Ashley gasped as she stared at the man pinning her down. The anger that had flared in his eyes was gone, but now they were unreadable. Suddenly, he grimaced again, pushing his face into her neck, but this time her skin tingled as his warm breath washed over her.
"Trust me. I'll get us out of this," he whispered before pulling away and roughly jerking her to a sitting position. She glared at him. Trust him? Not likely. She recoiled from him, but he quickly grabbed her arm.
"Got any cuffs on you, Hal?"
The big man grunted, and as one hand rooted around the bulk at his middle, the other began to rub his jaw where she had kicked him. "She's a hell cat, ain't she."
Hal laughed as he tossed a bit of silver through the air, and it landed with an ominous jingle next to her. Lance snatched the handcuffs and turned back to her before she could flinch away. He stayed in front of her, straddling her legs and pulling her hands behind her back while she got a close up view of his impressive chest. Again, she'd never been handcuffed before, but she was pretty sure this was not how it worked. Her jaw dropped in shock before she snapped it closed and glared up at him.
As he pulled her hands together behind her back, his eyes strayed to the swell of her breast, and he looked back to her eyes and winked.
"You jackass!" she snapped, trying to jerk away from him, but his arms wrapped around her like a vice, subduing all her movements. In his efforts to hold her, it put his face close to her ear again, and he whispered in a rush, "You have to trust me!"
It took a moment, but Ashley finally realized he had goaded her into action so he could give her another warning. She scoffed, but what choice did she have? Dread knotted in her stomach but she obediently let him pull her hands together behind her back. Then he surprised her. He snapped the cuffs around her fingers, and they almost slipped to the ground before she caught them. She had to close her eyes tight, as if in a grimace to hide her shock.
Ashley stared at the ground as Lance moved to help her to her feet. Her fingers gripping the rough steal so tight it hurt. She glanced at the undercover Lance had called Hal and found the copious man staring at her with a smile of satisfaction on his pasty white face.
"She's the one you've been lookin' for, eh." A leer replaced the smile, and his eyes roved over her body. She cringed in disgust, but forced herself to stay silent. Subconsciously, she backed toward Lance. "Now that ya got 'er, was she worth it?"
"More than you'll ever know." There was a heat in Lance's voice, and Ashley realized he had noticed Hal's leer also. She blinked in surprise as Lance moved between them, obstructing her view of the loathsome man. Suddenly, she gained a new respect for him, and a deep realization that this was Lance was slowly dawning on her. He was more than just text in an email and a voice on the phone. He was no stranger. He was flesh and blood, and he was standing in front of her.
"Alright, boy. I gotta get back to the scanner," Hal grumbled, and Ashley allowed herself a small smile. Lance turned to her, and she quickly wiped all emotion from her face, staring at him blankly. He frowned, his eyebrows drawing together, and even in the dim lighting, he looked gorgeous. He took her arm gently, and Ashley pretended not to notice the flutter in her stomach as he guided her along.
"So, what's Nikki got you up to, Hellion? Rob any liqueur stores lately?" Hal asked, making Ashley gasp. She stumbled for a response, but Lance snapped back before she could find her voice.
"She's not a part of Nikki's gang, Halbert. I've already told you that." There was a definite undertone of anger in his voice, but she ignored it. She didn't like this cop.
"Halbert? What the hell kinda name is that, pig?" she laughed, taunting the fat man. He turned swiftly for all his bulk, and Ashley's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He took the bait so easily!
"You listen here, you little twat." He stormed the few paces to her, but Lance reacted quickly, stepping between them. Ashley saw a meaty arm swing for her, but she danced backwards out of his reach. Then her eyes flew open as she watched the smooth muscles ripple across Lance's back. In one powerful display of force, Lance pressed the big man against the wall, leaving his toes to barely reach the ground.
"Don't even think about it. She's not a perp. You won't lay a hand on her," Lance growled, causing odd shivers to run through Ashley. Ox had stood up for her before, but it had never made her feel like this. The anger frightened her, but she was awed by his power and emotions. Again, her respect grew another notch.
