21

Ike Mayhew grabbed Skylar’s arm, fingers clamping in an iron grip. He yanked her back and pain ripped through her shoulder. She twisted and tugged against him but couldn’t break loose before he snaked a wiry arm around her waist, forcing her back against his chest.

“Don’t come any closer, Cowboy.” He jabbed a steel blade hunting knife—jagged on one side, sleek and sharp on the other—against her side. “I’ll gut her.”

Standing less than fifteen feet away, Slade held his weapon steady. He looked every part the professional; from the way he positioned the gun in his palms, to the way his intense gaze never wavered. “Think about it. You hurt her. I shoot you. Nobody wins.” His lips formed a thin line and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “Let. Her. Go.”

“Not a chance.” Stale breath skimmed Skylar’s cheek as Ike leaned close and spoke in her ear. “Stealing Willow Hayworth’s ransom money was a bad idea, sweetheart.”

“I-I don’t know where it is. I didn’t take it.”

Ike increased pressure on the blade. “If that is true, then there’s no reason to keep you alive.”

“That’s my decision.” Aston cut into the conversation as he stepped around the building, pistol in hand. “Ms. Hart knows exactly where the money is, and she’s going to get it for us.”

Skylar shook her head. “You don’t understand—”

“Oh, but I do. When I suspected Cowboy had let you live, I ran a background check on you to see if you had the necessary skills to steal my money. I’m impressed.” He looked to Slade. “You might be surprised what your little vixen is capable of.”

Skylar felt faint. She didn’t want Slade to find out like this. She should be the one to tell him. She had to do something. Fast.

Ike turned toward Aston. “So, you don’t want me to kill her?”

Taking advantage of Ike’s divided attention, Skylar grabbed his wrist and shoved the knife away. “Slade! Now.” She stepped to the side, hoping to give him a clear shot.

He fired. Blood and tissue splattered from Ike’s calf. Ike dropped the knife and collapsed to the ground. Crying out, he cradled his injured leg.

In a blur of motion, Slade was beside her, tugging her toward the forest. “Move!”

More shots rang out. More near misses. Skylar covered her head with her arms as she ran. Tumbling through thick underbrush, branches scraped and vines tripped. Her ankle twisted at an odd angle as she stepped on a loose rock. But Slade kept her from falling with a firm grip on her upper arm.

“Running will only delay the inevitable.” Aston taunted, his voice growing distant. “I will discover your true identity, Slade. You two will never be safe from me.”

Too late, Skylar realized her mistake. “I’m sorry.” Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled along. “I should’ve never said your name.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Slade assured. “I won’t be able to get to the laptop now. We might as well turn them both in and get this gunshot wound checked out.”

Skylar gasped for breath. “You’ve been shot?” A small hole in his jacket indicated the point of entry. Concerned, she slowed. “Let me take a look at it.”

“We need to keep moving. Come on.” He took her hand in his and picked up the pace.

Skylar ran with him as he led her down ravines and up hillsides, past an overflowing creek and toward a steep embankment. Slade’s complexion had paled and perspiration lined his brow. A glance at his jacket revealed more blood loss, as evident in the dark, moist stain broadening across the material.

She indicated a nearby fallen tree. “Let’s rest a few minutes. We need to try to stop the bleeding.” She managed to use a stern voice, although her heart raced and her hands shook.

“I’m all right. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“If we don’t take a break, we might not get out of here at all. You could pass out.”

“Point taken.” Slade relented, allowing her to guide him as he sank onto the log.

Skylar knelt beside him, unzipped his jacket, and peeled it off his shoulders. Blood soaked into his shirtsleeve. Lifting the material, she cringed. A bullet had sliced across his skin, leaving torn flesh and dark bruises behind. “That’s got to hurt.”

“It’s not so bad.”

“You don’t have to pretend. I can see the pain reflected in your eyes.” She tugged the hem of her T-shirt from her jeans, ripped off a piece and folded it and then pressed the square against the puncture.

“Physical pain I can handle. It’s the emotional part I’m not so good at.” He averted his gaze. “I’m going to have to let Sarah know I wasn’t able to get her money back.”

