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  Hunt woke up in a warm bed in a dimly lit room. There was a fire crackling on the far wall. He tried to sit up but his side hurt. He reached down for it and found a bandage neatly covering his wound. He took in the items on the nightstand next to him. There was half a bottle of tequila sitting there and a bloody rag. He picked up the rag and found the bullet. He scoffed. “Small caliber. Amateurs.” Things were gradually coming back to him. Mandy had driven them to Bass Lake. She got them a room and some supplies. He recalled screaming into a pillow not so gentlemanly as she dug out the bullet with his buck knife. Damn his stubborn attitude. She probably enjoyed it. A lot of good it did him. He was in pain and she probably still took off.

  Light escaped from under what had to be the bathroom door. The light suddenly went out and Mandy walked out in a towel.

  “I didn’t expect you up already.”

  “You mean you were hoping I was still out cold so you could slip away.”

  She let out a loud sigh and dropped her arms. “You’re an idiot.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Fuck off, Hunt. I didn’t exactly enjoy my little surgery you made me perform.”

  “I don’t recall I enjoyed it much either.”

  “You should have let me take you to a hospital.”

  “This is one horse I’m pretty sure we’ve beaten to death. Did you get any pain killers when you got the bandages?”

  “You’ve already taken four. Not to mention the booze.”

  “Give me a couple more.” He hesitated then added, “Please.”

  She walked back into the bathroom and got a glass of water and picked up the generic pain relief. After handing the glass and bottle to Hunt, she stepped back. Hunt watched as she adjusted how she had the towel fastened.

  “I wouldn’t take more than two,” she said. “We really should get some food in you, too. Will you eat pizza, or does that fall under the junk-food-don’t-touch-my-lips category? I really don’t want to go out and risk be seen.”

  “Pizza is fine.”

  “One problem.”

  “I don’t care what you put on it.”

  “No. I need money.”

  “You took money out of my wallet last night for supplies.”

  “So? I’m not going in your wallet without asking.”

  “I give you permission to take money for pizza, Mandy.” He gave her a hard stare. “You have me intrigued.”

  “Why? Because I keep company with hired thugs?”

  “Besides that. You are going to get around to explaining this whole mess to me eventually, you know.”

  “Then what?”

  “I don’t know ‘then what.’ I can barely handle you one step at a time, as it is.” He stared at her for a long moment again. “Why didn’t you take my money and my truck and split again?”

  “Because you were wounded, dick. It’s your fault not mine, but you still make me feel responsible. You’re like that irritating neighbor’s dog. I hate you, but if you’re squished on the road, I’d still want to get you to a vet.”

  Hunt laughed. “You’re all heart.”

  She picked up a T-shirt and shorts that she got at the convenience store and went into the bathroom to get changed. When she came back out, Hunt was sound asleep again.

  Hunt woke up again after a few hours. The lights were off but the fire was still going, giving the room a soft glow. He immediately searched for Mandy and found her asleep next to him. She was above the covers and shivering. He gave her a tap on the shoulder and she bolted up.

  “What is it? You okay?”

  “I’m fine. You’re cold. Get under the covers. I don’t bite.”

  “It’s not so bad. I’ll go put more wood on.” She got out of bed to add a few logs to the fireplace, and he held his tongue about her “wood on” comment. The cotton shorts she bought were a little on the short side. He wouldn’t deny loving the view as she bent over, adding the wood to the fire.

  When she got back to the bed, Hunt held the sheet and blanket up. She hesitated but she climbed in with him. There was a good two feet separating them.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked. “The pizza wasn’t too bad.”

  “I’m hungry. But I don’t want pizza.”

  “You told me to order pizza, Hunt!” she said, getting upset. “What do you want?”

  He slid closer. “You.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hunt kissed her and was a little more than surprised when she kissed him back. His initial hesitant gentle kiss of, I have to do it, but I’m waiting to be smacked, was replaced with hard kisses that matched his aching hunger for her that had been building up over the past two days. She returned them with the same force. He was beyond surprised, but wasn’t going to dare stop and say a thing.

  Within seconds they had greedily removed each other’s underwear and he was inside her. She felt so good he couldn’t even feel the pain in his side. He did not take her gently, nor was she giving any signs for him to do so. Sexual frustration or pure lust drove them through their near animalistic actions.

  Mandy tightened around Hunt. Every part of her drew him closer. The noises she made sent him over the edge. His orgasm was only seconds behind hers. He was both in ecstasy and sad that it was already over.

  He stayed on top of her, breathing hard for a few minutes. She didn’t seem in a hurry for him to leave. She stroked his back then stopped when her hand reached his bandage. “Are you okay?”

  He rolled off to her right so he wouldn’t land on the bandage. “Didn’t feel a thing. I meant, as far as my side went.” He gave her a kiss. “Damn, girl. Why didn’t you let me do that two days ago? We could have saved a lot of beating each other up.”

  “You were an asshole two days ago. I’m still not so sure you’re not. I guess I have that whole Florence Nightingale effect on you. That or you’re still drunk. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

  He kissed her again. “I don’t think so.”

