Tennessee Takedown by Lena Diaz Page B

circulation back into her feet, making them throb far worse than before.
    But that was nothing compared to what a bullet could do.
    “I can make it,” she announced, not entirely sure whether she could or not. But she had to try.
    He gave her an approving look and took her hand, leading her through the dark, sure-footed as if he really did know the way by heart. Lightning still flashed, though less frequently now. But he didn’t seem to need the bright light to guide him.
    Careful to hold leaves and branches out of her way, he kept her close, guiding her footsteps. At first she thought he was being considerate, but as the sounds of pursuit faded, she realized everything he was doing was deliberate. He was helping her make as little noise as possible as they passed through the woods.
    When her feet were throbbing so much she worried she couldn’t take another step, he stopped.
    “We’re here,” he whispered.
    She wasn’t sure where “here” was until lightning lit up the sky above them. They stood in front of a cluster of rocks that formed a small hill. But he led her around a large boulder and she saw what she hadn’t seen before: the entrance to a cave.
    He went in first, sweeping his gun out in front. What little light there was barely pierced the blackness of the cave. But the lightning filtered into the opening, showing it was empty.
    She shivered at the thought of what could have been in there. Wild animals, she supposed. Probably nothing like a bear on a small island like this, but there could have been any number of smaller animals, all of them dangerous if cornered or if they carried rabies. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. At least it wasn’t raining here. That was something.
    “You’re cold.” He shoved his gun in the holster on his belt and started to unstrap his Kevlar vest as if to wrap it around her.
    She placed her hand on his, stopping him. “No. That’s all you have to keep yourself warm. You already gave up your shirt for me. I’ll not have you freeze to death by giving me your vest.”
    He dropped his hands to his sides and nodded. “At least it’s dry in here. I’d start a fire, but it would be a beacon to the gunmen. Come on. Sit and we’ll huddle together to get warm.”
    The images that conjured in her mind had her feeling warm all over.
    “I promise I’ll behave,” he added, as if he thought she might be worried about his intentions.
    Ashley snorted. “Don’t expect me to make the same promise.”
    He laughed. “I consider myself forewarned.”
    She gave him an answering grin, felt her way to the far wall and slid to the ground. Thankfully it was dirt, not rock, making it a little less hard than the solid wall at their backs.
    He sank down next to her, keeping his gun on his far side, sitting close but not touching. She let out an exasperated breath. She was freezing. Now wasn’t the time to worry that they were practically strangers. She scooted closer until his hard thigh pressed against hers. Not feeling nearly warm enough, she lifted his arm and pulled it around her shoulders.
    He chuckled and pulled her closer. “Are you always this shy, or am I special for some reason?”
    Oh, he was definitely special, but no way was she saying that.
    “I wouldn’t normally snuggle up to a stranger, but I’m cold and you’re like a furnace. Impossible to resist at the moment.”
    He laughed again and rubbed his hand up and down her arm, warming her even more.
    Wouldn’t he be surprised if he knew how tempted she was to crawl onto his lap and wrap her arms around him, to get as close as possible and really get warm? That thought almost had her giggling, and that’s when she realized how exhausted she must be. She was not a giggling kind of girl. And she certainly wasn’t a crawl-into-the-lap-of-a-stranger kind of girl, either.
    “Miss Parrish—Ashley, what happened back at your house?” He asked the question in a quiet, hushed voice, as if to make sure no one