Trust Me: The Lassiter Group, Book 1 (22 page)

She clawed for something to grab onto and caught only air. The pain of the fall barely register as she slid down the steep section of roof, the gritty texture scraping her palms as she fought to catch herself.

Her feet and legs plunged over the edge first, and for a second she thought she might be able to perch on the edge.

Gravity had other ideas.

The rest of her body carried over, but she snagged the plastic eaves trough to stop her fall.

Blood thundered in her ears as she dangled from the roof. The weathered plastic groaned and trembled under her weight. The ground seemed to reach up for her, waiting for her grip to falter.

Breathing fast, she tilted her head back, afraid to yell for Lucas and bring Blackwater’s men running. Had they heard her?

She gritted her teeth against the burning strain in her arms. Oh god, she was going to fall.

Lucas’s hand closed around her wrist.

“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” She hissed at the pain that flared along her arm as he started to pull her upright.

“Not now, Max.” Slowly, he yanked her up enough she could hike her leg over the edge and haul herself up.

Trembling from both the spike of adrenaline and near-fall, she crumpled beside him.

Lucas cradled her cheek. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry, I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

Looking like he wanted to say more, he settled on squeezing her hand. “Watch your step this time, huh?”

On the far side of the house they climbed down the latticework that somehow managed to hold their weight.

Lucas jumped the last couple of feet and grabbed her hand, pulling her along. They rounded the corner and Max immediately spotted a garage and Miss Maddy’s dusty rose Caddy. “There.”

He followed her gaze. “Keep your head down and don’t stop moving.”

She rolled her eyes and whispered, “Gee, thanks for the tip. I’ve never done this before.”

His lips cracked in a fleeting grin, and then he pulled her after him. He released her hand, but instead of sticking close to her as she rounded the rear of the Caddy, he moved toward a sedan peeking out from the opposite end of the farmhouse.

Keeping her attention fixed on the side door she half-expected to fly open any second, Max slid behind the wheel. Across the driveway, Lucas opened the door to the parked sedan.

What the hell was he doing?

A moment later, he ran toward her. He tossed the keys to the sedan into the back seat as he jumped into the car next to her. He hadn’t even gotten the door shut before the B&B’s side door opened.

Fuck.

Edward Blackwater and another man Max vaguely recognized from the warehouse that night stood on the step. She’d cranked the ignition just as the two men charged toward them.

The Caddy turned over on the first try, and she jammed the gearshift into reverse.

“Buckle up.” She floored the gas pedal.

A bullet pierced the windshield, thankfully missing them, but spidered Lucas’s half of the glass.

With one hand on the wheel and the other stretched across the back of the seat, Max whipped the Caddy down the driveway and onto the road.

God, she hoped Miss Maddy stayed hidden until the men either hotwired their car or abandoned it.

“How did they know where we were? There’s no way it could be a coincidence.”

Lucas didn’t say anything right away, then glanced at her. “Who did you call?”

“Me? You were on the phone too. And yes,” she added, “I know you called your boss yesterday.”

Frowning, he glanced out the window behind them. “It doesn’t change the fact that Blackwater is determined to get ahold of you. He could have had you killed at any time, yet he went through a lot of trouble to make you look guilty of Cara’s murder.”

“He wanted to make sure other people were looking for me too.”

“But why go out of his way to track you down?”

She winced. “That could have something to do with his face.”

“His face… Christ, you did that?” She wasn’t sure if he sounded worried or proud.

“Yeah.” She checked her rearview mirror compulsively. “Or maybe he’s worried I can identify someone important who was there that night.”

“Like the Russian.” Lucas shook his head. “We’re missing something. Were you telling me the truth that morning about the Russian’s money?”

The road directly behind them was still deserted, but she eased up on the gas only when they hit a winding turn. “Yeah. But I just assumed that Blackwater must have found it by now.”

“How big was it? The case,” he clarified.

She frowned. “Briefcase sized, maybe a little smaller.”

“Son of a bitch.”

Max took her eyes off the road long enough to glance at him. “What?”

