How to Lose a Fiancé Read online

  She rarely saw her brother as an adult, but his voice was in her head. Run, K. You’re fast. The fear and terror of those men catching her had her running fast. Her breath came in short pants, made worse by the horror of Jack’s threats playing through her mind.

  “Run, little girl,” Jack called out, taunting her from behind. His voice oozed through the thick woods and the rain. The landscape in front of her was intimidating with the dreary skies, trees, and undergrowth looming over her, but she had to force the fear away and plow through.

  Kaimbrey focused on her brother’s voice, not Jack’s. Run, K. Run.

  Please help me, saints in heaven, she begged as she fled, doubting very much that she had any chance of getting away.

  Chapter Eight

  Tate parked the side-by-side next to a silver 4Runner and a black Explorer. The road dead-ended here, and the trails were narrow. They’d been searching for hours and hadn’t found anything.

  Brody walked around the back of the vehicles and found a pair of silver high heels next to the rear hatch of the Explorer. He picked them up and showed them to Tate. “This is interesting.”

  Tate strode up to him and fingered the shoes, his blue eyes darting from the shoes to the vehicles to the trail.

  “Might just be some hikers.” Brody didn’t want to get his brother’s hopes up too high, but this could be the sign they’d been looking for.

  “Let’s check it out.”

  They grabbed backpacks with some water, granola bars, and a few first-aid supplies in them, slung them on, and jogged up the rain-slicked trail. Brody knew this trail dead-ended in a meadow where partyers liked to hang out. That could probably explain the fancy shoes in the middle of the forest, but they could easily be Cally’s.

  They approached the meadow and Tate held up a hand. Brody slowed, then stopped behind his brother, evaluating the situation. There was a man towering over a blond lady. His voice was low, but it carried: “I don’t like to hurt ladies, but Jack …”

  The unspoken threat lingered as Tate crept toward the guy. Brody edged closer and realized that it was Cally. This guy was going to pay for kidnapping and threatening her.

  Cally must’ve noticed the movement, as her eyes widened.

  “What?” The man whirled to face them.

  Tate pushed off, sprinting at the man, and Brody stayed close by his side. They had to tackle him before he grabbed Cally or pulled out the large knife hanging from his belt. And where was this Jack guy?

  The man shrank back and reached for Cally, just like Brody thought he would. She bent low, scooped a large rock off the ground, and slammed it into the side of his head. He stumbled to the side, reeling from the blow. Tate tackled him, driving his fist into the guy’s temple, right where the rock had already left a red mark. Nice. He’d always known Cally had spice in her.

  The man grabbed his knife. Brody stomped on his wrist, and the crunch of bone was almost as loud as the man’s shriek. He released the knife, and Brody kicked it away. Cally scrambled into the tent.

  “Cally,” Tate called after her.

  Brody pushed at his brother. “Go get her. I’ve got him.” While Tate did so, Brody yanked the guy onto his stomach and shoved his knee into his back, pressing all his body weight into the guy’s back. “Stay down, you loser.”

  The guy simply moaned, looking miserable all covered with mud.

  Cally appeared at the tent flap, holding up a length of rope. “Look!” She smiled proudly.

  “Good girl,” Tate said.

  She hurried to them, thrusting the rope in Tate’s hands. “Brody!” she exclaimed, her blue eyes full of distress. “Kaimbrey escaped. Two guys are chasing her.”

  “Kaimbrey!” Brody jumped to his feet, sending the man rolling over. Kaimbrey had been kidnapped too? He didn’t waste time on anything but the most important question. “Where?”

  Cally pointed behind the tent. “That way.”

  Brody sprinted toward the trees. Kaimbrey and the men chasing her had forged a trail through the undergrowth, and he followed it, but as he got deeper, the forest occasionally thinned out and there were fewer broken or bent branches. In some areas, rocky spots made it almost impossible to follow their tracks. Kaimbrey! He couldn’t believe that she was involved in this mess, and now she was running through a forest with two grown men, criminals, chasing her. He fought at the nausea creeping up his throat, and though he wanted to sprint and scream for her, he tried to remember his tracking skills and not miss a clue he might need to point him where she’d gone.

