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I nodded.
“Hold onto the back of my shirt and keep your head down. Don’t let go of me until I tell you to, we clear?” he asked in a stern hushed tone.
“Why can’t I look?” I whispered.
“You don’t wanna see what might be looking back. The forest is a different kind of monster at night.”
Alrighty, then.
That’s all that I needed to know.
I got behind him and we entered the woods. There were sounds all around us, and the moonlight had dimmed thanks to the lush trees above. I focused on my shoes, matching Mags’ pace. Thank God I’d changed before dinner. I had rushed upstairs to put on a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and snagged Denver’s Marines shirt.
Minutes passed, and I’d grown comfortable with the sound of our shoes and owls in the distance. That changed when I heard a steady stream of water.
That’s when my stomach dropped.
This was the place Denver told me about.His mother’s spot. I opened my mouth to say something when I heard a familiar, eerie click of a gun being loaded.
Mags came to a fast halt, and I slammed into his back. “Oof.”
“Kings, it’s me,” Mags called.
“Fucking hell, Mags,” a deep voice grumbled.
Denver.
I poked my head around Mags’ frame, my eyes landing on the dark, mountain of a man in front of standing a few feet away. There was a small fire going a few feet behind him, next to the stream. I was so focused on the sound of the water that, I didn’t smell the campfire.
The wilderness should explored, but not by me. I would die out here alone.
“The fuck?” Denver growled, his head turning slightly in my direction. I couldn’t see his face due to the shadows, but I could feel his smoke.
“She was worried about you,” Mags replied coolly, amusement lacing in his voice.
“Valerie,” Denver called, his voice lethal.
“Yes?” I breathed.
“Get your hands off him.”
Oh.
I released my hold from Mags and stepped out from behind him. Then I heard something, something so faint that it had me twisting my neck to look up at the mysterious cowboy.He was smirking.
Did Mags just laugh?His dark eyes flicked from me to his friend.
“I’m going back. Taking Ranger with me,” he informed us, his eyes on Denver, who nodded. Mags looked at me. “Have fun,” he whispered, turning on his heel.
Have fun?
“What’re you doing out here?”
I turned around to face my dark, broken man. My feet moved, not stopping until I was directly in front of him. “Are you okay?” I asked.
“Val, what in the fuck—”
I reached up and grabbed his face. “I’m out here because I was worried about you,” I admitted softly, stroking his rough, warm cheeks. He remained silent, not touching me. It was still too dark. I wanted to look into his eyes. I wanted to see the smoke that danced within them.