  “Let me get you some pizza,” she said as she tried to get out of bed.

  He held her arm. “Just stay, Mandy. I like this. Believe it or not, this is the best rest I’ve had in days.”

  “Something on your mind, Barney?”

  He chuckled. “You wear a guy out. From the inside out, in all honesty. You are one tough broad and when I wake up, I want your story.” He scooted closer to her and gently pulled her head to his chest. “And if you even think about not being here when I get up, you are going to be sorry.”

  He was sound asleep again in seconds.

  When Hunt woke up the next morning, he was fit to be tied when Amanda was nowhere to be found. He threw the sheets off of the bed and got to his feet right as she came through the hotel door.

  “Where were you?”

  “Getting you something to eat.” She slammed a bag on the counter. “I didn’t think you’d want day old pizza.” She was a little more careful in placing the tray of drinks down.

  She glanced down his body. “You mind at least putting some pants on?”

  Hunt was never a shy one about being naked. Least of all after he had been intimate with someone. This was not how he’d hoped this morning would go. Had he been so delirious he dreamt up last night? Couldn’t have. He’d never had that good of a dream before. He pulled up his jeans without putting on any underwear and walked over to her.

  “How can you do that?”

  “Do what? I know you’re not referring to a sex marathon. I’m a little embarrassed at the time on that one. I was hoping to better my score this morning.” Hunt reached for her face but she pulled away. “Jesus. You are one fickle broad.”

  She gave his hand an added push as he dropped it. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Well it did. Now what?”

  “Now nothing. You go your way and I go mine.” She took the breakfast items out of the bag. “I found a small diner. I thought you’d be hungry so I got a little of everything.” She sat at the table and unwrapped a plate of hash browns,
scrambled eggs and bacon. “You want scrambled or over-easy?”

  Hunt sat down across from her. “I don’t care. You pick.” She passed him the plate then unwrapped one for herself. A third plate held pancakes. She put it between them and dug for packets of syrup. They both ate a few bites in silence. Hunt finally spoke up. “You seem to do the morning after thing pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

  Mandy slammed her fork on her plate. It would have made more of an impact had it not been plastic. “Stop being so damn smug, Blaine. You got shot and you got laid. I figure that’s about par for the course for your profession, isn’t it?”

  “You’re half right,” he returned with equal attitude.

  “Shot much?” She returned to her food.

  “You think just because you let me screw you that I’d let you go? That kinda makes you a whore, doesn’t it?” Hunt thought that would get a plate full of food thrown in his direction but instead, she continued to eat, trying hard to ignore him. Mandy ate half of what was in front of her then took her coffee and stood up. She walked over to the window and parted the curtain.

  “It’s starting to really cool off. They say snow for Friday.”

  “You really want to talk weather?”

  “No. I don’t, Hunt. I don’t want to talk anything. I didn’t want you following me and I certainly didn’t want to sleep with you last night. I don’t know why I did. Maybe it does make me a whore. I don’t care. Just please, please leave me alon—”

  A knocking on the door cut her off. Hunt stood, snatched his gun off of the dresser, and rushed to the peephole. The goon Tony had called Bennett was standing there.

  “It’s for you,” Hunt said, quietly.

  “How’d they find us?” she whispered.

  Before Hunt could think of a smart ass reply, the door was kicked in. Hunt managed to jump close to the wall and avoid being hit. Bennett stood in the entry with his gun aimed at Mandy. “Get out where I can see you, friend. This is none of your business.”

  Hunt pushed the door hard enough to knock Bennett back. “I told you. I’m not your friend!” Shots flew at him from the parking lot. Bennett wasn’t alone. Hunt actually didn’t expect him to be, but didn’t have a second to think from the time they had heard the knock.

  A bullet hit above Hunt’s head and he reacted in an instant the only way he was trained. He fired back. Hunt’s aim was better than the hired thug. He went down after only one shot.

  This had happened in seconds. Hunt remembered Bennett and returned his attention to the room. Amanda had gained control of Bennett’s pistol and now had it aimed at her captive on the floor. He rushed over to his duffle bag and pulled out a pair of cuffs. He stood Bennett up and cuffed his hands behind his back. Hunt removed his cell phone from its holster and dialed 911. He hesitated when the woman answered. “Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Why did you do that?” Mandy asked, as they sped down the road in Hunt’s truck.

  “Because I’m not ready to spend the next three days trying to explain what this is when I don’t even know myself. You’re a great piece of ass, doll face, but I’m not ready to lose my badge over shooting back at someone that shot at me first.”

  Hunt told the 911 operator that there had been shooting at the hotel, but that was all. He hurried Mandy through packing up what little they had, and they rushed out the door. He wasn’t worried about Bennett. Whoever this group was, they weren’t going to say anything and probably had a lawyer on speed dial that would have him free in an hour. They were either dealing drugs or some type of Mafia. Hunt would figure it out, but not until they were clear of this town.

  “Can’t they trace your gun back?”

  “That wasn’t my work gun. That one can’t be traced back to me.”

  “You have a throwaway?” she scoffed. “The great Hunter Blaine, Sheriff extraordinaire, has a throwaway gun?”

