Summer's Indiscretion(Divine Creek Ranch 7)(8)
He tried to get his arms around her to immobilize her, but she twisted and fought him with every ounce of strength she had. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she kicked and scratched. She landed her elbow in his groin, and he screamed in pain. He let go of her ankle and rolled into a ball with a groan, and she took the opportunity to flee down the hall and into the shop. She heard a thump outside and skidded to a halt at the front door.
Glancing back down the hallway, Summer saw the intruder trying to rise to a standing position. She looked around the edge of the lace curtain in the door. In the early morning light, she saw two men, also dressed in dark clothing, who were climbing from an SUV. They looked huge and scary, but they hadn’t threatened her safety yet. She glanced back, and her heart did a double lurch as the shadowy form filled the doorway leading out into the darkened shop from the hall. She twisted the door latch. It was better to trust her instincts and run than risk another physical altercation with the intruder. He spotted her at the door and lunged toward her.
She let loose a bloodcurdling scream, yanked open the door, and bolted through.
* * * *
Kemp expected to walk up on the porch, knock on the locked door, and see her beautiful face up close for the first time. He had not expected to hear her frightened scream as she flew out of the front doorway. Her long, wavy blonde hair flew around her shoulders as she glanced behind her. Her face was pale, and it was obvious she was terrified of whoever or whatever was in the shop.
She bolted down the steps, and Kemp took two long strides to her, catching her in his arms as Ace rushed forward. Kemp heard a crash and loud thump from inside the little boutique.
Ace looked back at him. “Got her?”
“Yeah.” Kemp turned her, using his body to block hers, and jerked open the door on the Escalade. He lifted her bodily into the seat and handed her the remote. “Lock it. The glass is bulletproof. Sit tight.”
Her beautiful, full lips quivered, and in a husky, scared voice she whispered, “What if he—”
“I’ll be right back.” The need to determine and fix what had frightened her so badly warred with the urge to stay with her and comfort her. The tears pooling in her hazel eyes made his heart clench.
She nodded, and he closed the door, gesturing to the key ring. She locked the doors. Kemp drew his weapon, released the safety, and ran up the steps.
Cautiously, he approached the doorway, ascertaining Ace’s location inside. A display fixture was overturned on the hardwood floor, and lacy little nighties were strewn around it. It bothered him a lot that this feminine place filled with delicate, frivolous things was unsafe for her at the moment. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on the task at hand, but the look in her eyes had moved him. It cranked his urge to “fix” the problem into overdrive.
Ace returned from the hallway out of breath. “He went over the fence. Must’ve gone through the woods. She okay?”
“Yeah. I had her lock herself in the Escalade.” Kemp flipped the safety on his weapon and returned it to the holster under his jacket. No point in scaring her.
“He left his tools. There must’ve been a scuffle by the door.” Ace held up an aluminum baseball bat with bright-pink grip tape around the handle. “I found this on the floor.”
Kemp chuckled. “I hope she got in at least one good shot with it.”
Their little kitten had some claws. He lifted the display fixture from the floor and stood it upright. There was no reason for her to see further evidence that her little boutique had been violated. He and Ace both grabbed an armful of the lacy garments and laid them carefully on the large counter by the door.
* * * *
Summer shifted on the leather driver’s seat, watching for signs of movement inside the shop. Her heart still pounded in her chest, and she tried to take steadying breaths.
She could still feel his strong arms around her, whoever “he” was. It had felt like running into a solid wall as she’d collided with his chest. If he hadn’t caught her as she’d hurtled down the steps, she probably would’ve fallen to the asphalt and been easy prey to whoever was in the shop. A full-body shudder rippled through her at the thought.
Putting her hands to her face, she realized tears wet her cheeks. She checked her appearance in the rearview mirror and groaned. Dark streaks from her eyeliner and mascara crept down from the outer corners of her eyes. Using the back of her hand she wiped them away carefully, trying to salvage her appearance as best as she could.
To distract herself she looked around the interior of the luxury SUV. The scent of leather and coffee permeated the space. Two open, half-full cups of coffee, one with cream and the other black, were in the cupholders. There was a thin stack of business cards, receipts, and a small spiral-bound notebook in an opening in the console. She lifted one of the cards and looked at the name on it.