Gin Fling (Bootleg Springs, #5)(100)

I did not recommend running barefoot through unfamiliar woods with a mad man chasing me. Zero stars. Both thumbs down.

I had started down the drive but worried that Christian would appear in the car—the same damn car that had toyed with me on Mountain Road. So after about a hundred yards, I scurried off the path and into the woods.

Branches whipped me in the face, and I hoped to God I wouldn’t have escaped only to lose an eye.

There was nothing ninja about my escape. It was either stealth or speed, and I opted for the latter. I barreled through the forest sounding like a herd of wildebeest.

“Someone help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Literally anyone!”

I could hear him behind me. He wasn’t as fast as I was, but the brush was getting thicker, and I was slowing down.

I dodged back in what I hoped was the direction of the drive. If he was on foot, maybe I could beat him on even ground.

It was still dim, too dim to see far enough ahead of me.

A fallen tree caught me mid-shin, and I went down hard.

All I wanted to do today was eat a bunch of dino nuggets and lay around watching horror movies. Was that asking too much? Instead I was hurling myself through the woods in a ruined dress and hoping to God someone would find me before Christian did.

I dragged myself up and limped over the log.

Something snapped behind me, and I could hear his ragged breathing. He was too close.

I started to run again. Something big and black moved in my peripheral vision.

On instinct, I glanced as I flew past. I caught a glimpse of fur and teeth, the glimmer of eyes.

“Holy fucking shit!” I screamed as the bear lazily turned its head in my direction.

The last of my adrenaline dumped into my system, and I turned into a sprinter. I hurdled another fallen tree, turning my ankle hard on the landing. But there was no way I was going to be a bear snack.

I ran on, the trees parting to reveal what looked like trail or driveway. I heard Christian behind me and poured on the speed. There was a roar.

And at first I thought bear, but somewhere a rational part of my brain identified it as souped-up pickup truck.

I ran toward the sound.

Headlights cut through the gloom of the woods. I was looking over my shoulder and didn’t realize the trail turned.

I came to the turn nearly meeting the grill of the truck. It stopped so suddenly it stalled. I fell backward, and then Christian was on me. He hit me in the face again. Then his hands closed around my neck.

Things got blurry at that point. There were voices. Angry ones. I bit and clawed at my captor fighting for my life, and then suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. The weight was lifted from my chest.

“Shelby girl, open your eyes and look at me!” Someone snapped out the command.

“There’s a…” I coughed, trying to clear my throat.

“Are you okay? Open your eyes!”

I pried one eye open and realized the other one was glued shut with blood or sap or a combination of the two.

Gibson was looking down at me. GT pushed in on my range of vision.

“There was a bear,” I murmured.

“Did she say there was a fucking bear?” GT demanded.

“Henrietta,” I rasped.

“She called me,” Gibson said. “That’s how we found you.”

“She okay? The bear didn’t get her, did it?”

“We’ll find her,” Gibson promised.

“Where’s Jonah?” I asked, trying to sit up.

“He’s taking care of some business,” Gibson said, looking beyond us.

“You stay right where you are,” GT insisted. “You almost ate grill.” He tapped the bumper of the truck.

“He’s sick,” I whispered. “Christian. He’s mentally ill.”

“Shelby, sweetheart? You okay?” Jameson came into my watery frame of vision.

“My head hurts real bad, and I’m so hungry. My feet hurt, too. I think I stepped on every burr in the woods. Where’s Jonah? Where’s the bear?”

“Jonah’s just fine,” Jameson promised.

“Where is she?” I heard Scarlett’s shriek and more car doors.

“Scarlett!” Devlin called.

I heard sirens then. A lot of them. Morning arrived with flashes of blue and red. And I realized the Bodines had raced law enforcement and won.

The faces above me jostled, and I was staring up into Jonah’s green eyes.

“Hi,” I said softly.

He cupped my face in his hands. His breathing was ragged. There was rage and panic and fear in those beautiful eyes of his.

“Why are your hands bleeding?” I asked.

“Why is your head bleeding?” he countered.

“Oh. I couldn’t tell if it was blood or sap. Do I still have both eyes?” I asked.

“Yeah. Two of the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.” Jonah dropped his forehead to mine.

“Ow.” I winced.

“Sorry, Shelby honey,” he said, gathering me into his arms.

“I head butted him,” I said, sighing into his chest. He was still wearing his groomsman shirt and suspenders. There was blood melting into the white. I wasn’t sure whose it was. “Then there was a bear.”

“Can we get some EMTs over here?” Gibson yelled over the ruckus of sirens and new voices. “Think our girl’s got a concussion.”