Then she noticed something else. A burn in Hal's eyes that looked strangely familiar. It was the same look her father got before he hit her. She inched backwards, pressing herself against the wall while holding the cuffs tightly in her small hands. Her pulse sped up as Lance relaxed, and she shook her head but couldn't find the words of warning she needed. Her breath caught in her throat as the feeling of unease grew within her. Something was about to happen.
"Lea!" the hoarse shout came from the other direction. Ox! Her heart skipped a beat as Lance began to move toward her, to protect her, but Hal moved first. Lance was knocked violently forward, and Ashley leaped out of the way. She landed in the middle of the path as Lance sprawled behind her. The fat man grinned at her with a sadistic gleam in his eye that made her shudder, but now she had room to fight. She let her instincts take over and dropped into position, one hand releasing the cuff so the steel dangling free behind her.
"Lea!"
"Ashley!"
One shout came from behind her, the other from beyond Hal. Then the terrible clicking sound as two guns cocked simultaneously. Her heart thundered in her chest, but Hal noticed none of it. She let the void surround her, forced to deal with the threat directly in front of her. Now she was a part of every brick, every leaf, every breath. It was the way Ox taught her, to block out the world with all of her senses burning. Concentrate!
Hal lumbered toward her, and she moved to meet him, completing a spinning heel with a reverse knuckle punch, her foot catching him in the ribs as the cuffs slapped him across the face. She pulled back, regaining her bearings and saw Hal stagger backwards, blood welling under one eye.
Before he could recover, she attacked again, afraid she would hear a gunshot echo through the ghost town. She felt the impact as her foot connected with his chin, a flawless Ap-Chagi, and she recoiled to watch him fall on his face, no longer part of the waking world.
Thinking quickly, she dropped to his body and cuffed his hands behind him, his wallet slipping easily into her quick fingers as she did so. She stood, intending to go to Lance, but Ox's strong arms pulled her away.
"Ashley," Lance called, panic radiating in his voice.
"No!" She gasped. Sweat trickled down her neck, and her head swam with dread. She had to stop him! Begging, she grabbed the thick arm that held the gun, unable to move him, but she refused to let go. "Please, Craig. This is Lance."
The big man froze. No one called him Craig. Ashley wasn't even sure anyone else knew Ox's real name, but he had confided in her. She used it without thinking, but suddenly hoped it conveyed how desperate the situation had become for her.
His dark eyes stared down at her, and she begged again, "Please."
"Ashley? Not Lea?" he whispered, a look of hurt flickering in his eyes. It hit her profoundly that she had never trusted her given name to him, even though he had trusted her. She tried to shrug it away.
"Lea is my middle name," she lied to soften the blow. The hurt didn't fade from Craig's eyes.
Lance cleared his throat. She turned to see him standing a few paces away, the gun hanging loosely in his hand. When her eyes found Craig's again, he was no longer looking at her.
"Take his gun, Ashley," he said. The use of her given name sounded like an accusation, and she winced. She stepped toward Lance, and he handed the gun to her without protest, though the worry was plain on his face. She held the heavy steel in her hands for a long moment, guilt welling inside her until she looked at Lance again. Really looked at him. His strong jaw, bright green eyes and tousled
hair. Somehow, she kept her eyes on his face instead of trailing down to his impressive bare chest.
Ashley's eyes drifted closed, and she summoned the buried memories, the soft croon of the man on the other end of the phone who promised love and safety. A better life. She compared it to the voice she had heard earlier, to the stranger. He trusted her. The gun she held in her hands proved that, but she couldn't reconcile her memory with the man that had so passionately kissed her on a few moments ago.
Remembering that kiss brought heat to her cheeks, and her eyes popped open. She spun to hand the gun to Craig. The big man took it, tucking it into his plaid swim trunks, and motioned them to follow.
"Come on. We're leaving the lake. Nikki's satisfied for now," Craig mumbled, and the mixed emotions continued to swirl inside Ashley. She was pained she hurt Craig, but was also hopeful now that Lance walked beside her. His hand brushed against hers, and then gently, hesitantly, his fingers laced through hers. A small smile broke onto her face as she turned to look at him, enthralled momentarily by his eyes sparkling in the dim light.
No one even glanced at the unconscious cop lying on the ground behind them.
Chapter 5 – Highway