Chapter 8

EIGHT

T he forest breathed around them, alive with the soft rustling of leaves and distant bird calls.

On the spur of the moment, they decided to rent a cabin at one of the state parks and bond with nature. Though Raelee wasn't used to such rugged terrain, she wasn't about to back down.

"You sure come prepared for a hike," she joked.

"Why do you say that?"

"The bag filled with snacks, water, and even a first aid kit?" She laughed.

"You never know what you might need. I have to be prepared."

"I like a man who takes precaution," she grinned. "Especially with snacks."

Raelee's boots crunched over a carpet of pine needles as she matched Vex's long strides. The morning had started peacefully enough, but an undercurrent of tension thrummed beneath the surface. They were fugitives, after all, even if this felt more like a romantic getaway than a desperate escape.

"You know," Raelee said, breaking the comfortable silence, "for a guy who claims to do no manual labor, you're surprisingly good at this whole wilderness thing. No blisters? No complaints about the lack of room service?"

Vex's lips quirked in that half-smile she'd come to adore. "Perhaps I've been holding out on you. A man of mystery has to keep some secrets, after all." His eyes, dark and intense, met hers. "Though I find myself wanting to share those secrets with you more and more."

The weight of his gaze sent a shiver down Raelee's spine that had nothing to do with the cool morning air. She laughed, partly to dispel the sudden tension, the sound echoing through the trees. "Oh, please. At this point, I think I know you better than I know myself."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Raelee felt a pang in her chest. Did she really know him? And more importantly, did he know the real her? The guilt of her deception weighed heavily, but she pushed it aside. For now, she wanted to live in this moment, pretending they were just two normal people on a hike. They stopped to drink water before continuing.

They continued along the trail, the terrain growing more challenging. Massive boulders jutted from the earth, forcing them to climb and scramble. At a particularly steep section, Vex reached back to offer Raelee his hand. She took it without hesitation, marveling at how natural it felt to touch him, to rely on his strength.

"Thanks," she murmured as she reached level ground. But instead of letting go, she found herself holding on, their fingers intertwined. Vex's hand was warm, calloused in places that spoke of a life different from the one he claimed to have.

Vex looked down at their joined hands, then back at her face. The intensity in his eyes made Raelee's breath catch. "Raelee, I?—"

A twig snapped in the distance, cutting off whatever Vex had been about to say. In an instant, his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the relaxed hiker. In his place stood a warrior, alert and ready for action. His body tensed, muscles coiled like a spring ready to release.

"You wouldn't happen to have a gun in that bag, would you?" she asked.

"Sorry. I don't usually carry those."

She squeezed his arm. "Don't worry."

"Get behind me," Vex said, his voice low and urgent. He shoved the pack off his shoulders and pushed Raelee behind him, handing her the bag and shielding her with his body.

Raelee's heart raced, but she stood her ground, she dropped the bag, adrenaline already coursing through her veins. "No way. We're in this together, remember?" She moved into a defensive stance, silently thanking her self-defense instructor for all those grueling sessions.

Before Vex could argue, figures emerged from the shadows of the trees. Mercenaries, at least three, armed to the teeth moved with military precision. They fanned out, cutting off any possible escape routes.

"Well, well," drawled the leader, a scarred man with eyes like chips of ice. He twirled a wicked-looking knife between his fingers. "Looks like our little princess decided to go for a nature walk. How convenient for us."

Raelee's mind whirled. Who were these men and how did they know who she was? But more importantly, how were she and Vex going to get out of this? She scanned their surroundings, looking for anything they could use to their advantage.

"Look," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, buy some time. "I don't know who you think I am, but?—"

The leader's laugh cut her off, a harsh sound devoid of any real mirth. "Save it, sweetheart. We know exactly who you are. Your face has been on every news outlet for days. And we know there's a pretty price on your head. Alive..." his grin turned feral, "or mostly alive."

Vex shifted, placing himself more firmly between Raelee and the mercenaries. When he spoke, his voice carried a dangerous edge. It sent chills down her spine. "If you value your lives," he said, each word carefully enunciated, "you'll turn around and walk away. Now."

For a moment, silence reigned in the forest. The very air seemed to hold its breath. Then, chaos erupted.

The mercenaries charged, and Vex sprang into action. Raelee watched in awe as he moved with lethal precision, his body a blur of controlled violence. He took on multiple attackers at once, his fighting style a blend of martial arts and something entirely foreign. A punch that should have connected with his jaw was deflected with impossible speed. He used the mercenary's momentum against him, sending the man crashing into his comrades.

As Vex incapacitated one attacker, another took his place. And Raelee wasn't about to stand idly by.

She ducked under a wild swing from one of the mercenaries, using her smaller size to her advantage. Her fist connected with the man's solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs. As he doubled over, she brought her knee up, catching him square in the face. The crunch of cartilage was oddly satisfying.

"Not bad, princess," Vex called out, a hint of pride in his voice even as he grappled with two attackers. He moved like a force of nature, all controlled power and deadly grace.

"Thanks," Raelee grinned, adrenaline singing in her veins. "I took a self-defense class once. Who knew it'd actually come in handy?" She spun, narrowly avoiding a punch aimed at her head. "Though I don't remember covering ‘how to fight off a small army' in the curriculum."

