’ll go with you.”

“No, wait here.” He pulled a small first-aid kit out of the knapsack and handed it to her. “See what you can do with your foot.”

She put on the shoe. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not. Your face is beet red. You need to cover that blister. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He handed her a folding knife from his pocket. “If anybody comes near you, use it. The blade’s not very long, but it’s sharp as hell.”

Swearing under her breath, she glared at him. Who did he think he was, acting like a drill sergeant? He’d saved her life, sure, but that didn’t mean he could boss her around, treat her like some boot camp recruit.

He said, “If you get a chance, don’t worry about aiming for anything, just hit whatever you can and keep hitting.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You have to.”

Swallowing, she said, “Do you make a habit of this?”

“Of what?”

“Bossing people around? Playing the white knight?”

Hands on his hips, his dark eyes pierced hers. “I don’t think anybody can be your white knight.”

She scowled. “You obviously think I’m a damsel in distress. I have to sit and wait under a tree while you go on your little mission.”

“Why are you trying to make something out of this that isn’t there?” His voice was a whip. “I’m just trying to save my own skin. If those men are down there, they’ll spot two people faster than one.”

He waited a second for her to say something, but when she didn’t, he turned around, picked up the knapsack. Gritting her teeth, she watched him slip away into the trees. He didn’t even bother to look back.

She slapped the ground. Why hadn’t he just said why he wanted to go alone, rather than being such a jerk about it, making it seem like he thought she was useless or he didn’t want her around? And why did she care, anyway?

Alone now, she leaned against a tree, picked up a pine cone, and ripped off the scales one by one, flung them on the ground. Her face felt hot with an anger she couldn’t explain. She needed Matt’s help, but she couldn’t let him think he could do whatever he wanted with her. When you trusted people like that, it would just come back to bite you. The only sound was the buzzing of insects. All day she’d wanted to be alone, but now that she was, it was far from peaceful. Closing her eyes, she felt tense and twitchy, as if she was going to jump out of her skin. Somehow, without her noticing, those insects had turned up the volume, and were so loud now that they sounded like the constant drone from a thousand power lines.