“Yes, you can. Come on, take it.”
For a moment, her eyes narrowed, flicking from the gun to him then back again.
Bad girl.
“That clever mind is always working, isn’t it, Lily?”
Her mouth dropped open, and she looked up at him. “I don’t…”
“Save it. Take the gun.”
She finally took the weapon, but, surprisingly, she didn’t hold it away from her body as if it were a dirty animal.
“Not your first time, is it?”
The lithe little woman was full of surprises.
“I’ve fired rifles before, but this isn’t… the same thing. Is it?”
Lake chuckled. “No, it’s not. I want you to aim it.”
He didn’t move, watching her closely, curious as to what she might try.
“Aim it at what?”
The barrel moved up, uncertain, but the meaning clear.
“Don’t bother. It’s unloaded.”
She scowled at him, pivoting and aiming at the fallen log.
“Now, make sure that stock is tight against your shoulder.” He moved behind her and cinched it firmly against her. “Like that. You hold it like a girl and the kick’s gonna break your shoulder.”
“Fuck you,” she whispered.
He was glad she couldn’t see his smile.
Lake moved to the side, pointing at her. “All you gotta do is get close, and pull that trigger. It’s loud as fuck, so be ready for it, but it’ll stop anyone coming at you. Got it?”
She pulled the trigger to a metallic click.
He stepped close, tapping the top of the receiver of the gun. “You see that red dot?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the safety — it’s off — which is why you heard that click. If that thing had been loaded, you’d have just blown a hole in that log there.”
He took the gun from her, slipping it back into the bag. “It’s not loaded now, but after today, it will be. And it’s staying right here.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “You mean…?”
“Yes, you’ll have a loaded weapon out here. That’s the whole reason for doing this. This is a rally point. Anything goes down at the house, this is where you run. You understand me?”
“Lake, what the hell is going—”
“Understand me, Lily? This is fucking serious.”
“Yes, okay! I get it.” She looked down, hugging herself once more against the chill. “It’s cold out here. Can we go back?”
He studied her, seeing her fear.
“Let’s go,” he said, leading the way back to the cabin.
Chapter 17
Two tense days had passed since Lake showed me the rally point and that shotgun. In a way, those days I’d spent in the bad girl’s room had cocooned me from the terrifying reality of what my life had become. We were on the run from a drug lord who would kill Lake on sight and do God knows what to me if he ever caught up with us. Being in the dark almost seemed preferable because, as much as Lake scared me sometimes, I knew he wouldn’t ever really hurt me.
Strange how that thought made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I felt like Pavlov’s dogs: think of Lake, link it to hurt, and I’d become aroused. There was something seriously wrong with me.
I glanced over at him sitting behind his laptop, wholly focused on the map he was studying.
It was raining again and although normally I hated rainy days, up here, I almost preferred it. It made me feel safer, which was stupid. I sat at the window watching it fall, listening to it. It was early evening and already dark beneath the heavy canopy of trees.
“Do you have some wine or something?” I needed something to calm my nerves.
He looked up at me and rubbed his eyes. “No, no alcohol, Lily. I think we should leave tomorrow morning. Early. We’ve been up here longer than I expected to be, but I don’t want to take the chance on our luck running out.”
I’d told Lake about the safe deposit box containing cash and a brand new identity for me, and the plan was to get me to it. We’d then have enough money to disappear. Maybe take that flight to the south of France after all. Together.
Jesus, what are you thinking?
What was wrong with me? Once I got to the bank, I could lose Lake and disappear on my own. That’s what I would do if I were smart, at least. With a new identity, I could hide indefinitely —even I didn’t know the name on the passport Daddy had had made for me — so there was no way Randall did either. I could rent a house and take an extended beach vacation. For a moment, I imagined the warm sand between my toes and the sound of the sea. I imagined being carefree in the sun, like I used to be. But, too quickly, those thoughts grew heavy. My dad would still be in prison, and Lake, well, Randall would never stop hunting him for his double cross, I knew that. He might give up on me once my dad testified, but Lake? Not a chance. And I couldn’t think about him getting hurt.