Their banter was cut short as more mercenaries joined the fray. Raelee found herself backed against a massive oak tree, facing off against a hulking brute of a man. His meaty fists were easily the size of her head. She searched desperately for a way out, her eyes landing on a low-hanging branch just above her.

With a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening, Raelee leaped. Her hands closed around the rough bark of the branch, muscles straining as she swung her legs up. Her momentum carried her in an arc, feet connecting solidly with the mercenary's chest. He went down hard, the impact shaking the ground. Raelee landed in a crouch, feeling for all the world like she'd just pulled off a move straight out of an action movie.

"Ha!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement despite the dire situation. "Did you see that, Vex? I think I missed my calling as a stuntwoman."

But her triumph was short-lived. As she turned to find Vex, pain exploded in her ankle. She'd stepped wrong, the joint twisting at an unnatural angle. Raelee stumbled, vulnerable for a crucial moment. She saw the glint of a blade from the corner of her eye, instinctively jerking back. The knife sliced through the air where her throat had been a split second before.

"Raelee!" Vex's voice was filled with raw panic. He fought with renewed ferocity, desperation lending him impossible strength as he tried to reach her side.

Gritting her teeth against the white-hot pain lancing up her leg, Raelee forced herself to move. She couldn't let Vex face this alone. She couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt because of her. Because she'd dragged him into this mess. Because she'd been too selfish to face her responsibilities.

As she limped toward him, Raelee's foot caught on an exposed root. She fell, bracing for impact with the hard, unforgiving ground. But instead, she found herself enveloped in strong arms that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

Vex had her. Somehow, impossibly, he'd fought his way through the wall of mercenaries to reach her. He scooped her up as if she weighed nothing, cradling her against his chest. Raelee could feel the rapid thud of his heart, the trembling of his muscles from exertion.

"Hold on," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. There was something in his voice – a depth of emotion that made Raelee's own heart stutter.

Then they were moving, Vex navigating the forest with inhuman speed and agility. Trees blurred past them, branches whipping by so close, Raelee could feel them brush against her skin. She clung to Vex, her face buried in the crook of his neck. She could hear shouts behind them, the sound of pursuit growing fainter with each passing second.

A gunshot rang out, the sound impossibly loud in the forest. Raelee felt Vex stumble, heard his sharp intake of breath. "Vex?" she gasped, panic clawing at her throat. "Are you hit?"

"I'm fine," he ground out, but Raelee could hear the strain in his voice. Still, he didn't slow down. If anything, he seemed to move faster, pushing himself beyond human limits.

They burst through a thick tangle of undergrowth, emerging on the edge of a cliff. Raelee's stomach dropped as she saw the sheer drop before them. Far below, a river snaked through the canyon, its waters churning white over jagged rocks.

"Vex," she whispered, tightening her grip on him. "We can't?—"

"Trust me," he said, meeting her eyes. In that moment, despite the danger, despite the secrets between them, Raelee knew she did. Completely and without reservation.

She nodded once. Vex took a deep breath, and then they were airborne.

The world slowed as they fell. Raelee could see everything with crystal clarity – the blue of the sky, the green of the trees, the silver ribbon of the river rushing up to meet them. She heard the enraged shouts of the mercenaries, saw their figures appear at the edge of the cliff above.

Then they hit the water, and everything went dark.

The impact drove the air from Raelee's lungs. The river was brutally cold, the current immediately threatening to tear her away from Vex. But his arms remained locked around her, an immovable force against the raging waters.

They surfaced together, gasping for air. Vex maneuvered them toward the shore with powerful strokes, fighting the current every inch of the way. When Raelee's feet finally touched the rocky riverbed, her legs gave out beneath her. But Vex was there, supporting her, guiding her to the safety of the bank.

They collapsed on the pebbly shore, chests heaving as they gulped in air. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the rush of the river and their ragged breathing.

Finally, Raelee turned her head to look at Vex. His clothes were plastered to his body, his hair a wild tangle. A thin trail of blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow. But his eyes, when they met hers, were filled with a mixture of relief and something deeper, something that made her breath catch in her throat.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse. His hands moved over her, checking for injuries with a gentleness that belied the strength she'd witnessed earlier.

"I'm fine," she assured him, though her ankle throbbed painfully and she was sure she'd have an impressive collection of bruises come morning. "But, Vex... how did you do that? How did you fight like that? How did you—" she gestured vaguely at the cliff looming above them, "—do any of that?"

Vex hesitated, conflict clear on his face. "Raelee, there's something I need to tell you. I'm not?—"

But Raelee didn't let him finish. Overcome by emotion—relief, gratitude, and something she wasn't ready to name—she surged forward, capturing his lips with hers.

For a heartbeat, Vex froze. Then with a groan that seemed torn from the depths of his soul, he kissed her back. It was passionate, desperate, full of all the things they'd left unsaid. Raelee poured everything she felt into that kiss—her fear of losing him, her growing feelings, her certainty that whatever came next, she wanted to face it with him by her side.

When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Raelee rested her forehead against Vex's. "Thank you," she whispered. "For risking your life for me."

Vex's hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone with infinite tenderness. "You don't have to thank me for something I'd willingly do at any moment," he promised, the word carrying the weight of an oath.