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Pressed against the cold, wet stone that had been washed smooth from centuries of pouring water, Mackenzie stood behind Alex. She wanted to lean into his back and absorb his warmth, but she shouldn’t distract him. His clothes were soaked like hers, his hair dripping wet, the muscles in his back tense as if ready to pounce on anyone who might threaten her.

She hadn’t seen him in protection mode that day in DC, but she could see now that he was definitely all about keeping others safe. After all, that was part of his job with the DSS—to protect high-risk assets.

Mackenzie didn’t fall within that category, but Alex hadn’t held back. Though she didn’t like the circumstances that had put them here, watching him in action in his element fascinated her. Actually, more than fascinated her. The terror of being shot at and almost killed forced a rapid increase in her pulse. But she had to admit to herself and no one else—ever—that being with Alex in this scenario had also sent a thrill shooting through her.

He remained steady and protective, waiting for their pursuer to rush at them through the wall of water.

What if ... what if he hadn’t been there, hadn’t found her on the trail? What would have happened? She never would have clued in on the drone, though she still wasn’t sure what that was about. Was the drone connected to the shooter? Regardless, she probably would have taken a bullet and been lying facedown on the trail now.

Shuddering at the thought, she pulled her hand back and hugged herself. Her knees trembled and her heart pounded in her ears, the sound overtaking the waterfall a few yards from them. Though she’d walked in dangerous places during her previous stint in the criminal world, no one had ever shot at her before. But she’d been threatened. Fear tightened her throat, and she pressed her hand against Alex’s back, causing him to shiver beneath her touch.

He glanced over his shoulder, his piercing eyes drilling into her like she would expect. “It won’t be long now, Mackenzie. Help will come.”

“Okay. I trust you. But will they get here in time?” Would someone step through the water and continue the rampage?

“I hope so.”

“How long are we going to wait?”

He hesitated a few heartbeats, then finally said, “As long as it takes.”

The way he said those words, she thought he might have experienced waiting for help. She hoped he would tell her that story one day—as if their interaction would go beyond this predicament, or even her short stay in Montana.

She leaned to the right to see around his broad shoulders. She couldn’t make anything out through the curtain of water—shades of blue and white and maybe some green, but nothing specific. Would they be able to see if someone made their way through to find them?

She pulled her gaze from the water and took in the wonder of the cave—or rather, not a true cave, as Alex had explained, but a hollow created from the erosion. Amazing what water could do, washing stone away little by little over time, transforming it into something completely new.

In the same way, time affected everything in existence—chipping away, little by little, to form something new, sometimes better and sometimes worse—people too, whether they realized it or not.

That left her with a question.

How did I come to this moment—standing behind a waterfall with a special agent from an obscure agency?

She’d never considered what she would find behind the waterfall. Alex had opened up a whole new world—the drone in the sky and the shelter behind the cascade. Had he been trying to show off by bringing her here? She half smiled at the thought. No. Alex wouldn’t take that kind of risk.

He remained steadfast in holding his weapon, his protective stance strong and true, and stared ahead as if he could see what was happening on the other side. The guy was full of surprises, so maybe he could see something she couldn’t.

On the day Alex gave her the grand tour, she suspected he would be trouble. He was trouble for her heart, and by default that meant he was trouble for her well-kept secrets. For her honed professionalism—an attempt to always rise above and beyond the mischief of her past.

Once again, Mackenzie lifted her hand and hesitated, letting her palm hover over his back a few seconds before pressing it against his wet shirt. Energy sparked, surging up her arm. She jerked her hand away and covered her mouth as he stepped back, closer even than before. He shifted, turning toward her.

Then he leaned in, his cheek almost touching hers, and whispered, “Wait here.”

What? Not again. No...

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, and she shook her head. She didn’t want to be left alone to shiver in the dripping waterfall cave and wonder what happened to him.

His somber expression shifted, and he offered up a confidence booster in his roguish grin. “It’ll be alright.”

Without another word, he stepped away and around the smallish outcropping behind which they had huddled, taking her only source of heat with him. He slowly moved toward the waterfall.

To face a shooter.

Protect her.

Lord, what is going on? I feel like my life is spiraling out of control.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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