“She should understand that you did everything you could, including risking your life.”

“She never wanted me to go undercover to begin with.” His eyes looked haunted, his thoughts distant. “Sarah never blamed me for any of it. Lily didn’t either. But I hold myself accountable.”

Skylar wanted to know more, but only if he was ready and willing to share. She gave him time, hoping he would fill her in as she ripped off another piece of her shirt, tied it around his bicep, securing the square cloth piece against his skin.

He lowered his sleeve, readjusted his jacket over his shoulders. Resignation flowed through his posture; his usually proud shoulders slumped. “Days before Lily was kidnapped, Sarah told me she’d seen a dark van driving around her neighborhood a couple times. She said she thought she’d seen the same van after picking up groceries and during a trip to the post office.”

A chill coursed through Skylar. “Aston was learning their routine. Following them.”

Slade nodded. “I told Sarah I’d check into it. But I was on a high-profile case and I wanted to impress the client, so I spent the weekend working instead of investigating my sister’s concerns.” He pressed a hand to his shoulder, wincing as more blood seeped through. “The following Tuesday, Sarah called me around four o’clock. Frantic. Lily had been snatched from the playground at daycare.” Slade’s voice hitched. “Witnesses reported seeing a full-size black cargo van nearby during that time frame.”

“And you blame yourself.”

His gaze sought hers. “I am responsible because I put my own selfish ambitions before the wellbeing of my family.”

Even though Slade couldn’t have known Lily had been in danger, he’d probably heard the sentiment many times from others. How it wasn’t his fault and that Aston Barnes had been fully to blame. She wouldn’t play into the same recitation. She’d save him the lecture. “If you want to own this, no one but God can convince you otherwise.”

Slade acknowledged her answer with a semi-smile. “Your honesty is refreshing.”

A stab of guilt pierced her, deep within. If she’d been totally truthful, she would’ve told him about her past when he’d asked. He’d shared his deepest regret with her and it was only fair that she return the favor. “There’s something I need to tell you, but I’ve been putting it off because I’m afraid of your reaction.”

“I won’t leave you unprotected, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He spoke in a low voice, much like when he attempted to coax her into trusting him over the phone.

Skylar needed to believe he would stand by her, to experience his fierce loyalty. “At first I was worried you would no longer want to protect me if I told you about my past, but now that we’ve been through so much together, losing your respect would hurt more than anything Aston Barnes could ever do to me.”

****

Slade couldn’t imagine what Skylar could’ve done to cause the fear swimming in her gorgeous green eyes. A part of him didn’t want to know. He wanted to keep his image of her as is, in pristine condition. She’d shown courage, strength and compassion. Add her admirable traits to his physical attraction, and he was hard pressed not to fall head-over-heels for her. But no one was without fault. If she had something to tell him, he needed to hear it with an open mind.

First things first. “I’m going to need stitches and antibiotics, before infection sets in. We need to get to the hospital and then contact Forest Lake’s Sheriff’s Office. I want to file a report with Deputy Landers.”

“All right. After that, we need to talk.” She stood and helped him to his feet.

He’d underestimated his blood loss; dizziness ensued, and he swayed.

“Whoa, hold on.” Tucking herself under Slade’s good arm, Skylar supported a portion of his weight. “Everything looks different during the daylight, but I think the road is north of here.”

“That’s my girl.” He said the words on impulse. He didn’t have the right to call her his…yet. He glanced her way to judge her reaction as they walked.

A frown marred her brow.

“Guess I overstepped?”

Skylar shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s just I haven’t been anyone’s girl for a long time. Not since…Jake.”

A wave of jealousy struck, but Slade shoved it aside. Of course she’d dated before. She was in her mid-twenties. But still. The thought set him on edge. “So it’s been a while?”

“A few years. Jake left me when things got difficult.” She lapsed into silence.

Slade wanted to throttle the guy for leaving Skylar during hard times. “I’m not going anywhere. No matter what happens.”

She didn’t say anything. Didn’t need to. The cautious hope rising in her eyes said it all.