Invincible (World of Danger Book 1) Page 4

  “What are you doing?” she gasped. “You can’t see!”

  “I know this road well enough. I can pull over and let him pass to wait him out.”

  As soon as he rounded the first bend, he sped up and drove into the thick underbrush before killing the engine. Sitting in the dark, they watched until the person following them sped by.

  “Are we going back the other way?”

  “Not yet,” he said. “We’re going to wait him out then go back to the fallen tree. He won’t expect that and I can easily wench the thing out of the way.”

  After a few more minutes, he tried turning the engine back on, but nothing happened. The battery didn’t even try to turn over.

  “What the hell?” he muttered. He pulled out his cell phone, but like the SUV, it too was dead. “Son-of-a-bitch. Do you have a phone?”

  “Of course.”

  “Check it.”

  Lidah reached into her scrubs pocket and pulled out her cell. She punched a few buttons.

  “Something happened to it,” she said. “It won’t even turn on.”

  “No, it’s not your phone. We got hit with a strategic EM pulse wave.”

  “A what?”

  “An EM pulse wave. Disables all electronics. The strategic part is because it’s localized. The shots he fired at us must have lodged the transmitter somewhere on the back.” He ran a hand through his hair. “This is not good. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “And go where? We’re miles from town and the only way to get back is through the woods. And if you haven’t noticed, it’s night.”

  “I’ve noticed, but no matter what, we’re going to have to hoof it through the forest. That transmitter is so small we’ll never find it without a garage bay and a fine-tooth comb. So, until we’re out of range, I can’t call anyone.”

  “It seems like a dangerous thing for the public to have.”

  “It’s not available to the public.” The thought that someone in his company had betrayed him left his stomach tied in knots.

  “Oh,” she said softly. “It was stolen?”

  “I don’t know. Seems like it, though. And now I can’t contact Lake, at least until we get out of the transmitters range. We’re by ourselves.”

  She laid a hand on his arm and for a moment, his mind went blank. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze off where she touched him. The light touch sent electric shocks through his body.

  “Do you have a plan C?”

  He shook his head to clear the lusty haze that gripped his brain. “We have to hoof it. At least far enough to get our phones booted back up.”

  “I hate to tell you this, but there isn’t a cell tower out here by the lake,” she said. “It’s one reason kids love coming here to make out. No parental interruption via text messages or phone calls.”

  “We have to head toward town,” he stated.

  “Again, I state the obvious,” she waved toward the window.

  “We’re not that far. Just over the hill. A few miles, tops.”

  Chapter Four

  Lee seriously miscalculated the distance by saying it was just over the hill. Lidah glared at the back of his head. More like a mini-mountain if her lungs had any say in the matter. Not that she could talk at all. It took every bit of effort to breathe as they marched upward in their trek to reach town. The most activity she’d done in the past twenty or so years had been stretching to reach her water pick.

  “Next time … you say … let’s hike … simply shoot me,” she puffed. She stopped for a second, rested her hands on her knees and bent over as a pain shot through her side.

  “This is even difficult for me,” Lee replied.

  She eyed him as best as she could in the dark. From what she could see, he wasn’t even breathing deeply. She had no doubt Lee had slowed down to accommodate her struggle rather than any hindrance he had trekking over the uneven terrain.

  “I call bullshit,” she said. “I bet you can run a mile without breaking a sweat.”

  “Training in a gym is vastly different than walking out here.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” she said. “I haven’t seen the inside of one since I graduated high school. Not exactly my thing.”

  “So, what is?”

  The pain in her side eased up, allowing her to stand up straight again. “My thing?”

  “Yeah. People change after twenty-two years. So, what are your hobbies? You know, your thing.”

  She shrugged. “Reading. Working. Not hiking.”

