Love on the Forbidden Side

by Mariah Ankenman

  “Julie,” Liam’s deep voice permeated the thick cloud of fear fogging her brain. “Look at me, honey.”

  She obeyed his command, gaze rising to his. Those warm, honey eyes gave her a small amount of calm in the terrified waters she currently found herself in. Finally, she found the calm necessary to suck in a large lungful of oxygen.

  “Everything is going to be all right. I’m here. That bastard won’t get near you.”

  “What can I do?”

  She turned to her friend, awed by the woman’s bravery. Here she stood, rooted by fear, useless, and there stood Maggie—knowing the situation was dangerous—offering her help. It humbled her.

  Grasping the other woman’s hands, she gave her a quick hug. “Go back to your shop and stay near Colton. If you see Jason again, call me right away.”

  “You’ll be okay?”

  “She’ll be safe.” Liam placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I promise.”

  Maggie glanced back and forth between them then nodded. Grabbing her in a tight hug, her friend whispered in her ear, “Stay safe.” Then to Liam, “Take care of our girl.”

  He nodded. Maggie turned, unlocking the door, and exiting.

  Once she was gone, Liam relocked the door and turned to her. “Go pack a bag. Essentials only.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere safe.”

  With no further explanation, she followed him down the hall. As he went to his room to pack, she stepped into her own, taking a moment to get her bearings. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Just a few hours ago, she had been lying blissfully in the rumpled bed, Liam’s warm, naked body pressed against her own. Now, she was running for her life from a killer.

  “Julie, we need to get going.”

  She jumped at the sound of Liam’s voice behind her. Had he already packed? Judging from the black duffle bag he held tight in his grip, she’d say yes. How long had she been standing there staring at the bed?

  “S-sorry. I’m going.” It was impossible to keep the tremble of fear out of her voice.

  Willing her feet to move, she grabbed her suitcase, shoving clothes into it without thought. Her hand shook and tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

  No. She had to be strong. She would not let this break her. Even so, a sob broke free.

  A strong pair of arms surrounded her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Silly man, didn’t he know her fear extended to him, too? Jason came to her town, questioned her friends; she’d put everyone around her in danger. It had been stupid and selfish of her not to go into protective custody when she had the chance. She hadn’t wanted to leave the people she loved, but now, she was the reason they were in danger, and that was so much worse.

  How selfish could I be?

  “I’m s-sorry, Liam.” Tears leaked out, soaked his shirt as he pulled her close to his chest. “I never sh-should have come here. I should have g-gone into WITSEC.”

  “Yeah, you should have, but since you did come, I’m glad I was here.”

  That made two of them. If Liam hadn’t been here with her…she shuddered to think.

  “Come on. We have to leave. Now.”

  Time was of the essence. Plucking up all the courage she could muster, she wiped at her face with her hands. No more crying, no more fear. Time to take action. She couldn’t deny what was happening anymore—a cold-blooded killer was after her, and she needed to hide. For how long, she didn’t know, but if it could take the people she loved out of harm’s way, she would hide for the rest of her life.

  Chapter 22

  Liam slammed the car door, too many emotions swirling in his gut like a tornado of feelings: anger, fear…love.

  Yeah, love.

  He loved Julie, had for a long time now if he was being honest. It was why he denied this thing between them for so long, tried to play off his feelings as friendship. He knew the moment he gave into the feelings—gave into her—he would never be able to let her go.

  And now some psycho jackass threatened the life of the woman he loved.

  Hell no!

  He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Julie. He’d lay down his very life to protect her. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. He finally had Julie. They were starting something amazing, something that could last. Death didn’t scare him, but living without Julie…that terrified him down to his very bones.

  While she had been packing, he’d shot off a quick text to his boss explaining the situation. The reply came seconds later with an offer of a safe house in the area and a call into the Aspen PD to organize a joint taskforce.

  Now, they just had to get to safety before Jason found them.

