12. Anton
CHAPTER 12
ANTON
THE HUNT, DAY 1 – LATE AFTERNOON – RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES
P anting hard, I stared at the steep incline ahead, my chest tightening with more than just exhaustion. The slope offered plenty of places to grab on to, which was something, but it didn’t change the fact that this climb was going to be brutal. The bruises on my face and body throbbed. My legs already ached from the relentless pace, my calves tightening in silent protest at what lay ahead.
I glanced at Marcie, watching as she fought to hold herself together. She’d tried to keep things light earlier, cracking jokes to mask the tension, but now her face gave her away. Her lips pressed into a tight line, her jaw clenched as though she were biting back a curse. She glared at the slope like it was a mortal enemy, as if the sheer force of will and the frustration blazing in those bright blue eyes alone could conquer it.
Exhaustion was etched in every line of her body—the slump of her shoulders, the unsteady rise and fall of her chest, the subtle tremor in her legs. She wasn’t going to last long before she collapsed.
A wave of deep-rooted, and very familiar, guilt churned in my gut. I hated that she was in this position, hated even more that I hadn’t done enough to keep her safe.
My hands flexed into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. Regret coiled tight in my chest, sharp and unyielding, a constant reminder of how often I’d fallen short. The mistakes I had no way of undoing loomed like a shadow I couldn’t escape. Why couldn’t I protect the women I cared about?
Memories clawed at me, unrelenting. The faces of those I couldn’t save rose like ghosts, their loss a weight that threatened to drag me down into the pit of despair I was far too familiar with. I rolled my shoulders back, forcing my stiff muscles to loosen, and exhaled slowly through my nose. I couldn’t afford to get lost in the past now. Not with Marcie relying on me.
I glanced at her again. I didn’t know what I would do if anything happened to her, but I wasn’t willing to find out. God, I couldn’t fail her. Not Marcie. The thought alone made my chest tighten like a vice. No matter what it took, I would keep her safe and be the strength she needed to get through this nightmare.
Lifting her face, I kept my voice steady, willing her to draw strength from me. “You can do this, Marcie.” I leaned in slightly, my gaze intense. “I believe in you.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her lips parting as though to protest before she thought better of it. Instead, she nodded, her jaw set with renewed determination as she turned away and took a shaky step forward.
Pride lit me from inside as I watched. Her limp was subtle but constant, a reminder of those ridiculous shoes. Snapping the heels off had helped, but even without them, the boots were a torture device. I couldn’t imagine what her feet must feel like, but not once had she uttered a word of complaint.
The sheer willpower it took for her to keep going left me awestruck. Marcie had wormed her way into my life with her sass and that brilliant smile, but the fire beneath the surface—the quiet strength she never flaunted—was what kept me tethered now.
My gaze lingered as she moved ahead of me, taking in her slim legs, bronze-toned and dusted with dirt, muscles taut as she climbed. Her tight bum, perfectly framed by that little black dress, moved with just enough sway to snag my attention. Her hair, wild and curling, framed her like a halo she’d never claim.
Desire spread through me, my cock thickening at the vivid images flashing in my mind before I could stop them. My hands sliding into that dark hair, gripping tight. Bending her over, lifting that dress, and?—
Marcie glanced back suddenly, one brow arched and the hint of a smirk on her lips.
Shit. Busted.
“Ready?” she asked, her tone light, teasing, as though she knew exactly what had been on my mind.
Her steps seemed lighter now. And was that wiggle a little more pronounced? I was pretty sure it was. Sassy little madam.
Grinning, I jogged to her side. Together, we tackled the slope, the loose rocks shifting dangerously underfoot. Every time she faltered, I stayed close, my hands steadying her with touches that lingered longer than required. I couldn’t seem to help myself.
The climb was brutal, draining every bit of energy from us. When we finally crested the top, Marcie collapsed, her knees buckling as she dropped to the earth, gasping for air.
My heart twisted at the sight of her like that. She didn’t deserve this—none of it.
Fury surged through me as my thoughts flicked back to Elizabeth Traynor, the bitch who’d set this hellish game in motion. Rage simmered beneath the surface, dark and cold. She thought she knew me, but she had no idea what I was capable of. After Elaine’s death, I couldn’t stay in my unit. I needed to escape the memories, to numb the pain. So, I joined the Special Air Service, a regiment renowned for pushing soldiers beyond their limits. The SAS wasn’t just a career. It was a way of life. I didn’t just survive—I thrived. And the skills I’d honed there gave me an edge. I would use every one of them to keep my Little Miss Sassy safe.
