Trusting a Stranger (9 page)

“I could tell them I don’t remember,” she offered, the worry in her tone growing stronger.

“Selective amnesia?”

“Yes.”

“Even if that wasn’t as ridiculous as it sounds...could you make it believable?” Graham asked. “Could you make them think you’d forgotten me? I sure as hell couldn’t forget you, Keira.” He didn’t give her time to respond to the admission. “Besides that...even if they bought the story, it would spike their curiosity, don’t you think? A young woman miraculously survives when her car goes over a cliff. She not only lives, but receives medical attention. You think the cops will just walk away from that?”

“But if you don’t let me go...they’ll think I’m dead,” she whispered.

“I’m aware of that possibility.”

“So why
did
you even bother to save me, Calloway, if you’re just going to hold me prisoner forever?”

Graham heard the desperation in her voice and when he answered, he heard it in his own, too. “Redemption.”

The word hung between them, meaning so much, but saying so little.

Chapter Fourteen

In spite of
what she’d said just minutes earlier, Keira found her feet moving away from Graham. She wasn’t running. Not really. She just needed to clear her head. But she still ignored him as he called after her.

She knew with absolute certainty that Graham hadn’t killed his wife and son. She’d felt no need to ask when prompted.

But she also had a job and a life. Kids in the system who counted on her. And she sure as heck didn’t want her family to assume she was dead. Just the thought of her mom hearing about the accident made her heart squeeze.

But she also knew she wouldn’t expose his secret location. She couldn’t risk his life just to go back to her own. Not if she could avoid it.

Not that Calloway was about to let her go anyway.

And suddenly she
was
running again. Not away, but as a release of emotion. Back around the house and toward the woods.

It only took seconds for Calloway to catch up to her. His arms closed around her waist, and he spun her to face him. She railed against his hold, her small fists driving into his wide chest. He let her do it. His hands ran over her head and through her hair, and he whispered soothing things as she let all the emotion, all the stress of the past few days fly from her body into his.

At last her energy waned, and she stopped fighting him off. It wasn’t what she wanted to be doing anyway. She realized that at the same second she realized she was crying. Soft sobs that shook her shoulders.

She inhaled deeply, trying to stop the tears, and Calloway adjusted, sliding his hands to the small of her back. As if she belonged in his arms. As if they belonged together. As she looked up at him, his expression was soft.

“Have you noticed that every time you try to hurt me, you wind up in my arms?” Calloway asked, somehow teasing and serious at the same time.

“Have
you
ever noticed that I keep trying to get away?” Keira breathed, and now she could
feel
the telltale spots of color in her cheeks that went along with the lie.

“You sure about that?”

Keira shook her head, not sure if she was answering his question, or if she was just expressing her frustration with the whole situation.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you...were you really going to club me to death with that fire iron yesterday?” Calloway asked.

Keira managed a smile. “I was going to aim for your legs. I just wanted to knock you down.”

“A peg?” This time, there was no mistaking the teasing tone.

“That, too,” Keira confirmed.

He touched her face, cupping her cheek with a familiarity that warmed her insides.

“I just want to keep you safe,” he said.

His sincerity almost made her break down again.

“Two days ago,” she said, sounding as choked up as she felt, “I woke up thinking I knew where my life was going.
Exactly
where it was going. But today, it’s like I woke in someone
else’s
life.”

“Every day,” Calloway murmured, his voice heavy with understanding. “That’s the exact feeling I’ve had every day for four years. It’s been a living hell for me. Waking up thinking it will be the one when the truth comes out. Wanting justice. Or, if I’m being honest, craving revenge. I can’t even remember if it started that way, or if time somehow changed it. Changed
me
. It’s been so long since I even thought about anything else that I’m not sure. Yesterday, I could’ve had it. Revenge. But I saw you in that car. Pretty and fragile and so still. I pulled you out before I could even think about whether it was the right thing to do, considering my situation. It was instinct, I guess. I wasn’t even sure you were still alive until I saw the blood seeping from that wound on your leg. Saving you reminded me that there are other things out there for me. You gave me purpose, Keira.”

He said her name like he owned it, and her pulse skittered nervously through her veins.

Had any man ever looked as good as Calloway did right that second, with his brooding eyes and his half-apologetic frown? Had anyone else ever put themselves in danger to save her life? Had she ever been someone’s
purpose
?

Even though he wasn’t holding her tightly anymore, his eyes still held her pinned in place. And she felt a tether form between them. An inexplicable, inescapable bond from her heart to his.