  The branches above them acted as a filter, allowing moonlight in some areas and complete darkness in others. A cool wind blew, causing her to shiver a little in her scrubs, and he immediately placed his arms around her, hauling her into his body. Tingles shot from her head to her toes, and his heat melted her, in more ways than one. She closed her eyes, savoring him pressed so intimately against her, and laid her head on his chest. He filled a void she thought would be there forever. Time had a way of easing grief, and though it had shrunk the hole in her heart, it had never fully closed. The loss of him and their baby back to back had broken her completely.

  “After you died, people told me I was young. I’d get over you. Move on and find a husband. They told me that you were nothing more than a crush. Youthful infatuation.” She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. “I tried to believe them, but I knew, deep down, that they were wrong. I never got over you, Lee. I never moved on because I had no desire to find a replacement for you.”

  He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly.

  “I wish I could change the past,” he murmured low in her ear. “Wish I could change the decision I made. I thought I was protecting you. I can’t tell you how I’m so damn glad there’s not a ring on your finger.”

  “You never told me if there’s one on yours.”

  He lifted her chin with a finger. “No. I’ve never had a desire to find a replacement for you either.”

  She smiled, not sure if he could see it in the night, but not really caring. His head descended and their lips met. At first it was a simple brushing of lips, more of a comfort, really, than passion, but it didn’t take long for it to flare into something deeper. His tongue probed the seam on her mouth and she opened, allowing him entrance. The world faded away, leaving them inside their own little cocoon. It had always been like that, the desire and emotion bubbling to the surface each time they had snuck kisses behind the bleachers. Time had not diminished that raw simmer, nor had the danger surrounding them extinguished the need.

  When they broke for air, he trailed a path of kisses around to her ear, taking the lobe between his teeth and gently sucking the piece of flesh.

  “Jesus, I’ve missed you,” he murmured, a bit breathless. His heart hammered against her chest. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought of you. Wanted you. Longed to touch you, kiss you. Hold you.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I feel horrible that Wally died, but I’m so incredibly happy right now, and I feel guilty that I don’t feel guilt over that. Does this even make a lick of sense?”

  “Yes,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I was damned good at my job because I didn’t care. I haven’t cared about a single thing since I lost you. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk away from you again.”

  She clutched his clothing. “Please don’t leave me again. I don’t think I could survive it a second time.”

  “I don’t think I could either,” he admitted. He lifted his head and looked around. “But first, we have to get out of these woods, and other than following the moon, I’m not very adept at traipsing through a forest at night.”

  “What? Lee McMasters admitting he doesn’t know how to do something?” she teased. “I think we should mark this day on the calendar.”

  “Ha ha,” he said, although a hint of amusement underlined his tone.

  “Call Ripley’s.”

  “Now you’re just rubbing salt into the wound,” he replied. The rub on
her back told her he wasn’t really upset. “And it’s Masterson now.”

  “Right. I forgot.”

  He shrugged. “It’s just a name. But I do think we should find a place to hide and rest. Wait for daylight so we don’t really hurt ourselves.”

  Lidah nodded her agreement, and taking hold of her hand, they resumed their trek. A few minutes later, he pointed.

  “Is that a ladder?”

  She squinted. “Yes. It’s a deer stand.”

  “That’ll do.”

  He led her over and climbed up the wooden ladder nailed into the tree. She waited below, looking up. Once he waved at her to follow, she climbed up as well. The deer stand was wide enough for them to sit next to each other, with a covering to protect from rain should it fall, and a stack of blankets and sealed water bottles tucked into a corner.

  Lee grabbed a blanket, opened it and shook it free of any creepy crawlers that happened to have made the wool their home, then wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “Would you like some water?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  They sat next to each other, quenching their thirst. Despite being lost in the woods, she felt safe. A shiver overtook her so he pulled her into his warm body, wrapping them both up in a haven of warmth. A night owl hooted and crickets chirped. For the first time in a very long time, all was right in her world.

