Hunted (19 page)

Will tightened his arm around her waist. “Emma, we’re not staying here. We’re going to take a shower and leave.”

She conceded, allowing him to usher her into the house, past James. Will shot him a glare, warning him to keep his mouth shut. James shook his head and chuckled.

Will took her into the bathroom and had her sit on the side of the bathtub. The short walk zapped what little strength she had and her body swayed until she leaned her head against the tile wall.

“Emma?”

“I’m so tired,” she mumbled.

She needed food. He ran into the kitchen and made a sandwich and returned to the bathroom to find her slumped against the wall.

“Emma, I brought you a sandwich. You need to eat, okay? Just a little bit,” he said, raising it to her mouth.

To his relief, she grabbed it and took several bites and seemed to regain some strength.

“You eat the rest while I go pack our stuff, okay?” He stood and watched her, waiting for her reaction.

She gave him a small smile. “Go. I’m fine. You’re just across the hall.”

He gave her a long look before he walked out and shut the door.

***

Emma still couldn’t believe Will had found her. How had he done it? As much as she hated to admit it, she’d be dead if he hadn’t shown up when he did.

Thinking about what she’d done turned the lumps of sandwich in her stomach to stones. Had she killed those men? She had no choice, not that she even understood what she’d done. Where had that come from?

The pendant.

She stood up and stared in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. Her face was almost completely black, spots smeared where Will had rubbed against her. Her clothes were covered in soot. She smelled like a bonfire. But the pendant glowed a fiery reddish-orange against her chest. She wondered how Will had recognized her in the forest, but she suspected there weren’t many women running for their lives in the woods. Her heart lurched. Maybe there were. What if she’d hurt other people by what she had done?

Raphael had told her she’d gain other powers. Who knew it would include throwing massive fireballs? That wasn’t true, either. A glowing orb came out of her, not flames. She looked down at her hands, turning her palms over in amazement. How could her hands cause so much destruction? She turned on the faucet, wringing them in the water. Raising her gaze to the mirror, she stared into the face of a woman she didn’t recognize. Evidence of her crime covered her body, the river of tears streaming down her cheeks a poor penance for her deeds.

Her power was a harbinger of death.

The room closed in and the smell of smoke and grime made her gag. She turned on the water and stripped off her clothes, tossing them into the trash can. Stepping under the scalding water, she sobbed as the water washed away the soot but not her guilt. Then Will’s arms were around her, holding her naked body to his, his lips finding her face, chasing away the demons that haunted her.

How could she have considered leaving him?

Her hands reached for his cheeks, pulling his mouth to hers, desperate. Why was she always so desperate for him? Shouldn’t that tell her how much she needed him?

He responded to her demands, with an urgency of his own. She knew he’d been terrified of losing her. She felt it through their connection in the woods. She’d just never realized how strongly he felt.

It eased her conscience as her body persuaded his to give her what she needed. She selfishly needed him, reassuring her of his love even when she couldn’t give it to him in return. This had to be enough. It was all she was capable of giving.

Her fingers entwined in his hair and he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her back against the cold tile wall. She didn’t care; she couldn’t wait. She needed him now.

She opened her eyes to see his piercing her own as he entered her, fierce and possessive.

“Will.” She dug her fingers into his back as she held on.

Her cry caused his own guttural response, bruising her shoulder blades against the wall from the assault. She clung to him until they came together in a knot of limbs and tongues. As she spiraled down to reality, she found herself holding onto him by his hair.

She watched for his reaction.

Tenderness.

He grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her lightly, a sharp contradiction to the frenzy they just experienced. He pulled back, looking into her eyes, the love so evident it drenched her. He pulled her head to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her back as the water pelted their bodies.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he said.

She tilted her head to look up at him and smiled. “I’ll try not to.”

They finished in the shower and dressed. Will grabbed their bag and carried it outside where James waited in the swing, his foot resting on the porch rail.

“I would’ve loaded the car, but you never said which one we were going to take, yours or my truck.”

“
We?
” Emma asked.

Will’s brow furrowed. “James isn’t safe here right now. If they know we’re this close, they might make the connection and find him. Besides, he can help.”

He was right but she refused to acknowledge it so she fumed in silence.

“We still didn’t answer the ‘yours or mine’ question,” James said.

“Neither,” Emma said. “I have a car we can use.”

Both men turned to her, eyes wide.

“Trust me, we want it. It’s a bulletproof Lexus. We just have to get it.”

James turned to Will, his mouth sagging. “Do I
want
to know where she got a bulletproof Lexus?”

“She’s always been resourceful.” Will mumbled as he walked down the steps.

She could see he was curious himself but refrained from asking. She’d have to tell him at some point, but she’d put it off as long as possible.

“Come on, we’ll take the Camaro and ditch it where the Lexus is parked, if we can recover it.”

Emma gave him directions to the repair shop and the three rode in silence. When they passed the still-burning forest, James’s eyes fixed on the scene, casting a quick glance at Emma before turning back. But Emma had seen the emotion behind his eyes and her blood slowed in her veins.

Fear.

She tried to avert her gaze from the flashing red lights of the emergency vehicles lining the highway. The pendant warmed her chest while her horror chilled her blood.

She had caused this.

The Lexus was still in the lot, undisturbed. Will decided that the least suspicious move would be to go inside and tell them that the Camaro needed work. He also hoped to get information about the fire.

James and Emma got out of the car as Will started for the door. He stopped and grabbed Emma’s arm. “Maybe you should come inside with me.” His jaw locked as his eyes darted around the lot.

