Mountain Devil (2 page)

“I’ll be back soon. Stay here,” Ed ordered, shrugging off his own backpack to race downhill through the woods. Dearing was still within visual range, and Ed was a fast runner. He was close…so close.

His target jumped over fallen trees and rocks swiftly, but Ed quickly gained ground. The welcome center neared, and Ed hoped Dearing wouldn’t bother anyone else. That poor girl along the path was probably scared out her mind.

But the parking lot was closer than Ed had realized, and Dearing sprinted across it right into a trap. Police cruisers sped through the lot, surrounding the criminal from all sides. Chuck Dearing went down without a fight, hands held high as he peacefully gave himself up.

Twenty-five thousand dollars had just slipped through Ed Peters’s fingers.

Swallowing his bitterness, Ed retraced his steps uphill, toward the poor girl and his abandoned pack.

But when Ed reached the path, the girl was missing, along with his food and water supply. The ex-cop couldn’t help but smile at the irony of the situation.

He’d stopped long enough to make sure the girl was OK, allowing Chuck Dearing a head start, only to be robbed by the girl he’d saved.

Ed’s smile faded as he considered the situation further. No ordinary hiker would steal food and water. No, this girl must’ve needed it badly. But why?

As he followed the girl’s obvious trail up the mountain, Ed called his ex-partner’s son. The kid had a knack for being able to locate sensitive information in a crunch. Ed paid a fair price for his services.

“Hello, Randy?” Ed kept his eyes trained on the forest as he spoke.

“Boss! What’s up? Catch that Dearing guy yet?” Randy sounded as chipper as ever.

“No…someone else got to him first,” Ed admitted, feeling the bitterness creep back. “Listen, Randy, I need some information. Send me everything you can find about any recent missing women in the area. Ages eighteen to twenty-five. Wanted criminals, runaways, missing persons, anything.”

“No problem, boss! I’m on it!” the chipper voice replied.

Ed hung up and followed the girl’s path through the waking forest. Instantly, he could tell her footprints were size seven. She couldn’t have gotten too far ahead on those little feet of hers. To his shock, the footprints continued along the hiking trail.

Apparently, she didn’t know well enough to escape into the trees.

It wasn’t long before Ed’s cell phone buzzed.

Randy was one fast kid. The first information was a missing nineteen year old from Frostburg, but with blond hair. Definitely not the right girl. The second set of information was a twenty-four year old redhead wanted for questioning in a bank robbery. Nope, still not the right girl. But the third set of information on Ed’s cell phone screen was a scanning of a flyer. A pretty brown-eyed brunette with freckles named Ella Emerson, along with the words “Missing: $10,000

reward for information.”

Ed’s heart almost stopped. The girl who’d cost him $25,000 and stolen from his backpack was missing, probably a runaway—and there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to Ella Emerson’s whereabouts.

Jackpot.

Ed quickened his pace along the path, determined to catch this troublesome brunette and earn some of his money back in the process.

* * *

long after 3:00 p.m. No way was she going to become Mrs. Ella Andrews.

No way in hell.

She ran until her side ached and her mouth tasted like pennies. A glance over her shoulder proved she was alone in the forest, save for the squirrels and noisy birds. In desperate need of a break, she hopped off the trail behind a wide tree and caught her breath.

She crouched down with a bottle of stolen water.

Not once in her life had she stolen anything from anyone. But she’d consumed her last bottle of water and couldn’t help but notice the second man’s discarded backpack. Impulsively, Ella had ransacked it for food and water, and took off up the path…as far away as possible.

For the thousandth time this morning, she chided herself for falling asleep against the tree. Her intention of getting an early start up the mountain was ruined. Not only that, but she’d almost gotten killed by some crazy man who’d demanded her backpack. Before today, she’d always imagined she’d hand over her wallet or anything else a thief demanded. But today wasn’t just
any
day. Today she was hiding from her family and friends—and horrible fiancé. That backpack was necessary to survive another day or two on the mountain.

