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I swallowed hard and fought for breath.
Realizing the despair, I was in, Johnathan’s grasp tightened as he tried to keep me from falling over.
“Carrie!” He yelled, shaking me slightly so that was pulled away from the sense of overbearing fear. When I looked at him, he pressed his other hand on my other shoulder and glared at me. “Carrie, listen to me!” He screamed.
Eventually, my eyes settled on his and the dizziness started to dissipate, though my unsettled stomach continued to ebb and flow, still threatening to release its contents.
“Breathe, Carrie…Relax. Come back to me,” Johnathan’s voice was soothing and calm, now that he had stopped yelling. His panic had receded and therefore, I was able to focus on him as he requested, which slowly eased the sickness I felt.
He continued to speak softly to me, his eyes bearing into mine intently, driving out the crazed look of the guide that plagued me.
Finally, I was able to draw in a calming breath, then another. Slowly, I started to be able to calm myself.
“Relax, Carrie…” Johnathan told me once again, before his expression hardened in a far more serious, menacing manner. “Now, listen to me, Carrie, you are going to be okay. I am not going to let anyone hurt you. That asshole is long gone, but if he does come back, I swear to God, I’ll be ready for him. I’ll kill him, before you even know he’s here.”
“But…What if, what if he comes after me at home? After I leave?” I insisted.
“He won’t,” Johnathan insisted, his expression piercing. “I don’t want to scare you, but here’s the truth, if he tries to come after you again, he’s going to try to do so before you reach the ranger’s station. He’s either going to attack you here, or while we’re on the trip, so that is when you need to be the most aware of your surroundings. I will be with you the whole time and I know what to look for. I’ll know if he’s coming. Once you make it to the ranger’s station, you can report him, or you can leave it alone. Either way, once you’re there, he’s lost his shot. He’s not going to come after you again, because he isn’t sure if he’s already been made. You know his name, his face, and can direct people back to where he attacked you, which trust me, they will find evidence there…So, he’s at your mercy then. Going after you once you reach that ranger’s station is only adding time to a sentence. If you accuse him of hurting you and then you disappear, guess who their number one suspect is?”
I contemplated all of this and nodded, “That makes sense.”
“Also, this is his home turf. He knows this area. He doesn’t know where you live. Even if he finds out your address, he doesn’t know were to hide and where to go if things don’t go his way. Here, he feels comfortable. Where you live, he’s a caged rat. It’d be a suicide mission.”
Again, I shook my head with understanding, “That makes sense…”
“So, don’t worry about it.”
“Why did you go to get my stuff?” I asked, “And don’t tell me that it was a perimeter check…” I grinned weakly, as I finally felt the color start to return to my face.
“I don’t know,” Johnathan responded, “I was just wandering around and honestly, found myself back at the spot where you were attacked. I did briefly think about trying to find the bastard, which was how I ended up by your campsite, but when I realized he wasn’t there, but the crazy killer bag was, I thought it would be better if I came back…Just in case.”
“Thanks,” I answered.
“I don’t know what you’re thanking me for. If he caught up with you here, he could kil
l you and blame my ass. I was protecting myself,” he snickered.
“Thanks,” I retorted, this time a lot more sarcastically than the first time.
“Don’t mention it,” he insisted, before turning his attention toward my ankle. “I should probably check that. If it’s not too bad, I want you to walk, okay?”
I nodded, though for some reason, I was a little apprehensive. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t been on my feet in so long and I didn’t want to fail, or maybe it had more to do with the fact that I was still recovering from the news. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but I figured that getting up and walking around was the first step in regaining my life. So, I agreed.
Carefully, Johnathan removed the splint that he made, freeing my ankle for the first time.
Once it was released, he pushed my pant-leg up and easily felt around my ankle.
I grinned at the feel of his touch. I closed my eyes as I noticed that I was reacting in a sensual way to the way he was feeling my leg. His hands were rough, warm, and firm. I felt a fire start to rage in my midsection as my heart started to beat quickly.
“Oh, admit it, Johnathan...You just want me to stay longer because you like the company,” I teased, trying to gauge whether he felt the same way as I did
“Does this hurt?” He asked, trying to be objective, though a simper crossed his features.
“No,” I replied, trying to be serious, though the way he was stroking my leg, massaging it in a manner that caused every bit of feeling I had to come alive, made it hard to be objective.
Right now, even if my ankle should’ve hurt, I didn’t think the amount of euphoric attraction I felt toward him would allow a legitimate response.
With all the raging hormones and pleasant vibes reverberating through my body, I felt it was likely impossible for me to feel any kind of pain.
