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  She didn't get too far away when Anthony's body came crashing down on her. They tumbled to the ground. Pain seared throughout her body as he covered it with his own. Cassandra cried out and continued her attempt to get away. Anthony covered her mouth with his hand and didn't remove it even after she bit down. She saw anger rage through him and longed for his touch. Cassandra crawled backwards, but he pressed his hard body into her. Anthony's knee pressed against the innermost part of her thigh, creating a fire in her jeans.

  "Stop," he screamed at her as she continued to wiggle away from him. Anthony pinched her cheeks together and forced her to look at him. "Damn it, girl, I'm not supposed to tell you this."

  Cassandra paused when he spoke. Her curiosity rose. "Tell me what?" she mumbled underneath his hand.

  He straddled her body and let go of her mouth. Cassandra knew if she screamed, he wouldn't tell her. She lied still and waited until he spoke.

  "I'm not the bad guy, my boss isn't the bad guy either. Stop running from me."

  Anthony's weight eased up and Cassandra pulled herself into a sitting position. He reached for his gun and she knew better than try to run. "If you're not the bad guy, why are you pointing that at me?"

  "For your safety," he replied. "More to scare you than anything else." Anthony sat beside her but gripped her arm just in case. "Please stop running from me."

  Cassandra didn't know what to think. She couldn't figure out why her mother's killer escaped from prison to kidnap her, but claimed he wasn't the bad guy. "If you're not the bad one," she spoke. "Who is?"

  "I can't tell you," Anthony answered. Cassandra inched away from him, not believing a word he said. "Look, the boss will have a fit when he finds out I'm telling you this much, but I'm not the one who killed her. They did, and now they want you dead too."

  "I don't understand," she told him. "Why were you in prison if you didn't murder my mother?"

  Anthony reached over and for the first time, held her hand gently. "They told you, convinced you, I wasn't there that night, but I was, Cassandra. You were right all along. Do you remember? I told you I'd be right back." She shook her head, not knowing what to think. "I'm a little late, but I'm here now, just like promised."

  Cassandra bawled her eyes out. Nothing made sense, yet everything made perfect sense. She needed to know what was going on. "If you're telling me the truth, why were you in prison?" She knew she already asked him but felt he didn't give her the correct answer.

  "I left you to check on her, hoping she was still alive." Anthony's eyes glistened as he told his side of the story. "As I bent over to check her pulse, the police arrived. I tried to explain but nobody listened. They arrested me, your father wanted a quick conviction, so his family name wouldn't be dragged through the mud. I couldn't afford a good attorney, and the jury believed them and sent me away for a crime I didn't commit."

  Cassandra cried harder and felt herself lean against his shoulder. The memories that surfaced caused more pain than anything physical he could ever do to her. She felt his arm wrap around her as she nestled closer to him. "Oh my God, were you the one who saved me that night?"

  "Yes," Anthony answered. "They medicated you and convinced you I didn't exist because if you could testify my location at the time of the shooting, I would have been found innocent and set free." Cassandra hid her face between her legs and sobbed. "We've kidnapped you to hide you from the killers."

  Cassandra's head snapped up. He'd been trying to tell her about them since she fled moments before, but she hadn't been paying attention. "Who are they and why do they want me dead now?"

  "They wanted you dead then too," Anthony told her. "If I didn't show up before the cops did, you would have died the same night as your mother."

  The ground was unsteady as Cassandra tried to stand. Anthony stood beside her and pulled out a pocket knife. He cut through the rope but kept his eyes on her. "Thank you," she wept.

  Anthony put his arm around her waist to steady her. "If you like life, you'll stop trying to get away from me and let me protect you."

  They walked back to the car and sat inside in silence. Cassandra pulled the hair off her face and tried to knot it behind her head to keep it in place. A million things ran through her mind. "Is my father's phone tapped?"

  "What?"

  "We wouldn't be on the run if I didn't call him," she answered as she figured pieces of the puzzle out. "Can they tell where I am because I called him?"

