Debra Webb - Safe by His Side

Raine slowed the car and took a hard right. Kate blinked rapidly to clear her blurred vision. He parked the car in a slot in a large, vacant parking lot. As had been the case when she’d stepped out of his cabin that afternoon, they were surrounded by dense woods. Nothing looked even remotely familiar.

A large painted sign read Alum Cave Bluff Hiking Trail.

Kate didn’t realize Raine had gotten out of the car until he opened her door. “Get a move on,” he ordered in a military tone.

Kate dropped her feet to the pavement and pushed herself up and out of the car only to be slapped in the face by a cold blast of wind. She sucked in a sharp breath of frigid air and shivered. The only thing that kept her convinced that she hadn’t died and gone to hell was the arctic chill of this damn place. At least it wasn’t raining. She glanced around the unfamiliar area. In fact, it looked as if it hadn’t rained here at all.

Raine ushered her toward a pay phone that looked strangely out of place in the deserted parking lot surrounded by trees. He picked up the receiver and listened for a dial tone.

“Okay,” he said roughly. “You’ve got one minute and don’t say anything you’ll regret.” He pulled some change from his pocket and thrust it at her, then leaned against one side of the open blue canopy that served as the telephone’s protection against the elements.

Kate nodded mutely. She accepted the change and receiver and tried to pretend that he wasn’t so close, but no way could she completely block out his powerful masculine presence. His scent, leather and something vaguely citrus, invaded her senses, making her feel even more disoriented.

She deposited the coins, then reached a shaky hand toward the numbers on the face of the telephone. Call in, she silently repeated to herself over and over. No matter how often she said it, the numbers she’d remembered so clearly only minutes ago would not resurface. Kate licked her lips nervously and stabbed a string of meaningless numbers, stopping after the seventh one. She quickly replaced the receiver in its cradle, the change rattled into the coin return.

Now…she had to think of something now!

“It…was busy,” she stammered. “May I try again?” She bit her lower lip and prayed he wouldn’t realize what she’d done.

Raine straightened and she almost gasped. He glared at her impatiently. “So try again. I don’t want to be here all night.” His gaze darted from her to the entrance of the parking lot and back several times while she dropped the coins in and redialed.

It was during one of those split seconds when he looked away that Kate propelled herself into action. She brought her right knee up into Raine’s crotch as hard as she could. She nailed him square between the legs with all her might.

A wounded, animal-like grunt sounded from deep in his throat. Surprise flashed through his blue eyes and then he was on his knees on the ground. Instinct absorbed all thought, Kate dropped the receiver and ran as fast as she could toward the trail disappearing into the woods.

Kate pushed forward trying to stay off the main trail. Branches and undergrowth slapped at her arms and legs.

Faster! She had to run faster or he would catch her. Thick old growth and trees forced her to return to the main trail. She ran as rapidly as she could, despite the fact that her legs felt like rubber and her head throbbed as though it might explode any minute.

Tripping and clutching at anything in her path for support, she didn’t look back. She couldn’t stop. Run! She had to run!

Kate’s lungs felt ready to burst. Her chest hurt. She gasped for air, but she couldn’t stop. She had to keep going.

What was that sound?

Louder…it got louder with every step she took. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood roared in her ears.

Water. It was only the river running alongside the trail.

Run, Kate, run. She pushed forward a little faster. Her entire body stung now from a lack of oxygen, but the desire for survival spurred her on.

What was that?

Kate shifted to look back, lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. It took a few moments for her mind to catch up with her sprawling body. Kate jerked herself up and turned around, fully expecting to find Raine towering over her.

There was no one or nothing there.

Kate shook herself, trying to shrug off the prickling feelings. She had to keep moving.

She moved swiftly but cautiously across a footbridge that was nothing more than a fallen tree with the top side hewn down flat. A primitive handrail provided support. After crossing the footbridge, she walked up the massive stone steps of a natural-rock formation. Under different circumstances, the formation might have captured her attention, but not now.

Right now she had to move as quickly as she could.

The steps took Kate through the huge rock and back to the trail. There was still no sound behind her. She smiled to herself. Undoubtedly Raine was still on the ground curled into a fetal position holding his pride and joy. She’d really nailed him good. He’d be in serious pain for a while yet.

Or maybe, she considered hopefully, he had decided going after her would be too much trouble and had already taken off in the car. Could she be that lucky?

Just to be sure the coast was still clear, Kate glanced over her shoulder once more as she started to run again. At first the sight of Raine moving swiftly toward her didn’t register in her brain—then suddenly it did.

He was only a few yards behind her. Kate lunged up the trail’s steadily climbing grade as fast as her weak body could take her. She couldn’t let him catch her.

Faster! She had to move faster!

The trail made a sudden left. Kate veered a bit too sharply and lost her balance. Raine’s powerful arms closed around her and they both tumbled to the ground.

They skidded to a grinding halt in the rocks and dirt. Kate struggled to free herself, but Raine pinned her to the ground with his full body weight.

“Let me go!” she yelled vehemently as she managed to grab a handful of his sandy hair.

A string of curses exploded from his mouth when he jerked her hand out of his hair. His eyes blazed like fire. He clenched his jaw so hard a muscle jumped furiously in his cheek as he immobilized her completely beneath his strong body.

Kate could do nothing now. The run and subsequent struggle had drained her already weak body.

For several seconds, neither moved or spoke. The only sound was the wind shifting through the trees and their ragged breathing. He felt hard and heavy on top of her. She watched his nostrils flare and that same muscle tic in his jaw. His mouth looked hard and grim. When their gazes collided, he tightened his hold on her wrists to a bruising intensity. For one fleeting instant sexual awareness sparked between them, strong and hot. Then it was gone, replaced by fury.

“Let me go,” Kate demanded once she’d caught her breath. Fear zipped through her at the possibility of what lay in store for her. He was really angry. A number of unpleasant scenarios flitted across her mind.

“I ought to do just that,” he growled as his blue gaze burned into hers. Kate could see the depth of the barely checked rage there. “You’re nothing but a pain in the ass—more trouble than you’re worth. I should just leave you for the cleanup team. That would put us both out of our misery.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate managed to say with the last bit of strength she could muster. “I want you to let me go.” Her entire body trembled as much from weakness as from fear of the man crushing her into the ground.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” His tone was cold and impatient, his piercing gaze ruthless. “They’ve seen you with me. You’re marked…history…dead meat.” With a frustrated exhale and a pained groan, Raine pushed himself up, pulling Kate up in the process.