  He shifted the truck into gear, tires kicking up dirt as he pealed out of the driveway. Julie’s softy shuddered gasp made him feel like a complete ass. Here she was, running scared from a man who threatened to kill her and he mean-mugged her because he had hurt feelings. Of course she kept Kline a secret from him. Julie hated to worry anybody, the woman mother-hened her older brother. She wasn’t the type to run scared with her problems to anyone. Though, he sure as hell wished she had run to him.

  Didn’t she realize he would always protect her?

  “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this, Liam.”

  He sighed, guilt replacing the anger churning heavily in his gut. Without taking his gaze off the road, he reached out, grasping her small hand in his own.

  Such soft hands. How could hands as delicate as hers have such a strong grip on his heart?

  “Listen to me, honey. You didn’t drag me into anything. None of this is your fault.”

  “But if I would have just gone into protective custody to begin with then—”

  “Then I would have found out about it and worried like hell about you.”

  Yeah, he kept tabs on Julie Ryder. He knew all her cases, the criminals, the sentencing. It wasn’t like he was spying on her, but he kept check on her through a few contacts he had in Aspen. He used to tell himself he was doing it for Ryder. Just a guy keeping an eye on his best friend’s sister. Now, he could admit the truth to himself. He did it because he cared about her, loved her, wanted—no he needed—to know she was okay.

  “I don’t want anyone to worry about me.” Her voice wavered

  The tears he heard her holding in broke his damn heart. “I know, but that’s what you do when you…care about someone.” He held in the declaration burning on his lips. I love you was something he’d only said to family. The first time he told Julie, he wanted candles and atmosphere. Running from a killer did not set the mood for romance.

  “I care about you, too, Liam.”

  She had no idea how much those words soothed his ragged nerves. He wanted to pull over, tell her how he really felt, find out if she felt the same, and talk about their future together, but there was no time. They had to get to the safe house before—

  “Shit!”

  “What?”

  He ignored her panicked question as dread filled his gut. For the past two miles, from the moment he’d turned from the dirt road off the Ryder property onto the paved two-lane highway, a dark blue SUV had been following them. He’d hoped it was just his paranoid emotions riding off the rails, the fevered mind of an agent who had seen too much. But when he turned off the highway onto a service road and the car did the same, he knew he wasn’t being paranoid.

  “Liam, what?” Hysteria crept into her voice.

  He gave her hand a quick squeeze, hoping to convey some kind of comfort, then released her to place both hands back on the wheel.

  “Tighten your seatbelt and sit forward. I don’t want to alarm you, but I believe we’re being followed.”

  True to her nature, Julie did the exact opposite of what he asked of her. Fool woman turned around, craning her neck to see who was in the car behind them. He swore, wishing he could turn her back around—didn’t she realize if the guy had a gun she was making herself a clear
target—but he had to keep a steady grip on the wheel for what he prayed wasn’t coming next.

  “Julie, sit back.”

  “Is it Kline? Did he find me?”

  “Sit back!”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Sweetheart, everything will be fine, but I need you to sit in your seat and do exactly what I say, understand?”

  “Okay, yes. I’m sorry.”

  From the corner of his eye he saw her sit back in her seat, hands pressed into tight fists in her lap. He knew she was scared, terrified, but he needed her to listen to him if they were going to get out of this alive.

  “I know you’re afraid, sweetheart, but I promise everything will be fine. Just think of it like a game of chase.”

  “Chase?” her soft voice squeaked out.

  “Yeah, we’re just playing a game of chase with this guy, and we’re going to win.”

  “We are?”

  “Yeah, because we’re playing by Liam rules.”

  A soft chuckle sounded from the seat beside him. “Are Liam rules anything like house rules?”

  He risked a second to glance over at her and winked. “They’re better.”

  She laughed in earnest then, the sound music to his ears. He hated seeing her afraid. Julie’s spark should never be diminished.

