Read Her Own Best Enemy (The Remnants, Book 1) for Free Online

sound of splintering wood ended the argument. Keith grabbed her wrist and yanked her into her bedroom. He slid open the window and mashed the screen out with a vicious kick.
    “Go.”
    He pushed her ahead of him and before she could get her bearings she landed on the ground. Her feet fought for purchase on the damp ground as Keith suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the wooded area beside the house. The staccato rhythm of gunfire burst from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and stopped, stunned.
    Two men, dressed in black from head to toe, raced behind them, guns pointed at her and Keith.
    “Run.”
    Keith’s harsh command yanked her to attention. He pushed her in front of him and she ran, weaving in and out of the trees. Her property backed up to the National forest. They could run for miles, get lost in the woods.
    “Where are we going?” She gasped, her heart pounding, her skin clammy with sweat.
    “Just move it.”
    Okay. She could do that.
    A gust of wind tore through the fabric of her cotton shirt. A large dark cloud cast an eerie grayness to the trees and ground.
    Not more rain.
    A single drop pelted her in the nose and she swiped it away with the back of her hand. Before she knew quite what had happened, they’d circled back to the house. A bit of the rock chimney poked through the thick trees. Surely he didn’t mean to go back there?
    She stopped. “Keith, why are we going back?”
    He tossed her a quick censured glance. “I’m going for the Jeep. You still got the keys?”
    She patted the pockets of her jeans. “Yep.”
    “Good. Hand ‘em over.”
    A tree exploded in front of them. A piece of the bark flew off and smacked her in the cheek. She yelped and started running again. Keith picked up the pace. His long legs ate up the ground, forcing her much shorter ones to do double-time.
    The ground had soaked up the moisture from yesterday’s rain, making the dirt soft and slippery. Keith angled sharply to the left, away from the house. Her foot slipped as she righted her course.
    They weaved, left, right, until the trees began to blur before her eyes, burying them deep into the thick forest. Keith hopped over a thick fallen log, the prickly pine needles sticking up from the branches like a porcupine, and pulled her down beside him.
    “Give me the keys.”
    She fished them out of her pocket and tossed them at him.
    “Good.” He pressed them into her palm and closed her fingers over them. “You get the Jeep. As fast as you can. I’ll draw them away from the house and circle back to meet you.”
    “No, Keith, that’s not—”
    “It’s the best way. If I can take one or both of them out, or at least buy us some time—”
    She shook her head. “It’s too risky. I need you to—”
    His eyes flashed irritation. “If we’re both dead, who’s left to find your son?”
    She swallowed. He was right. But the thought of leaving him behind as target practice for those men made her stomach churn.
    No. This was not her fault. These men were after him . He’d brought them here. Her first priority was to Ryker. She had to go...even if it meant romping on that gas pedal and leaving Keith behind.
    He gripped her fist in his strong hand and she forced herself to meet his gaze. She saw her own thoughts reflected in his eyes.
    “Go.” He squeezed her fingers. “I’ll be fine.” He released her hand and gave her a gentle shove.
    She took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. Adrenaline kicked into overdrive and she ran for the Jeep. The closer she came to the house, the stronger the smell of smoke. She coughed, trying to remove the acrid stench from her throat. Through the pine branches she could see the bright orange flames that licked at the left side of her house. Smoke spiraled upward and mingled with the gray sky. Another drop of rain struck her cheek, but it wasn’t enough to curb the growing fire.
    Pain squeezed her heart and she bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood. She