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“Get your shit sorted, Ransom. Brynn’s out there being tough for you. Show her the same respect.”
His teammate was right. He locked down his spiraling emotions and started the desperate search for the woman he loved. She could be gravely injured, and every moment that passed was one that her life could be slipping away. From him and from Jacob.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Breathing hurt. Hell, everything hurt. Brynn was lucky to be alive; now she just had to find help. She’d lost feeling in her elbows and belly long ago, but could tell they were bleeding as she dragged herself over the forest floor because dried leaves and twigs stuck to her like magnets. Now that it was raining, all of her was soaked anyway. She cataloged her injuries as she crawled. At least one of her legs was broken. The return of feeling to lower extremities was bittersweet. She was shaking with pain but, at least for now, she still had sensation in her legs. She just couldn’t put weight on the left without a gut-wrenching slide of bone-on-bone pain in her femur. After the explosion, she must’ve lost consciousness. The blast had knocked her off the rock she’d fallen on, tossing her to the bottom of the embankment.
When she came to, it was dark, windy, and drizzling. The only light was the SUV at the top of the cliff. She had made it far enough away from the scene of the crash that the flames had disappeared, as had the rock-laden ridge. A shiver racked her body. She had no idea how long she’d been out here, but fear drove her forward. What if the man who’d run her off the road came back to finish the job? Or worse, went after Jacob? She had to get herself medical attention and warn someone to protect Jacob. Thank God he’d been at school before the crash. Even thinking of him inside the car with her made her dizzy.
She’d thought she was going to die in the crash, but she’d survived not only the accident but also a fifty-foot roll. There was no way she was going to give up. She fingered the dog tags that were still tangled around her fingers. It was a miracle she hadn’t let go of them during the fall. As she squeezed the metal, Neo’s words replayed in her head. No matter what situation I’m in, I will not give up. She pushed forward. One elbow, then the next. Fire burned in her lungs with every intake of breath. At best it was cracked ribs; at worst it was a punctured lung. Her elbow landed on a rock, and she bit back a scream. Her eyes burned, but she was too dehydrated for tears. Even if I wished I were dead, I’d fight until my last breath. One elbow, then the next. She dragged forward another inch. She clutched the dog tags and gritted her teeth. Because anything else would tarnish Scooter’s memory.
Her eyes widened as the tags caught a stream of light. She glanced to her left. There was a fire up ahead. Had she been crawling in circles? Was it the enflamed SUV? She inched forward, wheezing from the exertion, and heard a laugh. It was a woman’s—pretty and bright. She paused to catch her breath, and a guitar chord rang through the forest. An angel’s voice poured out through the night. The sound blanketed around Brynn, and she crawled toward the light and sound. Maybe she really was dying. Her vision was starting to blur, throat so dry it was hard to breathe. No matter what situation I’m in, I will not give up. She repeated Neo’s words over and over again. Until a high-pitched scream broke through the dark.
“Oh my God, oh my God.” Twigs cracked as footsteps rustled over the ground. Something smaller ran up beside her and licked her face. Too small to be Oscar. “Holy shit.” The person was down on her knees, but even with the glow of the fire, she couldn’t focus on the face. “I’m Samantha Campbell. I’m going to help you. Where are you hurt? I’d like to lift you to my tent, but I don’t want to hurt you more.”
“You’re the voice.”
“Maybe. I was singing.”
“Brynn Yarrow. Not much else you can hurt.”
“Okay, then.”
Hands braced beneath her arms, and the woman struggled to drag her toward the tent. All she could do was grit her teeth and hang on to Scooter’s tags. She was drained of energy, but somehow she knew the woman with the angel’s voice wouldn’t harm her. Finally, she was being lifted through the opening and slid onto something soft.
“Oh, you poor sweet thing,” the woman cooed. “I’m so glad you stumbled on my campsite. I almost packed up early today because of the rain. Do you think you could drink a bit of water? Then I’ll call for help.” She probably looked like hell, but the woman didn’t flinch at her state, or the blood that was guaranteed to be dripping over her belongings. Samantha cupped the back of her head and lifted a bottle to her lips. The water passed her cracked lips and stung her throat. It was hard to swallow. She took another small sip. The liquid went down easier this time.
“Probably best just to have a little at a time. I’m going to call now.”
The small animal, some kind of wiry canine, nudged her hand. Her eyelids drooped. So tired. She was safe now. Safe with this woman, Samantha—and Scooter’s dog tags.
*
Brynn blinked against a bright light and slowly opened her eyes. She was lying in a hospital bed. The air was a stale combination of latex and bland food. There were floral arrangements lined against the windowsill—a garden of color in the form of roses, daisies, and a few she didn’t recognize. A metal IV stand was beside her bed. A bag was hung from the frame filled with clear liquid that attached to a line in her arm. She moved slightly and the IV pinched at her inner elbow. Her muscles were knotted, but something prevented her from shifting in the bed. She looked down. Neo. There was a feeling of weightlessness in her chest. He was home.
“Neo.” His name came out as a broken wheeze. His head snapped up and those beautiful bottle-green eyes met hers. They widened and filled, tears spilling freely over his lower lids.
“Brynn. Thank God.” He shifted his chair so he was closer to her face. “Christ, you scared the hell out of me. I thought—fuck. I thought you were gone. Thought I’d have to go home and tell Jacob that the woman who’s at the center of both of our worlds wouldn’t be walking through the front door. Even the dog’s been a mess.” He smiled through his tears, but made no move to wipe them away.
“Jacob. Where is he? Is he all right?” The machine at her bedside beeped.
“Whoa there. Try to relax, sweetheart. Yeah. He’s at the apartment with the team. They stayed over the past two nights to be with him and take care of Oscar.”
“Two nights?” She tried to sit up. An involuntary response to the shock.
“Brynn, you were in really bad shape when you got here. Silver, Branch, and I searched the forest for hours. We went miles into the woods, but somehow you had gone even farther. Dragging yourself across rocks and branches. So strong, sweetheart. Thank you for being so goddamn tough. When I think of what could’ve happened…” Neo glanced away from her, jaw clenched.
“Hey. Everything’s okay now,” she croaked.
He let out a quiet chuff. “You’re the patient, yet you’re reassuring me. Here,” he said, lifting a white Styrofoam hospital cup. “Have a few sips, and then we can talk when you’re ready.”
She parted her lips, and Neo slid the straw into her mouth. She took a small sip, then another. Drinking didn’t hurt as much is it had in the woman’s tent. “I’m ready to talk now. You were with me. You and Scooter. His dog tags grounded me. When I was crawling, I kept hearing your voice. The things you said about fighting no matter what. Those things gave me the strength I needed to push forward.”
He bowed his head, and his shoulders shook silently for a few moments. He sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face. “You still had the tags when they found you at that campsite. Holding on so tight to them the paramedics could hardly get them out of your hands.”
“What about Samantha?” She couldn’t picture the woman’s face, but knew without her help, she might be dead.
“Was that the camper’s name?” Neo cupped her hand, rubbing circles over her skin.