“It wasn’t money. The kind of funds involved in a deal like this would have been too much to carry in a case that size. The money would have been transferred electronically.”

“It was the biological weapon you and Cara were looking for, wasn’t it? The one stolen from a Czech scientist.”

“Maybe. Maybe that’s why Blackwater wants you. He thinks or is hoping you know what happened to it.”

A red mid-sized car turned onto the main road ahead of them, cutting them off. She jerked the wheel, but couldn’t avoid sideswiping the other vehicle.

The jarring collision slammed Lucas into the door.

“How many busted ribs are you looking for?” she snapped. “Put on your damn seat belt.”

The passenger side mirror exploded, and gunshots peppered the back end of the Caddy.

“Stay low.” Lucas pushed her down in the seat, then waved to the right. “Turn down there.”

Swearing, Max took the turn too fast, and the car skidded on the shoulder of the road. More shots scraped the paint off the side of the car.

The tires spun in the dirt and the wheel suddenly wrenched loose of Max’s grip, and they swerved into a ditch.

Pain slashed across her temple as her head connected with the window.

She fumbled with her seatbelt as Lucas threw his door open. There wasn’t time to wait for the world to right itself completely before she scrambled out after him, taking his hand.

The Caddy’s back tire had blown out from a bullet, leaving them no choice but to run.

Struggling to keep focused on the uneven terrain, she couldn’t compensate fast enough to stop her ankle from rolling as they ran. Crying out, she tripped, but used her fierce grip on Lucas to keep from hitting the ground. They hit the woods just as the sound of car doors slamming echoed behind them.

How many were there? Was there a third car they needed to worry about too, or was Snake on his own?

Pain dulled by the adrenaline pounding through her system, she kept pace with Lucas as they headed into the thickest part of the surrounding forest.

“Any ideas?”

“I’m thinking.”

“And?” Max pressed, leaning into him when he paused for a second to scan the area.

“You’ll be the first to know.”

A bullet whistled past Lucas's head, splintering the tree branch next to him. They scrambled down an embankment, the sound of rushing water growing louder as the trees thinned to their immediate right and the ground dropped off next to the river.

Another bullet cracked into the tree, just missing Max.

Lucas urged her closer to the edge of the treeline, and turned to glance behind them. Another gunshot sounded, and he staggered sideways, clutching his side.

Oh god.

She lunged to reach him, but he went down hard, rolling backward until he disappeared over the edge and plunged into the water below.

“Lucas!” She skidded down the damp earth, scanning the narrow channel of dark, choppy water.

Panic iced her blood. Where was he?

Another gunshot—a warning one—hit the ground a few feet from her hand.

“Do not move.”

She recognized Snake’s voice, but didn’t so much as glance over her shoulder as she pushed off and jumped into the river.

Lucas thought he heard his name over the rushing water around him. He tried to turn himself around, but his limbs wouldn’t cooperate beyond keeping him afloat. The freezing water pulled at him, but nothing compared to the fire that blazed across his mid-section.

Where was Max?

Jaw clenched, he tried twisting around, searching the water for her even as he struggled to keep himself upright.

More gunshots echoed on the air. Were they shooting at Max? The fast moving current sucked at him, and he almost missed the dark blur that shot past his peripheral vision.

The water splashed higher around him, and more than once his face became submerged. The agony in his middle made the rest of his body slow to respond. He slipped beneath the surface again, but was dragged upward a moment later by an awkward tug on his shirt.

Max.

Relief gave his useless limbs enough strength to keep himself buoyant as she struggled to get them to shore. The current carried them part of the way, and out of range of the gunfire.

By the time they reached a shallow inlet, every breath Lucas drew felt like taking a scalding baseball bat to the chest. His feet finally touched, but he could do little except try not to fall face-first into the water as Max herded him toward the shore.

On the beach, Max collapsed next to him, worry etched on her face.

He tried for a reassuring smile. “Trying to drown me once wasn’t enough for you, huh?”

Ignoring his attempt at humor, she lifted his shirt to check the wound. He hissed out a breath, trying to judge how bad it was by the look on her face.

