“You met and trusted me,” Kate said.
“True, but that felt different. We were established and part of a strong group. We didn’t risk much by taking you in,” Grace answered.
“Speaking of which, Ryan and Grace, I just wanted to thank you for looking after Kate when I couldn’t,” Nick said.
“It’s no problem, man. I don’t feel like we did much. In fact, she fell out of a three-story window on our watch. I wish we could have done more,” Ryan said, directing his gaze at Nick while Grace gazed at Kate with a saccharine smile.
“As strange as it sounds, it was exactly what needed to happen. I mean, I could have done without her getting hurt, but it brought her back to me.” Nick squeezed Kate’s hand.
“Everything happens for a reason. Even if it means Tumbleweed ends up with a broken arm,” Ryan said.
Grace yawned, and the group decided it was time to settle in. Without sleeping gear, each claimed their own section of grass around the campfire. Phoenix curled up and was asleep within minutes. Ryan and Grace lay together across from him, snuggling up and chatting softly.
Nick and Kate found their spot to rest for the night and sat in grass that was already collecting dew. Nick unzipped his backpack and retrieved a long sleeve shirt for Kate to bundle up in, since she seemed to be freezing all the time. Smiling, Kate pulled the shirt over her head and wrapped herself in its warmth. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The contact sent shivers through her, and an excitement scurried across her skin.
Nick stretched out his body and laid his head back on his arms. Kate sat, legs crossed, staring at Nick with a peculiar gaze.
“Nick,” Kate said. “Come here.” Kate pulled him to his feet. Nick caught the wild, sensual storm dancing in her eyes, and anxiety wrapped its tendrils around his middle.
Kate walked backward a few steps with Nick’s hand in hers before she turned and rushed into the woods. Once they were about a half mile away from the rest of their group, Kate rested her back against a tree and pulled Nick close to her. Soft, warm fingers glided up his chest and around the back of his neck. Kate’s lips met his, and they kissed with fervor until Nick pulled away.
“Kate, we can’t be out here,” Nick said. His brain tugged at him to return to the camp while his body pushed to be closer to Kate, to kiss her, to let his hands roam her skin.
“Just a few minutes. Then, we’ll go back,” Kate bargained and returned her mouth to his.
At first, Nick only responded to her kiss. After a few moments, he slipped his tongue around hers, and his chest leaned into her body against the tree. A gentle breeze blew against the back of his neck, making the hairs stand up and igniting the flames of excitement burning beneath his skin. The beat of his heart quickened until it was a bass drum, underlining each connection of their mouths, their bodies.
Then, the air changed, and an odor wafted through on a slight gail. Nick pulled back from Kate, his eyes piercing hers, though his mind was focused on the olfactory intrusion.
“Do you smell that?” Nick asked. Kate’s face contorted into an annoyed expression.
“No, don’t you dare—”
Nick clapped a hand over Kate’s mouth. He could feel the anger burning beneath his aggressive gesture, but she would have to concede. He preferred to make apologies rather than regret impetuous decisions.
The wind picked up again, and the scent grew stronger. Tobacco. Cigarette smoke. Then, Nick heard the footsteps.
A figure stepped out from behind the tree, and just as the cold barrel of a handgun dug into Nick’s temple, he gripped Kate by the shoulders and shoved her into the forest.
“Run!” Nick shouted, and without a second thought, Kate sprinted away.
“Catch her,” the shadow man ordered, and three men ran in the direction Kate had sped off in.
Nick stood, helpless, with his arms in the air.
“Get on your fucking knees,” the stranger ordered, and Nick complied, dropping to the ground. Though he knew Kate was out of view, hidden by trees and the blackness of night, Nick stared in the direction she ran. The gun to his head bothered him little. The thought of Kate being caught by these unknown men unleashed violent, rageful pulses from his brain and into every nerve ending.
“Put down the gun!” Ryan’s voice broke through Nick’s focus. Nick turned to find Ryan approaching with caution and aiming a handgun. Every hair follicle prepared for action, and when the shadow figure’s attention fixed on Ryan, Nick used the opportunity to send an elbow into his gut.
As the attacker let out a moan of pain, Nick grabbed his armed hand and aimed it at the ground. Nick kneed the man’s wrist, and his fingers relented their grip on the gun. The weighty metal clunked to the ground in a pile of leaves. Ryan slammed the grip of his pistol into the man’s head, forcing a gasp from his chest as he hit the ground.
Nick mounted the stranger, turning him over and securing his hands behind his back. Ryan picked the pistol up from the ground and holstered it in his waistband.
“You got him?” Nick asked, his voice hurried and panicked.
“I got him. Go,” Ryan answered. Nick’s legs pushed off the ground before Ryan had the chance to finish speaking. Within seconds, Nick was lost to the shadows of the forest in search of Kate.
Nick shuffled to a stop at the treeline and ducked behind a tree. Three armed men were loading Kate into a pick-up truck.