  “Confiscated it off of a punk city kid. I never expected to use it.”

  “But it’s what you happen to have in your holster?”

  “It’s called instinct. I knew I’d find you and I knew there’d be trouble. I didn’t plan that killing a thug was going to be part of it.”

  “He shot at you first.”

  “It doesn’t matter!”

  Amanda was quiet for a few moments. Maybe she sensed Hunt needed a minute to compose himself, but she couldn’t keep quiet for long. “Was that your first kill?”

  He glared at her hard. “Don’t go all shrink on me.”

  “Was it?”

  “How much action do you think I get in podunk Vermont? I’m not the idiot Barney you think I am but no, I’ve never had to resort to killing anyone.”

  “He was just a piece of shit. Don’t lose any sleep over it.”

  Hunt took a dirt road that led to a picnic area off a small lake. It was cold enough that no one was out. The lake would be frozen soon, and icehouses would be scattered about. He slammed his truck into Park and got out. He walked around to the passenger door and pulled it open, again using too much force. Reaching in, he pulled Mandy out of the truck. After her feet hit the ground, he shoved her hard against the truck. He pulled his gun out and held it to her head.

  “You tell me what the fuck this is right now or I swear I’ll blow your brains all over my truck. It’ll go nice with the bullet holes in there now, thanks to you!”

  He never saw it coming. She pulled a gun out from behind her back and held it to his head. “Go ahead, Hunt. See how far you get with half a face yourself.”

  Hunt stared at her hard with his nostrils flaring before he dropped his gun and spun around. Mandy went after him. Hunt spun around again and relieved her of her gun. He backed her against the truck again and held her there with his hips as he held the gun in her face. “Where in the hell did you get this, Mandy?”

  “Let go of me!”

  “Where?” he yelled louder.

  “I took it off of Bennett. There were shots flying everywhere. You think I wasn’t going to be protected?”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing?”

  “You think you’ve been protecting me? Is that what you call this? I keep telling you I was fine on my own!”

  “Right. Left for dead in the street then in a bar with a gun at your side. You’re doing a great job so far.”

  “Well, at least I didn’t have to kill anyone.”

  That comment sent him over the edge. He held the gun to her head again and stared hard into her eyes with his nostrils flaring as he pulled the hammer back. After a moment, he dropped the gun back to his side and walked toward the lake.

  He was sitting on an old wooden picnic table when Mandy walked up. “I’m sorry. That was a foul.” She took a seat next to him. “Look. I know you think you’re going all ‘knight in shining armor’ on me, but I don’t need help.”

  He mumbled, “The hell you don’t,” then turned to her again. “Spill it.”

  “Spill what?”

  “Stop it already, dammit! What is this? Who are these people and what are they after? You’re not even after a kid, are you? I’m pretty sure you aren’t married to that Bennett character and he’s not the father of your kid like you claim. What did you do? Run off with their drug money or something?”

  “There’s no money, Hunt. I told you. That bastard has my daughter.”

  “That Gerard they mentioned?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you say Bennett was the father?”

  “I didn’t want to throw another name into the mix. You shouldn’t even be involved. I just want my daughter back. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”

  “Honey, if this is your idea of easy, I don’t want to know what you do for a living.”

  She hopped off the table. “Will you let me go now?”

  Hunt stepped off as well. “Are you insane? You’ve got thugs with enough weapons to start their own army after you and I’m supposed to just let you walk?”<
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  “You’re the one with enough weapons to start an army, Hunt. What were you expecting?”

  “What were you doing in my duffle bag?”

  “I was curious. It was heavy as hell.” He raised an eyebrow. “I carried it in, or did you forget that part? You were kind of delirious. You were insistent about it not being left in the truck.”

  “You need to keep your nosy ass out of my stuff.”

  She took a step closer to him and poked him in the chest as she spoke. “Then don’t get shot again, Barney!”

  Hunt took her by the arms. “You know, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing chasing you like this. A smart man would have left you lying there.”

  “Well it’s a good thing ‘smarts’ isn’t your strong point then, isn’t it?”

  He let her go and walked angrily back to his truck. Mandy stayed by the water for a while. Hunt was sure she just wanted time away from him. There was no way she was feeling bad for what she said. He’d done ‘cold hearted bitch’ before, but she sure took the cake. He almost regretted sleeping with her. Almost. It had been good. Great, in fact. He wished he could have another shot, but with the way she was acting, slamming his dick in the truck door sounded equally good right now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mandy climbed back into the truck. She slammed the door then leaned against it, trying to get as far away from Hunt as humanly possible.

  “So, what now? You taking me back to jail?”

  “Why? So you can beat the shit out of my men again?”

  She pelted out a laugh. “That was pretty pathetic.”

  “Maybe. But where I come from, men care about women. You can’t blame Luke for worrying about you.”

  “No. Just for allowing me to get the upper hand on him so easily.”

  “Would you…forget it. It’s not worth it.” Hunt put his hand on his key then pulled it back again. “You ever give that attitude a rest? Shit, Mandy. You get by your whole life on your looks and not have to work on your personality?”

  “Screw you, Blaine.”