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in the night as she retraced the path she’d taken two years ago when she’d walked into Nate’s house and changed her life forever.

CHAPTER THREE
    Gideon grinned with satisfaction as he watched Lily’s Hummer disappear down the driveway. She’d blown off his orders to wait for him, and he was damned impressed with that fact.
    She’d decided to save herself, using Gideon for cover while she escaped. She’d done it well, and he had to admit, he admired the fact she’d taken charge of her own destiny. Yeah, he’d be catching up with her as soon as he and Ian had finished taking out the rest of the crew and making sure no one would follow them, but he was still impressed.
    He tracked her vehicle carefully as she sped down the road, making sure she got away safely as he instinctively blocked another assailant going for his head. He was well aware of how broken she was. He’d felt her pain, her anguish, her terror. The extent of her exhaustion had been evident in every breath she took, in the trembling of her body and the weariness of her eyes, and yet she’d hauled ass out to that damn truck anyway.
    She shouldn’t have had to do that. It was his job to take care of her. Gideon’s smile faded as he recalled the intensity of her pain in that hallway. Her fear of him. Her refusal to trust him.
    Anger began to build inside him. How much had she suffered? He’d seen how bad Ana’s condition had been when they’d retrieved her. What had Nate done to Lily? A fierce fury built inside him, intense anger that had no place in a battle that required a cool, controlled warrior.
    But he couldn’t help it. He was royally pissed.
    Gideon hurled his axe at a warrior coming at Ian from behind, and tried to evaluate his burning need to protect Lily. He needed to understand why he’d responded to her physically, with so much intensity. He’d been so far from all-business in that hallway, it was an embarrassment. He had one job. One goal. One promise to keep, and that was to fulfill Order business every damn time.
    It was not to look at a woman and imagine how silky soft her skin would be, to envision what it would be like to feel her body against his, to hear her whisper his name with trust. Shit, just the thought of her now, and he was already getting worked up. What the hell was wrong with him?
    Gideon caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and spun to the right as two Calydons broke from the battle and sprinted down the driveway after Lily’s Hummer, so fast they were mere blurs even to his enhanced eyes.
    Adrenaline leapt into high gear. Fuck. They were Runners. They’d be able to catch up to Lily’s truck, and fast. All amusement gone, Gideon hurled both his axes after them. One axe slammed into the back of the Calydon on the right with the deadly precision of an Order of the Blade warrior, knocking him down. But the other warrior blocked the axe with his machete and then disappeared into the night, a dark streak hunting the woman Gideon had come to retrieve.
    Son of a bitch. He’d missed. How the hell had he missed? He never missed. But he had, and now the bastard was on Lily’s tail. What the fuck? “Ian! We’re going after her!”
    “I saw him.” Ian swung his flange mace with fierce intensity, taking out a Calydon charging Gideon. “Let’s go.”
    Gideon’s axes returned to him, and he sprinted for his truck, oblivious to the battle raging around him. All he could think of was Lily in that Hummer, alone in the middle of fucking nowhere, and that bastard finding her. Gideon swore and yanked open the door, leaping behind the wheel as a dagger flew at him. He swung at it with violent force, driving it to the ground as he gunned the engine. He had the truck in gear and moving before his door was even closed.
    Ian leapt in as Gideon peeled past him. The tires spun out on the sandy driveway, then they caught traction. The vehicle leapt forward, leaving behind the eight remaining Calydons who were