And I simply refused to allow her to face additional shit.

  When she burst into laughter, I had a feeling she was close to becoming hysterical. I wouldn’t blame her but at this point, I needed us both keeping a cool head.

  “A book in the making.”

  Huffing, I checked the rearview mirror again. “My life isn’t that interesting.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ. Where are we going? I deserve to know.”

  “My grandfather has a cabin in the mountains no one knows about. We’re going there.”

  “A cabin in the mountains,” she repeated.

  “Yep.”

  “So you really do have a grandfather.”

  I laughed. “I said I was a bad guy, but what I told you while spending time at your house wasn’t a lie.”

  “Were you there spying on me? Are you some kind of… copycat killer?”

  Of course, I knew exactly what she was getting at. Something had happened prior to my arrival. “What? I’m nobody’s anything except a man given a raw deal because I trusted the wrong people at a time I was still suffering.”

  “What were you suffering from?”

  That I definitely wasn’t ready to share with anyone. Even my prison shrink had been forced to pry it out of me, although she’d known the moment she’d stepped inside the cage. “Just shit like everyone has in their life. Why don’t you relax, even close your eyes if you can. It’s going to take about an hour to get there.”

  “Relax? Around you? Not a chance at this point. You lied to me one way or the other. I can’t let that go.”

  I couldn’t blame her. That was for certain. What I needed to do was concentrate on getting us there in one piece, not coddling her.

  Damn it. If only this once, I’d followed the rules.

  I guessed this fell under too little too late.

  A few seconds later, I glanced into the rearview mirror again and immediately tensed. “Ah, fuck.” At least two vehicles were headed toward us at an excessive rate of speed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We got some shit. You’re going to listen to me. Crawl into the backseat with Max. Both of you need to stay down.”

  “What is going on?” Noel insisted, straining to see what I was seeing.

  “Goddamn it, Noel. Just fucking do as I say. Now.”

  I didn’t need to be staring at her directly to know she was fuming, her mouth open in a proposed retort, but thankfully, she obeyed my command, easily crawling into the backseat.

  As soon as both she and Max were secured lying down, I stepped on the accelerator.

  All I heard from her was a single shudder. I kept switching from the rearview mirror to the road, hoping what I was seeing was a mistake. It wasn’t. How the fuck had they found us?

  My heart racing, I thought about other ways to get where we needed to be. There were several ways of getting up the mountain, some more treacherous than others. But I couldn’t lead the bastards in the direction, or we’d be shit out of luck.

  “Hold on, baby girl. This could get messy.” After making a plan of action, I kept the accelerator pressed down, swerving around one vehicle then another. I wasn’t surprised they were doing damn good in keeping up with me.

  “Kage,” she said once as I almost hit the Jersey wall, fighting to keep the truck on the road. I’d purchased the one with the largest engine, figuring at some point I’d need the power. I’d just had no idea how soon.

  The fuckers driving were skilled, but not as much as I was. I had to get off this road or I’d be boxed in. Somehow there had to be a way.

  A part of me wanted to reach for my weapon, but I couldn’t drive and shoot at the same time. Plus, the last thing I wanted to do was to scare either one of my passengers.

  At least any more than was happening.

  I flew around a slight bend and something caught my eye.

  A state trooper.

  Fuck.

  I slammed my hand on the steering wheel, which caused Noel to jerk up. “What’s happening?”

  “A whole fuck load of trouble.” But with any luck, I could spin this load of shit into sunshine. Something else my mother used to say. Sneering, I reached back and was able to touch her face. The electric pulses drilling through me were too much like firecrackers, just another reminder of what I couldn’t have. “Please stay down.”

  “Okay.”

  God, her voice sounded so small.

  I refused to back down and neither did the two fuckheads following us. Within a couple of minutes, another state trooper appeared. They were gaining ground on the mysterious followers. I watched the action intently until I noticed what might be my single chance at getting the hell out of here. Swerving across three lanes of traffic, I hit the exit ramp going eighty, forced almost instantly to press my foot down on the brakes.

  Fortunately, my steel baby responded the way I wanted and I was lucky enough the light at the bottom of the exit ramp was green. Making a turn swiftly, I controlled my speeding, refusing to attract any additional attention. This road was parallel to the highway, which allowed me to catch sight of the very moment one of the SUVs made a critical error, spinning out of control before smashing into the Jersey wall at a high rate of speed.

  “Shit,” I mused and kept driving, not shocked when a sudden fireball appeared in the sky. I had a feeling the assholes had an arsenal with them.

  I noticed that once again Noel had disobeyed me, her eyes remaining on the fireball as long as possible.

  Until I finally redirected my travel plans, taking the backroads instead.

  “What is happening?” she asked a few minutes later.

  I had no good answer for her. “A possible war.” As I glanced into the rearview mirror, I passed a brightly lit gas station, which allowed me to see her eyes. For those couple of seconds, we were on the same plane, one of uncertainty fused with the crazy thought that we each needed the other.

  How bizarre after all I’d been through in my life.

  They were coming after us and it would seem nothing would stop them. I only prayed to some god from some land I’d just caught a break.