  The thought of those men catching her and hurting her made him want to rip someone’s head off their shoulders. Hopefully, he’d get the chance. If only she could stay in front of them and not have them catch her and hurt her. When Brody caught them, someone was definitely getting hurt.

  Chapter Nine

  Kaimbrey ran pell-mell through the forest, not trying to hide her footsteps or the trail she was probably leaving. She could hear the men behind her. Were they getting closer? Even if they weren’t, eventually she’d have to slow down. At times the forest thinned, and she knew they could easily spot her. Luckily, they hadn’t shot at her; they probably needed her alive. She didn’t see any hope of a road or even a trail that might lead to help. She was in great shape and could run fast, but the thick greenery slowed her down and occasionally made her trip. If only she could find a trail she could sprint along.

  She pushed through a thick copse of pine trees and almost ran into a rock wall. Craning her head back, she saw it was at least forty feet up and basically a sheer cliff. She wouldn’t be climbing up it, and it continued in both directions as far as she could see. “No,” she groaned. Turning back wasn’t an option, so she decided to head to the right, follow the wall, and hope she could either somehow scale it at some point or get around it.

  The men burst through the pine trees right behind her, the bald guy coming first and slamming into the wall. Kaimbrey didn’t waste time waiting for them; she upped her speed, feeling like a rabbit being stalked by a pair of wolves. How was she ever going to escape? She should’ve just stayed with Cally. Now they were going to be so ticked that they’d really hurt her.

  “Wait for us, little girl,” Jack taunted. “We’re almost to you.”

  His voice sounded so close. Kaimbrey glanced back to see how close they really were. They were only a few feet back and still moving fast. Kaimbrey tripped over a log and went down, hard. Sprawling on the forest floor, she wanted to curl into a ball and cry. It was over. She hadn’t escaped, and now they would make her pay before tying her up again. Maybe they’d simply kill her.

  She scrambled to her knees, trying to scurry away, but hands grasped her from behind. She thrashed and screamed, but they held fast, yanking her to her feet. The bald guy whipped her around and held her while Jack leered down at her. “Stupid,” he muttered. “You can’t escape from me.”

  “I’ll keep trying,” she sassed back at him, her heart racing uncontrollably and the horror of them catching her chilling her far more than the rain and mud covering her body.

  He glared at her with icy blue eyes. He looked like a horrible Viking, no regard for human life or mercy for anyone. “No, you won’t,” he said. He pulled out a knife. “And you won’t be able to scream, no matter what we do to you, after I cut that tongue out.”

  Kaimbrey shrieked in horror but then quickly clamped her mouth shut, trying to protect her tongue as Jack’s knife came toward her face. The bald guy held her tight against him, pinning her arms as Jack grasped her chin and tried to pry her mouth open. Kaimbrey was able to bring her knee up, but only succeeded in hitting Jack in the thigh and jostling him. His knife scraped her shoulder, and she cried out as blood trickled down to the forest floor.

  “That was an accident, but the next cut is going to be on purpose, and it’s going to hurt a lot worse,” Jack promised.

  Kaimbrey kicked and squirmed away from him. Her entire body shook.

  “Get her down,�
� Jack commanded.

  The bald guy shoved her to the ground and lay on top of her. Kaimbrey was as powerless as she’d ever been in her life. The horrific pressure of the bald guy crushing her into the muddy, rocky, and twig-strewn ground was nowhere close to as terrifying as Jack coming at her with the knife.

  Jack squatted by her head, a wicked gleam in his eye. Time seemed to stop, even though Kaimbrey’s heart was racing uncontrollably. Fear made icy sweat encase her body as she squirmed and fought to get free. Struggling was pointless, but she would fight with every ounce of strength before letting them do what they planned. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she hated, hated that they could see how scared she was.

  “That’s right, little girl, cry now. All your sass is gone, huh?”

  “In hell, you’re going to burn,” she spit at him.

  Jack threw back his head and laughed. “That’s right. Because I am the devil.”

  Kaimbrey glared at him. All she had left was her faith and her sass. “The good Lord always triumphs over the devil.”

  “Not this time.” He grabbed her cheeks and squeezed so hard she felt like her teeth would pop out. Her mouth opened no matter how hard she tried to clamp it shut.

