Heart of the Hunter (105 page)

That’s her
, he thought.
That’s who she is. That one sentence.

He understood the words perfectly, and he knew that Elle did too. They were both cut from the same cloth. More than anything in the world, they each wanted to be loved. But only on their own terms. The only love that had any value, was the true love of someone who knew who they really were. Neither of them wanted to have to hide their past. Neither of them wanted to have to apologize for what they’d been through in their childhoods. They wanted to be loved, really and truly loved, for everything they were. No more and no less.

He brought his fist down on the table.

The sound shocked him.

Gris had her.

He knew it. Gris had taken her back. He wanted to put her back in her box. And Forrester wasn’t going to allow it. Elle had the right to chose her own life. She had the right to be the person she wanted to be. She had a right to be loved for who she was.

Chapter 40

Forrester

F
ORRESTER WENT TO HIS TRUCK
before leaving town. All his belongings had been thrown hastily onto the passenger seat by the hotel staff, on the sheriff’s orders. He put on a warm leather jacket, some leather gloves and his sunglasses. It wasn’t much to protect himself from the mountain cold but it would have to do.

He got back on the bike and rode out of town without looking back. Elle was out there, somewhere, and he had to find her. He didn’t know much but he wouldn’t allow himself to fail. He’d seen Gris’s vehicle when it had rammed him from behind. It was a black Camaro. He sped down out of the mountains on the only road leading out of town, rounding the sharp corners much faster than was safe. All he could think about was reaching Gris before he got on the Interstate. If they reached the Interstate, he’d have to call Grant, Jackson and Grady. They had access to all sorts of data. He could give them Elle’s name, and Gris’s, and they’d pull up an address for him. He’d do that if it was necessary, but for now, all he could do was keep riding. With every passing second, he grew more and more afraid that he’d lose Elle. Every moment that she was away from him, that she was with Gris, was agony.

He had to get her back. He had to make her safe.

After all, he’d told her she was going to have his baby.

About forty miles down the mountain road there was a gas station and he pulled into it. He needed to fill up. He also needed to warm up.

An attendant came out and asked him what he needed.

“Fill her up,” Forrester said.

“Ain’t it a little cold to be riding a bike?”

“It is,” Forrester said, rubbing his hands together. “You got coffee in the store?”

“Sure do,” the attendant said. “You go on in and pour yourself a cup. I’ll be right behind you.”

Forrester didn’t need to be told twice. He went into the store and found the coffee pot and poured himself a big cup. Then he sat at the counter and grabbed a pack of jerky and started eating it.

The attendant came back and rang up the gas.

“You rode all the way down from Stone Peak?” he said.

“Yes, sir,” Forrester said.

“How was the weather up there?”

“Probably a little colder than down here.”

The attendant nodded, rang up the coffee and jerky, and gave Forrester the bill. Forrester paid and continued sipping his coffee.

“How far to the interstate?” he said.

“Just another thirty miles or so,” the attendant said.

“You got a phone?”

“Sure, there’s a payphone over there in the corner.”

Forrester checked his pocket for change and asked the attendant to break a five dollar bill. Then he went to the phone and dialed the number for home.

Lacey picked up.

“Forrester, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to contact you.”

“I just got into something, Lacey.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m always all right,” he said, and he rubbed a hand over the bandaged ribs. They hurt like hell.

“Well, I’m glad to hear from you. Jackson and Grant were going to come out there tomorrow if we didn’t hear from you.”

“No need, Lacey. I’m fine.”

“You’ve met a girl, haven’t you?”

“I may have. I just need to find her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her ex forced her to go with him.”

“Her ex? You mean she didn’t want to go with him?”

“Yeah, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, apparently.”

“Are you sure this girl didn’t choose to go with him?”

Forrester smiled. “I’m sure,” he said. “This is the real deal, Lacey. This girl belongs with me.”

“So how are you going to find her?”

“You got a pen?”

“Sure.”

“Take this down. Elle Barclay, twenty-three years old. And Gris something. I don’t know his second name. He’s about thirty.”