  Kill or be killed.

  That had been my motto in prison. Maybe that’s exactly what I needed to remember from here on out.

  CHAPTER 14

  “Do not go gentle into that good night but rage, rage against the dying light.”

  —Dylan Thomas

  Kage

  Call me an enraged man.

  Right now, that was fitting, too much so for having such a fragile creature in my protection. I’d done what I’d thought was right. I’d paid my goddamn dues, but it still wasn’t enough. Monsters sucked on your blood and bones until you were nothing but a corpse.

  Saldono was cunning. Maybe he’d realized killing me in prison was a bad idea, but like a predator lying in wait in the wild, he’d bided his time.

  Fuck me.

  And I’d been stupid enough to believe the man cared about me.

  Hissing, I did what I could to concentrate on plowing down the road without another incident. As the elevations increased, so did the inches of snow covering the ground. At least it seemed the ice hadn’t accumulated as significantly as it had in the valley. If it had, there would have been no way the truck could have made it up the steep inclines.

  The rest of the drive was uneventful and after about twenty or thirty minutes, I realized both she and Max had fallen asleep, both still nestled in the back as if we were going on a pleasure cruise. In truth, I’d been grateful for the solitude and lack of continuous questions that I wasn’t in the mood to answer.

  It had been years since I’d been at my grandfather’s cabin, the man rarely there himself. He’d had it built as a secluded getaway from his thriving business, but other than his wife, he rarely allowed family to even know the location.

  I’d only learned of it because he’d brought me to the place to handle my final training for taking over his company since my father had wanted nothing to do with it. They were cordial, even acting like they cared about each other at family gatherings, but I’d sensed there was discord between them when I was young.

  The funny thing was that I’d come prepared with spreadsheets and quantitative studies on the business, eager to show him how I intended on expanding the family wealth.

  He’d wanted nothing to do with that, instead taking me fishing and hiking. I’d been an eager beaver, clueless as to what the hell he’d been doing. I only figured it out after his death.

  The time spent in the wilderness had been two-fold. He wanted me to truly gather a solid respect for nature in all aspects, which would alter the course of our business. And he’d also wanted to remind me about balance.

  I’d used that in taking over, finding his advice useful when I’d fallen in love. It was now that I realized I hadn’t been here since… since I’d lost too many people in my life and long before I’d been imprisoned.

  Max had helped me open up; I was surprised the place wasn’t in worse shape than it was, although it was certainly rough around the edges. But there’d been enough dried and protected firewood to start a fire. I was shocked every scrap of wood hadn’t rotted, which could mean someone else was taking care of the place. If that was the case, it hadn’t been for a while since the place had been boarded up. I didn’t bother removing the wooden planks, something I’d do in the morning.

  I simply wanted to ensure the place was warm, that critters hadn’t found a way inside, and that we could feel safe while we were here. I’d forgotten my grandfather had paid a shit ton of money to have electricity run to the cabin. The fact it was still on meant someone was paying the electric bill.

  I’d heard my grandpops had been smart enough to put a few things together, keeping the business running by his attorney after my incarceration. I’d yet to talk to the man and now, I wasn’t certain when or if I’d get the chance.

  After finding blankets someone had thought to keep covered in a huge plastic bag, I carried her to the couch, easing her down with a pillow and her pup.

  I’d always known my grandfather had been not only protective of the business, he’d also been certain there were people out to get him. That had made him very secretive. Finding a full-scale communications and security system had only been a mild surprise, and in this case, a pleasant one. I’d spent some time determining what—if anything—still worked. If so, it would add a layer of protection that I’d yet to install at my place.

  A huge mistake.

  I’d been full of them over the years. It was time to think with a clear head for a change, foregoing my extreme anger.

  While that would be tough, I was just like my grandfather, capable of doing whatever I put my mind to. Or so I hoped.

  Now I sat with a drink in my hand, trying to figure out what the fuck I was going to do to get my life and hers back to some sense of normalcy.

  If there was such a thing.

  While the whiskey was supposed to soothe my nerves, it did very little when we had everything to lose, and the fuckers had everything to gain.

  I watched her sleep, wishing things hadn’t turned out this way. As I leaned back, reflective moments shot into my system. Most I never wanted to think about, but the good ones, including training Max were special as fuck. Snorting, I took another sip of my drink. It was crazy to think I was sitting here with a gorgeous woman on the run with the pup I’d spent five amazing months training. I’d seen the look in his eyes the moment he’d seen me.

  He’d been struggling with his sense of duty and the bond we’d developed. Could some consider me jealous for the quick closeness he now had with Noel? I’d be lying if I said no. I rubbed my finger across my mouth, now watching his chest rise and fall. I would never forget the first night he climbed onto the shitty-ass cot I was forced to sleep on. At least I’d been given a private cell. I’d come up in the world. The memory was indeed bittersweet.

  God, I hated memories.

  The darkness in the cell was always oppressive but more so tonight. Max was uneasy, whimpering as quietly as he could. I could feel his fear. It was the same disturbed feeling I’d had the first few nights after being tossed into the joint. I’d become hardened. I didn’t want that for my boy.