  Anthony leaned over the steering wheel and stared out into the dusky sky. "Something like that," he answered. "I had you post from Greece to give us some time, but since you made a phone call here in the States, they will know you're not there."

  Cassandra hung her head. If they found her, and succeeded at killing her, she knew it would be her fault. Her tears dried up as she sat in shock. Anthony swore again as he threw the flip phone down. His entire story could have been a lie, anything to convince her to stay with him, but somehow, she believed him. They waited to find out where to go to keep her safe.

  It gave her an idea. "We have a house on the other side of this lake."

  Anthony turned his head and gave her a questionable brow. "What do you mean?"

  "I realized where we were when I washed up in the lake earlier. That's where I planned to go when I tried to run from you. Can't we wait it out there?"

  A smile spread across his face. "How far is it?"

  "About 15 minutes, maybe a little more if we have to stay off the main roads."

  Chapter 10

  The boss picked up on the second ring. Cassandra looked at Anthony but remained quiet. He thought the lake house sounded great but couldn't make any moves without informing the boss.

  "She knows about them," Anthony said when the man in charge answered.

  Cassandra could hear the other man freak out. "What?" he screamed into the phone.

  Anthony looked at Cassandra, who had her head lowered in shame. "I had to tell her. She kept trying to run away. What else could I do?"

  The boss sighed and didn't reply for a few moments. Finally, he asked, "Is she alright?"

  Cassandra heard the other man ask about her and lifted her head. Anthony looked over to her as he replied. "She's scared and to be honest, I don't blame her." There was silence on the line until Anthony continued. "Listen. Cassandra told me about a lake house nearby. I'm running out of gas. Do you think it's safe?"

  The boss didn't answer right away. Anthony could almost hear the gears in his head. The boss knew Cassandra's family and knew what house they talked about. "Yes, go there for a night or two, but no longer. Be smart and keep a look-out."

  Anthony hung up the phone and nodded at her. Cassandra twist her body toward him as he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. A place to stay was great, but they were still in danger and needed gas.

  "Your purse is in the trunk," he told her. "You have any money for gas?" Cassandra laughed. Her smile stretched across her face and she held her stomach. Anthony laughed too until she cried. "Hey, it's ok," he comforted her. "I'm sorry we had to go about it this way, abducting you and treating you like a hostage. It's for your own good."

  She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "I have credit cards."

  "No," Anthony shook his head. "They can be traced."

  "But, you said no one would look for me."

  "That was before you used your cell phone and let the real killers know you were still in the area. They used their power to wrongfully convict me. They'd use it to track your credit cards down too."

  Cassandra nodded her head in agreement. The sun was going down and dusk settled in. They needed to get to the lake house as soon as they could. He popped the trunk and walked to the rear of the car. For the first time, Cassandra didn't run.

  Anthony handed her the purse when he reentered the car. She reached in and pulled out her wallet. As luck would have them, she had a few twenty-dollar bills wadded together. Cassandra gave him a toothy smile. Damn, she's cut
e, he said to himself.

  Anthony backed the car out and headed in the direction they came from. He hoped the darkness would conceal them. He was still a wanted felon, in the state's eye. People still looked for him, and God only knew where the goons that wanted her dead were.

  At the gas station, he pumped the gas, and she went inside to pay. It was too risky to let anyone see him up close even though he wore a disguise. Anthony kept his eyes out for any danger, but there didn't appear to be any.

  Cassandra came out with a small bag. Without asking her what was inside, Anthony hightailed it away from the gas station. She told him where to go, and then leaned back in her seat. Cassandra looked more relaxed now that she knew the truth. Somehow, Anthony thought, he went from being her abductor to being her protector. "They almost didn't serve me," she laughed. "They said, 'No shoes, no service,' but I lied and told them I forgot them at the beach."

