and swung them right, then with all her force spun into a two-fisted punch that connected with the side of the guy’s head. He cursed and lost his grip. She’d run half a dozen more steps before she realized she recognized his voice.
“Nick?” she whispered, peering back at him. He leaned against a tree, his hand to the side of his head.
“Yeah. Jesus Christ, Quinn, I’m trying to save you.”
Oh, thank god.
“Then save me.” She held out her hands. He stepped toward her, his hand in his pocket. With the snick of his switchblade and a quick tug, she was free.
“Thank you,” she breathed, rubbing her wrists. She’d never felt anything so good. Except maybe a few minutes ago in the Porta-Potty.
“Keep running. Charger’s on the road a couple hundred feet back.”
Quinn didn’t need further urging. Her pursuers had gained on her since she fell. But with her hands free she could at least push obstacles out of the way before they hit her in the face. In minutes they burst onto the shoulder of a four-lane highway. She hobbled to the Charger, parked in a small emergency pull-off. Nick slid across the hood and got inside at the same time she did. She looked back toward the woods that lined the road as he started the car. No movement, no light, but she still sensed them pursuing her. Her foot pressed on an invisible accelerator, and she braced against the dash, willing the car to start moving.
“They might have run back to the truck,” she said. If Nick drove ahead, they’d pass the kidnappers, and as fast as the Charger was, the SUV had a powerful engine.
“Don’t worry.” Nick pulled onto the road but did an immediate U-turn across the grassy median. His tires spun once in the soft earth, then caught and flung them onto the far side of the highway. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, and they flew.
Quinn wondered where Sam was, but every fiber concentrated on watching through the rear window for pursuit. She saw no headlights and no flashes of streetlamps off a vehicle running dark. Slowly, her body relaxed.
After a few minutes, she said, “I think we’re clear.” She turned back, grinning with the euphoria of freedom, and saw Nick’s face. His jaw was clenched so tight it pulsed. His hands and arms were stiff enough to rip the steering wheel off its column if he turned it, and his eyes bore so hard into the road in front of them, Quinn was amazed it didn’t explode.
“Thank you, Nick,” she said softly, hoping to defuse him. He was furious with her. Even though he’d cleared her to go into the store, she’d been too complacent and let them sneak up on her. Nick never had a chance to stop them from taking her.
“Don’t,” he bit out, and she knew he meant more than don’t thank him. She didn’t talk the rest of the short drive. Nick got off the dark highway at the next exit and followed even darker, more deserted back roads to the edge of what appeared to be a small lake. He skidded to a stop outside a tiny cabin, one of a few dotting the shoreline, and pushed his door open, leaving the headlights on to illuminate the pitch black.
Quinn climbed out slowly, wary. Nick stalked toward the cabin, spun around halfway there, and stalked back to her. He met Quinn at the front of the car, yanked her into his arms, and slammed his mouth down on hers. Fury burned into instant passion, and instead of bruising her, Nick plundered.
Heat swept over Quinn, chased by his desperation and the power of something that had been bottled up far too long. She shuddered and arched into him, her hands clenched hard on his shoulders, her body burning and aching. Part of her protested, This is Nick! But the rest of her sighed, This is Nick. He drove one hand up under her hair to hold her head and bent her backward over his other arm while his mouth devoured hers and his tongue plunged, over and over.
Quinn hadn’t been kissed, or kissed anyone else, in years. Not even Sam. Not since the first time she’d kissed Nick, and that had ended in disaster. Part of her despaired that this would end the same way, but before she had time to really react, he broke away and stared down at her, panting. “We’ve got to get inside.”
“Okay,” she whispered,