Page 18 of A Very Mountain Man Wooing

“Stop,” I tell her when she tries to get out of my hold. “Anise, just talk to me. Please.”

She stops, her body sagging in my arms, and I set her on her feet, turning her to face me.

“What’s going on?” I ask quietly, and my heart breaks when I see the tears in her eyes.

“I have to leave,” she says, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I’m kind of… on the run,” she says, and I freeze at her words.

Anise is such a sweetheart. I know she’s not a criminal so that means that she’s running from someone.

“Why? Who is after you?”

“My family… and the Blue Medal Church.”

I frown. I’ve never heard of that place, and she closes her eyes.

“It’s a cult, Whit.”

“You were in a cult?”

“Yeah, born into it. I left two years ago when they tried to marry me off to the leader. It was seen as a slight, and I know they’ve been looking for me ever since.”

“Did your parents leave?”

“No, the rest of my family is still in, but I just couldn’t stay. The church, that place, it’s not good. They treat women and most of their male members terribly. I know they’re into some illegal things, too, and I didn’t want that for my life.”

“So, you ran.”

She nods, wiping at the tears still spilling onto her cheeks.

“I left as soon as I could, and I’ve been bouncing from one small town to the next, trying to get away from them.”

“You don’t have to run, Anise,” I tell her. “I can keep you safe.”

She looks so miserable. Her tears are like a knife straight to my heart, and I would promise her anything if it made her stop crying. Seeing her like this is worst than death and I realize that if she’s not happy, then I could never be happy either.

“You can’t,” she whispers, and I frown.

“I can,” I promise her, but she’s already shaking her head no.

“I know how much you hated killing people. I remember you saying that at the bar the first night.”

“I didn’t like it, but I did it for my country. I’d sure as hell do it for you, and I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep at night.”

“I can’t ask you to, and I know that you would have to kill them to stop them from coming after me. Nothing else will matter to them. You can’t threaten them or bribe them.”

“Then I’ll kill them,” I tell her, and I mean it.

I would do anything to keep Anise safe and here with me. If she really wants to run, then I’m going with her. I love this girl and I’m not losing her. Not when she’s my missing half.

“I’d do anything to keep you safe, Anise. I can’t lose you.”

Her eyes well with more tears, and I pull her into my arms.

“I know it hurts, love, but I need you to tell me about your family. I need to know how they could find you and what they’re capable of.”

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