It was hard to leave behind everything that was familiar and achingly comforting. Thank goodness for Liam and Noah. How could she possibly face doing this alone? But then if it weren’t for Noah and Liam, she wouldn’t have the knowledge she now possessed, nor would she have had the courage to stand up and face the devil.

They turned out of town and she stared out the window, absorbing the beauty of the mountains. The Colters didn’t live very far, distance wise, but it was a drive up the mountain that had several switchbacks, and the going was slow.

But it was a drive she didn’t mind, because it had views that were breathtaking. Views she couldn’t see anywhere else in the world.

“We’ve got company,” Noah said tersely.

Liam immediately swiveled to stare out the back. Lauren’s heart did a flip in her chest and she yanked her gaze to the side-view mirror to see a truck bearing down on them.

“Moving too fast just to be another person on the same road,” Liam said grimly. “Lauren, does anyone else live on this road?”

She shook her head, her horrified gaze still glued to the mirror. “Only the Colters and Max and Callie. The doctor in town makes house calls and sometimes they have groceries delivered, but mostly they go into town for what they need because they don’t like their privacy intruded on.”

Just then the truck rammed them and Lauren was thrown forward, her seat belt cinching tight around her to prevent her from crashing into the dash.

“Son of a bitch!” Noah cursed.

He hit the accelerator, lurching forward, but the road turned into gravel less than a quarter mile ahead, and there was no way to have a race up the mountain without killing themselves in the process.

“Hold on,” Noah ordered grimly as he sped up.

They hit the dirt road, fishtailed slightly before Noah corrected and hit the first switchback going as fast as he dared.

As soon as they rounded the bend, putting a little distance between them and the car pursuing them, Noah barked back to Liam, “Get on Lauren’s phone and call the Colters. Tell them we’re coming in hot. We have no choice but to go up because we sure as hell can’t get back down.”

Lauren hastily fumbled with her phone, shoving it over the seat toward Liam.

They got to the second switchback, and Noah spun out as he rounded the sharp curve. Liam was punching the button to connect the call to the Colters, when Noah swore a blistering streak that singed Lauren’s ears.

When she stared ahead and realized what Noah was reacting to, cold fear paralyzed her.

“Noah, look out!” Liam yelled, dropping Lauren’s phone.

Hurtling down the mountain road on a direct collision with them was a Hummer with a reinforced steel grille.

Lauren recognized the direness of the situation. She knew they were going to be pulverized between the two vehicles. Neither had any intention of avoiding the inevitable collision.

“Hold on,” Noah said tightly. “There’s only one way to avoid this, and I have to hope to hell we survive it.”

When she realized his intention, her pulse exploded in her veins. She squeezed her eyes shut just as he turned the SUV and dove right over the edge of the mountain.

For less than a second, but what seemed like an eternity, they were airborne, and then they landed with a jolt that shook Lauren to her bones. She heard shattering glass, the crunch and groan of metal giving way.

And then they were rolling. Over and over until the world was a crazy Tilt-A-Whirl flashing before her eyes. They bounced and slid and then rolled some more, until finally the SUV landed hard on its wheels and the front smashed into a huge pine.

It was instinctive to throw her arms in front of her face to shield her from the air bag, but it never deployed. Glass sprayed her, and she screamed when a branch shot through the windshield and drove itself into the seat a mere inch from where her shoulder rested.

Oh God, just a few inches over and it would have impaled her.

She took mental stock, trying to determine if she had any injuries. But she felt no pain. She couldn’t feel anything. She was numb from head to toe. For all she knew she’d broken every bone in her body, but she had no way of knowing.

She looked down and then over at Noah. Her cry of horror was muffled by her hand as it flew to cover her mouth. The dash had caved in, pinning him in his seat.

Liam. She had to see about Liam. Her hands fumbled with her seat belt, but it wouldn’t come lose. She yanked and pulled, nearly screaming with frustration. Finally it came free and she awkwardly tried to maneuver in the much smaller space.

She managed to hoist herself high enough to see that Liam was sprawled in his seat, his head resting against a shattered window. Blood streamed down his cheek and he wasn’t conscious.

Then she heard a sound from Noah.

Her gaze flew to him and she pulled herself above the limb that was embedded in her seat.

“Noah? Noah? Can you hear me? Please talk to me. Oh God, I’m so scared. Liam’s unconscious. I don’t know how badly he’s hurt.”

“Listen to me,” Noah said hoarsely. “Can you reach Liam’s gun?”

She froze, staring at Noah in confusion.

“Get the gun, Lauren. We only have a few minutes before they arrive. They’ll drive back down the mountain and they’ll come looking for us. They’ll kill us. Do you understand? They’re after you.”

“Can you move?” Lauren asked anxiously. “Can you get out on your side? We could take Liam with us. We have the time.”

“Listen to me, honey,” Noah said, his voice calm, a direct contradiction to the screams echoing inside Lauren’s head. “I can’t move. I don’t think I’m badly injured, but I can’t tell. I’m probably in shock and can’t feel pain. But my legs are trapped. There’s no way I can get out.”

“They want me,” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said bluntly.

The haze lifted and suddenly she was sharply focused on the matter at hand. These assholes were after her, and if they found her with Noah and Liam, they’d kill them. But if they thought Noah and Liam were already dead and she was nowhere in the vicinity . . .

They’d come looking for her and not waste the time on Noah and Liam.

She hauled herself over the seat and fumbled with Liam’s jacket. She grasped the stock of the gun and yanked it out of the holster.

