Safe In His Arms (Manhunt) (18 page)

Mia cried out in pain, and dropped to the floor, doubling over as if she was hurting. Then Alex saw her slip one hand beneath the hem of her jeans. Slowly she worked her fingers until a small pocketknife appeared in her hand. She folded her fingers around it to keep it hidden from Jones’s view. Alex held his breath, praying the man didn’t see what she was doing.

Geoff gripped Mia’s arm to haul her back up, and desperation hit Alex in the gut. He struggled vigorously with the rope. But Mia quickly brought the knife down and jabbed it into Jones’s leg.

Geoff bellowed in pain and reached for the knife, but she yanked it from his leg then ran toward Alex. She jumped over the flames and managed to slice one of the ropes around his wrist before Jones vaulted toward her.

Geoff was on her in a flash. He yanked her by her hair, dragged her through the flames, then slapped her across the face and threw her to the floor. His fist flew up next, and he slammed it into her jaw.

Alex cursed, hating the man with every fiber of his being. The flames were inching toward him, eating up the paper and licking at the pants of his jeans.

Mia covered her face to fend off another blow, and fire seared his ankle, catching onto the threads of his jeans as he desperately yanked at the rope to free himself.

Mia had taken beatings before. But this would damn well be her last.

Using moves her self-defense instructor had taught her, she brought both feet up and kicked Geoff in the stomach. He grunted, his expression shocked for a second just before rage seethed in his eyes.

“You bitch, you will learn,” he hissed.

He dove at her, and Mia rolled to the side, lurching to her feet. But he tackled her, sending her face down. She caught herself on her hands and knees, but he was too strong, sent a blow to her lower back that made her collapse.

Blinding pain mingled with tears and nausea. Jesus, he knew how to hit.

But he was not going to win this time.

The sound of the fire crackling mingled with her own moan as she struggled for a breath.  A second later, Geoff jumped on top of her, holding her down as he  shoved her hair away from her cheek and licked the side of her face.

“You want me to show this fucker how a man takes a woman,” he growled near her ear. “Then he’ll remember that you’re my wife, not some whore for him to touch.”

“Geoff, please,” Mia begged. Her cheek throbbed like the devil.

If she could get him off of her, maybe she could reach the gun she’d tucked inside her bra.

His laughter rumbled with evil.  “Please what?”

“Please don’t do this here. Let me up, and we’ll go some place nice and quiet. Then we can make real love before we leave the country.”

She heard Alex fidgeting with the ropes as Geoff rolled her over to face him. God help her.  Blood had soaked Alex’s chest and pants. He needed a doctor fast.

If the fire didn’t engulf him first.

She had to save them.

Geoff’s gaze met hers, a heady sense of hunger blazing in his eyes as he traced a finger over her breast. “Do you know how many nights I dreamed about having you again while I was in that hellhole?”

She shifted, fighting nausea at his touch. “I’m sorry, Geoff. But you’re here now, and so am I.” She gestured toward the fire.  Smoke was billowing around them, clogging the air and making it harder for her to see Alex.

He had to be weak from blood loss.  And now he was inhaling smoke.

She faked a smile, forcing a soft flirty tone to her voice that sickened her. But she’d do whatever was necessary to save Alex.

“Let’s get out of here before this old place goes up in flames.”

Geoff studied her for a moment as if weighing her words for sincerity, then pushed off of her, stood and took her hand to help her up. Suddenly Alex tore loose and lunged at Geoff, throwing him sideways and sending them both crashing to the floor.

The two men traded blow for blow, but Geoff delivered a hard kick to Alex’s wounded knee, and Alex groaned and fell backward.

Rage at Geoff surged through Mia, and she yanked the .22 from her bra, braced it in her hands and aimed to shoot.

“Get off of him,” Mia hissed.

But Geoff wasn’t listening. He jerked Alex up by the collar and ground his foot into Alex’s injured leg. More blood seeped from the wound, and Alex’s face contorted in pain, but he shoved a fist into Geoff’s abdomen. The blow was hard enough to force Geoff to stagger back.

Her heart raced as she yanked the .22 from her bra, aimed it at Geoff’s chest and fired. The bullet slammed into him, his eyes widening at the impact. Then he lunged toward her with a sadistic scream.

He knocked her down, but she pressed the trigger and released another shot.

Geoff knocked the gun upward though and the bullet hit the ceiling. Then he ripped the gun from her hand and tossed it across the floor. A second later, he wrapped his hands around her neck.

She struggled, kicking and trying to fight him off. But his fingers dug deeper into her throat. She was choking, suffocating, couldn’t breathe.

She tried to fight, but he was so heavy, she couldn’t move.

Dear God. After all this, he was going to kill her.

Alex staggered to his feet, disoriented from the pain. But Mia was fighting for her life, and he didn’t intend to lose her.

Not now.

Smoke clogged the air, the fire spreading to the far wall and eating at the floor. The stake where he’d been tied was completely engulfed in flames.

