The Hero She Needs (Unbroken Heroes Book 1)(17)

She was tempted to look around, but she just focused on keeping up with Boone.

With every step, she expected to hear a shout, or a gunshot.

She was relieved when they finally reached the barn. Boone pressed his back to the wood and pulled her close. Atlas stayed nearby.

Boone tugged her toward the doorway. It was pitch black inside the structure.

“Wait in here with Atlas.” His mouth brushed her ear, and he nudged her against the wall, just inside the barn. “I need to get some things. Stay hidden.”

“Okay.”

She hated to admit it, but she was scared to be left alone. She swallowed hard as Boone disappeared into the darkness.

Gemma dragged in a breath. Then Atlas brushed her leg, and she ran a hand over his fur.

Knowing the dog was with her helped.

Again, anger that this was happening filled her. She felt like a hunted animal. She scrubbed a hand over her face.

Then Atlas stiffened. He was staring at the large door into the barn.

Fear clogged her throat. She couldn’t see anything. Her pulse drummed. She shifted against the wall, trying to stay deep in the shadows.

Suddenly, a dark shadow charged through the door, right at her.

Gemma grunted as the man hit her, and they slammed into the wall.

“Should have stayed still, then I might not have seen you.” The man gripped her throat. “You’ve caused us a lot of trouble, bitch.”

It was the man who’d said he wanted to hurt her. She recognized his accented voice. Without stopping to think, Gemma rammed her palm into his nose.

He growled, and she twisted to escape. He grabbed her hair and pulled.

No. The pain in her scalp brought tears to her eyes. This wasn’t happening.

“Keep fighting, girl,” he said. “Give me an excuse to hurt you.”

“Asshole,” she bit out.

He grabbed the front of her sweater and pulled her up on her toes.

There was a low, dangerous snarl, right before Atlas slammed into the man.

“What the fuck?”

He went down with the large German Shepherd on top of him. The man yelled.

Gemma couldn’t see what Atlas was doing, but the man’s screams intensified.

“Gemma.” Boone reappeared. “Okay?”

“Yes,” she replied shakily. “One mercenary found me.”

“Let’s go. Atlas.”

The dog released her attacker. Boone leaned over the man and punched him. The man didn’t get up. Boone pulled her deeper into the dark barn. A second later, she saw the silhouette of a truck.

He opened the passenger door. “In.”

She climbed in, shivering as the adrenaline rush hit.

Atlas bounded in behind her. Boone circled the truck and got into the driver’s seat. He started the engine.

“Buckle up.” Then he stepped on the accelerator.

They sped out of the barn. She got a brief glimpse of some men running toward them.

Then she heard gunshots.

Oh, God.

“Down.” Boone pushed her head down.

The truck fishtailed in the gravel, then picked up speed.

A moment later, they were on the road.

“We’re fine.” Boone checked the mirrors. “They’re not following. Or if they are, they’re too far behind.”

She sat up, trying to stop her shaking.

“You’re safe.” His shadowed face was set in hard lines.

She nodded.

Then Atlas leaned into her, sharing his warmth.

“Thank you.” She held on tight. “Both of you.”

She was safe for now. But how long would that last?





CHAPTER SEVEN





The headlights cut through the darkness. Boone’s hands clenched hard on the wheel.

Gemma was quiet beside him, but not asleep. He felt her tension. They’d been driving for an hour, and he’d spent most of it checking for a tail. He’d taken a circuitous route through the back roads to avoid detection. Luckily, he knew them like the back of his hand.

He turned off the main road and headed down a narrow dirt track. The truck bumped along the uneven ground.

Gemma stirred. “Where are we?”

“We need to change vehicles. They saw this one. They have the resources to track it.” He pulled up beside a dilapidated barn.

“Whose place is this?”

“A friend of my uncle. His house is a few miles away.” Boone grabbed his flashlight from the glove compartment, then climbed out and headed for the barn door. It needed a lot of force to open it.

He clicked on his flashlight. His uncle’s old Ford truck was parked inside, the red paint coated in a thick layer of dust.

But Boone kept it fueled and roadworthy. Along with a stash of clothes and weapons.

Atlas sniffed around. Gemma looked hesitant and wrapped her arms around herself.

His jaw clenched. She’d been through so much. “You holding up okay?”

She looked up. “No. But I’ll be okay. I refuse to let these people destroy my life. I have no idea what they want, but it’ll be the same as everyone else who’s targeted me in the past. Money and power.”

His brow creased. “This has happened before?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “There were a couple of kidnapping threats when I was younger. One attempt. The worst isn’t the overt bad guys. It’s the people who befriend you, act like they like you, when really, they just wanted access to my father.”