Reunion On The Run. Amity Steffen

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СКАЧАТЬ 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. He was relieved she didn’t press him for answers. He’d give them to her eventually, but at the moment they had more urgent matters to deal with.

      They had to get out of these woods.

      “I’m not going back that way. We don’t know that those men were alone. More could be coming.”

      He’d thought of the possibility, as well, but hadn’t wanted to mention it.

      She slowed as the woods thinned. Seconds later they emerged from the trees. Claire cut a sharp left and he followed. Their feet pounded in unison against the hard-packed trail. He scanned the area, always on the lookout.

      Up ahead he spotted a gray tarp draped over a hulking object. It looked out of place this deep in the woods.

      “Is that part of your getaway plan?”

      “Yes.”

      Alex had no doubt the tarp covered a vehicle. He reached it first and tugged the covering to the side. A rusted-out Jeep Wrangler appeared. At one time it must’ve been a vibrant shade of red. Now what was left of the faded paint was barely visible. The thing had to be at least a quarter of a century old. It had a canvas top rather than a hard top. The sort that could be removed, convertible style. The canvas was tattered but in good enough shape to offer protection from the elements.

      “I hope this thing runs,” he mumbled.

      “Of course it runs.” She tugged a key chain holding a single key out of her pocket.

      Claire, he realized, was incredibly resourceful. Accused of killing her husband of nearly a year—the man she’d married after Alex had broken off their engagement over three years ago—she’d managed to evade law enforcement for weeks. Maybe that wasn’t an attribute he should be proud of, but he was.

      He knew now was not the time to be struck by her beauty, yet he couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t seen her for years. She hadn’t aged, not that he could tell. If anything, she looked younger. Her face looked gaunt, probably from the stress she’d been under. Her cheeks were rosy. Her long auburn hair had been chopped into a shaggy cut and dyed black. Fire flashed in her green eyes when she caught him staring.

      She nudged him to the side as she reached for the driver’s door. He blocked her way and held out a hand.

      “Give me the key.”

      “No.” She tried to reach around him.

      “Hand it over, Claire. We don’t have time to argue. If we get pulled over, do you really want a cop to see your name on the license?”

      “Do you plan on getting pulled over?”

      “Did you plan on being framed for your husband’s murder?”

      The words seemed to echo as they hung in the air. He wanted to take them back. He hadn’t meant to sound so callous. Before he could apologize, Claire clenched her jaw and slammed the key into his palm.

      He opened the door, allowing Roscoe to leap into the back seat. He slid into the driver’s seat as Claire flung open the opposite door and scrambled in.

      Alex jammed the key into the ignition. True to Claire’s word, the old beast roared to life. With one final visual sweep of the woods, he put the vehicle in gear and sped down the rutted trail. If the men had followed, there was a chance they’d gotten themselves lost in the thick woods. The Jeep’s engine would alert them to what direction their quarry had headed. He left the headlights off, not wanting to make it any easier for them.

      Claire braced her hands against the dash as the Jeep bounced over the rough terrain.

      “The gravel road intersects around the next corner. Take a left,” she instructed. “Taking a right will bring us back to the hunting shack. If we head the other way, it’ll lead us to the interstate.”

      The Jeep slid to a stop as they emerged from the tree line. Alex did a quick scan for oncoming traffic before tearing onto the deserted road. The Jeep fishtailed on the gravel, but he easily kept control.

      A vehicle turned onto the road ahead of them. Its headlights sliced into the night. The Jeep’s headlights were still off. Alex knew he was taking a risk. It was one he was willing to take.

      “I have a bad feeling about this.” Claire’s tone was tense. “There’s almost never traffic on this road.”

      The vehicle barreled toward them. With its headlights shining, it was impossible to determine the make.

      In the past, Alex had wronged Claire in more ways than he could count. He wasn’t about to add another mistake to that list.

      “Hold on tight.”

      “I am,” she said through clenched teeth.

      His spine stiffened СКАЧАТЬ