“I’ve got it.”

“Get Grant to run that through the system. I’ll call back in a couple of hours and he can give me the address.”

“Be careful, Forrester.”

“I will, Lacey.”

“We all love you, you know.”

Forrester held the receiver to his face for a moment, pressing it against his cheek. “I know, Lacey.”

He hung up and went back to the attendant. “You didn’t happen to see a black Camaro come through here, by any chance, did you?”

The attendant looked up at him. “As a matter of fact I did. They parked outside for the night. I saw them there when I closed up for the night, and I saw them there this morning too.”

“They slept in the car?”

“Far as I could tell.”

“Did you talk to them?”

“Nope. I don’t mind people parking for the night. If you’re tired you’ve got to get off the road. And they didn’t come in for gas. They pulled off a little while ago.”

“Heading toward the Interstate?”

“Yes, sir,” the attendant said.

Forrester put another ten dollars on the counter as a thank you for the information, and left.

Chapter 41

Elle

E
LLE WASN’T SURE WHY SHE
kept looking in the rearview mirror. Was she hoping Forrester would come? It was impossible. He’d been locked up when they’d left last night. He was probably still locked up now.

But when she saw a motorcycle approaching from behind, she held her breath. She knew it was foolish. There was no way it was Forrester. But she watched it like a hawk as it inched closer and closer in the mirror.

“Where’s this guy going?” Gris said, when he saw the rider coming up behind them.

“He’s in a hurry,” Elle said, trying not to show her emotions.

Then, when the bike came up alongside them, she knew she’d been right. It was Forrester. He waved his arm, indicating for Gris to pull over.

“What the fuck?” Gris said.

“Gris, pull over. It’s for me.”

“The fuck I will.”

“It’s Forrester, Gris,” Elle said, the happiness in her voice so obvious she couldn’t hide it. “He came for me. He actually came for me.”

“He didn’t get you back yet.”

Elle was stunned. Forrester had actually come for her. She peered out through the front windshield. Forrester was in front of them now, and was slowing down, forcing Gris to come to a stop. Gris tried to go around but Forrester blocked him. Gris revved the engine but stopped short of ramming the bike.

“Gris, you know you have to let me go, right?”

Gris shook his head. “I can’t, Elle. I can’t live without you.”

“Yes you can, Gris.”

Gris brought the car to a stop and then reached into the glove box in front of Elle’s legs. He pulled out a black handgun. Elle gasped. She tried to stop him but he put his hand on her throat and began to squeeze.

Elle couldn’t breath. Her eyes filled with tears. She was being choked so hard that she could feel her throat collapse under the pressure of Gris’s grip. She tried to speak, to beg him to stop, but she couldn’t make a sound.

“If I can’t have you, no one can have you,” Gris said, and there was an anger in his eyes she’d never seen before.

And then there was a smashing sound. The entire windshield fell in on them in a million pieces. Gris released his grip of her neck and she gasped for air. Then she saw what had happened. Forrester had picked up the motorcycle, which must have weighed hundreds of pounds, and flung it through the windshield. Through the smashed glass she could see him standing there on the side of the road, holding himself up against the guardrail.

“That’s it, fucko,” Gris said, climbing out of the car through the broken windshield, the gun firmly in his hand. “You’re going to pay. You’re going to pay for ruining my life. For stealing my girl. She was
my
girl. She was always mine.”

“She was never yours, Gris. You just thought she was.”

“So she’s yours?” Gris said.

“She’s no one’s,” Forrester said. “Unless she wants to be. But I can tell you this. I’m
hers
. And I’m not going to let you hurt her ever again.”

Forrester was obviously still injured from everything that had happened to him in the jail, but Elle watched as he moved toward Gris. Gris strode toward him powerfully. When they met, Gris swung his pistol at Forrester’s face. Forrester blocked it, and threw a punch into Gris’s abdomen. Gris stepped back, surprised that Forrester could still fight, and then drew the weapon. Forrester stopped in his tracks.

“What’s stopping me from pulling this trigger, right now?” Gris said.

