The Professional. Addison Fox

through the fence, and he couldn’t help his quick appreciation for the delectable backside that winked up at him like a beautiful upside-down heart.

      “Stop looking at my ass.”

      Max crawled through, then grinned at her as he cleared the fence. “Ah. There’s my girl.”

      “I’m not—” Her words vanished into the Texas countryside as the unmistakable squeal of tires lit up the night air. Burning rubber assailed his nose as a black SUV came barreling toward them.

      * * *

      “Violet!”

      Max had her in hand, dragging her back under the fence and toward a small copse of trees she’d seen at the far end of the property. The sheer menace of the SUV bore down on the car Max had parked down the way. The horrific shriek of metal on metal lit up the air around them, followed by a wash of sparks where the two vehicles struck each other.

      Violet found herself briefly mesmerized by the display before the driver shifted, backed up and headed determinedly toward them on the other side of the barbed-wire fence.

      Was this it?

      Had she really been rescued by Max only to die like this? On the side of the road in the middle of who knew where?

      “Come on!” Max’s large hand was firm around hers as he dragged her farther into the trees.

      As escape routes went, it wasn’t ideal, but the trees were enough of a deterrent that the driver would either lose them or have to get out on foot. Max maintained a determined pace, his steps sure and steady as he navigated through the increasingly wooded area.

      The SUV crashed through the fence, and the gunning of the engine bore down on them with all the menace of a hellhound. Again, Violet couldn’t quite shake the idea that she’d made it this far only to risk death at the hands of a maniac bent on destruction.

      The vision of both of them lying flattened in the Texas countryside vanished as she stepped on something sharp, an involuntary cry escaping her lips before she hopped toward Max on one foot.

      “What is it?”

      “My foot.”

      Max barely broke his stride. He simply reached for her, slinging her over his shoulder. She wanted to protest but knew the move was meant to protect instead of conquer, so she kept quiet as he headed farther into the trees. Her stomach still stung from Alex’s earlier beating, but she held back the cry of pain as her body bounced on Max’s broad shoulder.