Page 50 of Fighting for Scarlett

Before he got a chance to make up his mind one way or the other—and once he did, there would be no going back, no matter which side he picked—he saw shadows moving down the end of the street.

Not willing to hang around and find out if they were Raul’s men, not when he had Scarlett with him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him as he darted into the front yard of a house with a huge hedge fence. It should give them a place to hide unless the men were searching each and every yard.

“What are you doing?” Scarlett snapped, trying to fight her way out of his grip.

Not happening.

Yanking her up against his body, he pinned her arms to her sides with one of his across her chest and covered her mouth with his other hand. If she really tried, she could still make enough of a sound to alert the men of their hiding place, so he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Shh, Scarlett, I think it’s Raul’s men.”

Tate knew his words penetrated because she stopped fighting him and instead went completely still.

They both seemed to hold their breaths as the footsteps grew louder, whispered voices accompanying them.

“They should be here,” a voice with a Mexican accent muttered.

“You sure this is the right spot?” another asked.

“Yeah, tracker says the phone should be here,” the first replied.

“Oh, it’s here,” a third said, and Tate didn't have to be able to see them to know they’d found the wrecked phone.

“They know,” the second man said.

“Boss won't be happy,” the third added.

“They can't have gone far, they’re on foot,” the first reminded them. “We can still find them before the boss even knows we lost them.”

The footsteps faded as the men hurried off further down the road, searching for him and Scarlett. There was no doubt what would happen if they were found. He’d be killed, they wouldn’t allow Scarlett to take another bullet for him—not that he wanted her to—and she would be taken back to Raul.

Where she would be tortured until she gave up the formula.

Everybody had a breaking point.

Didn't matter how much training you had, exert enough pressure, and everybody broke.

No way could he allow that to happen to Scarlett.

Releasing her slowly, he turned her around to face him. She was pale in the moonlight and shivering, not dressed properly to be out on the cold winter night, not even wearing any shoes. Her eyes were wide, and although fear shone brightly in them there was something else as well.

Determination.

She’d taken her anger at being accused of being a traitor and was using it as fuel. Proud as he was of her for standing up for herself, he was equal parts scared.

Because that determination meant she was prepared to take risks. Risks that might well get her killed, because she already felt like she didn't have anything to lose.

Somehow, he had to convince her that wasn’t true.

She was smart and beautiful, strong and kind, sweet and funny, any man would be lucky to have her.

That man just couldn’t be him.

If things were different, if he was different, he’d snap up what she was offering in a heartbeat.

But some things just weren't meant to be.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do everything he could to keep her alive, and hope that one day she found the happiness and place to belong she deserved, even if it couldn’t be with him. He wasn’t that selfish, even if his entire body reacted violently to the thought of her with another man.

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