She wasn’t begging.
She wasdaringme.
And I was losing focus. Fast. Then, frantic shuffles beside me pulled me back to the moment.
“Don’t shoot,Darby,” I ground out.
I caught her hand mid-air, twisted. Her body jerked, followed by a quick whimper, then, submission. Finally. Every inch of my skin stung from her scratches as I straddled her, pinning her arms above her head.
“Damn,woman,”I exhaled, getting my bearings.
Her hair, speckled with grass and twigs, fanned outaround a face that I guessed was no older than mid-twenties. Her emerald eyes shimmered in waves of different colors against the blue and red lights flashing across her face. Stunning. Magical.
Unnerving.
We stared at each other, suspended in some strange, electric stillness. My chest heaved with effort. So did hers. And that was the first time I really saw her. And that was the first time I felt…something.
The blue and red strobes from Colson’s cruiser pulsed across her face in flashes, illuminating flawless, snow-white skin that appeared to glow under the moonlight. Her lips were full and deep red, with a little indent in the bottom one. A smattering of blood speckled the corner of her mouth and I found myself wanting to wipe it away. It didn’t belong on that skin, that face. Her forehead shimmered in sweat, her hair wet at the temples, little kinky curls framing her face. Despite the fact I had her pinned, her body tensed beneath me, as if waiting for an opportunity to strike. Those eyes daring me with a wild kind of defiance that told me she still hadn’t given up.
Fearless.That was the one word that materialized through the fog of my brain.
The woman was fearless.
“You got her?” Darby’s voice yanked me back to the present moment—again.
Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I addressed the rookie.
“I need you to check the man on the ground for a pulse. Call an ambulance. Then secure the scene and call in all available units. Have Tanya wake up whoever’s on call. This place will be crawling with joggers at the first crack of dawn. Check on Colson, get the medical examiner, and turn offyour damn flashers. And for God’s sake, Darby, tie your damn shoe.”
“Yes sir. On all counts.”
“What’s Colson doing?” I asked.
“Interviewing the witness. Something Erickson, I believe. Want me to take that over?”
“I want you to do exactly what I just told you to do. And watch where you step. Don’t contaminate the scene.” More than this woman had, anyway, with her brazen attempt to flee.
As Darby stepped away, I spared a quick glance at Colson, who met my gaze immediately. I dipped my chin—good?He nodded, dipped his, returning the question. I dipped back—good.
I refocused on the woman between my groin.
“What’s your name?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line and it was the first time I noticed the blood on her mouth was her own. A deep split slashed the corner of her lower lip. I raised myself and scanned her body, noting scrapes down her neck, her chest, the beginning of bruising underneath the spray of blood on her arms. A nasty gash sliced her bicep. She was hurt. My hands loosened around her wrists immediately. Her fingers flexed in response, but she didn’t move as I continued to look her over. It was the first moment her eyes left mine, hooded eyelids lowering, feathered lashes hiding the flash of embarrassment I caught in those green irises.
I lifted off of her slightly, relieving her of some of the two-hundred-plus pounds pressing against her.
“Are you hurt? Anywhere other than the obvious?” I asked.
She continued to avoid eye contact. A deep swallowmoved the muscles of her neck, followed by the slightest head shake.
“Okay. So that’s a no. What’s your name?”
No response. I considered that she might be deaf, or possibly mute. She’d already surprised me once.
“Name.”I repeated again.
Normally, at this point, I’d either man-handle or threaten someone who wouldn’t talk, but not her. Why? Because my instincts were screaming at me. Something was justoff.I wasn’t quite sure what or why, but nothing about it felt normal, including the dead man inches away that neither one of us were addressing.