  “No!” she screamed as the knife grew closer.

  A huge body flew through the pine trees and tackled Jack away from Kaimbrey.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Brody!” she yelled, and her joy was stronger than the horror of a moment before. She was still pinned to the ground, but Brody was here! Tears stung her eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief.

  How in the world did he know to come for her? Who cared? He was here. Prayer had always been important to her, but at the moment, she felt like the good Lord really had triumphed over the devil.

  Brody used his body weight and momentum to drive Jack into the same dead log that had tripped Kaimbrey. Jack’s head whipped back and his grip on the knife loosened. Brody ripped the knife from his grasp and threw it off into the forest. He then slammed his fists into Jack’s face over and over again. Jack tried to block or counter some punches, but he looked loopy, and Kaimbrey prayed Brody could knock him out.

  The bald guy leapt off of Kaimbrey to go help his boss. Brody was pummeling Jack into oblivion. The bald guy wrapped his arms around Brody’s shoulders, trying to pull him off of Jack, but he couldn’t budge him. Brody ignored him and kept hitting Jack.

  Kaimbrey scurried to her feet and launched herself at the bald guy’s back. He grunted in surprise and tried to pull Kaimbrey off, but she wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to mimic a choke hold she’d seen in wrestling. He straightened with her on his back, his hands flailing behind him to smack her. Kaimbrey winced at the blows, but she held on.

  He stumbled away from Jack and Brody as she clung to him. He backed up and crushed her body into the nearby rock wall. The breath was knocked clean out of her, and her head slammed into the wall. She gulped in breaths to try to quell the nausea as a third hit to the head today had her reeling. Releasing the man, she sank down to the ground.

  He whirled on her and yanked her to her feet. Pulling her in front of him, as if to use her as a shield from Brody, he growled, “I’m going to kill you both.”

  The nausea was still rising in her throat, so Kaimbrey decided to make use of it. She turned and threw up all over the disgusting man. He released her and jumped back with a curse, slamming his own back against the rocks.

  “Kaimbrey!” Brody shouted, and she turned to see him leaving a limp Jack behind and rushing the other guy.

  Kaimbrey eased away, wiping at her mouth and watching in awe as Brody pushed the guy farther away from her and then started punching him in the face just like he’d done to Jack. She knelt on the spongy forest floor, pulling deep breaths of fresh air and willing her heaving stomach, her spinning head, and her racing heart to calm down. Brody was here, and he had everything under control.

  “Please, stop,” the man finally begged. He wasn’t even fighting back, simply shielding his face with his hands.

  Brody stopped pummeling him but kept him pinned to the ground. He looked to Kaimbrey, and the rage in his blue eyes softened. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. He was here, and he had saved her. She was still trying to wrap her mind around it. Rain dripped down his face and plastered his shirt to his well-built body. He looked safe, strong, and like the hero of her every dream. “Thank you,” she managed to whisper.

  The grim look on his face disappeared, and he granted her an irresistible smile. “Anything for you, beautiful girl.” He focused back on the man underneath him. “Now, we need to tie these two up and get you back. The FBI and search and rescue are on their way.”

  That sounded reassuring. The day was so dreary that she had no clue what time it was. She’d lost track of how far she’d run from the camp, but Brody was here to escort her back. She was tempted to give him that kiss he’d requested last night, without going on any of the required dates.

  The man underneath him squirmed, and Brody growled. “Stay still. Kaimbrey, can you find the knife I threw?”

  “No, please,” the man whimpered.

  “Don’t make me use it on you,” Brody threatened. His voice was definitely not patient, but Kaimbrey didn’t believe for a minute that he was coldhearted and evil like these men. Did he just want the knife to keep them in line?

  Kaimbrey stood and shakily walked into the brush where he’d thrown the knife. After a few seconds of pushing greenery away, she saw it glinting at her next to a large rock. She lifted it with trembling fingers, hating to even touch the weapon. Walking back to Brody, she handed it over.

  He now had the man shirtless and lying face down in the mud. The rain was coming even harder. Kaimbrey pushed her heavy hair away from her face and felt a little bit of compassion for the man. A little bit—he had threatened to kill her and been part of her kidnapping.

