Free Captured by Victoria Lynne Page A

I’d—”
    “I know what you thought.” Cole moved slowly toward her, tracing his rough hand gently across her cheek. His body was only inches away, raw power and sensuality emanating from him like heat from a fire. Devon froze, captivated by his touch. His deep voice was soft, almost a whisper. “I’d be happy to oblige you, Devon Blake, but know this: nothing changes. You’re still going to prison, and Jonas Sharpe will die under my hand.”
    Had he slapped her across the face, Devon could not have been more stunned. She jerked back, alarm and indignation flashing in her soft green eyes. “I wasn’t offering—”
    “The hell you weren’t.”
    “I thought you might be hurt.”
    “Did you? And just where did you acquire your nursing skills, in a brothel?”
    Devon drew in a sharp breath. “Obviously I made a mistake,” she conceded regally. Determined to regain her dignity, she rose to her feet. “I should have let you bleed to death.”
    He grabbed her arm as she spun away from him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
    “I require a few moments’ privacy. I have to… to attend to myself.”
    His eyes narrowed, but he let her go. “Two minutes.”
    Devon moved quickly away from him, skirting through a hedge of boxwood and into a dense grove of cedar. She saw to her needs, irritated to find that her hands were still shaking. Once again, she’d completely lost control of the situation. He’d gotten to her, and she was furious with herself. She was also flustered, embarrassed, and thoroughly confused.
    After years of being in complete control of whatever situation she found herself in, Cole McRae’s ability to muddle her thinking was entirely unprecedented. Not only was it dangerous, it was a shocking blow to her pride. She had to get away from him. No sooner had the thought flitted through her mind when the realization hit home that this was the perfect opportunity. Devon frowned. It couldn’t possibly be this easy. And yet…
    She lifted her head, listening. Her two minutes were up, but she heard no sound of Cole coming after her. They were alone and on foot, she thought, weighing the odds. Ordinarily that would give Cole the advantage, but surely his leg wound would slow him down. Not only that, he’d let her wander out of his sight, so he’d have no idea in which direction she headed.
    Devon lifted her sodden skirts and moved cautiously away from her captor. She set a brisk pace until she was confident he was out of earshot, and then broke into an all-out run. She moved recklessly, dodging fallen logs and tree stumps, trampling shrubbery and leaves beneath her feet. Beads of sweat clung to her skin as the midday heat bore down on her, thick and heavy as a blast from a baker’s oven. The muggy air made breathing almost impossible and turned her arms and legs to lead, but she refused to let it slow her down. Exhausted and exhilarated, driven by desperation, she kept moving.
    After a few minutes, Devon risked a glance over her shoulder. Still nothing. Victory swelled in her chest. She’d done it. She’d escaped. It had been so simple, so easy. Now all she had to do was make her way back to the harbor and find Jonas Sharpe—
    Suddenly Cole McRae stepped out from behind a tree directly in front of her.
    “No!” The word flew from her lips before she could stop it. She cut sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding flinging herself into his outstretched arms. She heard his dark curse as she sprinted past, felt his hands brush the fabric of her gown. He was on her heels in an instant. The sound of his heavy, booted tread roared like thunder in her ears. Devon panicked. Her heart pumping furiously, using every last bit of energy she possessed, she pushed herself to run faster than she ever had in her life.
    It wasn’t fast enough.
    Cole neatly closed the gap between them and brought Devon down with a flying tackle. With a strength born of terror, she twisted and rolled from beneath his grasp,