To Have A Heart (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 7)

“Well, nothing.”

“Did you scrawl your name on the walls?”

“No. They would have beaten me if I had.”

“Have you left any personal affects behind?”

“No.”

“Then he is unlikely to burn himself out of his own home, isn’t he?”

“I suppose.”

“Believe me when I tell you that you have to understand your friend a little better. He works in strange ways sometimes, but always gets results. Your friend was the one who made that house explode. He gave you the chance to escape.”

Mallory was so engrossed in her thoughts that she followed him without really thinking about the toll it was taking on her body. Until about an hour after the house disappeared from view, and Mallory saw where Callum had taken them.

“It’s a horse,” she said blankly, as if Callum couldn’t see that for herself.

“So it is,” Callum grinned.

It wasn’t just any horse. This horse was neatly saddled, and blithely munching grass while waiting for his owner – Callum – to fetch him. The horse recognised him the second he looked up. With a low whinny, Horace ambled over to Callum, but only so he could nuzzle Callum’s pockets for treats.

“I am not getting on that thing,” Mallory protested loudly. “I cannot ride.”

“You are going to ride on my horse with me,” Callum informed her firmly. “Now hurry up and come over here. Horace won’t bite you.”

“Horace?”

Mallory scowled at the horse. It didn’t look like a Horace.

“It’s huge,” she whispered.

“He is going to get us out of here a lot faster, that is what he is,” Callum replied bluntly. “Now come on over and say ‘hello’. We must keep moving.”

While he couldn’t see the guards now, he knew he couldn’t rest easy yet.

Reluctantly, Mallory did as Callum instructed.

“Put your foot in the stirrup,” Callum ordered gently.

Before Mallory could lift a foot off the ground, Callum lifted her effortlessly into his arms and swung her onto the huge beast. Mallory tensed and clung to the saddle. Before she could slither off and land in an undignified heap on the floor, Callum settled himself behind her.

The feel of him sitting so scandalously close was enough to make Mallory blush. At first, she tensed. She didn’t want to relax against him. It wasn’t the proper thing for any respectable lady to do. It was only when her muscles began to ache at being forced to hold herself rigidly upright while trying to balance on a moving horse that eventually compelled her to relax a little. As she did, Mallory settled against him into a far more comfortable position.

Callum wrapped his arms around her narrow waist and picked up the reins. Wheeling the horse around he nudged it into motion.

“Sit still, and hold on to me,” he urged gently. “Don’t sit tense or you are likely to fall off.”

Mallory did as instructed but was left clinging to him with a familiarity that made her cheeks blush even more fiercely.

“Hold on,” Callum grinned only for that smile to fall instantly when another loud boom of gunshot shattered the silence.

The bullet whooshed past Callum’s ear so shockingly close Callum stared in amazement at the trees. He knew exactly where the gunman was hiding; in the trees right beside them. Determined not to be hit, Callum dug his heels into Horace’s sides and ducked low over the saddle, effectively hunching over Mallory to protect her. He had ridden many miles on Horace, and knew the horse was used to racing through the night. He could pick a path better than Callum himself and so Callum made no attempt to slow him when Horace dropped his head and cantered even faster.

“Callum,” Mallory moaned as she was jostled about.

“Sit tight and hold on,” Callum growled.