"Your knight in shining armor, Helen? Is this the man you've been fucking behind my back? He's not dead yet. I have a right to kill him for trying to steal my wife. "
"Don't. " She drew in a breath, released it. Struggled to gather herself and find her core of strength. "I'll go with you. I'll do anything you want. "
"You will, anyway," Evan commanded.
"He doesn't matter. " She began to edge around the counter, saw Diego crouched, teeth bared. "He doesn't matter to either of us. It's me you want, isn't it? You came all this way for me. "
He would go after her. If she could get out the door, he'd go after her and leave Zack. It took all her will to keep herself from throwing herself down over Zack, to shield him. If she did, if she so much as looked at him now, they were both dead.
"I knew you would," she continued, every muscle trembling as she watched Evan lower the knife to his side. "I always knew. "
Evan took one step toward her, and the cat leaped like a tiger on his back. With his howl of rage in her ears, Nell ran.
She veered toward the street, toward the village, but even as she glanced back, he was coming through the door. She would never make it.
So, it would be the two of them, after all. Putting her faith in the fates, she dived into the trees.
***
Zack pulled himself to his knees as Evan bolted out the door. The pain was like hot teeth gnawing at his shoulder. Blood dripped from his fingers as he got to his feet.
Then he thought of Nell and forgot the pain.
He was flying out the door just as the trees swallowed her and the man who pursued her.
"Zack!"
He paused only to flick a terrified glance at his sister and Mia. "He's after her. He's got a knife, and she doesn't have much lead. "
Ripley bit down on the worry. His shirt was soaked with blood. She nodded, drew her weapon as he did. "Whatever you've got," she said to Mia, "we use. "
She plunged into the woods behind her brother.
***
In the dark of the moon, the night was blind. She ran like a wild thing, tearing through brush, leaping over fallen branches. If she could lose him, get him deep enough in and lose him, she could circle back to Zack.
She prayed with every beat of her heart that he was alive.
She could hear Evan behind her, close, too close. Her breath was coming in gasps, tattered by fear, but his was a steady determined beat.
Dizziness swept over her, urged her to drop to her knees. She fought it off, nearly stumbled. She would not lose now.
Then his body slammed into hers and sent her sprawling.
She rolled, kicked, her only thought to get free of him. Then froze when he yanked her head back by her short cap of hair and pressed the knife tip to her throat.
Her body emptied, went limp as a doll's. "Why don't you just do it," she said wearily. "Just end it. "
"You ran from me. " There was as much bafflement as rage in his voice. "You ran. "
"And I'll keep running. Until you kill me, I'll keep running. I'd rather be
dead than live with you. I've already died once, so do it. I've stopped being afraid of you. "
She felt the blade bite. At the sound of running feet he dragged her up.
Even with a knife at her throat, she felt joy when she saw Zack.
Alive. The dark stain on his shirt glimmered in the faint starlight. But he was alive, and nothing mattered more.
"Let her go. " Zack took his stance, supporting his gun hand with his weak one. "Drop the knife and step away from her. "
"I'll slit her throat. She's mine, and I won't hesitate. " Evan's eyes passed from Zack's to Ripley's to Mia's as they stood in a half circle.
"Hurt her, and you're dead. You won't walk away from here. "
"You've no right to interfere between a husband and wife. " There was something almost reasonable in his voice, something sane under the madness. "Helen is my wife. Legally, morally, eternally. " He jerked her head back another inch with the blade. "Throw your guns down and walk away. This is my business. "
"I can't get a clear shot," Ripley said under her breath. "Not enough light to be sure. "
"It's not the way. Put the gun down, Ripley. " Mia stretched out her hand.
"The hell with that. " Her finger itched on the trigger. The bastard, was all she could think as she saw Nell's exposed throat, smelled her brother's blood.
"Ripley," Mia said again, soft, insistent under the sharp, clipped orders from Zack to drop the knife. To step away.
"Damn it, damn it. You better be right. "