“But—”
“We have to get out of here and into the woods, or you may never see your parents again. Do you understand?”
She stared up at him, her jaw going slack, her eyes wide. He’d been sharp.
“You said you’d do what I say. We have to go. Now. I don’t know how the dog tranquilizers work on a man. Emmitt might wake up at any minute. And there might be other men arriving at any second to take you. Emmitt wouldn’t wait long for payment.”
Her face went blank with shock.
“I can keep you safe, Harper. But you have to hurry.”
She shoved her other foot hastily into a sock. Maybe his entire meaning hadn’t sunk in. But the hint of the foulness of Emmitt Tharp’s plans for her had penetrated.
“No shoes, I guess?” she whispered.
“I’ve got shoes for you. They’re in your pack. You can put them on, but later. Emmitt’s a good tracker. One of the best in these mountains.” He knew she didn’t understand him from her blank expression, but there wasn’t time to explain.
“Time to go.” He put out a hand, and she took it, stepping toward him. For a second, they looked at each other somberly. They were almost exactly the same height.
“Why are you doing this?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “But I can get you back to your parents.”
r /> There was a chance he could, anyway. Jake was good at math, and he instinctively understood odds. Their chances of coming out of this unscathed were maybe fifty-fifty. They had the element of surprise on their side. And Emmitt didn’t know about Jake’s secret cave. Plus, he’d learned a lot about living, tracking, and evading in the woods in the past few years. Emmitt was a better hunter though, and what’s more, he could move in the forest faster than Harper and him due to nearly inhuman strength and stamina.
But Jake had worked with animals his whole life. He understood that mastering his fear and showing Harper confidence would go a long way in gaining her cooperation. If they had any chance of getting through this, he couldn’t have her panicking at every turn.
“Trust me,” he said, holding her stare.
“I do.”
He was a little stunned by her lack of hesitation, but took pains to hide it. For some reason, her unquestioned trust allowed him to make a decision he’d been dreading.
“Here. This pack is yours,” he said, handing her a worn army surplus backpack. She slung it over one shoulder, wincing.
“Okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“There’s one more important thing I have to do before we get off Emmitt’s property.”
He headed toward the ladder, determined that Harper not be a witness to his grief over that final task.
Present Day
Harper lounged on her terrace. The hot August day was quickly morphing into a pleasant, cool evening. She’d thought that the brisk, invigorating air would help her to focus on some edits. It wasn’t working, though.
Summer had always been a magical time for her growing up. Her father loved cooking out and her mother doted on her garden. How many comfortable, delicious meals had she shared with her mom and dad over the years on their terrace? They hadn’t seemed like anything special at the time. Memory gave those family dinners a golden quality, though, a sweet, elusive flavor. She ached, knowing she’d never share that feeling of easy companionship or unquestioned love again.
Her terrace looked so barren and empty by contrast.
Don’t move. Stay like that. You have no idea how exciting this is for me. You’re so beautiful. I want to play with you a little more. Okay?
The memory of Jacob giving her those steamy directions lanced through her momentary sadness, dissolving it.
Her mind kept wandering to those moments on that yacht last night. She frowned, recalling how cool and aloof he’d been just seconds after making her burn. She stared into space, her cheeks heating as she remembered how she shook in pleasure beneath his knowing hand . . . and later, how he took possession of her so completely.
It was hard to push him out now. It was like he’d taken up residence in her brain.