Ella chugged half of the water in the bottle and leaned against the tree. The burning in her throat had lessened, but she was still shaken. In fact, she realized, she was shaking, physically shaking. The hands holding the water bottle were unsteady, and tremors riddled her arms and legs. She felt exhausted and weak, as if she were made of jelly.

It was then that Ella burst into tears. She sobbed into her hands as worrisome thoughts raced through her mind. By now, her parents and family would know she was missing. A pang of regret clutched her heart at the thought of her family, and even Brandon.

She should’ve left a note. Why hadn’t she left a note?

The heat lightning had been mesmerizing last night. Hell, it had been downright hypnotic, like a catalyst to her rash action. Running away
was
the boldest thing she’d ever done.

One main thought had propelled her out the window: Brandon Andrews was not the right man for her. Sure, they’d grown up together. But only because their parents forced them to be playmates. Even as a child, Brandon had been a jerk, the subtle playground bully, the popular kid who made up nicknames for everyone. And once, when Ella was eight, he’d set her hair on fire and claimed he’d caught her playing with matches.

Yes, she thought, Brandon Andrews is a pig.

As Ella convinced herself that everything would be OK—eventually—she rose up and peered around the wide tree. At the top of the path there was a huge rock overlooking a valley. She could spend hours sitting there, far away from the welcome center and most other hikers.

But just as Ella reached for her backpack, a firm hand clamped over her mouth. Instantly, she was pressed firmly against the tree by a large, muscular body.

A man—the second man, she realized—glared down at her with icy blue eyes. Her stomach flipped.

She tried to squirm and kick, it was useless. His body was pressed so firmly against hers that she could smell him and feel his warm breath fanning against her cheeks.

“Ella Emerson,” the man said, his voice like a winter chill. “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth now. If you scream, you’ll be sorry. Do you understand?”

She nodded, terrified and certain she was about to die. But this man knew her name so maybe…

Though the stranger uncovered her mouth, his body didn’t move away from hers. Breathing under the pressure of his hold was a challenge.

“My name is Ed Peters. I’m a bounty hunter. The man who attacked you was a wanted criminal with a $25,000 bounty on his head. Thanks to you, he ran right into the hands of the police.”

“But—”

“Quiet,” he snapped, and his eyes hardened.

“Turns out I didn’t lose as much money as I thought I did because there’s a reward on your head as well.

Not exactly $25,000, but enough to make it worth my while.”

Ella’s guts turned to water. A reward on her head! Not only did her family know she was missing, but they’d gone public already. “Please,” she begged.

“Please let me go.” There were plenty of hours left before 3:00 p.m. If Ed returned her now, she’d have to marry Brandon.

“Not a chance,” the man said. And with that, he pulled her onto the trail, holding her backpack in his free hand.

“I can carry my own backpack,” she sneered.

“It’s a three mile hike down to the parking lot.

It’ll just slow you down. Besides, it’s heavy with all the items you stole from me.”

Enraged and panicked, Ella had no choice but to continue. Ed’s grip on her arm was painful, and he kept urging her to move faster.

“Please…Ed…you must listen to me.”

“You have three miles,” he said.

Ella glanced at him and cringed. He was so tall compared to her. And dreadfully muscular. There was no way she could overpower him physically, so she opted to negotiate. “My name is Ella Emerson,” she said, and immediately felt stupid. He already knew her name. “I’m supposed to get married at 3:00

p.m. today, but I don’t want to marry Brandon Andrews. He’s a big jerk. I can’t stand him. But the wedding plans got out of control…”

Ed stopped and glowered over her. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one, sir,” she replied, and then wondered where the
sir
came from.

For a moment, his eyes softened and Ella felt hopeful. “That’s awfully young to be getting married,” he replied. “But you’re a missing person with a reward on your head, and I intend to return you to your family and collect that money.” When Ed turned to continue, Ella managed to kick his shin and wrench away. With no sense of direction, she zipped through the forest, her heart pounding in her ears. Less than an hour ago, a criminal had been chocking her and trying to steal her backpack. Now she was being chased by a bounty hunter. There was no way her day could get any worse…unless she had to marry Brandon Andrews.