I shot a glance at Marcie, her chest heaving, her sweat-soaked hair sticking to her skin. My instincts screamed at me to protect her, but there was something else now, a need I couldn’t afford to acknowledge—not here, not now. Maybe never, my mind and heart still couldn’t come to an agreement about us. I’d almost caved into my desire for her before we were taken. Chanced my heart. But now, I was faltering again. Because this felt like a test. If I couldn’t save her, if I failed her like I had the others, I didn’t deserve her.
“Anton, I can’t…” she gasped, her voice thin with exhaustion, snapping me out of my thoughts. She didn’t need to say more—I understood fully. She was running on sheer willpower, but that wouldn’t last forever.
“Hush,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It’s okay. Rest. Get your breath back.”
Faint noises drifted toward us from the distance. My gut clenched. A shot rang out.
“They’re coming,” Marcie panted, scrambling to get up.
I grabbed her arm, stopping her. “They’re not close,” I said, voice tight from the strain of not pulling her too close and holding her like I longed to do. But comforting her wasn’t as important as staying focused. “Stay here. I’ll go take a look. Rest for a minute.”
She didn’t protest, collapsing back onto the ground, dragging in desperate breaths. Crawling quickly through the dry brush, I worked my way to a better vantage point.
Peering over the rise, I spotted them—two groups closing in from different directions. One group, still a few miles off, was slow-moving, chaotic, and dressed in mismatched gear. Amateurs, probably the so-called ‘clients’ from the psycho’s twisted game. High on adrenaline, maybe something stronger. They’d be easy to handle if I were alone, but not with Marcie to protect.
I focused on the nearest group, narrowing my eyes as I studied them carefully. They were the real danger. Clad in black from head to toe, their movements were sharp and methodical. Trained. Used to these hunts. They were closer—only half a mile away. At least they were on foot. No dogs. No vehicles. Clearly intentional to make the hunt more challenging and stretch it out. But that wouldn’t last forever. When they were done toying with us, I expected them to bring out the big guns.
The instinct to fight, to take them out one by one, was there. But it wasn’t the right call—not yet. With Marcie’s life on the line, my options were clear. I couldn’t afford a direct confrontation—not unless I had no choice.
My mind raced, calculating our best options. While I suspected that most of these men wanted to get up close and personal before killing us, nevertheless, some might not, and their guns—especially long-range rifles—were a huge problem. They didn’t need to be close to us to use them, and that meant we had to stay well out of range. We couldn’t outrun them, keeping out of firing range forever, but we could outsmart them.
My eyes scanned the terrain below. While the forest behind us was where I’d planned to go initially, I now spotted a better option. The stream we’d waded through earlier wound like a snake, and further up from where we’d been, it met with this same forest. Smirking, I knew what I had to do.
Returning to where Marcie was now resting in the shade of a large boulder, I was pleased to find her breathing better, but still paler than usual and obviously drained. Once again, I longed to take her in my arms, but I refrained. If I did, I wouldn’t want to let her go, and we had to move again soon. I’d give her another couple of minutes while I explained our next steps, but we couldn’t afford to linger any longer than that.
“What did you see?” she asked, her voice strained.
Leaning in close, I kept my voice low and steady. “There are two groups, one further off than the other. The nearest is about half a mile away and closing in fast. We can’t outrun them for much longer. So, we’ll need to outsmart them instead. We’re going to double back to the stream.”
She frowned, the confusion evident on her face. “Double back?”
I nodded. “It’s the only way. They’ll catch up with us if we keep going the way we are. And that is what they expect us to do. If we change direction, it will confuse them.”
She hesitated, seeming unsure. “But won’t they just…”
“They’ll follow the obvious path,” I interrupted, taking her hand in mine. “I’m going to go on ahead and lay a false trail. That should buy us more time and allow us to get behind them. Then we’ll follow the stream until we get to a main road or village. Somewhere we can find help. Trust me, Marcie, I know what I’m doing.”
For a moment, I saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but then she nodded. “I trust you, Anton,” she said, her fingers tightening around mine. A simple gesture, but it hit me harder than I expected, sending ripples of warmth through me. That connection I kept denying.
Brushing a lock of hair from her face, I leaned down and kissed her head briefly. “We’ll make it through this, I swear. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Forcing myself to pull away, I gave her one last glance before turning and bounding into the forest to lay our false trail. My heart pounded, every step filled with urgency to lay the diversion and get back to Marcie. I hated leaving her, but this had to be done. It was our best chance at gaining an advantage, buying us time to stay one step ahead and, hopefully, find a safer spot to rest before nightfall. Doubling back behind them was a risk, but one we had to take. If I was wrong and they were smarter than I suspected, I’d be putting us in an even worse position. I couldn’t afford to be wrong.