Keira tilted her head in his direction. His lips were less than an inch from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She could see the longing in his eyes. His whole body was tense with need. But he didn’t make a move.

Keira was sure it should be her, not him, who was offering the most resistance. After all, it had only been two days since she decided she might date Drew. Might marry him. Though it felt like a lifetime now. And Calloway had been alone for a long time. Four years since his wife died, and who knew how many of those he’d spent in isolation?

But in the end, it was Keira who reached for him.

She threaded her fingers into his thick hair, stifling a little moan at how warm and soft it was, and how the longer bits curled against the back of her hand. She made herself caress it only lightly, afraid he was going to pull away. But he didn’t. He leaned into the attention for a moment, pressing the back of his head into her palm. Then he let her explore the contours of his lips in slow motion, her mouth tasting his and igniting something in her that was so hot she was surprised the snow underneath them wasn’t melting.

Calloway’s hands slid over her shoulders, gently kneading her sore muscles, mindful of her most damaged areas. For the first time, Keira was glad he’d stripped her down without asking. He knew where her bruises and scrapes were, and his fingers were adept at avoiding them. But his hands never stopped moving.

They traversed over Keira’s face and smoothed her hair back from her face. They tripped softly over her shoulders and down to her hips, not quite tickling, then slipped between the enormous jacket and the borrowed T-shirt to rest on her hips before sliding out again to creep up to her throat.

It was an incredible feeling, to be touched like that. His palms and the strong pads of his fingers and thumbs laid claim to Keira. They worshipped her. She wanted it to go on forever, and when Calloway finally pulled away, a regretful sigh escaped her lips.

* * *

G
RAHAM
STARED
DOWN
at Keira, committing her features to his memory. He wanted to keep that worshipful expression—the one that believed in him, that trusted him—in his mind forever.

Kissable lips.

Curved cheeks.

Elegant nose with just the slightest bump, making it interesting.

And her eyes. God, they were stunning.

Green, so vibrant and dark, they looked like the Caribbean Sea after sunset, and in the cold sun, her hair was like a crown of fire.

This time, Graham was perfectly content to let himself have the poetic moment.

In mere days, her fiery temper and moments of vulnerability and misleadingly fragile appearance had gotten under his skin. He could barely wrap his head around how badly he felt the need to protect this girl he still knew so little about. He needed more of her story.

“Tell me what you were running from in that little purple car of yours,” he commanded softly. “What was so bad that you were willing to risk your life by going out in that storm?”

She looked away. “Lately the only thing I’ve been running from is you.”

Graham knew she was trying to deflect his question. “Do I need to bring out the list of checks and balances to see whose turn it is to ask a question?”

“No.” Her chest rose and fell as she took a breath and went on. “His name is Drew. And I wasn’t running
from
him, I was running
to
him.”

Graham couldn’t keep a hint of jealousy out of his voice. “Boyfriend?”

“Potential.”

“Does he appreciate your very recent total and complete disregard for your own life?”

“No.”

Jealousy morphed into irritation, which was ridiculous. He couldn’t dampen it, though.

“Drew must be a complete idiot,” he grumbled.

Keira smiled a small smile. “No. That’s not it. He just didn’t know I was coming.”

Graham touched each upturned corner of her mouth before asking, “So you drove all the way up here, unbeknownst to Drew, based on potential?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of yes, or kind of no?” Graham teased.

“It seems silly now,” Keira replied.

“Tell me anyway.”

“I thought maybe I was meant to be with him,” she admitted. “I thought I saw a sign.”

“Fate?”

She blushed. “Something like that. It was dumb, though. I took a chance, and instead of it being a sign, I wound up here.”

“You don’t think it could
still
be fate?”

The blush worked its way from her cheeks down to her throat. “You think my near-death experience was fate?”

“You know that’s not what I meant, Keira. And to tell you the truth...I just straight up don’t believe in coincidence, Keira. Fate, though, I’m onboard with, one hundred percent.”

The pink of her blush extended from her throat to the top of her chest. Graham had an urge to reach up and unzip the rest of the jacket just to see how far down the pretty color went. He closed his hands into fists to stop himself from doing it.

“So what’s fate got lined up for me next, then?” she asked softly.

“Getting you somewhere safe,” Graham replied. “Somewhere that the man who killed Holly and Sam wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near you.”

“I’m sorry, Calloway.”

“
You
are?”

