Free aHunter4Trust by Cynthia A. Clement Page A

control of the vehicle as it skidded across the road and over the
sidewalk.
    They came to a stop just before crashing
into a pole.
    When he looked down there was blood on his
hands.
    Tamsin was injured.

Chapter 8
     
    “I can’t breathe.” Tamsin tried to push
Darrogh away.
    “Be still.” His voice was a low whisper as
he shifted his weight off her. “We must be certain it is safe.”
    “It was a tire blowout, that’s all.”
    “Jehon is very thorough about checking the
vehicle.”
    She could feel the tension in Darrogh’s
body.
    “The tires were fine.”
    Darrogh wasn’t going to let her up until he
was ready. She took a deep breath and relaxed. She felt safe with him and even
though it was probably just a freak accident, she’d let him play the hero.
    A vehicle stopped beside them. The door
opened and she could hear footsteps running toward them. Could Darrogh have
been right about them being followed? It was crazy to think that someone could
be attacked in broad daylight in a city as busy as London. Surely someone would
stop them?
    “There is no need for concern. It is my
men.” Darrogh eased himself away from her. “You are bleeding.”
    Tamsin brushed her fingers across her
forehead. It was sticky and wet. “I must have hit my head when the car lurched
forward.”
    Darrogh turned her so that she faced him.
He moved her hair away and examined the cut. “It is minor. It has almost
stopped bleeding.”
    Tamsin leaned back against the seat. “What
do we do now?”
    “Once the area is secured, we will move you
to the van and continue to your house.”
    It took a few minutes before she was
hurried into the rear of the van. Darrogh used his body to shield her, and only
left her side once she was safely inside the vehicle. Firbin was in the
driver’s seat. Breanon sat with his rifle aimed out the tinted window on one
side of the van, while Kerm did the same on the opposite. A shiver went through
her. These men didn’t think this had been an accident.
    When had her life become so dangerous? All
she wanted was to go home and relax. To put her feet up on the couch and forget
about the ordeals she’d been through in the last twenty-four hours.
    The van door opened and Darrogh and Savis
jumped in before slamming the rear door closed. Darrogh sat beside her while
Savis went to a computer that was mounted on a shelf behind the driver’s seat.
Neither man looked at her or spoke. As if on silent command, both Kerm and
Breanon seemed to tense and tighten their hold on their weapons.
    The vehicle jerked forward.
    “Is everything all right?”
    “There was a bullet in the tire.” Darrogh’s
voice was matter of fact. “It was meant as a warning.”
    Tamsin’s heart started to beat at a furious
rate. “How can you be certain?”
    “We would be dead otherwise. They need you
alive until your father submits to their demands.” Darrogh’s tone was dry. “We
have to get you to safety.”
    “If I start running, I’ll never stop.”
Tamsin pushed away her fear. “You can’t submit to people like this.”
    “Protecting yourself so that you can fight
another day is not giving in. Retreat is an honorable and often successful
strategy.” Darrogh’s voice remained calm. “These people will not stop until
they have carried out their threat. They have no concern for human life and
they consider you disposable.”
    “We should go to the police and tell them.”
Tamsin clasped her hands together to prevent them from shaking. She had never
seen Darrogh so serious before and it scared her. “If they’re as bad as you
say, then they shouldn’t be walking around free.”
    Darrogh’s jaw clenched. “They do not answer
to anyone.”
    “That’s ridiculous.” Tamsin muttered.
“Everyone has to be accountable or there would be chaos.”
    “Exactly.” Darrogh gave her an intense
stare.
    His eyes were cold with determination and
knowledge.
    A shiver of fear raced up her spine.
    What wasn’t he telling her? She