pushed against his broad shoulders to get his attention. “What is he shooting at us with?”
Zach frowned at her. “A gun. What do you think?”
She thought about punching him. “Why didn’t you take his weapon?”
Johnnie kept screaming out her name. Every now and then he’d add a threat or switch the words around to be as profane as possible, but the message didn’t change. Johnnie wanted them back.
“I did. But I didn’t think he’d have the brains to hide another weapon in the cabin.” Zach wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Score one for Johnnie.”
“I thought you were some superspy type.”
“That’s a terrible description and no.” Zach glanced at his watch and clicked a few buttons. “Okay. Change of plans.”
He’d totally lost her. “Which means?”
“We’re going back inside the cabin.”
“Are you kidding?” He put a hand over her mouth as she started to shriek. She mumbled the rest of her question into his palm.
“I almost never kid.”
She shrugged off his hand and tried unsuccessfully to step back but ran right her foot into the tree behind her. “Absolutely not.”
Zach exhaled. “The only way out of here is through Johnnie.”
“You came in a car. We’ll leave in it.” She grabbed Zach’s shirt in an effort to reason with him. Looking into those greenish-blue eyes, she tried to will him to help her.
“We have to know who Johnnie is working for. At the very least, we need to make sure he doesn’t call in reinforcements.”
“You know people.”
“True, and I’ve sent an emergency signal to them. They’re on the way, but I don’t know who Johnnie’s boss is. I only know his name because he was dumb enough to use his own car when he kidnapped you.” Zach hauled her to his side with a gentle tug.
“What does any of that have to do with getting out of here?”
“Right now my biggest worry is the people who will come for you next if we don’t stop Johnnie and get some answers.”
The words sent a new bolt of fear spinning through her. “I’ll go to Trevor.”
“I’m not sure that’s safer.”
“He’s my boss.”
“Maybe, but for now you’re stuck with me.” Zach marched her back to the cabin, balancing her weight against him as her shoes slipped.
She tried to postpone the inevitable but nothing worked. Her so-called rescuer was leading her right back to the beast, dragging her along in big steps and not giving her a choice. A few more feet and he’d hand her off and she’d know for sure just which side Zach was on. And she feared it wasn’t hers.
“Zach, please.”
“Follow my lead.” He gave his order right as he dumped her at the base of the front steps. Right in front of Johnnie.
“You’re a dead man.” The harsh yellow porch light made Johnnie’s pale face look jaundiced.
Sela couldn’t remember ever seeing a person look that color. Not a live one, anyway.
Zach treated Johnnie like a speck of dirt. “Get out of my way.”
“No way, man,” Johnnie snarled, his eyes glazed over and his ripped and bloody clothing hung from his body. “I don’t know who you are, but she stays with me.”
“Who paid you to start thinking, Johnnie?”
Sela closed her eyes as her head began to spin. This couldn’t be happening. The scene reminded her of two rabid dogs fighting over a piece of meat. First time in her life she saw herself as nothing more than food.
“The boss needs some information from her. That means I gotta hurt her bad.”
“If you touch me, I’ll kill you,” she said.
“I got the gun, so I make the rules.” Johnnie thumped the barrel against his chest as he sneered at Zach. “What do you say to that?”
Zach nodded, the movement slow and deliberate. “Okay, Johnnie.”
“Stop talking like we know each other. We don’t.”
“Right. You make the rules.”
A new wave of panic washed over her. “Zach, what are you—”
“It will be fine.” His grip on her arm loosened.
“Don’t you dare give me over to this guy. I will hunt you down and…” Something. She’d do something nasty and violent if Zach abandoned her now.
Her hands clutched at his shirt. She’d pull out every one of his chest hairs and then rip through him if she had to in order to make her point. When Zach stared at her with cold eyes, a bolt of fear crashed through her. Then she heard it. A whisper so low she thought she slipped into a dream. “Trust me.”
Trust me? At Zach’s toneless murmur she wanted to run, to scream for help. To do all the things that would seal her death.
Before she could argue, he set her to the side, steadying her with one hand. He made one last command, this one in a much stronger and louder voice for Johnnie to hear. “Stay. I’m not chasing you around the woods again, woman.”
“That’s right,” Johnnie said.
Zach turned back to Johnnie. “Okay, my arms are free. No weapons. No bullets. You want to see who’s in charge of the lady now?”
Johnnie nodded in Zach’s general direction. “Where’s your gun and the one you took from me? I want that back.”
“Lost mine and yours is still in the cabin.”
She hoped that wasn’t true. In fact, she counted on it being a lie from Zach meant to throw the attacker off. Johnnie was just dumb enough and out of it enough to believe him.
Johnnie’s gaze clouded. “No way, man.”
Or not. She inhaled, hoping Zach had another plan since this one seemed doomed to fail.
“If I had a weapon it would be aimed at you right now,” Zach said.
“I’ve seen you fight with fists. That was bad enough.” Johnnie looked from Zach to her and back again. Sweat formed in the dirty creases on his forehead as desperation sparked behind his cold eyes.
“Thought you wanted to battle man-to-man,” Zach said.
“I have a better idea.” Johnnie pointed the gun at her. “Come here.”