  He rubbed her arm, warming her up, but soon another type of heat flushed through her body. A longing erupted deep in her belly, fanning in all directions, making her heart beat wildly and her thighs clench as need spiked in a delicious torment. It had been so long since she’d had any kind of physical contact, and those that she had in the past had been empty. A pale comparison of what she’d felt with Lee. She snuggled closer, and her hand that rested so innocently on his thigh began to caress the muscle. Instantly, his cock hardened and his breath grew ragged.

  “Lidah—”

  “Please,” was all she said and his mouth landed on her neck, sucking in a piece of flesh as he found a way under the waist band of her scrubs. Her stomach muscles rippled as he tickled his way down, until he brushed across her panties. She opened her legs wider as she caressed him through his jeans. He was bigger than she remembered.

  He moaned against her skin, his teeth biting gently. The little friction of pain only enhanced what they were doing to each other. He slipped his fingers under the cotton panties to touch her pussy, rubbing over her slit. She mimicked his moan and her hips jerked up, desperately seeking more.

  “Please,” she begged breathlessly.

  “Oh, yes,” he murmured.

  He pressed a finger inward, touching her clit. She was so turned on, Lidah knew she’d come any minute, although she wanted this moment to last forever. To never let him go. The only thing she could do to show how much he turned her on was to reciprocate, so she rubbed his cock length, stroking it up and down as best as she could. For a moment that seemed to stretch out forever, they caressed each other. He pushed a finger into her pussy, then added another, increasing the tempo in which he fucked her. Her control slipped more and more until she could no longer hold back her orgasm. It crashed through her, lifting her up, and she cried out in shear bliss. As her pussy walls clenched around his fingers, milking out her orgasmic high, he clamped down on her neck and followed her over into sweet release. Then they both lay there, half sitting, simply content to ride out the waves of pleasure.

  “Jesus, woman, you made me come in my pants like an adolescent school boy.”

  She smiled in the dark. “Ditto.”

  He kissed her temple. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  She felt his bite on her neck, but it didn’t pain her. In fact, just the opposite. She welcomed the feeling because she knew it would leave a mark, and right then, she craved his possession.

  “No,” she said.

  He hugged her tightly. “I promise to get us out of this alive.”

  “I believe you.”

  And she did. No matter what may have happened in the past, or what decisions he’d made, it was over. They were together once more and this time, she wasn’t about to let go.

  Chapter Five

  The beeping of his phone woke him up. Lee tried to sit up, but a weight held him down. Lidah. There in his arms. It hadn’t been a hallucination or a diabolic dream meant to drive him mad. He wanted to pull her in closer, hold her tightly, and never let go, but sanity returned, reminding him that being a Neanderthal wasn’t the right way to go about winning her back. Then he remembered the events of the night before and realized his beeping phone was a good sign that the EM pulse was dead.

  He connected the call. “Masterson.”

  “Where are you?” Lake asked immediately without a greeting.

  “Lost in the Appalachians with Lidah. Can you triangulate this call and get us the hell out of here?”

  “Of course I can.”

  Lee heard some computer keys clicking. “Has JD been able to find the person who hacked my personal file?”

  “I don’t know, he hasn’t answered his cell.”

  “What? That’s not like him.”

  “He’s probably camped out with some female,” Lake replied dryly. “The man changes women like he changes underwear. Unless he doesn’t wear underwear. In fact, that makes a lot more sense—”

  “Lake,” Lee interrupted. “Focus. Get us the hell out of here and then you can speculate on whether or not JD wears boxers or briefs.”

  “Or commando.”

  “Shut up.”

  Lake snickered. “Okay, I got your ping and located you. I’ll come in the bird to pick you both up. ETA thirty minutes. Keep a look to the heavens.”

  “See you soon, Lake.”

  “Yep,” Lake said, and then the line went dead.

  Lake hung up and Lee looked at Lidah. “We should be out of here soon.”

  She frowned. “How did you get a signal?”

  “It’s a satellite phone. I just had to wait until we were far enough away from the dampener to boot back up.”

  “That was your coworker?”