“Good girl,” Noah praised. “Now listen to me—”

“No, you listen to me,” she said fiercely. “I’ve got a lot to say and not much time. I love you. I love you and Liam so damn much and I’m not giving either of you up without a fight. I’m sorry I haven’t told you before now. It just never seemed like the right time. Not saying now is either, but I’m not going to die without you knowing how much I love you.”

“I love you too, honey,” Noah said. “Now please, listen to me.”

She shook her head. “This is what’s going to happen, Noah, and I swear to God if you argue with me or if you don’t do exactly as I say and you end up dead, I’ll kill you all over again.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Can you reach your gun?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Okay take it out and keep it hidden. Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to. I’m taking Liam’s gun and I’m taking off. These assholes want me. If you pretend to be dead and Liam is unconscious and seems dead and I’m not here, they’re not going to waste a lot of time with either of you because neither of you are any good to them. It’s me they want.”

“Whoa, what the fuck? No fucking way, Lauren.”

“There’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me,” she said calmly. “It’s a good plan and you know it.”

“It’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard!” he roared. “I love you, goddamn it. I’m not letting you take off on your own with no protection.”

“And I love you!” she roared back. “I love both of you, which is why I’m going to protect both of you by getting the hell out of here. Liam still has my phone. You can call for help once the dickheads figure out I’m gone and go after me. I’m going to try to make it to the Colters.”

“Goddamn it, Lauren, please don’t do this.”

Noah was begging her, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. There was stark terror reflected in those shiny pools. Terror for her.

“I love you,” she whispered. “If I stay here, they’ll kill us all. We’ll be sitting ducks. You’re pinned, Liam’s unconscious, and there’s just me with Liam’s gun. I have to give us a fighting chance, Noah. If we make it out of this alive, you can yell at me all you want.”

Before he could argue further, she turned to try to open her door. She could barely budge it, and the metal creaked and groaned as she attempted to push it far enough open to get out.

“Use the butt of the gun and break out the glass,” Noah said. “And hurry. You don’t have much time. I want you as far away from those bastards as possible when they get here.”

Bolstered by his grudging support, she broke out the glass with Liam’s pistol and pulled away enough of the shards that she could get through without cutting herself.

Still holding tight to the gun, she hoisted herself out of the window and prayed that she didn’t have injuries that would prevent her from running like hell.

When her feet hit the ground, she very nearly went down in a heap. Her knees shook horribly and reaction was setting in. Her hands shook. Her entire body quivered.

She had to get it together. Not only for herself but for Liam and Noah too. She needed to put as much distance between her and them for their safety. If her pursuers thought she was escaping, they would lose all interest in Noah and Liam and come after her.

She turned and ran.

Chapter 31

NOAH held his breath when he heard the sound of a vehicle nearby. Liam hadn’t stirred, which concerned Noah. But what scared the hell out of him the most was the fact that Lauren hadn’t gotten that big of a head start.

She was alone on the mountain with only Liam’s gun for protection, and Noah was trapped in the goddamn car, unable to move his legs.

Sitting duck was right. Lauren had certainly been accurate on that count. He and Liam were completely defenseless and as much as he hated to admit it, Lauren’s plan was a sound one for drawing attention away from him and Liam. But Noah couldn’t live with the results if her life were to be sacrificed for his.

The engine stopped, and then Noah heard voices as they drew closer. He leaned against the door and slid the hand holding the gun between the seat and the door so it was out of sight. He closed his eyes to narrow slits so it would appear he was unconscious. He tried to make his breathing as shallow as possible and to calm the fear and adrenaline churning like a tornado inside him.

“Here it is!”

The shout went up, and Noah heard at least two responses, which meant there were at least three men. His heart sank. Three men who’d shortly turn their attention on hunting Lauren down. He had no idea what their orders were. Shoot her on sight? Take her into custody? Who knew what Joel Knight wanted? He was a twisted son of a bitch who got off on having absolute control over a woman.

It took every ounce of discipline he had not to betray himself. He wanted a shot at the sons of bitches. If he could take them out here and now, they wouldn’t pose a threat to Lauren.

“What do you see?” one of the men asked.

They were still a short distance away and they were obviously being careful to avoid an ambush. Too bad they had to be smart.

“The woman’s not with them. Looks like they’re dead or nearly so. One of them’s pinned in the driver’s seat. Doesn’t look good. The other cracked his head open on the window in the backseat and he’s either dead or unconscious. The passenger window has been busted out. Looks like she took off.”

There was a round of swearing, and then the next words sent a chill snaking down Noah’s spine.

“Come on, you two. How hard can this be? We’re talking one defenseless woman running around the mountain like a chicken with her head cut off. This’ll be the easiest job we’ve ever had. Spread out and let’s go find her. The sooner we find her and dump her on Knight, the quicker we get paid.”

Noah heard Liam stir in the backseat. The fact that his friend was alive sent a surge of relief through him that weakened him momentarily. The problem was, the last thing he needed was Liam coming around right now and making a scene that would get them both killed.

“Liam, if you can hear me, stay completely still and keep your eyes closed,” Noah said in a low voice. “I’ll let you know when it’s okay to move.”

The sound immediately quieted and Noah knew Liam had heard and understood.

Another good sign.

The sound of the vehicle starting made Noah open his eyes to mere slits, and he surveyed the area around the crash site. In the distance, two men were disappearing into the trees in opposite directions, while the other had apparently taken the vehicle to move it.