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“You can and you will. Suck it up and hold on or else.”
Lily issued another ragged moan but did as she was told. I grabbed the rope again and this time, I was getting us off the damn cliff.
In less than two minutes, I pulled her to safety, yanking her away from the edge. As I rolled over on my back, the falling snow did nothing but piss me off.
Nothing shocked me any longer in life or with people but when she suddenly jerked to her feet, bolting away from me, I took a deep breath. Then I cursed Mother Nature all over again before lumbering to my feet, forced to go after her.
She was taller than I’d originally thought but no match for the ordeal she’d been through, slowly falling face down on the snowy ground.
“Shit.” I rolled her over, checking her pulse. It was thready but she was alive. After quickly grabbing my things, I cradled her against my chest, doing what I could to use my body heat to keep her warm.
Then I began the long trudge through the forest to my Cherokee. As I peered down at her ashen face, I was struck for a second time by how beautiful she was, her features strong yet delicate with her long eyelashes and plump rosy lips. The attraction was significant, enough so my cock was pressing hard against my cargo pants. What the hell was wrong with me that I was attracted to a victim?
I guess there was a first time for everything.
She also felt good in my arms, something I hadn’t experienced in one hell of a long time. I hadn’t been with a woman in so long, I couldn’t remember the time of year, let alone a date. Sure, I’d been tempted, but I wasn’t into one-night stands any longer. They were unfulfilling, leaving me with an ache deep inside.
No one could fill her shoes, the only girl I’d ever given a damn about.
As Lily uttered a single moan, I yanked the scarf from around my neck, covering her face. I had to get her warm. “Just hold on,” I said absently, not expecting her to respond. When I noticed she was staring at me intently, I took a deep breath. At least old man Washington had had the good sense to contact Gage.
By the time I made it through the dense trees, the snowfall had accumulated by several inches. So what if I’d been right about the storm? Being right all the time did nothing but add another layer of shit to my life.
I struggled to open the passenger door, finally able to ease her onto the seat. She remained dead weight as I buckled her seatbelt, yanking a blanket I kept in the back over her then closing the door. I was worried I hadn’t gotten to her quickly enough. By the time I made it to the other side, she suddenly made a miraculous recovery, not only jerking off the seatbelt and opening the door, but also sprinting several yards away.
What the hell was wrong with this girl?
“Get back here,” I bellowed, immediately dropping my bag and chasing after her. It didn’t take more than a few seconds, but as she collapsed in my arms, I sensed another wave of terror paralyzing her system. She pressed her palm against my face, struggling to breathe.
“You’re gonna need to trust me, Lily. I ain’t no hero, but you’re not dying out here.”
“I… Can’t…”
“Yes, you can. I’m taking you to a safe place.”
“There is no safety. Not for me.” Her eyelids closed and her arm fell away.
Jesus Christ. There had to be an easier way to make money. What in God’s name did she mean by that? Once I had her settled into the Cherokee again, I searched her pockets, finding the keys to her truck. I’d seen a bag inside. After grabbing it, I resisted searching the contents. I didn’t have time to find out anything else about her. It would have to wait until we were safe inside my cabin.
I wasted no time slipping into the driver’s seat, tossing her bag onto the floor behind me.
As I headed off, I glanced out the windshield at the mountain range, the same one I’d sworn I’d never return to again. There were too many ugly memories, the kind that could break even a man like me.
Maybe it already had, my return a required atonement. Perhaps that’s why so many people had been lost on Sapphire Ridge. A memory shifted into the back of my mind, images becoming clear and vibrant.
And I was forced to suck in my breath.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I snapped, realizing the sound was lost in the explosion of fire erupting in the forest.
“We’re surrounded on all sides!” Gage yelled from behind.
This was ridiculous. How could we allow this to happen?
Riggs continued to stare at the fire as wind carried embers high over the thick canopy of trees. What the hell was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he moving?
“Riggs. We have to get the hell out of here,” Houston snapped as he rushed toward the paralyzed man, holding his arm over his face. Thick smoke billowed high in the sky, blanketing out every star. When Riggs remained silent, Houston grabbed his arm, doing what he could to yank the man into action.
I ventured closer, raking my hand through my hair, my chest so tight I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to call out her name, to do something, but the fire had already consumed several acres. How in the fuck could this happen?