  “Okay, I’m not sure I agree, but we’ll play by Liam rules.” She sucked in a deep breath and repeated as if to herself, “It’s just a game of chase.”

  Now that he had her calmed down, he could concentrate all his attention to the road and losing the tail. The SUV drew closer, close enough a quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed his worst nightmare.

  Jason Kline. The madman was indeed the one driving the car currently barreling down on their ass.

  Shit!

  The guy must have found out Julie was staying at her brother’s. How long had he been waiting at the end of that road? Couldn’t have been long since Maggie had come to warn them. She would have mentioned a strange car along the side of the road. Had Kline followed Maggie from her shop?

  None of this mattered. The only important thing now was losing Kline and getting Julie to safety. He wished he could pull out his phone and call his boss, but he didn’t dare remove his hands from the wheel with Kline so close. To add crap to the dung heap they were currently in, there were no off roads connected to the service road they currently traveled on. Just a two lane stretch of dirt that went on for who knew how many miles.

  How the hell was he going to lose this guy?

  The moment the question entered his head, the SUV picked up speed. Liam swore, stepping on the gas, but the truck didn’t have as much get up and go as the other vehicle. When it rammed into the back of them, Julie screamed, hands flying out to brace herself on the dash.

  The tires of the truck spun, but he gripped the wheel tight, correcting the fishtail and bringing the car back under control. “Goddammit!”

  “Liam?”

  “Sorry, honey. Things are going to get a little rough. Hold on.”

  He saw her grab the handle above her door, what his brothers referred to as the “oh shit” handle in a truck.

  “Liam’s rules, right?”

  “Damn straight,” he muttered, clenching his jaw and tightening his hands on the steering wheel.

  He gave a quick glance to the SUV in his rearview mirror before looking back to the road. There, up ahead was what he’d been waiting for. A small shoulder for pull offs.

  “Follow this, asshole.”

  Picking up speed, he filtered back to his days in the academy and the class in evasive driving maneuvers. The SUV followed right on his tail.

  “That’s right, you bastard, come and get me.”

  As the shoulder came up on his right, he sped up and drove slightly past then slammed on the breaks and pulled the wheel to the right, hard. His shoulder screamed in protest at the jerky movement, but he shoved the pain down, needing to focus. They spun, drifting onto the shoulder as the SUV barreled past them, clipping the truck’s bumper. Liam didn’t stop, gunning the gas and taking off back the way they had come, the SUV’s taillights in the rearview mirror.

  “Holy crap!” Julie’s heavy breathing matched his own. “That was amazing. Is it weird that I’m kind of turned on right now?”

  He chuckled, glad she could keep her sense of humor in this situation.

  The joy was short lived.

  The SUV did a sharp turn, coming back after them. Kline must have put pedal to the metal, because the vehicle gained on them, fast. The sound of metal crunching accompanied the lurch of the truck as the SUV made contact, slamming into them once more. They just needed to get back to the highway. He never should have turned off, but he had hoped Kline had shitty driving skills.

  He’d been wrong, and now they might pay the ultimate price for it.

  “Liam!”

  At Julie’s shout, he glanced over to see the vehicle in the lane beside them. Jason’s rage-filled face glared back at them from the driver’s seat. He looked like a man with nothing to lose.

  That was a very dangerous thing.

  “Hold on, Julie.”

  Liam gunned the engine. Giving the truck everything it had, but it wasn’t enough. Kline kept pace, pulling his wheel to the side and ramming the SUV into them. The truck spun out of control; Liam gripped the wheel hard, trying to straighten it out, but before he could, they were rammed again.

  Julie’s terrified scream pierced his ears as the truck careened off the road. The front end fell into the embankment, flipping the vehicle over and over. Paper, trash, and travel mugs all went flying, hitting him in the face as they turned over and over down the steep hill. His body lifted and fell with the movement of the truck, seatbelt cutting into his chest and stomach. Fire burned down his entire right arm as something large, heavy, and leather—Julie’s purse maybe—slammed into his wounded shoulder. Bile rose as the force of their spin continued, but he choked it down. Liam called out to Julie, screaming her name, cursing himself for failing to protect her.