“No,” Elle cried, but the men didn’t hear her. Her voice was still weak from being choked. “No,” she tried again, but her voice was barely audible.

“You’re not going to pull the trigger,” Forrester said.

“And why’s that?” Gris snarled back at him.

“Because you know it wasn’t me that ruined your life. You know it wasn’t Elle either. I couldn’t steal her from you because you never owned her. A man never owns a woman. He just borrows her from God, and looks after her on behalf of God.”

“Where do you get this shit, fucko?”

“You know it’s true, Gris.”

“The hell I do.”

“A woman is like an angel in our life. Without them, everything’s cold and hard and empty. I know it. I learned it in my father’s basement as a child. You know it too, Gris.”

“Fuck you.”

“She was never yours. And you can’t keep her after she wants to leave. She was in your life for a period of time, and you should cherish that time. You should cherish the memory of it. Because I bet she was a million times better than what you deserved. I bet she brought nothing but joy and love into your life. I bet she gave you happiness, and warmth, and love.”

Gris was nodding his head. Elle couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe the words she was hearing from Forrester’s mouth. Was that really what he felt? Was that really the way he thought of her? That she was an angel, that was coming into his life to bring happiness and warmth? She didn’t know what to think. She started crying.

“Are you going to let her go peacefully?” Forrester said.

Gris dropped the gun. It was only then that Elle was able to breathe. She’d been holding her breath the entire time. Forrester bent down and picked up the gun, then strode toward Elle. She struggled to open her seat belt, she couldn’t get out of it fast enough. Forrester was limping toward her and it was clear he was a in a lot of pain. Elle finally got her seat belt opened and got out of the car. She ran toward Forrester and without thinking, leapt into his open arms. She couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t dared to dream she’d ever know such happiness.

Having Forrester, and then thinking she’d lost him. Going through the agony of thinking he’d given up on her. And now, having him back, it was too much for her senses to take. She burst into tears, even as Forrester started laughing. He was holding her up but she could feel his weakened body struggle.

“Oh god,” she cried. “You’re hurt. I’m so sorry.”

He put her back on the ground and she looked into his deep, loving eyes.

“I was afraid I’d never see you again, Forrester.”

“You’re going to see me every morning for the rest of your life, Elle. As soon as you open your eyes.”

“Did you really mean all those things you said to Gris, about a woman being an angel from heaven?”

“Every word of it, sweetie. I know you’re a treasure. I know you’re a gift from heaven. And I’ll never forget it.”

With that, Forrester leaned forward, and when his lips met hers, she thought she could feel herself melting. He wrapped his arms around her and made her feel so safe, so complete, that it was dizzying. She had no idea how she’d lived her life up to that point without him.

His tongue met hers, and she remembered all of the things that had made him impossible to forget. Impossible to live without. She could feel the heat inside her, the memory of the pleasures they’d shared, and would share again. She wanted him inside her. She wanted him to come inside her, without any protection, and make her pregnant with his child. She wanted his baby.

But she was getting ahead of herself. They broke their kiss and turned to Gris.

“I guess the car’s done for,” Gris said, dejectedly.

“Yeah, but the bike’s okay,” Forrester said, looking at it.

Elle looked at Gris. She knew she had to say goodbye to him, and she knew that this time it would be for good. It was difficult to take herself from Forrester’s arms but she did, and walked over to Gris.

“You can do this,” she said to him.

He looked terrified, like he didn’t understand what the future would hold for him without her.

“How can I?” he said. “How can I live without you, Elle?”

Elle just gave him a small smile. “You’ll figure it out.”

She turned and walked back toward Forrester. Gris’s voice stopped her.

“Elle,” he said.

“Yes?” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I did to you. For not treating you right.”

Elle nodded. “I know you are, Gris. Now don’t make the same mistakes with another woman. Women don’t deserve to be hurt or treated bad.”

“I’ll try not to,” he said.

Forrester had picked up the bike and started it. Elle ran over and climbed up onto it behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, careful not to hurt his broken ribs.