Hunter moved slightly and gave the kid room to move toward Alexis.

Without lifting his head, Hunter reached down and pulled up the gun he kept tucked in his ankle holster.

His palms were actually damp as he chambered a round. Being shot at was something he’d become accustomed to. But to shoot at his son—a child—was too much.

A red haze blurred Hunter’s vision for an instant. He’d kill whoever it was for that alone.

“Go, Alexis,” he hissed.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched her and Jonathan belly-crawl across the sand. There hadn’t been any more shots, which could mean a number of things. That fake fisherman was waiting for him to reveal himself or he was going to try to get to them from another angle.

Hunter was betting on the first. If the man was a pro, it would take too much time to head down the beach, then loop back up and try to get them. He’d have to know they’d be gone by the time he found another approach.

Blood rushed wildly in his ears. He’d been in worse situations than this but never involving a kid. And with the exception of yesterday, never with people he cared about. He’d messed up so badly where it came to Alexis. He couldn’t let her down again. Not now.

Keeping low, he crawled down a couple yards, drew his gun higher, then slightly lifted his head. No one was there.

Shit!

Whoever had been there had likely found a way to double back. He turned around and belly-crawled after Alexis and Jonathan.

When he got to them, Jonathan’s eyes were wide and Alexis didn’t look much better. “Follow me,” he whispered.

Alexis nodded jerkily.

Continuing his pace, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were right behind him. The sand hills and house gave them decent cover, but they needed to get somewhere more hidden. Back to the house or to their vehicle were the best options at the moment.

Protect Jonathan and Alexis. The words bounced around his skull.

Once he reached the wooden walkway, he waited until they sidled up to him. “We’re going to head up to the back of this house, then try to make it to the front.” They could use the giant beach house and neighboring one as cover. From there they should be able to run to their own place.

First Hunter rolled onto the wooden planks. Then he lifted Jonathan, and Alexis crawled up after him.

He shifted onto his feet but stayed crouched low. They both followed suit.

“Ready?”

They both nodded. The fear he saw in Jonathan’s dark eyes clawed at him but he wouldn’t allow himself to focus on it.

There would be enough time for self-loathing later. This was just another glaring reminder of exactly why he had no place in their lives.

As they rushed down the long walkway it was impossible to cover the pounding of their feet. Once they reached the end, he motioned for them to stop. He peered around the deck and back area, but didn’t step forward.

Everything appeared clear, but he couldn’t be sure.

“I want you to crawl under there.” Keeping his voice low, he motioned to the side of the walkway. It dropped off into the sand and there was a thick bunch of sea grass that would give them cover. It wasn’t a good long-term solution but Hunter needed to flush out this guy if he was nearby.

He couldn’t do his job if he was worrying about them. And the two of them were walking targets. Something told Hunter that the shooter wouldn’t hurt Jonathan—they probably wanted him as backup leverage—but they wouldn’t care about hitting Alexis.

Using a huge potted palm as cover, he waited until they were in position before inching forward. Without warning the pot exploded.

Shards of pottery flew everywhere, bathing him. But he’d seen where the flash had come from. The deck next door.

With no choice but to reveal himself further, he half-stood and started firing. As he began emptying his clip, the hooded man jumped over the railing of the neighboring deck. Hunter fired again. Wood splintered and flew in all directions as he missed him by a few inches.

The man sprinted in the direction of the front yard.

Now that Hunter had him on the run, he had to go after him. Hunter hated to leave Alexis and Jonathan but if he could find out who this guy was or stop him, they’d be closer to returning to their lives. It might be without him, but at least they’d be safe. Alive.

He rounded the corner of the house just in time to see the man jump onto a motorcycle waiting in the driveway. Hunter started to fire again, but as the man revved the engine and started to peel away, an elderly couple came into view.

They were simply walking on the sidewalk minding their own business. He couldn’t risk hitting them. As the bike tore down the street, Hunter cursed.

He needed to get to Alexis and Jonathan, and unfortunately they couldn’t stay at the house. Whoever was after them obviously knew where they were now.

