Captive Heart by Mina Carter, J.William Mitchell Read Free Book Online

One…two…three!”
    He burst out of the ruined doorway, using his bigger body to shield her.
    “Go,” he bellowed as bullets splintered the wooden wall that they’d been standing against seconds before. She cringed at the sound of the gunfire but instinct, adrenaline, and years upon years of conditioning from her workouts got her to the log faster than she thought she could. Staying low, she was very aware that her captor-turned-bodyguard seemed to have gone through this before. For a moment, she felt sorry for him, while at the same time she felt a sense of admiration. How could someone consider this sort of life as a normal existence?
    While he attacked their unseen enemy, she took the time to gather her courage again. After a few more breaths and some moments of hesitation, she ducked low and ran as fast as she could into the forest. Rocks and twigs prodded her soles. It would have been painful, but she couldn’t feel them anymore. Her blood seemed had been replaced by adrenaline.
    He caught up with her what seemed like hours later, the woods behind them falling silent. “Keep moving,” he ordered, his hand sliding under her arm to hurry her along the path. “That’s put them down for a while, but I don’t think I got the lot.”
    “Looks like your friends were trying to tell you that your employer doesn’t like you,” said Rollie as she moved as fast as she could while watching her step.
    “If one of my friends wanted me dead, I’d be dead, and so would you,” he told her bluntly. “No, far more likely they found something out that means they want you dead now, not just disappeared for a while. Keep moving.” He motioned her on when she started to slow down.
    “Who would want me dead?” she asked in disbelief. “No one even knows me enough to hate me, and what could anyone possibly gain from wanting to kill me? Who sent you? Why does your boss want me kidnapped and then killed?”
    “I’m a subcontractor, honey. I took on the kidnap job. It’s possible they then sourced someone for a hit.”
    She would have pointed out to him that he didn’t answer her question, but decided to shut up. She could always grill him later. Save for the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoots from owls, it was pretty quiet, and she was smart enough to know that it was advisable not to attract attention when trying to hide from someone.
    Every now and then, she would bite off a curse or recoil as she stepped on something sharp. The forest floor wasn’t too kind to her pampered feet, and as soon as they got to civilization, the first thing she’d get was a decent pair of sneakers. The blood roared in her head and over the deafening silence. She felt like every beat of her rapid heart was being broadcast all over the forest like a drummer with a timpani. The air was cold, and if it hadn’t been for his jacket, she would have frozen to death. The solid steel pistol in her hand felt heavy but for some reason she couldn’t—wouldn’t—let go of it.
    She knew that the fact that she killed a man just a while earlier would come to haunt her, and she dreaded it.
    ***
    They were moving at a fast pace now but Day wasn’t unaware of her little winces each time she stepped on something. And for some reason, he felt guilty each time she did, as though it were his fault she’d worn such bloody unsuitable shoes and had to take them off. He put his hand on her arm to stop her as they reached a kink in the path, sinking into a kneeling position out of habit as he listened to the sounds of the forest around them.
    After long seconds, he nodded. “I’ve got a truck hidden in an outbuilding up ahead,” he said, his voice a mere whisper as he looked at her. She looked scared to death, and he attempted a smile. “We’ll get out of this. I promise.”
    What made him say that, and give that assurance, he didn’t know. He didn’t do nice. It just wasn’t in him. So why now?
    She was panting, and her teeth were chattering.