  "They must have believed you," he hooted himself. She reached into the bag and pulled out two bottles of soda. She opened one and handed it to Anthony. "Thank you," he said and then thought things should have been that easy from the start.

  "I would have bought more," she said as she looked in the bag of snacks, "but I figured we didn't have too much time."

  Anthony couldn't help but grin. He never imagined she'd understand the situation. "You did fine," he said and continued to drive away.

  ~~~~

  It was dark by the time they got to the lake house. There wasn't a sign of anyone being around for miles. Anthony thought it was a good sign though it concerned him too. They got out of the car and Cassandra located the hidden key.

  "It's not a good idea to leave the car out in the open," he told her. Cassandra held her finger up to tell him to wait. She opened the main door of the house and turned to walk inside. Anthony grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Not until we know it's safe inside."

  He reached for her hand as they entered the house together. Her warmth spread up his arm, giving him chills. They edged their way through the dark entrance and found the inside door to the garage. It opened, and Anthony stepped out. Cassandra remained on his heels.

  The garage was dark, but Anthony shined a flashlight around. When he knew for sure there wasn't anyone else there, Anthony gave Cassandra a nod. She pressed a button on the wall and the garage door rose. He ducked down and stepped out to the other side.

  Cassandra moved to the steps leading up to the house to get out of the way. Anthony pulled the car inside and parked it next to a sharp looking black BMW. "It's Daddy's," she told him as he looked it up and down. "He only drives it when we're up here."

  Anthony held the flashlight against the window but saw nothing out of the ordinary inside. He glanced over the garage again but saw nothing to cause alarm. After shutting the door, he turned the light off, making it pitch dark inside.

  "What are you doing?" Cassandra questioned him.

  "Look for blinking lights," he instructed her. They both scanned the room but found nothing. Anthony turned to face her. "We're good. No cameras or bombs."

  They entered the house. Anthony walked through with the flashlight in one hand and Cassandra in the other. Cassandra jumped at every shadow they crossed. Though she no longer feared Anthony, she still feared for her life.

  "It's better to stay in the dark," he said. "Just in case."

  Their eyes adjusted as the moonlight shined off the lake and through the windows. Cassandra let go of his hand and sat down. Anthony joined her.

  "Can I shower?"

  Anthony wanted to shower with her, his way of keeping her safe, but didn't think she'd find his humor funny. He couldn't allow any mistakes that would get them caught again. "I think we're safe here, but I don't know about having a light shine from inside the house."

  "The guest bathroom is down the hall and doesn't have a window," she told him. "Come on, I'll show you."

  Cassandra walked him down the hall and was right about the lack of a window. The thought of being cleaned tempted him and he couldn't resist. Anthony looked down at his dirty jeans and wished he could change. He wondered if she had spare clothing there, and what the odds were there were clothes for men. "You have any clothes here, for yourself and for me, I mean for men?"

  "Yes." Cassandra walked with him down the hall and entered a bedroom. She took the flashlight from him and shined it on a dresser. Inside, there were shorts and shirts of all sizes. Anthony gave her a puzzled look. "For when we have company and go for a swim."

  The shorts weren't fancy, but they were clean. He agreed to let her shower. Cassandra led him up the stairs and into her bedroom. There was a large window and Anthony feared the flashlight would shine for miles. He told her they had to rely on the moonlight again while she located clean clothes. Cassandra understood and led him back downstairs when she finished.

  Chapter 11

  Once they reached the bathroom, Anthony cautiously checked behind the shower curtain. He knew nobody would be there since his initial walk-through of the house confirmed they were alone. But, he wanted to make sure there wasn't anything of danger lurking in unexpected places. When it checked out, he returned his attention to Cassandra.

  "We should clean up those cuts on your arm," he suggested.

  Cassandra opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out anything she thought could help her. She quickly inhaled when he placed a swab soaked with peroxide on her tender flesh. The wounds bubbled, and she knew he'd been right about taking care of them. He sealed the area with adhesive bandages.

