Page 63 of Forbidden Boss

My breath comes in short gasps. The air tastes like rust and dirt. My vision is blurring, but I can’t stop. I stumble over a fallen log and almost go down again. My knees buckle. I catch myself against a tree and push forward.

Somewhere behind me, there’s a sharp crack. A twig breaking. He’s so close. My body screams at me, reminding me that I have another life to protect, that I haven’t gotten this far just to give in to fear.

I dart left, deeper into the trees. My arms ache. I’d give anything to find a place to hide and stay there all night. I wish I knew how to climb a tree, not that it would be easy in this outfit, but at least I’d be able to get up and away from him.

“You can’t hide forever, Mari!” Marcus screams, and the sound is far too close for comfort.

I swallow hard and keep moving until I reach another stream. It’s narrower than the first one, but swifter. I step into it, letting the water reach my calves. I walk upstream, hoping the current hides my tracks. My toes ache from the cold.

Minutes pass, or maybe hours. Time doesn’t feel real anymore. The world has narrowed to the sound of water and the pounding of my heart. I keep my eyes on the bank, waiting for any sign of light.

When I finally climb out, I can barely feel my legs. I find a large tree with a hollow near the roots and crouch inside it, catching my breath. My whole body shakes. My wrists are bleeding. My head is pounding.

I press my back to the rough bark and focus on breathing quietly. My stomach jolts hard, and I’m sure I’ll throw up. The pain brings tears to my eyes.

“Please,” I whisper. “Just hold on. We’re going to make it.”

The night presses in around me. I don’t know how far I’ve come, but I can still hear distant movement. Marcus is still out there.

I wait until the sound fades before I crawl out of the hollow and start moving again. The trees thin, giving way to open patches of moss and stone. Moonlight filters through the clouds, just enough for me to see my own breath.

I step carefully, trying not to make a sound. But fatigue makes me clumsy. Every step feels heavier. I catch my foot on another root and go down again, hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I lie there, staring up at the faint sliver of sky through the canopy.

I could stop. Just close my eyes. Let it all end.

No.I can’t. I push myself up, biting back a cry. My ribs ache. My knees are scraped raw.

I pick a direction and move. My legs feel like they don’t belong to me anymore. I can’t tell if the warmth running down my leg is blood or sweat. Maybe both.

Then I hear the crunch of leaves behind me. It’s closer than before. I freeze. Another step. The beam of a flashlight cuts through the dark, slicing across the trees.

I take off again. My lungs scream. My legs barely keep up. I don’t care. I just run.

The ground tilts downward, and I’m half-running, half-falling. I catch glimpses of light flashing behind me. He’s right there. I can hear his breathing now, rough and angry.

My foot hits a rock. I fall again, roll down a short slope. Pain explodes across my shoulder. I scramble up, but before I can take another step, something hard slams into the side of my face.

I hit the ground again. My ears ring.

When my vision clears, Marcus is standing over me. His flashlight beam cuts across my face. The gun in his hand glints in the dim light.

“You just don’t quit, do you?” he snarls, his voice rough with anger.

He grabs my arm and hauls me up. I stumble, my legs barely holding me. He slaps me across the face so hard my teeth cut the inside of my lip. The metallic taste floods my mouth.

“You made me chase you through half the goddamn forest,” he snaps. “Did you really think you could run from me all night?”

I spit blood onto the ground.

“You expected me to make this easy for you?” I ask, my voice shaking. “Once Lev catches you, you’re dead.”

He laughs. “Lev is too busy with his head up his ass. Maybe, if he cooperates, I’ll send your remains back to him.”

“You’re delusional,” I spit. “And you’re a dead man walking.”

“Am I?” he taunts. “Once I’ve got my money, he’ll never find me. And you’ll just be a sad memory, a cautionary tale of what happens when uppity little accountants stick their noses where they don’t belong.”

I don’t answer. My throat feels too tight.