“I’ve got the route planned out,” Lake said, shutting down his laptop. He checked his watch. “I know it’s early, but why don’t you go to bed? I’ll finish loading the truck so we’re ready to take off. I’ll have to wake you up around 4:00 a.m.”
“Four? That’s middle of the night, not morning.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, princess.”
I wasn’t a princess, and I hated being called one. People assumed it because of the way I looked, or maybe because of having come from money. I didn’t know but I didn’t like it. It pissed me off. “It’s not only princesses who don’t like having to get up at 4:00 am, jackass.”
I got up and went into the bedroom before he could reply. I didn’t want to hear another smart comment from him telling me who he thought I was.
A moment later, Lake stood in the doorway actually looking apologetic. “I didn’t realize you were so sensitive. I’m sorry, okay?”
I shrugged a shoulder and tucked my hands behind my knees to swing my legs off the side of the bed. “Whatever.”
“Hey,” he said, coming into the room and sitting down beside me, taking my chin in his hand and tilting my face up. “I said I’m sorry.”
“Okay.” Then, “I’m not sure about leaving. Maybe we should stay here. I mean, if he hasn’t found the cabin by now, chances are he won’t, right?” I was scared, that was all there was to it. “They moved the trial up, which means Dad testifies sooner...”
“Which puts that much more pressure on Randall to find us faster. We can’t stay, Lily.”
I knew that already, didn’t I? I nodded and leaned my head into his shoulder, my eyes warm again from tears.
“I’m scared.”
“I know.” He took my face in his hands. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, understand?”
I nodded, a few tears sliding down my cheeks as I did. I was scared for me, obviously, but it wasn’t just that. I was scared for him, too, and I had a bad feeling about this, about going to that bank.
“Maybe I can sleep next to you tonight?” After everything that had happened, he’d never once let me do that. We’d never actually spent a full night sleeping next to each other.
“Sure. Go get ready for bed and I’ll get you tucked in.”
“Thanks.”
* * *
“Wake up, Lily,” Lake’s whisper was startling, but he put his finger over my mouth to shush me. “We’ve got company.”
My heart pounded. This was it; they’d found us.
“Get your shoes on and wait for me here. Stay low by the bed. Everything is loaded in the truck. I’ll be back to get you, but if I tell you to run, you remember where you have to go?”
I did, during the day. “I think so.” I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He nodded and I slid out of the bed as he walked to the door, pistol in hand. I slid my boots on and crouched down low, watching him until he disappeared. The house was dark but the forest was darker. What if something happened, and I had to make it to the rally point? What if something happened to Lake and he couldn’t? What then?
But I didn’t have to think about it for too long because Lake was back. With a nod of his head, he gestured for me to come and I did, keeping low like he’d said before. He took my hand.
“They’re on foot, but we’re definitely not alone. Truck’s around back, but we’ll go out the side window. They’ll have men on the doors if they’re that close. If we’re lucky, they won’t notice we’re in the truck until we’re blowing dust in their faces, but remember to keep low, understand?”
I nodded, my heart in my throat, fear the only thing I knew. But it turned out I didn’t know anything until we were half out the window and the sound of gunfire broke into the quiet of the forest. I screamed, and Lake pulled me the rest of the way out and pushed me to the ground so fast, it hurt.
“Rally point, Lily. Go!”
Lake shot his gun, three quick, terrifyingly loud pops, and I ran. I ran like I’d never run in my life. Gunfire lit up the night behind me like fireworks, but I only had to look back once to know not to look back again.
When he’d shown me the rally point, it had been full day. Now, in the dark, I was completely disoriented and freaked out with the war going on around me. He was one man against how many? Too many shots firing for me to know. I heard a man’s voice calling to find me, and I turned to look back, seeing the light of two flashlights coming in my direction. Shit! I had to find the rally point! I had to get the shotgun, or I was finished. I turned and tripped over a rock, landing hard but scrambling to my feet quickly. My knee hurt, but this was life or death, and I had to keep going.