Just when Ella thought she was in the clear, Ed snatched her from behind a tree. Somehow, the man had managed to outrun her and hide. Startled, she summoned her remaining strength for the struggle, angry that his hand was again covering her mouth.

“Stop fighting me!” Ed hissed into her ear, pressing her against the ground.

Ella struggled to scream, but his hold was firm.

She was belly down in the forest, with Ed straddling over her, preventing her escape.

“Hold still right now,” he said into her ear, “or I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.” Although she was outraged, Ella paused.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what
teach you a lesson
meant, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

“Good girl,” he said, whispering gently into her ear. “Now, the next time you give me any trouble, you’ll be going over my knee for a sound spanking.” Ella wanted to scream, but logic kept her silent.

This man—Ed Peters—was the devil. He had no right to touch her, no right to teach her a lesson. It was outrageous, but it was so outrageous that she believed it.

When Ed lifted her up, the harsh expression covering his face left her shuddering. He was large and handsome, and completely intimidating. A sudden breeze tangled with the short locks of his dark brown hair. But his gold-flecked blue eyes remained unmoving and angry as he glared down at her.

“Please, Mr. Peters,” she said, as respectfully as possible. “Please listen to me for a moment before we continue.”

A curious shadow crossed his face, and his hard eyes relaxed gradually. “All right, little lady. Go ahead. Say what you have to say.”

“Wait and turn me in tomorrow. I don’t want to get married today, please understand…have a heart!” Ella lowered her head, anxiously awaiting his reply. It was unnerving to be at the mercy of a total stranger, especially one as handsome and rough as Ed Peters.

“And just what am I supposed to do with you for a whole day?” he asked, clearly not amused by her suggestion.

A brilliant thought crossed Ella’s mind, as sudden as a flash of heat lightning. “My parents are rich,” she said. “If you wait a few days to turn me in, the reward will only increase.” It was the truth. Both her parents and Brandon’s parents had more money than they could spend. The reward would increase and increase.

A light crossed the bounty hunter’s face.

Obviously, he understood and was weighing his options. Thousands of butterflies fluttered in Ella’s stomach as she waited.

“I’m parked on the other side of the bridge, near the welcome center lot. We will walk,
normally
, toward my car. You will get inside without fighting me. If you can manage to behave long enough for that, I will consider your offer.” Ed released Ella and stepped back, just daring her to run.

“It’s a deal,” Ella said, reaching a hand toward Ed. When he reluctantly shook her hand, she added,

“You won’t be sorry, Mr. Peters. The reward
will
increase.”

“Just remember, Ms. Emerson, if you try to escape, I
will
teach you that lesson we talked about.” His eyes smoldered, and he seemed larger and more intimidating than before.

Ella shivered but managed to nod. She would keep her end of the deal, for now. Even as other hikers passed them on the trail, Ella kept her cool and walked ahead of Ed. But to her surprise, when they reached his SUV, Ed shoved her into the back—

behind the same wire caging she’d seen in police cars.

“The back doors won’t open from the inside,” he said as he settled into the driver’s seat. “Buckle up, Ms. Emerson.”

“You can call me Ella,” she said.

“Fine. Buckle up, Ella.” His voice was sarcastic.

But then with more seriousness, he added, “And you can call me
sir
.”

An unexpected wave of arousal coursed through Ella’s center. Ed Peters was the most intimidating, most intriguing, and most handsome man she’d ever met. Though she wished to be miles away from him, another part of her ached to be closer. No man had
ever
threatened to spank her before, and something about that excited her more than she cared to admit.

Ed’s hand moved to the ignition, but stopped midair. Ella watched as he moved around the car to open her door. Her pulse raced violently as he moved closer. The air was electric.

“I understand we can both benefit from this deal,” he said. “So I’ll keep you at my house for a few days to see if the reward increases, just like you wanted.”