  Brody thanked her, took the knife, and proceeded to cut the man’s shirt into long strips. He started binding the man’s hands and legs with them. Smart. Kaimbrey leaned back and let the rain wash her face and fill her mouth. She spit out the disgusting taste of her vomit, grateful she still had a tongue.

  A tremor raced through her as she glanced back to where Jack had been knocked out, next to the stump. The stump was still there. Jack wasn’t.

  Kaimbrey’s stomach got sick again, and her heart thudded. Her eyes darted around. Was he hiding in the foliage, preparing to grab her and cut her up at any second? “B-brody?” she got out.

  “Yeah?” He glanced up at her, his eyes full of confidence in his own abilities and concern for her.

  “Jack’s gone.”

  Brody’s head spun around quickly. He searched the spot where he’d left Jack unconscious and then the trees around them. Kaimbrey wondered if he felt the same as she did, waiting for Jack to pounce. He focused back on the bald guy and tightened the last knot. “You can stay here or try to move, but either way, the FBI will find you.”

  Brody stood and held on to the knife with one hand, reaching the other out to Kaimbrey. “Come on,” he said softly. His eyes kept darting around, but in the deepening gloom, it was hard to see much of anything past the closest trees.

  Kaimbrey hurried to his side, clasping his hand with hers. His hand was a lifeline of safety and protection. Yet she couldn’t help searching the dark woods, swearing she saw a darker shadow behind a pine tree and listening for Jack’s vile breathing. She put her other hand on his arm. “Are you going after him?” If Jack didn’t leap out and surprise them first, that is.

  “I wouldn’t mind.” Brody flashed her a smile and squeezed her hand. “But getting you to safety is more important.”

  Kaimbrey couldn’t return his smile, as she was still too shaky and terrified, but he had to know how grateful she was. She clasped him in a desperate hug, savoring the strength of his muscular body and the protection that he offered. He’d saved her. He’d saved her from a fate so horrible that
she had to push it from her mind so she didn’t vomit again. Brody was truly her hero. “Thank you,” she said trying to put all the depth of her feeling into those simple words and her hug. “Thank you for coming for me, for rescuing me.”

  Brody returned the hug. She noticed they both kept their eyes open in case Jack decided to pounce, but that didn’t stop her from feeling how wonderful and strong Brody’s arms were.

  “Of course,” he said close to her ear, his voice deep and husky. He held her for a few more beats and then pulled back and took her hand. Giving her a confident wink, he said, “And as soon as we’re somewhere safe, you can give me a long kiss of gratitude. Those are even better than the Utah standard smooch of hello or the second date kiss.”

  Kaimbrey laughed, loving that he could tease, even while they were still lost in a dark, wet forest with a criminal maybe ready to jump out at them at any moment. “Counting your chickens before they’re hatched,” she threw back at him.

  Brody chuckled softly and led the way through the forest. If he got her safe, she might let him talk her into multiple kisses of gratitude. She kept looking over her shoulder and listening for any odd sounds besides the mutterings of the bald guy lying in the mud behind them.

  Jack was out there somewhere, and that in and of itself was horrifying. He didn’t seem like the type of devil that gave up easily—more like the type who would hurt and destroy at all costs. With rainwater streaming down her face, Kaimbrey trembled and edged closer to Brody. She was so grateful her hero was here, but she really just wanted to be tucked safely in Bri’s dumpy apartment, cuddling this handsome man on the couch, after she ate and took a long bath. Those thoughts kept her moving and not giving in to the despair of the ominous night creeping around them.

  Chapter Ten

  Brody led the way through the forest, hoping he seemed confident to Kaimbrey. The truth was, he was lost. He figured that Kaimbrey had originally fled to the southeast, so they should’ve found the trail they’d broken or the camp if they headed northwest, but the rain was making finding any trail difficult. Though he’d been certain he could just lead her away from the cliffs and that he knew his directions, he obviously wasn’t going west. The depressing fact was that he’d just seen what he thought were the same cliffs again through a break in the trees on his right. That meant he’d been heading north. He thought they might be more than a couple miles east of camp now, but he wasn’t certain, and night was fast approaching.