because she had bigger problems. Now he knew where all the weapons were. That left knives, and grabbing for those gave her the shivers. “Just so we’re clear, you’re running around the island shooting and being tracked by someone and have no trouble manhandling me—”
“That didn’t actually happen.”
“—yet I’m supposed to trust you.” Her voice got louder as she went on.
He had the nerve to smile at her. “Yes.”
“I’m not an idiot.” Sure, her brain kept malfunctioning and waves of fear crashed over her every two seconds, but she was not letting her world end like this.
“I never said you were.”
“And I have a phone.” She lunged for the landline. It had been disconnected months before, after her father died. But this Cameron guy didn’t know that...at least, she hoped he didn’t. “The police can come and you can explain your problem.”
“That’s not going to work.”
She’d read somewhere that trying to form a bond with an attacker sometimes helped humanize the victim. Since she was the victim, she was willing to try anything. “Tell me why, Cameron.”
“You can call me Cam.”
Apparently the bond thing worked. She shook the phone. “Talk or I’m dialing 9-1-1.”
“That would be a mistake.”
There was something about the way he said it. “Why?”
“The police are the problem.”
A crack shattered the glass behind her, spraying it over the room. She ducked. Probably screamed. Just as she crossed her arm over her head, a heavy weight crashed into her. She hit the floor and skidded across it with Cameron on top of her.
When they stopped, he pinned her down. The second their bodies touched she started moving. She shifted her legs and tried to knee him anywhere it would hurt. He caught her leg and held a hand up as if to tell her to be quiet. The whole time his gaze scanned the room and his gun dug into her stomach.
Through all the kicking and squirming, the silence finally registered in her brain. She picked up his breathing and heard her own hammering in her ears. Other than that, nothing. No more shooting. No yelling.
He leaned up on his elbow and glanced down with their faces only inches apart. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
He lifted his body off her and looked down the slim space between them. “You’re hit?”
“I mean mentally.” When she realized Cam’s body shielded hers, that he was protecting, not attacking, she let the backs of her hands fall against the dusty floor. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“That makes two of us.” He shifted his body to the side as he slipped the gun out of its holster.
“Who is shooting at you now?” And why had Cam brought the person to her doorstep?
He crawled over to the one remaining intact family room window, ignoring the broken glass from the previous chaos and the crunching under his knees. “Your police chief.”
Chief Kreider wasn’t her anything. The guy had the whole old-boy thing down, all entitled and drunk on power...except for those times he was actually drunk. She was not a fan.
Following Cam, because he seemed like a good guy to hide behind, she sat on the other side of the window and peeked out. Three random men stood out there, armed and dressed in some sort of law-enforcement uniforms. None of them looked familiar and they all wore lethal shoot-first expressions.
That fast, she lost her ability to breathe.
Cam pulled her back down. “Be careful.”
She only caught a glimpse, but... “You said you were fighting the police chief, right?”
“The guy standing in the middle of your yard.”
“None of them is the police chief.”
Cam’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I think your problem just got bigger.”
“And I think, since you’re trapped in here with me, I’m not the only one with a problem.” He reached behind his back and took out a second gun. Before she could scream or bolt, he handed it to her. “Do you know how to use this?”
“Yes.” She took it but wished she didn’t have to.
“Good.”
“Not really.” Something collapsed inside her. “I hate this island.”
This time he did smile at her, full and sexy and the exact opposite of threatening. He opened her hand and put the gun in it. “Looks as if we finally agree on something.”
For some reason she didn’t find the look or his cuteness comforting. “Julia White.”
“What?”
“I figure if we’re going to die together you should know my name.” It actually hurt to say those words.
Not that they affected him. No, he winked at her. “You’re not dying on my watch, Julia.”
“You sound confident.”
“You can consider it a guarantee.”
Cam slid his body up along the wall and stood up. With his back covered, he peeked outside again. The men outside hadn’t moved, which struck him as pretty bad planning. If he were in charge of the attack party, they’d be surrounding the house and moving in by now.
Thank goodness for amateurs.
His gaze bounced back to Julia. He couldn’t help being impressed with the way she held it together. He’d rushed her, touched her and forced his way inside her house. Acted in a way that he begged to be punched. He’d watched the fear come over her, and before he could calm her, she’d controlled it. Taken the energy pinging around inside her and focused.
It was sexy as hell. So was the long wavy brown hair and then there were those big chocolate-brown eyes. Not that he had the time to notice...but he did.
He reeled those thoughts in because he had no plans to die today. He’d just made a vow to Julia, so now he had to figure out a way out of this mess without too much bloodshed. He’d brought the firefight to her door by accident. Even if it meant taking a bullet, he’d get her out.
She peeked around the windowsill, then ducked her head again. “Why are they just standing out there?”
“Good question.” Cam kept his focus on the men. If he flinched they could move out of his sight, and he could
