Chapter Two

Showdown

Tucker

Boots pounding the ground, Tucker sprinted from one tree to the next.

Where is she?

He tried to quell the rising paranoia ballooning in his chest, dismissing the negative self-talk as nothing, but it lingered regardless.

This was his fault. He'd been the one who'd secured her ropes over the branch. He'd been the one who'd judged the branch to be strong enough to hold her and the woman suspended from the tree to be too weak to even try. And he'd got it wrong. On every count.

Shit.

Cold dread unfolded as his lungs struggled to oxygenate his muscles. He was fit enough to run for some time, and his senses were heightened by his military training, but so far, whichever way he sprinted, he couldn't find any trace of his collateral.

Ella.

His hands balled as he ran on, his anger directed at himself just as much as it was at her. On a rudimentary level, he couldn't blame her. Ella had seen her chance to flee from his clutches, and she'd taken it. It proved that while she was fragile, she was no one's fool. But the acknowledgment did nothing to help him.

He was still scurrying through the forest in a panic instead of getting to know his new guest in the confines of the cabin. He was still worrying about where she was and what would become of her.

It wasn't that he thought she could truly get away. In truth, they were miles from so-called civilization. There was nowhere for her ‘to go.' Yes, she could run—she'd demonstrated that—but she didn't know where to go or how to get there. She was a lost soul, loose in a ruthless terrain.

The forest was littered with dangers far worse than the distended tree roots that threatened to trip her. There were bears living there, along with the occasional lone wolf. A little rich girl wouldn't stand a chance against predators like that. Hell, she didn't even have a means of shelter.

Whatever happened, he had to find her. For her own sake.

"I'll find her…" he growled the promise as he dashed on, pausing to scan the area.

Tucker knew these woods like the back of his hand. After years of living within it, he understood the essence of the forest, but looking around, nothing seemed out of place. There were no obvious tracks, the fresh carpet of leaves delivered by the early autumn breeze making it impossible to tell if anyone had come this way. A lively squirrel leaping from one majestic tree to another caught his attention. He watched as it scuttled away to safety, convincing a woodpecker to disappear into the home it had made in the trunk.

He would find her, but standing there and catching his breath, he wasn't immediately sure how.

"Fuck."

Leaning against the nearest tree, his fingers skimmed over the aged bark. A tree was a thing of great beauty. They stood the test of time, spreading their roots into the earth and providing homes for other creatures while other living things around them wilted and died. Tucker had an enormous amount of respect for trees, but he especially appreciated the one propping him up now.

"Why didn't I tighten the ropes?" His jaw stiffened at his own lunacy. "Or choose a stronger branch?"

Blowing out a breath, he leaned his brow gently against the same trunk, breathing in the scent of the wood.

"Where is she?" he whispered softly, as though the tree would unfurl with the answer. "Can you show me?"

He was sure, on some level, the tree could hear him, in the same way, its roots sucked moisture from the soil, and its leaves reached for the sunshine. Trees knew things.

"Has she passed by this way?"

Lowering his gaze, he inspected the grasses growing over the tree's roots before he scanned the nearby bed of gold and auburn leaves. Scarlet and ginger colors folded over one another, lapping in their own unique and ever-changing patterns thanks to the autumn wind.

With no idea where she was going, she could be running futilely in circles, but eyeing each leaf in turn, he wondered if she might have headed back to the cabin once he'd left. If for no other reason than to stock up on essentials like a flashlight and blanket. It would have been a sensible choice.

"Should I go back to the cabin?" His brow furrowed as he mused on the idea. Surely, even if she had returned there, she'd have taken her fill and fled again by now. It would be better to—

His concentration was scattered by something shiny glinting between two leaves. He bent lower to see it, moving the neighboring leaves aside to get a better view.

"Is that gold?" His heart rate accelerated as he grasped the item between his large thumb and forefinger. Bringing it up into the light, his eyes confirmed what his instincts had told him—it was gold, meshed with a pearl drop to create an ornate-looking earring.

Ella's earring.

"She was here!" Gratitude flooded his senses as he smiled at the trusty tree. It had provided him with the answer just as he'd hoped. Slipping the jewelry into his back pocket, he turned to see the world as Ella would have done, not so long before.

"Where did you go, little girl?"

The wind slowed at his question, as though the elements sought to offer the solution, and there, in the calm that remained, was the clarification he'd been looking for—the sound of rushing water.

Of course!

"The river." Certainty emboldened him as his lips curled. "She stood here, and she heard the river. That's where she's gone."

Naturally, he had no way of knowing that for sure, but as he strode off in the river's direction, he sensed he was right. His little girl had heard water and headed for it.

It was a pretty decent plan. Water would at least provide her with sustenance to carry on. After all, she'd never waited for nor received the drink he'd gone to retrieve for her. She must be desperate for refreshment. But her longer-term strategy was shaky. It was colder by the river, and the ground could be hazardous. Ella might not be the only creature attracted to its crystal water.