  “Yeah, Mason Lake. The other one is JD Harlan.”

  “Are you still a secret governmental ops company?”

  “No,” he replied, shaking his head. “JD deposed his father and broke away from the government. The agency now helps the public sector only.”

  Just as he positioned himself to go down the deer stand ladder, Lidah halted him by placing her hand on top of his. “You’re going back.”

  It wasn’t a question. “I plan on coming back.”

  Her eyes shifted away. “You do whatever you have to do, Lee.”

  “Hey,” he said and cupped her face, bringing her focus back on him. “I mean it. I already told you I don’t want to go back to the grave. You and me, Lidah. We’ll never say good-bye again.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t go through that again.”

  “I know,” he murmured and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. “Me either. I knew this life of mine was coming to an end, and I’m a little shocked I’m still alive to walk away. But walking away is exactly what I aim to do. You’re my future, Lidah. Never doubt that.”

  He tilted her face up and kissed her hard on the mouth, sealing his vow. The kiss was brief, but he felt it all the way in his soul. When they pulled apart, she smiled up at him.

  “I have to pee,” she said.

  “Yeah, me, too. Let’s get down from this tree stand and wait for our ride.”

  Once on the ground they went their separate ways to relieve themselves. Lee kept his senses open because a killer was still out there, and his mission wasn’t done. When they were both finished, they met back up.

  “I don’t think a helicopter can land here,” she said, glancing around.

  “Lake will fly over and call us where to meet up with him,” he explained. Suddenly, an electrified charge shot through him and he looked over Lidah’s shoulder to the tree line
. “We’re being watched.”

  “What?”

  He stepped in front of her, using his body as a shield. His instinct had him focusing on a section of the forest directly in front of them. Nature had gone eerily quiet. No birds, no animals, nothing moved. Even the wind seemed to have died down. Slowly, Lee reached behind him to take out his gun from the holster in the waistband of his jeans.

  “Who are you?” Lee asked, calling out. He waited, not really expecting an answer. Needing to get Lidah out of the open, he backed up, and she grabbed the back of his shirt as he shuffled her toward the safety of the deer stand tree. “Stay down and stay hidden. I don’t want you hurt.”

  She clutched his arm. “I don’t want you hurt either!”

  He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “No matter what happens, Lidah, remember that I’ve always loved you. Then, now. You own me, heart and soul.”

  “Lee, I love you,” she cried in a broken whisper.

  Their gazes locked, and he tried to convey everything he felt in those few seconds. Then he kissed her hard on the mouth before leaving her. He had to finish this. If not, he’d constantly be looking over his shoulder. He had always disliked cat and mouse games, and now he was caught in a real life one. His main concern was Lidah and he knew he had to win this showdown. He didn’t give a crap about his life, but the last thing he’d do was make sure she was safe.

  No longer having the cover of darkness to hide in, he kept his senses and eyes open, using the trees as a shield. The report of a gun ricocheted around the clearing a split second before a bullet crashed into the bark in front of him. Slivers of wood flew around, and he instinctively jerked back. Another shot fired, and he ducked, needing to move away from the obvious vantage point the assassin had discovered.

  “Lee!” Lidah called out, sounding panicked.

  “I’m okay!” he yelled back. “Stay where you are!”

  “Yes, Lidah,” came a taunting voice. “Stay where you are.”

  The mock taunt came from behind him, where he had left Lidah, causing him to spin around. Fear slammed through him, throwing his concentration into chaos. How the asshole circumvented him, he didn’t know, but as he hurried back toward Lidah, a rushing a sound came from his left. He turned just as a body plowed into him. Caught off guard, he fell back, and his gun flew far away. Pissed off, Lee attacked the man, throwing all his frustration and anger into his punches. He didn’t really fight fair because assassins didn’t deserve the honor of hand to hand combat. They existed in the darkness, so Lee used all the dirty techniques he knew. He aimed for the man’s throat, his dick, his ankles … anything that would cripple him.