Runaway Heiress (8 page)

              “I think it’s time for you to admit I don’t need a bodyguard. No more letters have come in. No prowlers are lurking around corners. I’ve called my father and told him, and even he seems to think he may have overreacted.”

              “That’s not what he said to me. He doesn’t feel you’re safe on your own. If you go back home, you can be rid of me,” he said with a mocking smile.

              “You’re the most frustrating man I’ve ever met,” she said as she jumped to her feet and got in his face. It wasn’t an easy task to accomplish, considering he stood a good eight inches taller than her, but with her heels on, she made up some of the difference. Being short wasn’t an advantage when dealing with a six-foot-four, muscle bound Neanderthal.

              “That’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?” Chad said with a smile.

              She pushed her finger into his chest, her temper escalating, along with her desire. She was furious at her traitorous body for wanting the insufferable man.

              Chad snaked his hand out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her off balance and causing her chest to fall against his. When she felt the intensity of their touch, she instantly grew moist – her body readying in anticipation of him.

              When Bree made a sound low in her throat, Chad’s entire body came to life. He’d been killing himself trying to fight his attraction to her. She was the devil in disguise and he knew she’d be the end of him. Simply watching her do the most mundane of tasks, such as bending over to pick something up, sent his body into overdrive. One night of lovemaking hadn’t been enough and he was furious at his lack of self-control.

              It seemed all rational reactions were out the window where Bree Anderson was concerned.

              He pushed his fingers through her silken strands of hair and pressed his lips against hers before he could stop himself. He had to taste her – just for one minute. A moment of weakness wouldn’t kill them.

              He had to stop.

              His job was to protect her – not seduce her in the middle of a public park. They were out in the open with dozens of people walking by. He couldn’t seem to get the message to his brain, though. His lips caressed hers until her mouth opened and he felt the tip of her tongue lick against his bottom lip.

              His groin jumped to life and he pressed her back against the park wall, his hands tugging on her hair, holding her mouth firmly in place beneath his own as his tongue swept along her lips.

              His mind said to stop – but his body needed more.

              Deepening the kiss, he forgot everything around them until he heard laughter from some kids, then the sound of kissing noises. He finally managed to pull his head clear and turned to see a group of children laughing at the two of them while kissing their hands.

              Bree looked at him through passion filled eyes, leaning toward him, when she finally heard the kids. Her eyes rounded as she turned her head, then her cheeks flushed as she realized the display they’d put on.

              She pushed against his chest and he could tell she was mortified by what they’d been doing. Chad kept trying to tell his highly aroused body it just a kiss, not worth getting all worked up over.

              “No more,” she said breathlessly as she moved away another foot, putting space between them. He wanted to follow and drag her back but he knew she was smart to move away.

              “I know. I tend to lose my mind around you,” he admitted. She looked surprised by his honesty.

              “We can’t work together anymore. Obviously I don’t use the best judgment around you, and contrary to what you may believe, I don’t normally sleep with men I barely know. I’m going for a walk. So help me, if you follow, I’ll call the sheriff and tell him you’re attacking me,” she threatened.

              He had a feeling she wasn’t bluffing. He decided to give her a little space. Not too much, he still wasn’t assured of her safety, but since nothing had happened in a month, she was safe to take a short stroll.

              Bree turned and walked down the wooded path. When she reached the bend, he started following. He’d just make sure to stay out of her sight. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, after-all.

              After five minutes of walking, he figured she was about thirty yards ahead of him. That’s when he heard her scream and all bets were off – he shouldn’t have allowed her to walk away. He reached for his gun and took off, sprinting down the trail. He turned the corner to find Bree sprawled on the ground.

              “What happened?” he demanded while surveying the area. He didn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t danger.

              “A guy tried to grab me. He had a hold of my arm, but I dropped to the ground. He had a knife. He lifted it when I screamed. He was getting ready to grab me again when he heard you running and took off that way,” she gasped as she pointed to a small trail.

              Chad didn’t want to leave her alone, but he had to try to catch the guy. If this was her stalker, he could get him behind bars, where he belonged.

              “Go back to the park, now!” he demanded, then took off down the trail. He hoped for once she would actually listen to him. He didn’t want her on the secluded trail. He needed her surrounded by the other people at the park – feeling she was safer among a crowd.

              As Chad quickly followed the trail, he heard the sound of twigs breaking ahead of him, and figured the guy had about a hundred yard lead on him. It should be no problem to catch him. Picking up his pace, his weapon still drawn, he listened for any changes in the guy’s pattern. If twigs stopped breaking, or there was a sudden silence, he could adjust his own stride, but the perpetrator wasn’t even trying to hide his departure.

              Chad began to hear the sounds of cars and people and realized they’d made a large loop and were going to break out of the trail in a minute. If this guy got into a large crowd, Chad could too easily lose him. He picked up his pace, but when he heard the snapping of twigs stop, he knew it was too late.

              He pushed himself even faster and quickly ran into the grassy field surrounding the park. People were milling about, but he didn’t see anyone running. He surveyed the area, seeking anyone who was out of place. He swiped his hand across his forehead, frustration making him want to yell.

              He turned toward the swings, where he saw Bree walking to her car. Good, she was fine. He moved in the direction of the parking lot. The guy had to be there somewhere. He had to holster his gun so he didn’t have someone calling the cops. He could easily explain himself, but by the time he got out an explanation, the perpetrator would be long gone.

