Wide violet eyes stared into him, asking a million questions as she broke free from his grip and then tumbled backward.She scrambled away from him.The look in her eyes and the twitch in the muscles beneath her skin said she was scared to death of him.
“Whoa!Hold on there,” he whispered harshly, putting his hands out, palms up to show he didn’t have a weapon.He’d tucked the gun inside the holster that was secured with a clip on the waistband of his jeans.“I’m not going to hurt you.I only grabbed you so you wouldn’t fall and end up hurt.”He’d seen her coming and thought she might need his help.Selfishly, he also hoped she had some information about what was going on at the campsite.
“We have to go,” she finally managed to say, looking like she’d just forced her way out of shock.Silky black hair fell past her shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face with the most kissable plump lips.
He folded his arms across his chest.“Not until you tell me who’s chasing you.”
She stood up, scanned him, and then tugged at his good arm.“No time.If you want to live, you’ll listen to what I’m saying.Either way, it’s your choice.But if you stay and those assholes catch up to you, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything about seeing me out here.”
With that, she released his arm and took off running.
Beau had no choice but to follow despite the still-fresh shoulder injury.So far, his quick search of the campsite hadn’t yielded any answers.He was at a dead end, and this mystery beauty was the first break he’d had since starting this journey hours ago.
The raven-haired beauty stumbled as she pushed through the thicket.He came up beside her at the first opportunity, reached for her hand, and then clasped their fingers when she didn’t resist.It looked like it was all she could do to keep running, and he needed to get them both to safety and away from whatever or whomever she was running from so he could get answers.
Saying Beau had questions was a lot like saying molasses was sticky.More piled on top of the ones he’d already had since Raven Hair had shown up.
He navigated them in the direction of the pickup, then stopped when he heard an engine idling on the nearby road.
“What is it?”she asked, pinching her side as she bent over and gasped for air after dropping his hand.
“Do you hear the engine?”he asked, reaching for his shoulder to check for blood.
Her gaze followed his hand.“What’s wrong?”
“Recent gunshot wound.I’ll explain later.”
She tilted her head to one side.
“What about the engine?Did you hear it?”he asked for the second time.
She nodded.“What the hell are we supposed to do now?”
“Wait it out,” he said.They weren’t near enough to his truck to get any distance between them.“I’m Beau, by the way.”He’d have offered a handshake if she hadn’t been struggling to breathe.
“Ivy,” she said, too quickly to be lying.At least she wasn’t trying to conceal her identity.
“I don’t want to scare you,” he said, hands up where she could see them.“I’m carrying a gun in one of those holsters made for the waistband.”
“Okay-y-y.”An eyebrow arched.
“I’m not here to hurt you in any way.”An inappropriate attraction—a draw like he’d never experienced—was her biggest threat, and he had zero plans to act on it.She was safe with him.Besides, instant attraction never lasted.Once you got to know the person behind the looks, it faded.A voice in the back of his mind tried to say Ivy was different, that this attraction was different.
He ignored it and moved on.
“Why did you bring us here to the road?”she asked, her gaze scanning the area toward the road.Thick, black lashes framed those violet eyes.He’d noticed a small tattoo on the inside of her wrist, but stopped himself from asking about it.Markings on her body were none of his business, especially not the small mole above her top lip and a bit to the right.
“I have a pickup stashed nearby.”
The panic in her widening eyes quelled any physical draw.
“Not because I want to hurt you,” he quickly added.“Because my mother has gone missing, and I thought she might be here.”
That violet gaze widened again.Staring into her eyes was like staring straight into precious jewels.“My father is missing.”
The engine cut off before they could get much further in their conversation.More questions flooded Beau’s mind like a tidal wave.He shoved them aside for now.“Trust me?”
She bit down on her bottom lip.“I’m not sure I have much choice.”