Perturbed by the idea, he picked up his pace, running faster in the direction of the tributary. What if the wolf he sometimes heard had stopped by for a drink and found her resting there? His wildcat wouldn't stand a chance.

Reaching the steep bank that led down to the waterway, his eyes searched through the labyrinth of trees to see if his hunch had been right.

Was she there, and if she was, was she alone?

Slowing his pace as the trees thinned out, he spotted her squatting by the edge of the water. Her blonde hair shone in the light of the sun, reminding him of how her earring had looked when he'd spotted it nestled between the leaves. She was a thing of splendor set in an already exquisite scene. A peculiar mixture of relief and indignation rushed to replace his fear as he surveyed her.

Yes, she'd been stupid. What had she been thinking running from him? However bad she imagined her life to be as his restrained guest, dying alone in the forest was a far worse fate.

She had to see that.

But if his instincts about the scene were correct, she'd discovered something she hadn't anticipated by the water—a type of stillness and joy.

"Ella."

He murmured her name as he walked toward her. With a light tread, he closed the distance until she was less than a hundred meters from where he stood.

He didn't want to announce his presence too early and risk her taking flight again. She'd proven to be skittish on more than one occasion—a fact he'd do well to remember the next time he decided to leave her unsupervised—but creeping up on her had another unexpected benefit. He got to observe her without her realizing she was being watched.

Dangling her fingers into the water, she smiled. She dipped her palms into the running stream and lifted her bound wrists, attempting to pour what remained of the contents into her waiting mouth. He stifled laughter as she, too, chuckled at her poor performance, her attention shifting back to the river to try again.

There, on the banks of the river, the wildcat had found a moment of peace, and despite his anger at her escape, he was pleased to see it.

He longed for her to remove her city blinkers and take in the wonder of the world he'd brought her to. For her to realize the forest wasn't the living hell she seemed to infer it was but a sanctuary of beauty and abundance. It needed to be respected and enjoyed.

A strange sort of contentment swelled as he edged toward her. The noise of water rushing over nearby stones provided the soundtrack as he neared, but the closer he drew, the more he found that much though he wanted to take her home, he didn't want to disturb her. She looked so happy splashing in the water before lifting her face to the rays of the sun, like an innocent who'd never known the world beyond the banks of the river.

For one protracted moment, he was content just to take in the sight of her, relishing the sun's rays on his own skin as he did. For the first time since he'd agreed to take her, there seemed to be an opportunity for something close to serenity.

It was long overdue.

A rustle in the leaves behind him stirred him from the bubble of calm, and turning his head, his gaze rested on the curious brown eyes of an approaching black bear.

Shit!

Tucker had no genuine fear of the smaller bears that had also made their home in the forest. The animals were relatively easy to scare away, and when attacks had happened on unsuspecting hikers, they were usually a result of a person getting too close, but he also knew Ella would know nothing about the animals.

He had to get her attention and lead her slowly away before the bear became too intrigued by their presence.

"Ella!" He hissed her name, not wanting to raise his voice and startle the advancing guest.

"Oh God!" She twisted around to see him, her eyes widening as her face paled. "You found me!"

Well, of course, I found you. The answer darted across his mind, although he resisted the impulse to say it.

"Behind. Me." He punctuated the words softly, gesturing to the bear standing between the trees. "Bear!"

"What?" She rose gingerly to her feet and spun to face him. "Just leave me alone!"

"Don't raise your voice," he warned, glancing quickly behind him to ensure the bear was still there. Much to his chagrin, the inquisitive animal had trotted closer, intensifying Tucker's concern.

"Look!" He pointed to the bear, his exasperation growing. What was wrong with her? Couldn't she see the bear standing there? "It's getting closer."

"Oh, shit!"

If he'd thought her face was ashen at his arrival, he swore he saw the blood draining out of it as she finally noticed the bear.

"A bear!" Panting, she glanced left and right, probably wondering which of the two potential adversaries was the greatest threat.

Tucker had an answer for her—although the bear was the immediate worry that he would save her from, it was undeniably him that was going to tie her in knots.

"It's getting closer." Her breaths came faster as she edged dangerously close to the river.

"Come with me." He reached out his palm. "Get away from the bear."

"And go back with you?"

He flinched at her screeched reply, knowing how the sudden volume would only rile and confuse the animal. If she wanted to come away from the bear encounter unscathed, Ella was doing everything wrong.

"Ella!"

He was fast losing his patience. He understood that she didn't want to return with him, but exposing herself to the potential threat of a bear attack, then exacerbating the problem was nothing short of self-sabotage.

Black bears were small, and injuries from them were mainly a result of defensive actions, but their claws could still deliver a nasty swipe that would happily slice the skin. There were no clinics in the wilderness to provide antibiotics should the wounds prove to be infected. The best way to ensure she stayed safe was to avoid an attack altogether.