Hunter cringed as he took in the motel room’s appearance. Dusty drapes covered the window and there was a brown stain on one of the lime-green comforters. He hoped they wouldn’t be staying there long, but he’d had to get a place that wouldn’t ask for identification or credit cards. Cash wasn’t the problem. He had about twenty thousand dollars on him, and once he could get his hands on the rest of his accounts, money definitely wouldn’t be an issue. It was one of the few things that soothed his conscience, knowing he’d be able to financially take care of them once he was gone. They’d have Michael in their lives, but he’d still provide for them.

Alexis jumped when there was a knock on the door.

“I need you to get into the other room.” He’d gotten adjoining rooms so that Alexis and Jonathan would be close by when he met Alan. He didn’t want the other man knowing where they were. He didn’t want anyone knowing their location. Especially after what had just happened.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Remember the plan?” If anything happened to him, Alexis was to take Jonathan and run back to Hurley Beach. Not the best plan, but it was better than her going on the run alone. Besides, if he was dead, it was unlikely anyone would continue hunting her, and at least there, she’d be with Michael. Hunter might not like the guy, but he’d rather her be with him than by herself.

“Of course I do.” She quietly opened and shut the adjoining door. After a quick scan to make sure there was no trace of Alexis’s or Jonathan’s things in the room, he headed for the door.

There was another knock. He gritted his teeth and went to answer it. With his hand on his weapon, he pulled the drapes back a fraction. When he saw who it was, he tucked his gun away before opening the door.

Alan pushed past him and shut the door behind him. “Why the hell are you at this crappy motel?”

He contemplated telling him about the recent attack but decided against it. “Don’t worry about it.”

Alan shook his head. “Whatever. I talked to Connor and he wants to meet tomorrow morning.”

Hunter tempered the automatic surge of anger whenever he heard Carl Connor’s name. “So he’s in town right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t he come with you?” Hunter asked.

“He wasn’t sure what kind of reception he’d get.” Alan stuck a hand in his jeans pocket, and Hunter instinctively reached for the gun he’d tucked into his back waistband.

“Whoa, calm down, man.” Alan lifted his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just getting a piece of gum.”

He let his hands fall, but remained tense. “We meet in an hour or we don’t meet at all.”

Alan’s green eyes narrowed at him. “Where?”

Hunter frowned. The other man didn’t seem surprised at his demand so now he had to rethink his end plan. “At the Wright Brothers Memorial.”

Alan sighed. “Fine.”

Hunter pulled out a throwaway phone he’d been holding on to for an emergency and turned it on. “What’s his number?” He programmed the number Alan rattled off before slipping the cell in his back pocket. Then he opened the front door. “I’ll be in touch.”

Alan’s eyes widened slightly. “Damn, I can take a hint. Hey, where’s your woman?”

“She’s not my… She’s not here, but I’ve got her and the boy somewhere safe.”

“Good.”

Once Hunter had shut the door behind him, he opened the other door and Alexis nearly toppled through into the room. It was obvious she’d been listening at the door. After he told her his plan to meet Connor, she glared at him.

Without a word, she pushed farther into the room. He froze for a moment as he watched her walk away. Her jeans molded to her curves perfectly, reminding him of what he wanted but couldn’t have. What he wouldn’t give to slide his hands down her hips and back around to her behind. To pull her tight against him and let her feel how much she affected him. Lust swelled inside him at the image of her naked. Panting. All his.

Groaning, he struggled to ignore his physical reaction and followed her into the tiny kitchenette. Now was not the time to get turned on.

He’d never understood how being near her made him so crazy. They only had to be in the same room and a certain part of his anatomy simply reacted. His physical response to her was completely primal. Even he knew that. It had never happened before meeting her, or since. One small woman shouldn’t have such an effect on him. Yet all she had to do was train those blue eyes on him and a switch flipped.

“How could you just decide to meet him in an hour without asking me?” She slammed her fist against the peeling countertop and turned back to face him.

Sighing, he took a few steps closer. Might as well let her get it all out before he left. “I need to meet him before he and his team have time to set up any security.”

“You could have at least mentioned what you were thinking.” Her lips pulled into a thin line.

Ignoring his instinct to back off and give her space, he moved across the tile in a few short steps and pulled her against him. When he went to meet Connor, he knew it could be a trap. This could be the last time he saw Alexis, and he wanted to feel her hot body against his. Just once more.