They passed several rooms. One of them was a shadowed kitchen with a huge island.
“Wait.” Cam darted across the room. There was a small phone tucked into a nook. He lifted it, and tapped in a number, waited a beat, then set the phone down.
“Norcross protocol. Ace’s team or Hex will get it and track our location.” He took Saskia’s hand again.
Seconds later, they slipped out a back door and into the cool, night air.
Cabin really didn’t do the house justice. It was a log cabin on steroids. It was gigantic, with large decks looking out over what she guessed was a valley. There were no trees close to the house, but she could see the shadow of them in the distance. There were several sheds and other outbuildings dotted around.
“This way.” Cam towed her around a large building. She saw the line of the trees more clearly now, dense and dark.
Shit, there were bears and wolves in Montana, right?
Still, she’d take vicious wildlife over Mikhailov any day. Hell, she’d walk until her feet bled if she had to. She lifted her chin. She was a ballet dancer. She was made of steel under elegance.
“Wait.” Cam’s voice was a low whisper.
They stopped, backs pressed to the wooden shed.
A shadow of a guard strolled past, along with the scent of smoke. She saw the red glow of a cigarette.
Finally, the guard disappeared.
“Go.” Cam pushed away from the shed.
Together, they ran for the woods.
They trekked through the trees. The terrain wasn’t too rough, but it wasn’t exactly easy either. Thankfully, while it was cold, Montana hadn’t seen its first snow of the winter yet.
Cam was determined to get Saskia as far away from Mikhailov as he could.
The sound of something crashing through the woods made them stop.
Saskia, walking behind him, gasped.
Whatever animal it was ran away from them.
Thank fuck. Cam had no weapons, except for a knife he’d taken from the cabin kitchen. He really wished he had a gun.
He kept them going at a fast pace. Mikhailov would realize Saskia was gone first thing in the morning. They needed as many miles between them and him as they could get.
“I have a friend, Danie, and it’s her dream to do nighttime walks in the woods. She thinks it would be magical,” Saskia muttered, voice husky with exertion. “It’s not. It’s creepy as hell. If we get eaten by a bear, I’ll be pissed.”
Cam shook his head. “You’ll be fine, city girl.”
They kept moving, and Cam shoved through some dense bushes. He heard Saskia curse behind them.
Slowly, the eastern horizon turned a pale gray.
Some light would help them.
But it would also help their pursuers.
Cam had no doubt that Mikhailov would come for them. The man was clearly obsessed with saving face.
“How are you holding up?” Cam called back.
“Never better,” she huffed with false cheer. “God, I thought I was fit. I was smug about it.”
“There are different types of fitness.” He turned. She looked pale, shadows heavy under her eyes. He touched her cheek. “We can take a quick break and have a snack.”
She sighed. “Whatever you think is best.”
“The more distance we put between us and Mikhailov is best.”
Saskia straightened. “Then onward.”
“Once the day breaks, we’ll look for shelter and rest.”
She swallowed. “And hide from Mikhailov.”
“Yes. He’ll likely send his goon squad after us.”
Cam set off again, keeping up the pace. A few times, Saskia fell back, but she always caught up.
Soon, daylight filtered through the trees. Suddenly, he heard Saskia cry out.
Cam whipped around in time to see her fall.
She landed flat on her belly and didn’t move.
“Sweetheart.” He saw the tree root she’d tripped over. He crouched and realized she was having trouble breathing.
“Shit. Take it easy. You knocked the breath out of you.” He helped her up and patted her body, checking her over.
Then he got a good look at her face.
“Oh, baby, you’re exhausted.”
“No.” She wheezed. “I’m fine. I’ll be all right.”
He pulled her to his chest. “You’re running on fumes. We’ve been walking for hours. You should’ve said you needed a rest.”
Her face looked miserable. “My knee is hurting.”
He crouched and ran his hand up her leg. There was some swelling at her knee, and he sucked in a breath. She had to be in pain. “Sweetheart…”
“I’ve had problems with it before. I’m used to it.”
“You should have told me.”
“I want you safe.”
Damn, she made him feel so damn much. For so long, he’d been numb, cold, believed he was missing something vital inside him. Then Saskia had brought him back to life.
“Come on.” He took her hand. “Let’s find somewhere to rest.”
She nodded against his chest.
When he pulled back, he hated seeing the tears on her face. He brushed them off her cheeks with his thumb.
They continued on at a slower pace.
They needed some decent shelter, and they couldn’t risk the neighboring ranches. That was the first place Mikhailov would search.
A few minutes later, he couldn’t believe their luck.
It looked like an old hunting cabin. The shack wasn’t in great condition, and it was tiny, with a sagging front porch. He guessed hunters used it, or ranchers, when they were doing work in the far corners of their property.
He led her to it and opened the unlocked door.
To call it rustic was being generous. It was one room, with a small area with a sink and stove in one corner. There was a dusty rug on the floor, an empty fireplace, and a metal-framed double bed with a sagging mattress.
“Come on, sweetheart.” He led her to the bed. It was cold inside but he couldn’t risk a fire. There was a wooden chest against one wall and he found a musty blanket inside it.
He wrapped her in it, then set about pulling out some food. He wished he could make her a hot drink, but they had to settle for water.
She ate two granola bars and some bread.
Cam sat beside her, eating his own snack. “You did great out there. Never complained once.”
She gave him a small smile. There was some color back in her cheeks. “Fair warning, after this, any vacations we take are at the beach.”
Her words hit in his gut. She was talking as though they’d make a life together. “Think I could handle that.”
She kept eating. “Mmm, I’m feeling better already.” She yawned.
“Good. Why don’t you try to nap?”
Her deep, brown eyes met his. “I thought they killed you, Cam.”
His chest turned solid. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“It gutted me.” She pressed a hand to his stubbled jaw. “I can’t even express how it feels knowing you’re alive.”
Their mouths met. This kiss wasn’t fast or fiery, but the heat was there. A slow simmer.
When they broke apart, she was panting, her eyes hot.
“I can’t make love to you, baby. I have to stay alert. I have to keep you safe.”