She nodded. “If I hadn’t been so reckless, taking off in the snowstorm when I did—”

Graham cut her off. “Listen. It was stupid of me to save you, Keira. Risky as hell. But it was
my
risk to take.” He paused, released her to run both hands through his hair, then spoke again. “I’m glad I did it. In four years, nothing has seemed as real as the moment you opened your eyes and I realized you were alive.”

Keira reached up and put a hand on his face, that same look of awe and appreciation on her, and forget unzipping her coat—it took all of Graham’s willpower to stop himself from lifting her up and carrying her straight to his too-lumpy bed.

“In fact,” he added gruffly, “you’re the realest damned thing I’ve been around for as long as I can remember. So I don’t ever want you to be sorry on my behalf.”

She opened her mouth, but Graham didn’t get to hear whatever she’d been about to say.

A boom echoed around them, and without taking the time to think, he threw himself into her, knocking her to the ground and shielding her with his much larger body. There was a long moment of silence, and Graham wondered if he was being paranoid. There were minor avalanches in the area all the time.

But as he jumped into a defensive crouch, a second bang—possibly closer than the first—shook the air.

It was a gun, no doubt about it. Not the first time he’d heard one out here, but the first time it had seemed so close.

And it’s nowhere
near
hunting season.

Was someone firing
at
them?

It seemed unlikely, but...

A third shot rang through the air, and Graham was certain this one was closer again. Keira moved, then let out a muffled shriek as Calloway slammed into her and knocked her to the ground again.

“Can you do something for me?” he asked in a low voice.

“But—”

“Please.”

After a breath, her head bobbed against his chest in assent.

“Stay down until I say otherwise.”

He felt her nod again and he eased off her body. He was reluctant to let her go, even a little bit, but he needed to assess where the shots were coming from and figure out if they were targeted.

He scanned what little he could see. It wasn’t much. The trees provided a perfect hiding place for a shooter. But Graham could use them, too. He and Keira could move quickly between them, using them for cover. If he could figure out which direction the shots came from, they could duck from tree to tree until they reached the cabin. Then Graham would shield Keira again. He’d grab his rifle and—

The rest of his thought was lost as a fourth shot rang out.

Bloody hell.

Graham yanked Keira to her feet, shoved her to the other side of the wide evergreen, then positioned himself in front of her, shielding her from whatever was about to come next.

Chapter Fifteen

As much as
Keira preferred to think of herself as strong, she was indescribably grateful to have Calloway between her and whoever was shooting at them. She was shaking so hard, her teeth were chattering, and Calloway was reassuringly solid.

Solid, yes. But not bulletproof
, pointed out a small voice in her head.

Her hand slid up to his back, and she opened her mouth to remind him of that fact. But without looking, his hand closed on her wrist, stopping her midway. As if he could sense her movement before she even followed through.

The air was eerily silent now, and they stood like that for what felt like an eternity.

Is it over?
Keira wondered.

Calloway spoke in a hushed voice, his eyes still scanning the forest. “You all right back there?”

Keira took a measured breath. “If it wasn’t for someone potentially shooting at me in the middle of a forest... Nine out of ten on the sliding scale.”

There was a pause, then, in spite of the situation, Calloway let a wry chuckle. “Are you going to tell me what gets me that all-important tenth point? Or am I going to die not knowing?”

“One small thing,” Keira breathed.

“Which is?”

“Just keep us alive.”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

There was another long silence, then Keira asked, “Do you think someone found you?”

He spoke right beside her ear. “I don’t know. If they did... Keira. Did you mean what you said about trusting me?”

She managed a nod.

“Good. Because I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“Run.”

Keira blinked. “What?”

“If someone
is
firing at us, it’s me they’re after,” Calloway stated. “I’m going to go in one direction, into the woods. You’re going to count to ten and go in the other, toward the cabin.”

“I’m not going to do that!”

“Yes, Keira. You are.”

He didn’t wait for her to argue anymore. He took off across the snow, leaving Keira counting to ten silently, a little more dread filling her with each number.

* * *

G
RAHAM
LOPED
OVER
the terrain, waiting for another shot to come his way and cursing his own stupidity. He’d left them exposed. He’d put Keira’s life in danger even though he’d been trying to do the opposite.

He didn’t bother to hide as he dodged from tree to tree. If the shooter was looking for him, he wanted his undivided attention. And to put some distance between Keira and the bad end of the gun.

