Danni Rose (The Sherwood)

She nodded and headed to the closet. “Wait a second,” Jamison shouted. “Where’s Danni going?”

Walker sighed. “She’s putting on a robe.”

“No, she’s not. She’s just fine in that sexy nightgown. Get out here.” They neither one moved. Her gown was flimsy but not sexy. It was white and came to her knees. She felt uncomfortable and was naked beneath the gown, Walker knew.

“Jamison, Danni is cold. Let her at least grab a sweater or hoodie.”

“As long as she doesn’t have to go to the closet. She stays in sight.”

/> Walker looked around. On the rocking chair was her favorite sweater. “Grab it,” he told her. She snatched it up and walked back to him, slipping her arms into the sleeves. He helped her pull it up and squeezed her shoulders, reassuring her that everything would be fine.

Then he guided Danni to the other room. “I’m driving Danni’s truck into town to the bank.”

“No, I don’t think you will. I think you’ll walk. It will give us more time with Danni.”

She clung to him which made him not want to leave her. Walker didn’t think they would hurt her. Jamison got off on scaring people but that was bad enough when he knew that he would have to leave Danni and the longer he was gone, the longer Jamison would have fun with her.

He gripped Danni’s arms. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can,” Walker reassured Danni. He was already formulating a plan in his head. He would run not walk to the bank. He would call Matt or Simon whoever could get to him first from the bank while the bank got his money together.

She nodded.

He kissed her forehead and headed to the front door. He looked back once. He wanted to warn Jamison but decided that telling him anything would only make him harder on Danni. He stepped through the door, he heard Jamison say something to Danni. He looked back, and she drew her sweater tighter around her body. He was only prolonging the agony. Walker took off running across the yard and down the drive. He ran into the street and down the road. He counted in his head.

One, one thousand.

Two, one thousand.

So, he would know exactly how long he had been away from Danni. How long she had been alone with Jamison. Drive time to town, where the bank sat in the middle of the town on the corner of Main and Third was ten minutes. Walking could easily take him thirty-five minutes. Running…

He didn’t know how long his legs and his lungs would last. He hadn’t jogged in years, but he would run until he couldn’t run anymore. Danni was counting on him. Running, if he ran the entire way, he thought he could make it in twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Years ago, when he was in high school and he was faster. He ran the forty-yard dash in 4.2 seconds. He kept that in the back of his mind. He was seventeen the last time he ran that fast. Now he was a thirty-five-year-old man with the love of his life waiting on him with two dangerous men. He paced himself, so his legs would hold out.

Sixty, one thousand.

Sixty-one one thousand.

Sixty-two one thousand.

The image of her face last night at the pub when he hurt Danni and this morning when he left her kept playing through his mind. He almost lost track of his counting. He had been gone one minute but it seemed like forever.

Walker’s boots weren’t meant for running. They made his knees hurt and the balls of his feet throbbed already.

Three hundred. One thousand.

Three hundred one, one thousand.

Five minutes, Danni had been alone with Jamison and his goons. He was sweating profusely. His legs were already feeling like lead weights were dragging him down. He could dead lift five hundred pounds. With his legs, he could press a thousand pounds. Walker was strong, but he needed to work on his cardio.

Rachel pulled alongside him and stopped her car. He almost dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. He opened the door to her car. “I need to go to the bank,” he gasped. “And use your phone.”

Rachel took off and handed him her cellphone. He dialed Simon’s cell phone. “Simon.” He was still trying to catch his breath.

“Walker, what the hell is wrong? Why do you have Rachel’s phone?”

“Jamison showed up last night with Robby Halbert. I had to leave Danni with them while I went to get the money. He wouldn’t let me take her truck. Rachel just pulled up beside me running to town. Dammit, Simon I had to leave her.” He was about to sob. He was afraid for Danni.

“Walker calm down. I’ll take care of Danni. You get the money. We’ll pay you back, son,” he added.