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Adam did a double-take, nearly unable to believe his eyes. The crazy woman was taking pictures - he knew who that was. And, putting two and two together, he knew that she had been the person tailing him on the highway.
His blood boiling, he started to march in her direction. He was fully intent on giving her a verbal lashing, his hands clenching into fists at how angry he felt, when the vision suddenly struck him.
He collapsed against the side of his Lexus, his temples splitting. The face that came into his mind was beautiful, terror-filled, and so familiar...
... It was Amy Dumas - yet again. She was once again in danger. A car, out of control... Not because the driver was drunk... They were going to lose control due to the rockslide, because they weren't yet aware of it... Amy... Screaming, struck by the car... The blood, the horror.
The tall blond man sprang into action as the vision cleared, his eyes focusing in an instant. He raced over to her, his steps surprisingly steady. A surge of rage still coursed through him. She was in trouble.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he cried, waving and gesturing at her before her camera.
She unfocused and lowered the lens. A dumbfounded expression crossed her lovely face, her lips parted. This was definitely awkward. He'd suddenly caught onto her. He knew, and she could read that in his eyes, his entire demeanor.
"Are you crazy, lady? You have to get out of here!"
Amy's embarrassment gave way for annoyance. What exactly was his problem? Sure, she'd followed him, but she hadn't meant any harm.
"What? I have a right to photograph this!" she exclaimed defensively. "Last I checked, it was a free country!"
"You're insane, you know that?" the man snarled. "You're nothing but trouble! You're gonna get yourself killed!"
She gave him an odd look. She was apparently clueless, judging by that look. She just didn't get it.
Adam strained his ears as she began shouting back at him again, and he all but drowned out her voice. He had no choice; he had to listen for the car, which was probably just around the bend.
"So I followed you!" she cried. "I guess I shouldn't have, but I can take pictures if I want - it's not-"
Her words were cut off as Adam acted, rashly grabbing her. She barely had a chance to even react but was grateful for the presence of mind to keep a firm grip on her camera.
The man carried her over to one side of the road, and that was when the nearly deafening sound of screeching tires hit her ears. She felt herself hitting the soft dirt of the ground, her camera finally dropping from her grip. A gust of air blew from her lungs and between her lips as she felt the man's weight briefly crashing on her as they rolled.
Amy raised her head at the sound of the crash. The blue Chevy had struck the railing on the opposite side of the road - exactly in the spot she'd just been standing... Adam Copeland had saved her life - again.
She stared, transixed, at the scene. The driver was apparently unharmed as he opened the door and stepped out. The hood of the vehicle had popped open upon impact.
Amy squeezed her eyes shut, wincing as she feared another explosion like the one that had claimed her Stratus. She turned to meet Adam's eyes, which also stared, unblinkingly, at the accident. Slowly, he shifted his green orbs toward her, and she knew he was perfectly able to read her mind.
However, when he spoke a moment later, she thought she might have actually been wrong this time. He gave her a stern look, and her blood ran cold.
"Next time you happen to see me, do yourself a favor and stay away." The tall blond man's voice was eerily calm and soft. "Stay away from me," he repeated.
With that, he rose, brushing himself off. He walked briskly away from her and simply left his car where it was, leaving on foot.
She continued to hover there, her breath coming in fast. Shocked, she retrieved her camera, clutching it against her as though protectively. She realized she could have been killed, had it not been for Copeland.
Lady! Lady, are you all right?"
She suddenly became aware of the man - the driver who'd just crashed - calling to her. He hurried over, offering her a hand.
"I'm fine," she said, still shaken. It was all she could offer as she accepted his hand. For some reason,
she felt absolutely horrible about the impression she'd given the mysterious tall blond man named Adam.