Page 103 of Her Rugged Guardian

We both took off running further into the trees. Only seconds later, I heard a scream, the sound penetrating the darkness, shrill and full of terror.

And easily recognizable.

Cassandra.

She must have jumped out of the moving vehicle. Or the bastard was killing her in the woods.

There was no stopping us, Moose determined to get to her. He led the way, stopping only once to sniff. When she screamedagain, I lunged forward, jumping over fallen limbs, racing in the direction of the sound. The flashlight finally caught something only twenty yards out.

Moose raced in front of me, now barking continuously. When I clear a bank of trees, my rage roared to the surface. She was down, crawling through the muck and dirt as she tried to get away from the asshole who’d captured her.

He was holding a gun on her, prepared to shoot. “You think you can get away from me, you bitch?”

Moose lunged forward, sailing through the air. The moment he landed on the assailant, knocking him to the ground, the gun went off.

I jumped over a patch of debris, raising the shovel in the air, quickly placing the flashlight on the ground, the beam aimed at the commotion.

Moose yelped as the son of bitch kicked him hard.

“No!” Cassandra screamed, struggling to get up.

I powered forward as the man raised his weapon, prepared to shoot Moose first. With a brutal swing, I knocked him to the ground. However, it had only been a glancing blow, the assailant jumping to his feet again. I hit him with everything I had, delighted as he was pitched forward by several feet, the weapon flying from his hand.

“Jake. Jake!” she screamed.

“Stay down.” I flew off my feet, landing on the weapon just as the son of a bitch rose to a standing position, his body swaying back and forth.

I was too quick for him, making it to my feet, aiming the weapon at his head. In the dim light, I could just make out his face. It wasn’t Malcolm nor did it resemble the picture of Stephen I’d seen. It was none other than Jeremy Stocker.

“You fucking asshole.” With both hands on the weapon, the anger I felt was raw and fresh and I was ready to pull the trigger.

“No! Don’t. Please, Jake,” Cassandra said from behind me. “He’s not worth it.”

“No, baby. He deserves to die.” I walked closer, now within a few inches. “Are you ready to meet your maker, fuckhead?”

“Jake. She’s right,” Bart said from a few feet away. “Put the gun down, buddy. We got him. We got the bastard.”

I cocked my head, the rush of adrenaline clouding my vision and my thoughts. Bart had two deputies with him but I wasn’t certain I gave a damn. I lifted the gun a little higher. Then I felt the touch of her hand as she’d done so many times before.

“Don’t, baby. I need you. Moose needs you. Put the weapon down.”

There were moments of regret that would always remain with me. Perhaps this was one of them, but the woman I’d fallen hard for was right.

The future was all that mattered.

As I lowered the weapon, Bart charged forward, giving me a nod of respect.

“Jeremy Stocker, you have the right to remain silent.”

I turned around, grabbing her into my arms, the sound of Moose as he pressed his face against our legs almost the best sound in the world.

“You saved me. You found me. You are my hero.”

“No, baby. I’m no one’s hero, just a man who intends on protecting the woman he loves.”

Four weeks later

“I’m proud of you,” Cassandra said from beside me.

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