Mountain Devil Read Free

Even as a child, Brandon had been a jerk, the subtle playground bully, the popular kid who made up nicknames for everyone. And once, when Ella was eight, he’d set her hair on fire and claimed he’d caught her playing with matches.
    Yes, she thought, Brandon Andrews is a pig.
    As Ella convinced herself that everything would be OK—eventually—she rose up and peered around the wide tree. At the top of the path there was a huge rock overlooking a valley. She could spend hours sitting there, far away from the welcome center and most other hikers.
    But just as Ella reached for her backpack, a firm hand clamped over her mouth. Instantly, she was pressed firmly against the tree by a large, muscular body.

    A man—the second man, she realized—glared down at her with icy blue eyes. Her stomach flipped.
    She tried to squirm and kick, it was useless. His body was pressed so firmly against hers that she could smell him and feel his warm breath fanning against her cheeks.
    “Ella Emerson,” the man said, his voice like a winter chill. “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth now. If you scream, you’ll be sorry. Do you understand?”
    She nodded, terrified and certain she was about to die. But this man knew her name so maybe…
    Though the stranger uncovered her mouth, his body didn’t move away from hers. Breathing under the pressure of his hold was a challenge.
    “My name is Ed Peters. I’m a bounty hunter. The man who attacked you was a wanted criminal with a $25,000 bounty on his head. Thanks to you, he ran right into the hands of the police.”
    “But—”
    “Quiet,” he snapped, and his eyes hardened.
    “Turns out I didn’t lose as much money as I thought I did because there’s a reward on your head as well.
    Not exactly $25,000, but enough to make it worth my while.”
    Ella’s guts turned to water. A reward on her head! Not only did her family know she was missing, but they’d gone public already. “Please,” she begged.
    “Please let me go.” There were plenty of hours left before 3:00 p.m. If Ed returned her now, she’d have to marry Brandon.

    “Not a chance,” the man said. And with that, he pulled her onto the trail, holding her backpack in his free hand.
    “I can carry my own backpack,” she sneered.
    “It’s a three mile hike down to the parking lot.
    It’ll just slow you down. Besides, it’s heavy with all the items you stole from me.”
    Enraged and panicked, Ella had no choice but to continue. Ed’s grip on her arm was painful, and he kept urging her to move faster.
    “Please…Ed…you must listen to me.”
    “You have three miles,” he said.
    Ella glanced at him and cringed. He was so tall compared to her. And dreadfully muscular. There was no way she could overpower him physically, so she opted to negotiate. “My name is Ella Emerson,” she said, and immediately felt stupid. He already knew her name. “I’m supposed to get married at 3:00
    p.m. today, but I don’t want to marry Brandon Andrews. He’s a big jerk. I can’t stand him. But the wedding plans got out of control…”
    Ed stopped and glowered over her. “How old are you?”
    “Twenty-one, sir,” she replied, and then wondered where the sir came from.
    For a moment, his eyes softened and Ella felt hopeful. “That’s awfully young to be getting married,” he replied. “But you’re a missing person with a reward on your head, and I intend to return you to your family and collect that money.” When Ed turned to continue, Ella managed to kick his shin and wrench away. With no sense of direction, she zipped through the forest, her heart pounding in her ears. Less than an hour ago, a criminal had been chocking her and trying to steal her backpack. Now she was being chased by a bounty hunter. There was no way her day could get any worse…unless she had to marry Brandon Andrews.
    Just when Ella thought she was in the clear, Ed snatched her from behind a tree. Somehow, the man had managed to outrun her