“C’mon,” he growled. “Follow
me.
Shoot at
me
.”

The woods were silent except for the sound of his own feet hitting the ground. He finally slowed, acknowledging that maybe—a big maybe—he’d been overreacting. That possibly some off-season hunter had taken advantage of the aftermath of the snowstorm and was on his side of the mountain in search of some big game.

But what if he wasn’t?

What if, somehow, the man who’d taken Holly and Sam from him found him? Found
them
?

Graham moved faster, getting angrier at himself by the second. Which is why he didn’t notice the armed man in front of him until they were just a foot apart.

When he did spot him, Graham didn’t stop to think. He just reacted, determined to use his strength to overpower the assailant, gun or no gun. It wasn’t until he’d already pounced on the other man and smacked the weapon away that he recognized him.

Dave.

“What the
hell
is going on?” Graham demanded.

His friend was sucking wind, and when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a groan.

Graham eased off. “Explain yourself.”

“Talk. To. You,” Dave wheezed.

“And you were getting my attention by shooting at me?”

“Not. Me.”

“Who?”

“Don’t. Know.”

Graham resisted an urge to shake a proper answer from him friend.

“Heard shots,” Dave offered, still inhaling rapidly.

“Did you see the shooter?”

He finally seemed to have caught his breath, shaking his head. “Maybe it was a hunter. But it doesn’t matter. You have to admit that it’s too risky to stay here now. I can tell from your face that you know it.”

Graham exhaled. Keira was safe. At least for the moment.

He opened his mouth to ask what Dave was doing back so soon—what he wanted to talk about—but before Graham could get an explanation, an engine sputtered to life in the distance, and both men turned toward the sound.

* * *

K
EIRA
TIGHTENED
HER
already strained grip on the handlebars of the snowmobile. The seat was icy under her bare legs, but she ignored the discomfort. She needed to get the vehicle moving, to get it to Calloway. She’d run blindly, obeying this command even though so many parts of her mind—of her heart—protested against it. But halfway back to the cabin, she’d spotted the big machine. It was not quite hidden behind a low bush, and it seemed like a godsend. A way to get both of them to safety. Quickly.

“How hard can it be?” she muttered aloud to herself as she looked over the components another time. “Throttle. Choke. Kill switch if I need it.”

She squeezed the gas, just a little, and the machine bucked as the skis snuck to the snow.

“Easy,” she cautioned, not sure if she was still speaking to herself or if she was talking to the snowmobile.

She supposed either would work.

Keira climbed off, moved to the front of the vehicle and kicked away some of the snow blocking the way, then climbed back on.

She put a little more pressure on the throttle, and the machine jerked forward hard enough to send her flying against the handlebars. She held on for dear life as it rode forward a few feet, then stalled.

Damn.

Tears threatened to form in her eyes, and Keira forced them back. She didn’t have time to waste being upset. Angrily, she pulled out the choke, yanked on the pull starter as hard as she could and willed the stupid thing to cooperate.

It roared to life, and this time when she closed her fingers over the throttle, she did it softly. The snowmobile slid over the snow at a crawl. It growled a little as she held it steady.

Apparently her options were very slow or very fast. No in between.

So, fast it was.

Keira gritted her teeth and squeezed.

* * *

G
RAHAM
WATCHED
IN
awed
horror—and with more than a little bit of admiration, too—as the enormous piece of machinery came tearing around the corner. Keira sat atop it, her stance awkward, her eyes almost closed and her hair flying out behind like a blazing red cape.

Her beautiful determination was clear, even through her obvious fear.

Then she spied him, and her eyes were no longer half-shut. They were so wide that their green hue was visible even from where Graham sat.

She seemed to clue in at the same second that Graham did that she was on a crash course, headed straight for him and Dave.

Sure enough, she tipped the handlebars, trying to angle away from them. Her motions became frantic, her arms flailing. Then the snowmobile bucked, and Keira was suddenly barely hanging on, her legs tossed to the side and her hands gripping the bars. The machine bounced along wildly as if it had a mind of its own.

Almost too late, Graham realized that the snarling vehicle was still aimed in his direction. At the last second, he dove toward Dave and shoved the other man out of the line of fire.

He wasn’t swift enough to save himself.

The last thing Graham saw before the snowmobile clipped him, and his head exploded in pain, was the terrified look on Keira’s face as she flew up and sailed through the air.

I’m sorry
, he thought weakly.

But there was nothing he could do as the world blurred and he collapsed to the ground.