Page 47 of Wicked Obsession

“I’d like to stay until you don’t sound as if you’re dying, but we can’t spare that much time.” Ryder seemed distracted, but Langley didn’t look.

She heard another shot, but this one was at a farther distance. Her inhalation sounded serrated, more stuttered gasp than a breath.

“We need to go while Stony has them occupied. Think you can move?” he asked.

“Yes,” Langley lied. It didn’t matter how fatigued her legs were, her life—and Ryder’s, too—depended on her running, so she’d run. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, braced herself, and stood. It was sheer willpower that kept her on her feet.

“Head for the trees,” Ryder ordered from beside her.

Langley fixed her gaze on the tree line and forced herself into a jog. More gunfire, closer to their position, encouraged her to pick up her pace. She waited for another surge of adrenaline to help propel her forward, but it didn’t come. She might have burned out that resource over the past few days. She’d have to count on stubbornness.

Clenching her jaw, Langley ran. She kept hereyes glued to the trees. All she had to do was reach the trees. It wasn’t that far. Just reach the trees.

Her foot hit a depression in the earth and she gasped and flailed her arms. She couldn’t fall. An instant later, her balance was back, but she paid a price—her left calf went into a full charley horse.

Biting her lip hard to stifle the whimper, Langley limped-ran as fast as she could. The pain was intense, but better a muscle cramp than dead.

She almost sobbed with relief when she arrived at the trees, but she kept going. Weaving her way through the trunks, Langley worked her way deeper into the grove. She wanted to rest. She wanted to rub her calf, but Ryder hadn’t said she could stop, and he was the expert. A stitch developed in her side and she was breathing like a chugging locomotive, but she was on her feet.

"Whoa." Ryder took her hand, slowing her down to a jog.

"We're safe?"

"Not yet. How's the ankle?"

“Ankle?” Langley was confused.

“I saw you twist it when you nearly fell.”

Shaking her head, Langley said, “Charley horse.” It came out with breathlessly. “It’s okay. I’ll live.”

Ryder made a sound that was close to a growl. "I know you'll fucking live; I'll make sure of that. And yeah, I know, don't swear at you. I need toknow the condition your legs are in. It colors the decisions I make.”

Ambassadors’ daughters didn’t break into tears, but she hurt badly enough that it was tempting to forget her training. Instead, she wrapped it around her like a shield to maintain control. “They’re a bit sore, thank you for asking, but I’ve played field hockey with worse injuries than this.”

He scowled at her briefly, she caught it in her peripheral vision, but didn’t dare take her eyes off where she was going. Sweat dripped down her face, and impatiently, Langley wiped a hand over her brow. It was in the 70s and she was running in jeans and a raincoat. At least the hood had fallen off her head when she’d dived into the grass and the breeze in her hair helped. Some.

After a moment of silence, Ryder said, “I hate that lady-of-the-manor tone you take with me. If you’re pissed off, then say so.”

“I’m not angry.” Then she remembered him telling her she didn’t communicate and admitted, “I don’t have enough energy for anger. It’s taking everything I have to move.” Langley wasn’t mad, butmare de Déushe wished she could latch on to that emotion and use it to fuel herself.

“I was afraid of that,” he muttered. “Why don’t you walk a while? We’re far enough away now that it’ll be okay.”

She didn’t wait for him to tell her twice.Communication. He’d asked how her legs were, said he needed to know, and she’d repeated what she’d done Saturday night when he’d caught her sitting in her bridesmaid dress. It was hard for her to admit weakness, but was she going to let that get them killed?

When she thought she could speak without having to pant between words, Langley said, “My legs and feet aren’t in good shape. My toes are numb, both calves are on the verge of charley horses, and my thigh muscles are shrieking. To make it more fun, my hips ache and my right knee feels swollen behind the kneecap. I might have twisted it when I hit that depression in the grass.”

Ryder looked at her sharply, and while his expression remained neutral, she knew she’d surprised him. “How much farther can you run?”

“As far as I have to.” She shook her head, forestalling whatever he’d been about to say. “No, I’m not being polite or whatever you call it. Our lives are on the line. I will run until they shoot me.”

He grunted and she didn’t know how to read that.

Langley continued to wheeze for air and it embarrassed her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m having this much trouble. I run regularly. You know that.”

“It’s the altitude. Tampa and San Diego arebasically at sea level and Tahoe is higher than Denver.”

She should have thought of that, but Langley had always been more attracted to the beach than to the mountains. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

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