  She couldn't help her rapid heartbeat as Anthony stood face-to-face with her, his hot breath burning in her ear. His hands shook as he tended to her injuries and Cassandra wondered if he wanted her as much as she wanted him. "I think my leg is worse," she whispered.

  "Your leg?" he questioned, but then looked down at her jeans as if he remembered throwing her across the basement. "That's right. You better take off your pants."

  Cassandra's cheeks flushed but the throbbing pain on her shin told her to obey him. She unzipped her jeans and slowly wiggled them off her hips. Cassandra looked at Anthony as her panties came into sight and noticed the smile on his face. He looked away when she made eye contact. Seconds later, she stood before him in dirty underwear and wished she never mentioned the wound on her leg.

  He kneeled and held the back of her knee with one hand while the other hand wiped the swab over the injury. Cassandra realized his face neared her crotch and her body craved his touch. Just a split second before she found the courage to offer herself, Anthony stood and backed away. "That should do," he declared, then walked out of the bathroom.

  Anthony sat outside the bathroom as Cassandra showered. She left the door unlocked, just in case he needed to get inside for any reason. The hot water rushed over her aching body. Cassandra leaned against the wall and clenched her fist together. Her ordinary boring life turned into a crazed nightmare.

  Her thoughts turned to her father. Cassandra prayed they weren't after him too. She wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to him. Life was hard enough without a mother, if she lost her father too, it would devastate her. Her maternal grandmother had recently passed away, and she was the last of her mother's family.

  Her father stood by her side during her Grandmother's funeral and held her hand. He hadn't communicated with anyone from her mother's side of the family since she died fifteen years before. It took Cassandra years to realize how hostile they were toward each other, though he never tried to stop her from spending time with her grandmother.

  Cassandra turned the water off and stepped out onto the soft carpet. She toweled herself off as fast as she could. The thought of being naked when someone killed her, scared the crap out of her. The sound of the air conditioner kicking on caused Cassandra to wrap the towel around her body and run out of the bathroom.

  Anthony stood up when she opened the door. She jumped into his arms. "What happened?" He asked as he lifted her chin.

  "Nothing." Cassandra stut
tered. Her entire body shook. "I don't want to die."

  He pulled her close to him and wiped the moisture from her eyes. "You're not going to die, Cassandra. You weren't supposed to know any of this, but it is helping me protect you."

  Anthony's lips were close to Cassandra's. She wanted to kiss him again, but resisted the urge. She pulled back and straightened herself up. Anthony walked into the bathroom, leaving Cassandra alone in the dark hallway. They were in her family vacation home, she told herself, and her tension eased a little. When she heard the water start within the bathroom, she dropped her towel and slipped into the clean clothes. Cassandra sat down and waited for him, like he did moments before.

  The bathroom door opened, and Anthony stood before Cassandra. He looked ridiculous in the shorts he picked out and she giggled. He reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

  "I'm hungry," she told him and assumed he would be hungry too. "There's stuff in the freezer, but I doubt there's anything fresh since we haven't been up here in weeks."

  "Anything microwavable?"

  Cassandra shrugged her shoulders, and they walked to the kitchen together. Anthony opened the refrigerator; the light almost blinded both. Cassandra searched the cupboards but found nothing appealing. Anthony found frozen pizzas, perfect for the microwave.

  Anthony closed the curtains in the living room, making the house much darker, while Cassandra nuked the food. He stubbed his toe on an end table as he made his way back into the kitchen. She handed him two glasses of soda then removed the hot food from the microwave. They went back to the living room and sat on the couch.

  As they ate, thoughts of being killed ran through Cassandra's mind. "Is anyone trying to capture these men? Or am I on the run for the rest of my life?"

  Anthony swallowed his food and leaned back onto the couch. He slipped his fingers through his wet hair. "The boss is trying to nail the bastards," he informed her. "I can't tell you much more. Just know, you're not going to die or have to hide for the rest of your life."