Free The Marshal's Witness by Lena Diaz Page A

but he can help us figure out who wecan trust to help us.”
    What Ryan didn’t tell her was that their only chance to elude any trackers on their trail was to go into some rough terrain, where even the motorcycle couldn’t go. They’d have to hoof it from there. He hoped city girl could handle it. She looked like she was in good physical condition, but she wasn’t used to hiking for hours on end. She also couldn’t hike with clothesso big they were falling off her, and floppy shoes that tripped her up. He’d have to do something about that if she agreed to his plan.
    “Where would we stay?” she asked. “How would we survive?”
    The uncertainty in her voice was palpable, but she seemed to be seriously considering going on the run with him. Maybe she was tougher than he thought. Then again, maybe she just didn’t realizeexactly how hard the next few days could be if they stayed in the mountains. He decided to lay it all out, so she couldn’t say later that he hadn’t warned her.
    “It won’t be easy,” he said. “The nights are bitterly cold in these elevations this time of year. I brought some energy bars and water, but not enough to sustain us for long. We’ll have to live off the land.”
    A look of doubt crossedher face. “Live off the land? What does that mean?”
    “No grocery stores, no electricity, no soft bed to sleep in...no bathroom.” He waited for that to sink in. From the disgruntled look on her face, he guessed the no bathroom comment had made her decision for her.
    The disappointment that flashed through him surprised him. Not that he wanted to tough it out in the mountains any more thanshe did, but he’d thought, for a few minutes, anyway, that Jessica was stronger than she looked. He’d thought she was more of a fighter than she’d shown so far.
    She kicked the crate on the floor in front of her. “Why are you trying to talk me out of going with you? Do you think I should surrender to the marshals?”
    “Do I think...wait, you still want to go with me? Even without a bathroom?”
    Her face flushed an adorable shade of pink. “Surviving in the wilderness without any luxuries isn’t at the top of my list of fun things to do. But it’s still surviving. If it weren’t for you, I would have died at the courthouse. And I doubt too many people would rescue me from a burning house the way you did. I’ll take my chances with you.”
    Her little speech surprised him...again. Shewasn’t conforming to that neat little check box he’d marked off in his mind when he’d first met her.
    “Ryan, will you get in trouble for helping me? Your boss—”
    “Let me worry about him. Keeping you safe is more important.”
    “Why?”
    He frowned. “Why what?”
    She took a step closer, so close he could smell the smoke still clinging to her hair. But instead of making him want tostep back, it made him want to hold her close and protect her.
    “You risked your life for me last night,” Jessica said. “You saved my life.”
    He shook his head, ready to argue with her that anyone would have done what he did, but she reached up and cupped his face with her hands.
    “If protecting me means losing your job, why would you do it? Why would you continue to risk your lifefor me?”
    The shock of her soft, warm hands on his face had his pulse picking up. His gut tightened, and his gaze seemed to drop against his will to her oh-so-tempting mouth, just inches away. All he had to do was lean down and he could capture her lips with his.
    Maybe he should.
    If he kissed her now, would that get this insane desire out of his system? He could satisfy his curiosity,slake this desperate need. Then maybe he wouldn’t want her so badly. He wouldn’t be in an almost constant state of arousal around her, as he had been all night while riding the motorcycle, her breasts burning a hole in his back every time the bike bounced over the trail. The only thing holding him back right now was the way her brown eyes stared up