              Just when he was about to give up and head back to Bree, he saw a black car pull quickly out of a space. The windows had dark tints, but the driver’s side was slightly down, allowing the top of a man’s head to be visible.

              He knew it was his guy. Racing to the car at full speed, he saw the man’s head turn as the car tires squealed, peeling out of the parking lot, nearly hitting a family, who jumped out of the way at the last second. Chad came close to the car when a note fluttered out the window, then the driver peeled out and was gone. There was no way he could catch him.

              Chad glared at the vehicle without a license plate, making it impossible for him to turn the plate numbers in to the police. He jogged over and grabbed the note the man had thrown out. He was afraid to read what was written on it.

              Fury coursed through him as he lifted the note. What the hell did the guy want with Bree? The freak had touched her, nearly managed to abduct her. Chad was acting like a love-sick boyfriend instead of her bodyguard.

              A bad feeling began stirring in Chad’s stomach. The danger was seemingly gone, but he’d learned from his many years of service to never ignore his gut instincts. He headed quickly toward Bree, feeling an urgency in his movements.

              Chad was halfway across the parking lot when a shot rang through the air. Several people screamed, as bodies dropped to the ground – parent’s quickly throwing their bodies over their children.

              Chad reached Bree and threw himself in front of her, while dragging her behind a large car. Once he made sure she was safely down, he poked his head out and looked for any sign of the shooter. He couldn’t see anyone. They must have a sniper, which meant they weren’t safe anywhere. He needed to get her to safety.

              Chad could feel Bree trembling beside him – maybe she finally realized the amount of danger she was in. It wasn’t the time to lecture – he had to get her to safety first. There was an eerie silence through the park. Every few seconds he could hear the choked sob of some of the terrified people, who’d only been out for a nice time with their families. He had to move – they were too vulnerable where they were.

              “I’m going to lead you through the cars. We’re bait where we are. You need to follow directly behind me, and when I say move, don’t hesitate,” Chad whispered with authority in his tone. Bree nodded, her eyes huge in her pale face.

              “They don’t care who they hurt, do they,” Bree practically sobbed. She was far more terrified for all the innocent children around the play area than she was for herself. She didn’t want to die, but if a child got shot because of her, she’d never be able to forgive herself.

              “No, they don’t. They want us, not the kids. We just need to get you out of here right now.”

              “Not us – me,” she replied.

              “Look, I’ve been in far worse situations in other countries. This is a piece of cake, comparatively. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Just do what I say and we’ll get out of here,” he said with confidence. His commanding voice had a way of soothing her. She put her complete trust in him and nodded her head.

              As they began to move, they made it three cars forward without further shots fired. Bree could see her car about five spaces down. She didn’t know how they would get in and get away without getting shot, but they had to have a goal in mind, and right then, that goal was her car. If they could somehow reach it, then everything would be okay.

              “There’s too big of a gap between the last car and yours. Give me the key. I’m going to make a dash for it. I’ll get in and pull up to you. As soon as I pull up I want you to get in the back door and lay down on the floorboard. We’re going to haul ass out of here. No looking back,” he told her. Her gut clenched with fear. She didn’t want them to separate – not even for a few seconds.

              Chad dashed away before she could argue any further. She knelt shakily next to the small red car, but stayed focused. She watched as he neared her car – keys ready. A relieved breath escaped as he opened the door and started to climb in.

              Then another shot rang out and she watched in horror as his body jerked and he was slammed into the side of her car. She watched, paralyzed with fear, as a crimson stain spread across the back of his shirt.

              Where was he hit? Was it fatal? He dropped to the ground and a guttural growl crept from her throat. Who were these people? Why were they targeting her – and why did Chad have to take a bullet meant for her?

              She watched a man in black step from between a van and truck about fifty yards away. He was heading straight for Chad - she knew he planned on finishing what he’d started. He wanted to make sure Chad was dead. She couldn’t allow that to happen. If he wasn’t fatally wounded already, she certainly wouldn’t hide while he was murdered right before her eyes.

              Bree jumped up, exposing herself to the people after her. She looked around with frantic eyes, then locked gazes with the man stealthily approaching Chad.

              “I’m right here, you coward,” she yelled. He smiled in satisfaction and his direction changed. Refusing to stand there and make it easy for him, she knew she had to lead him away from all the innocent people – away from Chad.

              She turned and started sprinting toward the road. She moved in a zigzag pattern, like she’d been taught to do if someone was chasing after her with a weapon. She ran faster than she’d ever thought she could.

              She heard the thundering footsteps behind her and knew he was gaining speed. She thought she heard Chad cry out for her, but she knew it had to be her imagination. She wanted him to be alive so badly, she was starting to imagine his voice. It was in those terrifying moments of fight or flight that she realized how much she was falling for Chad.

              He’d managed to seep into her life without her permission. He was protective and loyal, stubborn and charming, strong, yet gentle.
Please be okay
, she silently cried.

              Bree heard the squealing tires only seconds before a hand clamped around her waist. Maybe it was Chad, maybe he hadn’t gotten hurt. She knew better, but she had to hold onto hope.

              There was a creaking sound as a sliding door was thrown open, then she felt her body flying upward as she was roughly shoved inside the moving vehicle. Through terror filled eyes, she looked at the three men, all wearing black masks and smiling in triumph.

              She opened her mouth to scream, when a filthy hand was slammed across her lips. She automatically gagged from the vile taste of the disgusting fingers on her. She had to fight to not throw-up. She began shaking uncontrollably as she realized the hopeless situation she was in.