He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

head, accompanied by a loud cracking noise.
    Logan wrapped his arms around her, pulled her tightly against his chest as he lunged toward the protective cover of the trees. He twisted in midair so he landed on his back with her on top of him.
    Before she could gather her wits and figure out what was happening he yanked her to her feet and pulled her with him down the path in a mad dash, weaving like a drunken sailor from one side to the other.
    Another puff of bark exploded on a tree next to him. The loud crack was enough for Amanda to finally realize what was happening.
    Someone was shooting at them.
    The trees to the right of the path were so close together and thick with underbrush, there was no escape. Logan pulled her with him toward some trees to the left of the path where the underbrush was thinner, but a shot near his foot had him weaving back to the right.
    They had no choice but to run down the path toward the creek. The shooter was herding them along, a trap. From the cursing coming from Logan, Amanda knew he’d come to the same conclusion.
    The next shot was so close that splinters of tree bark flew at his face. Amanda tried to stop to check on him, but he wouldn’t let her. His right arm was wrapped around her shoulder and he had her glued to his side so none of her was exposed to the shooter.
    “Let go of me so you can use your gun,” she cried out.
    “I have to get you to cover first. Come on, run,” he urged. “The brush is thinner near the creek. We’ll be able to get into the trees there.”
    “But you’re hurt. My God, you’re bleeding.” Blood was pouring from a cut on his cheek but running like they were—continually zigzagging—she couldn’t reach up to check how bad it was.
    The next shot wasn’t as close as the last one. It drove into the dirt a few yards to their left but it was close enough for her to realize that none of the shots seemed directed at her.
    The shooter wasn’t aiming at her.
    He was aiming at Logan.
    They reached the creek and just as he was pushing her toward an opening in the trees on the right side of the path, she saw the silhouette of a man deep in the pines on their left, raising his arm and aiming his gun straight at Logan.
    This close, there was no way he would miss.
    She ducked beneath Logan’s arm and twisted around to his left side, wrapping her arms around his waist just as a shot rang out.
    Logan lunged with her toward a clump of palmettos, anchoring her to his chest as they rolled on the ground until they were securely off the path.
    She squealed when a shadow broke away from a tree behind him, but Logan pressed his hand against her mouth to silence her. Without turning around he said, “It took you long enough.”
    “Excuse me, Daniel Boone. I don’t know these woods and had to double back to find an opening.”
    Amanda relaxed in relief when she recognized Pierce’s voice.
    Logan dropped his hand from her mouth. “What were you thinking? Why did you throw yourself in front of me?” His voice was low and angry, his eyes dark, almost black.
    “He was shooting at you . Not me.”
    “Don’t you think I know that?” he said, exasperation evident in his voice.
    “Then why didn’t you let me go so you could use your gun to defend yourself? I would have been okay. He wasn’t trying to shoot me.”
    “I couldn’t risk it. You would have been too exposed.” He turned to Pierce. “Do you think you got him?”
    “I only got one shot off. If I didn’t hit him, I came damn close. He knows there are two of us now. He’s probably on the run.”
    “Call for backup.”
    “Already done.”
    “Then take this little spitfire back to the house before she gets herself killed.”
    She gasped in outrage and sat up. As she wiped the pine needles from her shirt, she said, “I can take myself back to the house. I don’t need Pierce’s help.”
    “I’ll be sure and tell Logan you said that when he gets back.”
    She looked up, stunned to see that Logan wasn’t there. Instead, Pierce was standing over her with his gun in his right hand, pointed away from her. He held out his left hand to pull her to her feet.
    “Where did he go?” she demanded as she accepted his help and stood.
    “To catch the bad guy.”
    “Shouldn’t you be helping him?”
    “Yes. And just as soon as I have you safely in the house, I will.”
    She felt the blood rush from her face as she realized Logan’s prediction had come true. She was a liability. Cold fear