"Stay calm. We need to leave!" Once more, he offered her his palm.

"No way." She shook her head as she edged along the riverbank. "I'll take my chances with the bear."

"You'll do no such thing." He took another step toward her. "I'm not leaving you here with bears and wolves." If this was her attempt at survival, she'd never make it to dusk.

"Wolves?" Terror radiated in her voice as she peered around the woods. "Wolves come here, too?"

"It's a river, Ella." He sighed. "All animals come here."

The longer they stood out there, the longer her performance might be attracting the attention of other unwelcome animals. It struck him suddenly that a bear so small could even be a cub waiting for the arrival of its mother. He didn't even want to contemplate that outcome.

"Why have you brought me here?" Her lower lip trembled as her face fell. "This place is a nightmare."

Perfect.That moment of peace he'd witnessed had been obliterated. The reality was crushing.

"I didn't bring you here. Your father was the one who did that," he clarified, "and you managed to get yourself to the river."

"Yes." She swallowed. "I thought it was nice here until you showed up."

"Ella." He refused to acknowledge how much that last comment stung. "The bear. Let's not antagonize it."

"Screw the bear." An all-too-familiar insolence rang in her voice. "And screw you, too!"

She tore past him, dodging his attempt to stop her and heading down the river. Unfortunately, startled by her shouts, the bear followed her trajectory. It wasn't clear if it was out to attack as it picked up its pace behind her or if it only wanted to play, but neither option looked to be good for Ella.

"Ella, stop!" He started after her, waving his arms in the air as the bear turned to acknowledge his calls. "It's following you." He kept his voice loud intentionally, wanting to divert the animal's attention and hold its interest.

"Why can't either of you just leave me alone?" Sadly, her wailing self-pity only confused the poor creature who spun between them both, evidently unsure who should be the leader.

"Hey, bear!" Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the small pellets of food he kept for emergencies. "Look what I have!"

Its beady brown eyes bore into the beige pellet as Tucker waved it around in front of it. He sometimes fed the pellets to squirrels, which were brave enough to get close to him, but he'd never tried them on bears before. He hoped the animal would take the bait, perhaps mistaking it for the berries or insects it might find in the woods.

"Here." He tossed the pellet at the bear, watching as it snuffled at the treat. "Want more?"

The bear's head rose to reveal it had indeed eaten the pellet, its attention on Tucker's hand as it reached for another one.

"Go and get it!"

He chucked the pellet by the edge of the water, his heart racing as he moved out of the bear's way and allowed it to march happily over to where the treat had dropped. The next pellet landed in the water; the one after that landing in the middle of the river.

Satisfied that the reward would be worth the effort, the bear waded into the water, swimming to collect first one, then the other pellets. Collecting the last of those he'd brought with him, Tucker lobbed them further down the river, hoping to entice the bear farther away.

He turned, relieved to see Ella hadn't taken the chance to run again.

That's something, at least.

The run-in with the bear had clearly left her stunned. She stood rooted to the spot, her chest rising and falling as she watched the furry foe swim away.

"You're welcome, by the way." He couldn't resist the quip as he approached her. He dreaded to think what her plan would have been had he not been there to tempt it away, or worse, if a larger, more determined predator had encountered her.

"This. Is. A. Nightmare." She lifted her bound hands to her face, her limbs visibly shaking. "I have to get out of here."

"Not by running off and getting yourself killed, you won't," he scolded. He couldn't decide if he was more vexed at her blatant disregard for her own wellbeing or for his rules. Both riled him.

"I can't take anymore!" She sounded distraught, her breaths so shallow and fast, he worried she wasn't getting enough air. "First Dad, then you, and now a bear." She motioned down the river toward the animal, though thankfully, when Tucker turned, it was now cheerfully distracted by the local fish. "I won't survive this."

"Not if you keep running off." How much clearer could he make himself? Ella might loathe him, but if she wanted to live, she'd have to learn to trust him.

"I can't do this." She shook her head as she staggered toward the water. "I can't do this, I can't do this…"

She repeated the mantra over and over, as if it was the magic words that would find her back in her own bed, but Tucker had bad news.

She was still there.

She was still his.

"Careful." He lurched for her, catching her arm before she stumbled into the flowing torrent and maneuvering her back toward him. Her eyes fluttered as their bodies collided. He noticed they closed at the same moment her knees buckled beneath her. He caught her before she hit the ground, laying her gently on the grass and checking her pulse.

Thank God. She's still alive.

Seemingly, the bear adventure had been one step too far for poor Ella. Her head had refused to accept the trauma was possible, sending her into rapid unconsciousness.

"Never mind." Leaning down, he planted a kiss on her forehead.

By the time she roused again, he'd have her back where she belonged.