Leo
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INEEDED TO FIND SOMEWHEREto stay so I could sort out what was going to happen next. The problem I had, of course, was finding a place where people either wouldn’t notice me bringing a half-bound, struggling girl in with me, or else wouldn’t care.
It felt as though we’d been walking through the forest forever. I strained my ears, concerned the bear would return. I’d wondered why the girl had run back to me, fear in her eyes. I was the one who was supposed to instil the fear, yet she’d come back to me for protection. There had been a moment where I’d put my arm around her waist and had pulled her to me that a fierce possessiveness had risen inside me. It had reminded me of how I’d felt when I was with Jodie. That had been the reason I’d fired the gun, despite being aware the noise might be heard by Rasmus or his men. It probably had been, and, if Rasmus went to check on his daughter and noticed her missing, the hunt would be on.
The girl dragged her feet, but I was far stronger than her and hauled her along. I’d picked up my phone but had been forced to put it in my pocket since I didn’t have enough hands to hold the gun and the girl and the phone all at the same time. With the bear possibly still around, I figured the gun was more important. I’d checked which direction I needed to head in before I’d put the phone away. I was sure we weren’t far from where I’d left the vehicle, but now we were walking in complete darkness, and I had to be careful not to fall and give the girl another opportunity to run. If she did and managed to grab my gun at the same time, it would be game over.
I stopped every few minutes to check my phone again to make sure I was still going in the right direction. I’d seen no sign of the bear returning, though these forests were filled with wildlife, and bears weren’t the only dangerous creatures out there. Truth was, the most dangerous animals were the humans.
Ahead, the trees become sparser, and then my shoes touched gravel instead of dirt. I’d emerged a fair bit farther west than I’d planned so I had to walk up the gravel road, dragging the girl along behind me. Every now and then, she tried to say something, but the gag muffled her words.
Finally, we reached the vehicle. Now I had to decide what to do with her. She’d already proven she was a flight risk and was happy to fight back, so I couldn’t have her just sitting in the seat next to me. Even if I kept the gun aimed at her, I’d have to focus on driving. I could get her to drive, but that would mean untying her hands, and she could still drive into a tree or something in the hope I’d be more badly injured than her.
I would have put her in the boot, but the style of vehicle meant the boot was open, aside from a flimsy cover that pulled across. She could kick her way out of that with ease.
Gripping her bound wrists in one of my hands, I found some stretchy ropes with hooks at the end, used for strapping large items into the boot or onto the roof. They could work. I opened the back door and pushed her onto the rear seat. Overhead, the interior lights came on. While it helped me to see what I was doing, I was also aware that it made us more visible to anyone who might be searching for us.
I pinned her down with the weight of my body. Using the ropes, I wound them around her frame and then hooked them to the bars at the back of the seat. It wasn’t perfect, but, combined with her hands being tied, it should prevent her from making any quick escape.
“Don’t try anything stupid,” I told her.
She glared at me, her nostrils flaring. Her dark hair had fallen over her face, partially covering one green eye, the iris framed with amber, and I found myself hooking the strand in my fingers and smoothing it back. She jerked away, her glare intensifying, and I discovered a smile touching my lips. It might have been the first time I’d smiled since that day I’d lost Jodie.
This was making me feel better already.
I left her and got behind the wheel and took out my phone. My initial plan had been that I’d get straight back on a plane to London once I’d dealt with Rasmus, but things had become complicated.
I scrolled through the internet, searching for local places, places that wouldn’t ask too many questions or with neighbours who might hear her screams. Behind me, the girl did her best to shout against the gag and struggled in the bindings. I ignored her.
Ah, this would work. It was an Airbnb that had a key lock attached the front of the property, so no one needed to meet me at the house. Perhaps it would seem strange to have a guest who was so last-minute, but we were out of season, and the website said the property was available, so I assumed the renters would be happy with whatever they could get.
Morning was fast approaching. I didn’t want to be near here when it got light. I doubted whoever ran the Airbnb would be up at this time, but I submitted a request in the hope they’d wake soon and see it.
I put the car into first gear and got going. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was heading to right now. I just wanted to put some miles between me and Rasmus. The city was a definite no-go. One other thing I couldn’t risk was having the police pull me over. They’d spot the girl right away, and having a bound girl in the back wasn’t something I’d be able to explain. I’d be forced to start shooting, and that never ended well for at least one of the shooters.
The girl had ceased her struggles, but I kept my eyes on the rear-view mirror to make sure she wasn’t trying anything. My stomach growled with hunger. I’d have given anything for a takeaway burger right then, even though it was so early it was barely passable as morning. I could have done with a giant vat of coffee, too, but I couldn’t see myself going to a drive-thru when I had the girl tied up. It would raise some eyebrows and probably instigate a call to the police.
Besides, I hadn’t seen any sign of civilisation for some time.
Had Rasmus noticed his daughter was missing yet? Had any of them heard the gunshot when I’d been forced to shoot at the bear? Maybe one of his men had stumbled across the hole in the fencing.
I pulled the car over once more and checked my phone. My phone battery was dangerously low, and I dug into my bag for a charger and then plugged it into the port on the dashboard. The signal wasn’t great, but it was enough to check my emails. To my surprise, I’d heard back from the owners of the Airbnb to say the property was available and had a self check-in. That suited me just fine.
The website described the property as secluded, quiet and private. An authentic forest cabin situated by a lake. It had two bedrooms and even boasted fireplace, a wood-heated sauna and a spa tub. I doubted we’d get much time for relaxing, but considering the way the cold had worked its way right down to my bones, any way of getting warm sounded good. I’d had the heating in the four-by-four blasting since I’d got into it, but I still didn’t feel completely warm. Saunas were the norm for homes in this part of the world. It also said there was a barbeque and the opportunity for wild berry and mushroom picking. I was a city boy and would more likely than not poison us if I tried foraging.
I used my fake ID to book it, and within minutes I received instructions for the property, including the code for the key safe. I hadn’t solved my lack of food situation, but if I could lock the girl somewhere in the house, I could leave her alone to drive to the nearest village in search of supplies.
“Looks like we’ve got somewhere to stay, sweetheart,” I addressed the girl, catching her eye in the rear-view mirror.
She mumbled against the gag.
In the burgeoning light, I was able to get a better look at her. I didn’t even know her name. No one had ever mentioned that Rasmus had a teenage daughter, and I guessed there was a reason for that—to prevent this exact situation from happening. The pale skin and dark hair were striking and unusual in a country where a large portion of its population was blonde. The white skin of her throat was marked with green bruises that were unmistakably in the shape of fingerprints.Myfingerprints.
I gave her a sarcastic smile. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it, too.”