Page 19 of Capturing You
It pulled over on the side of the road between the hedge and her Bronco.
A man stepped out, then bent to talk to the driver. He was too far away for her to see his face.
If she weren’t hemmed in by the hedge, she’d take a photo.
“I got it,” the man barked, clearly responding to something the driver had said. “I’ll find her.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
It was them. They were still looking for her.
She’d nearly walked right into them.
She moved backward slowly, doing her best not to jostle the bushes and draw their attention.
And bumped into a solid chest.
CHAPTERFOUR
Forbes should’ve stopped Brooklynn from leaving. Not that he wanted her to stay.
He also didn’t want her to tell anyone about him, the house, the cave…
He had a job to do, and Brooklynn Wright was a nuisance he didn’t need.
But he didn’t want her to die.
Which was why, when she was halfway across the yard, he’d jogged behind her. Just to make sure she made it to her Bronco all right. Once she drove away, hopefully to somewhere safe, he could quit worrying about her. She’d no longer be his problem.
Until then, he felt responsible for her. He felt a whole lot of things regarding the brunette, things he had no business feeling. Like wonder at the way she said what she was thinking without editing the words at all. And the way her every emotion showed across her face.
He had no idea how to deal with that.
He’d grown up steeped in secrets. Whereas Brooklynn Wright seemed completely open, completely guileless.
It was beautiful. It was…frightening in a way he couldn’t explain.
He followed her to the edge of the hedge, watching her through the thick, glossy green leaves. Her bright yellow top wasn’t exactly a stealthy outfit. At least she stayed hidden before exposing herself.
He was still there when she backed into him, creeping slowly enough that he hadn’t realized she was moving until she was right there.
Which was how he ended up, for the second time in his life—and in the last hour—covering a woman’s mouth to keep her quiet.
“Shh. It’s me. It’s me.” His heart pounded, knowing she’d seen something scary enough to change her mind about leaving.
He kept his voice low, pulling her back against his chest. “Brooklynn, it’s Ford.”
She was stiff with terror.
“You’re safe. Nod if you understand.”
She did, and he removed his palm from her mouth and gripped her hand. Not for any reason except he needed to keep the connection, confirm she stayed with him.
With his other hand, he pushed branches out of the way until she’d disengaged from the hedge.
Her face was pale and…green. She seemed unsteady, whether from fear or something else.
A car crept past on the other side of the hedge.
