God. What did Kane tell her? What did he say to do?
As the man behind her tightened his grip, she released the muscles of her legs, lifting her feet from the
ground. A startled sound from the man behind her was her only warning. As she began to fall, Merinus
tucked her body and rolled away from the men then jumped to her feet to run.
Her screams shattered the forest as she heard the first guy give a quick order to catch her. She ran, and
she screamed. She didn’t try to conserve energy, because she knew she most likely wouldn’t make it to
the jeep anyway, so she used it to pierce the lonely countryside with her terrified cries.
She almost made it to the jeep. She was within feet of the protective shelter when she was tackled, her
body slamming into the hard, gravel encrusted ground with enough force to knock the breath from her
body and to still her cries.
“Bitch,” the man cursed as she cried out. He jerked her arms behind her and she was hauled roughly to
her feet.
Fighting to breathe, the metallic taste of her own blood in her mouth, the sickening stench of her own
terror wrapped around her as she was once again face to face with one of her attackers.
“I’m a journalist,” she gasped. “Merinus Tyler. The National Forum. There will be people looking for
me.”
“And what’s a pretty little journalist like yourself doing around here?” If it were possible, his voice
became colder, crueler. “Maybe we should teach you where not to stick your pretty little nose, Ms.
Tyler.”
Merinus had no warning, she had nothing to prepare her for the hand that shot out and hit her face with
enough force to snap her head around and send stars shooting across her vision. As the world seemed to
darken around her, she could have sworn she heard deep-throated growls and a vicious feline snarl echo
through the forest.
Merinus fell to the ground, dazed as she was suddenly released, the sound of her attackers’ hard soled
boots thudding quickly away from her as several gunshots were fired. Bracing her hand on the rough
gravel of the road, she fought desperately to scramble to the SUV. She had to get in the truck. The cell
phone was there. She would call the sheriff, surely he knew enough about the area to find her.
“Easy.” Male hands supported her carefully, even as she shrank from the touch with a ragged cry. “It’s
okay, come on, let’s hurry and get you in the truck and get you the hell out of here.”
Merinus felt the soft seat, fought to pull herself onto it despite the hands that lifted her tenderly, if quickly
into it.
“Get started now.” The rough order was given from whoever jumped in next to her and slammed the
door closed.
“What the hell is she doing out here anyway?” a female voice demanded as the motor of the truck fired
up and the quick lurch and rough jerking of the vehicle signaled the speed the driver had pulled out with.
Breathing easier now, Merinus raised her head and stared into the most electrifying, golden colored eyes
she had ever seen. A gasp escaped her lips, and then to her profound humiliation and distress, she felt
darkness closing slowly over her.
“I’m gonna faint…” Darkness closed over her, soft and inviting as she slumped against Callan’s chest.
* * * * *
“Shit.” Callan cradled her close to his chest with one arm while he braced himself with the other.
He was still fucking shaking. He couldn’t help but clutch her against him, his cheek pressed against her
head as he thanked God over and over that he had gotten to her in time. What the hell was she doing up
there? There was nothing but broken cliffs and wilderness for miles in every direction. He knew she was
desperate to find the track into his driveway, but surely she had enough sense to know it wasn’t up there.
“Hey, look at this.” Sherra extended a piece of paper to him as she fought to move the vehicle quickly
down the mountain. “Where are we taking her? Your place or her room?”
“Her room.” Callan took the paper from her hand, glancing at the scribbled directions written on it.
“Where the hell did she get this?”
He met Sherra’s gaze in the rear view mirror.
“Looks like the boys are wanting to play, Callan,” she said softly. “They’ve seen you with her, know
she’s searching for you.”
A tool. That’s all she had been to them. A means of taunting him, of taking something they thought he
wanted. He hadn’t been careful enough. Somehow, he had let the bastards see his interest in her. He
lifted her into his lap, holding her closer, absorbing the shock of the jeep bouncing over the rutted road to
protect her from it. She was so light in his arms, her body delicate and small against his taller, broader