Page 62 of Forbidden Boss

I flatten and breathe. I could shoot from here, but I probably wouldn’t hit him. It would only give him the advantage of knowing where I am. It would take me five minutes to get down to where he is, and by then he’ll be long gone.

I look at Yuri. He looks at me. He can see I’m split down the middle, and he puts his hand on the back of my neck and presses once, like he wants to push the rage back into the box.

“We’re going to get her,” he says. “Stay with me.”

I nod, and we take off in the direction I saw Marcus. We move along the line as fast as we dare, picking our way downthe slippery slope. I catch sight of a dark figure below, moving closer to me but not seeing me. He must see something, though, because he takes off running. I train my eyes where he’s going and catch a smaller figure in the distance.

It’s her. It has to be her. And she’s too far for me to reach her. Safety be damned, I take off running down the hill as fast as my feet can carry me. He’s not going to get to her before I do.

He doesn’t get to decide how this story ends.

I do.

27

MARI

The forest is darker than I thought possible. Every sound is right on top of me, like the trees are closing in. My lungs burn as I run. My wrists are still sore from being bound behind my back. At least I managed to cut the zip tie. I can’t imagine how awful it would be trying to navigate this dark path with my hands trapped. Branches tear at my clothes and skin. I taste blood where I bit my tongue during the crash. The air is cold and sharp, alive with the smell of dirt and pine.

I don’t stop. I can’t. If I stop, Marcus will catch me. I know he survived the crash. I’m not lucky enough to believe he’s still dead in the car. But I bought myself some time, and if I can hold on until morning without him finding me, I can find help when the sun comes up.

The crash keeps replaying as I run. I remember the screech of metal, the violent jolt, the glass exploding around me. Cole screamed, Marcus cursed, and then everything went silent.

I saw a branch punch through the windshield, but I didn’t stick around to examine it. If Cole isn’t dead, he won’t survive without serious medical intervention. My legs are sore from bracingagainst the back of his seat, and I cut my wrist when I snapped the zip tie against a jagged edge of the guardrail. Otherwise, I’m okay.

I think so, anyway. I’m running on adrenaline and instinct.

I’m deep enough into the forest that I can’t see the road anymore. There’s no sound of cars, no sign of lights. Just my breathing and the scrape of twigs against my shoes. My heart feels like it’s trying to tear out of my chest.

It’s so cold here, and I realize that will probably be what kills me if Marcus doesn’t. All I have for warmth is my thin work jacket, and it isn’t much help. I’m just glad I decided not to wear heels today. There’s no way I would have made it this far if I had.

Somewhere behind me, a voice carries. It’s Marcus. He’s yelling my name, his tone deadly and pissed. The sound hits me like a physical blow. I bite back a sob and keep running. I don’t know where I’m going, only that every step has to take me farther from him.

My stomach twists. I’ve been fighting waves of nausea all day. It’s worse now that I’m moving this fast. I press my hands against my stomach and keep going. I can’t let myself fall apart now. Not when I’ve come this far.

A root catches my foot and I go down hard, my shoulder slamming into the ground. Pain shoots up my arm. I roll onto my side and push myself up. My head is spinning. I blink until the trees stop swaying, then get to my feet. I have to keep moving. There isn’t another choice. My eyes are only barely adjusted to the darkness ahead of me, and I can’t see the forest floor at all.

My feet keep catching on roots and other unseen things on the ground. As long as I can stay upright, I’m okay. Even if I fall, I have to pick myself right back up and keep moving.

A stream appears ahead, its surface reflecting faint light through the trees. I kneel beside it and dunk my hands into the freezing water. The shock clears my head. I let the water run over the small cuts on my arms, washing away the blood. I scrub until my fingers go numb. Then I cup my hands and take long, luxurious sips. I’m so damn thirsty.

The water tastes muddy, and I’m sure I’ll get some kind of bacterial infection, but that doesn’t matter. My body needs hydration to survive.

I stand again, soaking wet, and look around. Everything looks the same. The trees, the rocks, the shadows all blur together. I pick a direction and start moving. My legs ache. My throat feels raw. My clothes are torn and damp. My feet throb, but I can’t focus on that.

All I can think about is staying one step ahead of Marcus.

He’s close. I can hear his voice sometimes, faint but distinct. He’s calling for me, or babbling to himself. With any luck, he’s got a concussion and has no idea where he is.

A light flashes in the distance for a second. Then it’s gone. My heart jumps. It’s a flashlight, maybe. A high-powered one at that. He’s sweeping the forest, looking for me. I crouch low, pressing my body into the damp earth. Every part of me screams at me to move, but I know any sound will give me away.

I wait. Ten seconds. Twenty. The light flashes again, closer this time.

I crawl toward a thicker cluster of trees, careful not to let the branches snap beneath me. The forest feels alive, and it isn’t necessarily friendly. Wind picks up leaves. Animals snap twigs. Every sound could be a predator. Worse, any sound could be Marcus.

I don’t know how long I keep going before I see the light again, far to my right. He’s circling. He’s hunting me.

I start running again, forcing my body forward. I don’t have a plan. I just need to stay ahead of him. I’ll figure out what comes next later.