  The truck finally came to a stop. Darkness loomed in his vision. He blinked, trying valiantly to keep his eyes open. He glanced to his side to see Julie’s terrified face covered in blood and tears. His chest crushed in on itself at the sight. He’d failed her. A roar of disgrace ripped through his mind as blackness enveloped him.

  Chapter 23

  The pain woke Julie before her eyes even opened. Aches and sharp stabs coursed through every inch of her body. Even the slightest movement made her cringe with discomfort.

  Like I’ve been hit by a truck.

  No, that wasn’t right. She hadn’t been hit by a truck, she had rolled over in a truck. Turned over again and again until she couldn’t tell which way was up or down. She’d screamed, shutting her eyes tight the moment the vehicle tipped over, but that hadn’t helped quell her fear. She had never been in a car accident before.

  But what happened to them had not been an accident. They had been forced off the road by Jason Kline.

  Her eyes shot open. For a moment, she saw nothing but darkness, black, inky…strands of hair? Brushing her hair off her face, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She was still in the truck, strapped into her seat and, thank heavens, the truck was upright.

  Liam.

  “Liam?” She swung her head to the driver’s seat. “Liam!”

  He was slumped against the driver side door, bits of paper covering him and—is that my purse? The air bags had activated, but were now deflating. Even with the trucks safety device Liam had been rendered unconscious, a trickle of blood coming from his temple. Her heart shuttered, stopping in her chest.

  Tears filled her eyes. “Liam Graham, you wake up and answer me right this minute or I’ll strap you down on Wind Chaser and you can ride your butt back to Denver.”

  His lips parted, and a small groan escaped. Eyes still closed, he sucked in a sharp breath. “God no…do not put me on the back of that…damn beast ever again. Once was e
nough…thank you very much.”

  She sucked back a sob of relief, laughing as tears streamed down her face. “It wasn’t that bad of a ride.”

  His eyes opened, beautiful golden gaze locking on her. “Says you. My ass is still sore.”

  She sent up a prayer of thanks, so terrified just seconds ago that she would never get to see those amazing eyes ever again. His hand lifted to graze along the small drops of blood at his temple, they wiped the liquid away revealing a tiny scratch, most likely from flying junk. She released a thankful breath.

  “Are you okay?”

  Moving her body in the seat, she took inventory of her injuries. Aches and pain, but she didn’t think anything was broken. “I’m okay. You?”

  He shifted, muffling a cry of pain when he tried to move his right shoulder. “Shit. I think my shoulder’s dislocated.”

  That sounded bad, not life threating, but bad. He needed a hospital.

  “Where’s Kline?”

  A cold chill settled over her. In her fear for Liam, she had completely forgotten that Jason Kline was still out there.

  “How long was I out?”

  “I-I don’t know. I just woke up a moment ago.”

  They’d turned over a number of times. How far down the embankment were they? Had Kline driven off, thinking they were dead, or was he coming down to make sure? She sucked in a deep breath, spots swimming in her vision.

  “Couldn’t have been too long.” He reached out a hand, brushing a strand of hair back from her forehead. “Blood’s still wet.”

  His fingers came away red…her blood? She’d been so concerned with him she hadn’t noticed any cuts. With Liam awake and talking, her senses kicked in. Something slimy and cold dribbled down her forehead. She swiped her hand across, and sure enough, her palm came away with slick, dark crimson. Julie had never considered herself a squeamish person, but this whole situation was becoming more than she could handle. Being chased by a murder who wanted to kill her, rolling in a truck off the side of the road, unknown danger still waiting for them…she couldn’t believe this had become her life. Just the sight of Liam’s blood…her blood.