Really bad, he decided a moment later when he swore her eyes became suspiciously shiny.

She blinked a few times and scanned the area around them. “We can’t stay here.”

He knew she was right, but wasn’t sure how far he’d get when just lying there made every part of him hurt like a bitch. “How bad, Max?”

Instead of answering him, she checked the wound again, applying pressure this time.

It took more than a minute to make his voice work through the pain. “Not so bad.”

“Christ,” she murmured, not even seeming to hear him, and he instantly recognized the look on her face.

“Not your fault,” he managed. “But how bad?” he pressed.

“Bad enough you need to get to a hospital. Not enough to be a wuss about it, though.”

Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn it.”

“You’re gonna be fine,” she insisted. “We just need to get you out of here.” Sliding her arms under his, she gave him the leverage he needed to stagger to his feet.

“It’s not that.” He leaned against her, gritting his teeth until his jaw felt ready to snap. “I hate needles.”

“Needles? You’ve been shot, we’re likely miles from any clinic or hospital and have men after us, men who clearly have no problem taking you out, and you’re worried about a little needle or two?”

Or five or ten. “I can always count on you to put everything into perspective for me.”

By sheer determination, and a hell of a lot of support from Max, he remained upright. One step at a time, they crossed the rocky beach, moving into the woods in hopefully the direction of the road they’d left earlier.

After less than five minutes, Lucas lost his footing. Somehow Max got him propped against a tree, and he slid the ground.

“You need to go. Send help back for me.” Even though he knew better, knew just how bad off he was, he still couldn’t seem to keep his eyes open.

Max crouched next to him. “I’m not leaving you here. You'll be defenseless.”

“We don’t have much of a choice. You can’t carry me out of here, Max. If you don’t go—”

“Blackwater’s men will kill you if they find you.”

He shook his head. “They won’t.”

“I’m
not
leaving you.”

“You know it’s the only way.” Even when it meant sending her off, unarmed, with Blackwater’s men still in the area and gunning for her. “Please, Max.”

“Lucas,” she murmured, cupping his face. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. You don’t even like me, remember?”

That almost earned him a glare. “Don’t be a jerk.”

“I need you to go, Max. Now.”

She finally nodded. “I’ll find the road and flag someone down. I won’t be gone long.”

“Sounds like a good plan, lover.”

A weak smile curved her lips, and she leaned in, pressing her mouth to his. He kept her there as long as he dared, savoring the kiss that managed to dull his pain, if only for a few seconds.

“Stay safe,” she whispered against his lips, and then finally stood and disappeared into the woods.

Chapter Twelve

Christ, his chest ached.

Lucas opened his eyes, and immediately squeezed them shut against the overhead florescent light.

Where was he?

The familiar disinfectant smell that reminded him instantly of a hospital was somewhat reassuring. At least he was still alive. Alive and hurting. Goddamn, it was like someone had thrown him in front a stampeding herd of cattle.

Tuning out the pain as much as he could, he tried to focus. How had he gotten here?

Max.

His eyes snapped open, his gaze sweeping the room for her. There was no sign of her, but Eli Vale sat in a chair opposite the bed, his dark blond head tipped back, attention fixed on the ceiling.

Sensing Lucas’s eyes on him, Eli glanced in his direction. A broad grin cut across his face. “Decided to rejoin the living after all, huh?”

“So it would appear.” He tried to move and immediately sucked in a breath at the pain that flared up his side. “Where’s Max?”

Eli’s shoulders stiffened and he stood. “I was kind of hoping you’d know. What the hell happened, man?”

She was gone.

An icy slab of apprehension settled on his chest, his fear that something had happened to her only making his pain that much more intense.

“You haven’t seen her since she brought me in?” He must have already blacked out by the time she’d come back with help.

Eli shook his head. “Two hunters found you unconscious, in the woods. They dumped you in the back of their truck and drove like mad to get you help. You’re damn lucky you didn’t bleed out on the drive.”

“When?” He fought the hazy fog that continued to weigh down his thoughts.