She reached up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly. “I’m okay. Just hurry up and let’s get out of here.”

He nodded and disappeared inside.

Emma smoldered as she watched James heft a bag out of the trunk. Just the thought of being around him indefinitely turned her stomach.

James saw her glare and lifted his mouth into a snide grin. “I’m not any more excited about this than you are.” He turned his gaze to the road. “You’re a helluva lot of trouble and I’m not even getting laid for the effort.”

“
Excuse me?
”

His eyes pierced hers, full of hatred. “You’re fucking up his life and I intend to do everything to get him out of your train wreck.”

Will walked out of the building and she bit back the response on her tongue.

Will looked around again. “We’re set. Let’s go.”

Emma climbed into the backseat and Will stood outside, confused. “What are you doing? James can sit in the back.”

“I’m tired, so I’ll sit back here and nap. You and James can sit in front.” She cringed at the thought of James behind her, sharpening the blade he planned to stab into her back.

Will tossed the keys to James. “You drive, I’ll sit in the back with Emma.” He climbed into the back and wrapped his arm around Emma’s back, pulling her head to his chest.

James shook his head and pulled onto the highway, past the billowing smoke that rolled from the trees. “We’re going to South Dakota, I presume.”

“Yep.” Will looked into the forest. “The mechanic said they haven’t figured out the source of the fire. They think it was some kind of explosion, but they don’t have any clue what caused it. He said they’d already found the bodies of six armed men, although the fire’s still burning so I suspect they’ll probably find more. The dead bodies aren’t public information yet. He got it from a friend of a friend.”

Breath stuck in Emma’s throat. She’d killed six men and probably more.
That planned to kill you
. She reminded herself but it didn’t make her feel any better. How many men had she killed? Was she so callous she’d lost count?

“They must be getting desperate to send men in broad daylight so close to town.” Will said under his breath. “They’re sure it’s connected to the gunshots and high-speed chase early this morning.”

“Shit.” James murmured, shaking his head. “What the fuck has this girl done?”

“It’s more like what she’s capable of doing. I have a feeling they now know she’s more than they expected.”

“Hey, I’m right here!” Emma protested, but she trembled with the thought that Warren or the Cavallo knew about her now. They’d hunt her down even more aggressively.

Will tightened his grip around her waist and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

For now
was unspoken, yet understood. The movement of the car was already lulling Emma to sleep when Will whispered in her ear. “We have a few things to talk about. First is how you made that explosion.”

She nodded against his chest, not surprised. Unfortunately, Raphael would be part of the discussion.

Chapter Fifteen

Will dozed off for a few hours and woke with Emma’s head against his side, her hair plastered to her forehead. He shifted slightly and glanced out the window, a North Dakota road sign catching his eye. Now they just had to get to the other side of the state, then down to South Dakota.

James looked over his shoulder. “You should sleep more. You didn’t sleep at all last night and let’s not forget the minor fact you had busted ribs and a collapsed lung less than forty-eight hours ago.”

“I’m healed from the injuries and you and I both know I used to get a lot less sleep on a regular basis. You were there.”

“Well, we’re not getting any younger, buddy.”

“Yeah…” Will shifted his leg at the thought, careful not to disturb Emma.

James cleared his throat. “Will, how long have we been friends now? Twenty-five years? Remember when Johnny Morehead stole your lunch money in the second grade and I came to your rescue?”

Will grinned. “I seem to remember it the other way around.”

“What does it matter who defended whom? The point is we’ve had each other’s backs since we were kids. Hell, your dad even pulled strings to get us in the same unit in Iraq.”

Will shifted his weight again. He could already see he wouldn’t like where this conversation was headed. “Your point?”

“My point is, I’ve always stood by you. I’ve had your back even after that fucking mess with the Iraqi school and your court-martial. I backed you up, dude. All the way. But I don’t know about this one.”

Will’s chest burned. “What are you saying, Buckner? You want out? Just say the word and all we have to do is drop you off at the nearest town. You can run back to your hideaway, because we both know what that little fishing spot really is. Your attempt to hide from the world.”

“Will…” James tone softened. “It’s not a matter of me being in or out. I’m saying, how long have you known this woman? What do you really know about her? If someone like Senator Warren wants her, maybe you should think about turning her over.”

Will saw black spots. “Stop the car.”

“Will….”

“Stop the fucking car,” he growled.

“No. I’m not stopping the car. We’re having this discussion whether you like it or not. In fact, unless you want your girlfriend to be part of it, I suggest you calm down or you’re going to wake her up. Now answer the question. How well do you really know her?”

“I know her well enough to know I love her.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“What the fuck do you want me to say?”

“What’s her favorite color? What’s her favorite movie? What kind of books does she read? Does she like anchovies on her pizza?”

Will inhaled, trying to gain control of his temper. He didn’t know the answer to any of those and he knew what James’ reaction would be.

“See?” James said. “You’re throwing your life away for a woman you know nothing about. What about our plan, Will?”

Will shook his head in frustration. “It was your plan, James, never mine, so let’s not kid each other, okay? Maybe I don’t consider it throwing my life away.”

“What
do
you know about her?”

“I know she grew up in Joplin, with a drunk, no-good mother who blamed all her problems on Emma. Her father disappeared while her mother was pregnant and Emma didn’t even know his name until a couple of days ago. I know her grandmother is awesome and seeing her gave me a little bit of insight to who Emma will be in fifty years.”