Dammit. He was too weak to beat Geoff. He needed a weapon, and had no idea what Jones had done with Alex’s Sig.

Frantic, he visually searched the room and spotted Mia’s .22 near the flames. He pivoted and spotted the shiny metal of Jones’s .45 against the wall.

Shoving one hand over his chest to stem the blood flow, he staggered to the corner, bent over and picked up the gun.

Mia was gasping for a breath, kicking her feet to try to knock Jones off of her.

Cold fury engulfed Alex, and his adrenaline kicked in. He crossed the room in seconds and stood behind Jones, then pointed the gun at the back of Jones’s back. 

“Get off of her now.”

Alex jammed the barrel into his back. “I said to let her go.”

Slowly, Jones released Mia’s neck. She gasped for a breath, and Jones raised his hands in surrender. But Alex didn’t trust the son of a bitch.

And with good cause.

Jones whirled on him to get the gun. Alex didn’t hesitate.

He fired the weapon, catching Jones straight in the heart. Shock widened the man’s eyes as he realized he’d been hit.

Then he lunged at Alex.

Alex smiled, grateful he did. It gave him a good reason to shoot him again.

The bullet pierced Jones’s heart, then he staggered back. Mia rolled to the side just before the son of a bitch hit the floor.

Alex stared at the man for a minute, then knelt and felt for a pulse.

Nothing.

Relieved, he stumbled forward, collapsed beside Mia and pulled her into his arms.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

She clung to him, her breathing ragged.  “Alex…”

“He’s dead.”

“We have to get out of here,” Mia cried.  “The fire’s spreading.”

“Go,” he said.  “I’ll be right behind you.”

She framed his face with her hands. “No way I’m leaving without you.”

“Mia…” He was fading, the world spinning again.

“Come on, cowboy.” She slid her arm beneath his shoulder and helped him to stand.

Together they wove through the smoke-filled room and through the door to the fresh air waiting outside.

Alex felt his legs buckling and tried to hang on. But he lost the battle and went down.

The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was Mia kissing him on the lips.

He wondered if it was the last kiss they’d ever share.

C
HAPTER
F
IFTEEN

Terror for Alex gripped Mia as she waited on the ambulance and sheriff to arrive.

His face was stark white, his breathing shallow.  And he’d lost so much blood…

Fear mushroomed inside her.  Would he make it?

The lodge was completely ablaze as the rescue workers arrived. The sheriff climbed from his car, his face earnest as he visually scanned the scene.

Mia waved the medics over to where Alex lay on the ground, hundreds of feet from the burning building, and they began to work on him, taking vitals, examining his injuries, using blood stoppers to help stem the flow of blood.

They moved him onto a stretcher, then started an IV.

“Is he going to be okay?” Mia asked, her heart in her throat.

The medics exchanged concerned looks. “It’s hard to say, Ma’am,” one of the medics said. “He’ll need surgery. We’ll take him to the closest trauma unit.”

The other medic narrowed his eyes at her. “It looks like you need medical attention yourself.”

“No, I’m okay,” Mia said. A few bruises were nothing compared to what she’d endured before. “Just get Sgt. Townsend to the hospital ASAP.”

Mia wanted to go with him, but the sheriff was waiting on an explanation so she told the medics she’d meet them at the hospital.

“What the hell happened here?” Sheriff Leonard asked as the ambulance raced away.

Mia explained about Geoff’s call, that he’d ambushed Alex and shot him, then about the fight that had ensued inside.

The sheriff jerked his thumb toward the inferno that used to be the lodge. Rotting wood burned fast. “You mean Jones is in there?”

Mia nodded, her throat thick with emotions and raw from where Geoff had tried to strangle her. “Somehow Geoff got Alex. He shot him, brought him here and tied him up then called me. I…had to come, to save Alex.”

The sheriff grunted. “You should have called me, brought back-up.”

“I know,” Mia said. “But he said if he saw any police, he’d kill Alex.” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t let him do that.”

“And let me guess. When you got here, he tried to kill you.”

Mia sighed. “I think he planned to kill Alex then take me away. But I fought him and shot him once with my .22.  Then Alex got untied and they fought. Alex managed to get Geoff’s gun and shot him with it.”

“How did the fire start?” the sheriff asked.

Mia’s anger churned. “Geoff. He tied Alex to a stake and was going to burn him alive.”

“Jesus Christ,” Sheriff Leonard muttered. 

A fire truck wailed down the dirt drive, then the men jumped out, unrolling hoses and dousing the flames. The building was lost, but if the blaze spread to the woods, they might have more serious problems on their hands.

“I’d like to go to the hospital and check on Alex,” Mia said.  And she needed to return Henry’s truck and apologize for borrowing it without permission.

The sheriff nodded. “I’ll need a formal statement. But I’ll catch up with you later.”

Mia nodded, then jogged toward the pick-up truck, jumped in and sped away. The image of Alex’s ashen complexion and his still body flashed in her mind, and she prayed that he’d survive.