  My boy.

  I had to stop thinking that way. The fur baby with the horrific scars was only on loan. I remained on my back, staring up at nothing in the dark. Lights out. Forced sleep. As if at night the nightmares didn’t take hold, pushing me into a fitful fight with invisible creatures. I’d learned to control them over the years, if only so my roommate wouldn’t beat the shit out of me.

  Or attempt to.

  That had occurred once and the fucker had learned, his broken nose a testament to my capabilities even in my rocky state of sleep.

  Max thumped his tail against the cold cement floor. He’d been provided with a bed, although I wouldn’t call it good enough for my… for the boy. But he refused to touch it. As his whimpers became louder, I couldn’t take it any longer. My heart ached for all he’d been through. We were two damaged souls hoping for a better life. I was worried we couldn’t make a real go of this. He was slow to warm up and four days had already passed. At least he was no longer growling or cowering in the corner.

  I had no doubt we were both praying the ugliness that we’d endured would go away.

  “Max. Come here, boy. I’ll make room.” I tried to move as much as possible, giving him at least a small space to curl up his big body, but I was a big boy myself. At six foot five, two hundred and thirty pounds, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for my long legs.

  He whined for another two seconds then became very quiet. I was certain he wasn’t going to take me up on my offer. As soon as I heard his collar rattle, a smile crossed my face. And when he jumped up on my legs, somehow managing to nestle himself in the crook of my arm, his spine against the wall and his head on my chest, I felt more at peace than I had in years. Long, horrible years.

  I closed my eyes and within seconds, I could hear the pup snoring. Maybe we could do this after all.

  I took another gulp of whiskey as the memory faded. After that night, we’d become inseparable, the pup responding to every command as if he’d been born to become a support dog. Almost immediately I’d fallen in love with him, the weight that had been strangling for so long slowly fading. I’d had hope, something I’d never wanted to feel again.

  And now? Was it all going to be taken away in a moment?

  Whatever happened, I couldn’t allow either the beautiful woman or the dog I so adored to be hurt or killed. I’d do anything in my power to stop it.

  And if that meant burning down an entire city, stringing the entire mob family and his soldiers up in the city square, then that’s what I’d do.

  No one fucked with the people I cared about.

  Not any longer.

  They had no idea the kind of man I’d become.

  I snickered at the thought, fighting off the other visions that I could no longer tolerate.

  Of a past that I’d worked so hard to get over, one I’d loved with everything inside of me. Now I was no longer capable of love. Besides, someone like Noel needed a decent, solid man who could provide her with the world if she wanted it. That wasn’t me.

  The drink was suddenly empty and I wasn’t feeling any better. As I grabbed the bottle, filling the entire fucking glass with liquor, Max lifted his head.

  He used to stare into my eyes for long periods during those times when I thought for certain I was going to lose my shit. He’d been able to calm the beast inside with nothing more than that look.

  The very one he was giving me now.

  It had also reminded me that all broken things could be fixed one way or another.

  I lifted my glass in his direction, fighting an emotion that I loathed.

  Sadness and despair.

  “You’re a great boy, Max. You found a wonderful mistress and mama dog. I’m happy for you both.” And I was secretly thrilled I had at least a little while longer to spend with both of them. Shit. Now guilt was rushing in, replacing any fucking worthless concept of sadness.

  Remorse was something that had been beaten out of me but at this moment, I found myself feeling far too many emotions that wouldn’t suit us if I wanted us to remain alive.

  I needed to shut it down and fast.

  But fucking how? How the hell could I shut down feelings that had taken me so long to redevelop?

  Because it was the right thing to do. For once in almost a fucking decade, that’s what needed to happen. Be a good man for a change. That’s what my father would say.

  Or the beautiful woman with the chestnut hair and eyes the color of the brightest sky would not only learn her lover was a terrible person, she would also learn the world was filled with them.

  Then again, maybe she’d already figured that out.

  CHAPTER 15

  Noel

  Pressure.

  Unrelenting pressure in my head and in every inch of my body.

  Those were my first explosive sensations as I rocked up from a tenuous unconsciousness.

  The most startling thing about waking up from a strangled sleep was not knowing where I was. I’d gotten very good at knowing every inch of my surroundings, waking up at the slightest sound. The moment I opened my eyes, utter terror rushed into my system because I couldn’t recognize anything, which meant I’d fallen into a deep slumber.

  How in the hell was that possible given the circumstances?

  Cars chasing us.

  Terrified for my life and that of my pup.

  A fiery crash.

  My God. Why was fate out to get me?

  And where was I? What…

  Breathe, just breathe.

  Had I been so wrong about Kage? Was that his name?

  I took several scattered breaths as my inner voice commanded, studying the dying fire in a fireplace I didn’t recognize. Hearing a slight snoring sound, I shifted my gaze, thankful to see Max resting comfortably on the other end of the couch. Without moving, I scanned the room, noticing Kage was dozing in a chair close by. In his lap was a weapon, which I hadn’t noticed before. A new trickle of fear skittered down the length of me.