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“Keep your head down, Dawn! We’re almost there!”
I nodded, gritting my teeth against the driving rain and pushing on through the water. My legs were aching with my effort and my clothes were soaked through, but I refused to give up. I trusted in Ice and his ability to get us both to safety because my dad trusted him. No one failed my dad. Not if they wanted to live.
Finally, after what felt like hours of trudging through the water, we reached a parking garage. Ice took me up one level to the second floor. It was low to the ground but up high enough to keep us out of the water. I hoped.
He led me to the Bronco I’d been expecting and opened the back. “I’ve got some dry clothes and food. Might be too big for you but you’ll be warm and dry.”
Exhausted, I slumped against the vehicle, breathing hard. Once we’d made it to the parking garage, the going had been much easier, but the wind still howled through the structure and I was spent.
Ice opened the back of the truck. The tailgate swung out and he urged me behind it. He stood on the other side and turned his back, effectively guarding the open side from prying eyes. Surprisingly, the place seemed deserted. I’d have thought there would be other people taking shelter, but the town was small. Maybe they got everyone evacuated or to an actual shelter before the storm started.
He turned his head to the side, not looking at me, but like he was trying to see if I was moving. I wasn’t.
“You good?”
“I-I d-don’t know.”
Carefully, Ice turned farther until he saw I was still dressed, then he turned all the way and stepped closer to me. “You’re safe, Dawn. I swear I’ll keep you safe. I’ll protect you with my life.” Intense, dark eyes bore into my own. He was so tall and big, he loomed over me. I should have been intimidated but I wasn’t.
It was in that moment I realized why my dad trusted Ice so much. He was capable, strong, and fiercely loyal. He was also my calm in the middle of this storm. Literally. I also knew that like Cain and El Diablo, Ice was every bit as capable and sure of himself as they were. As I looked up at him, I saw a flicker of something in his gaze that made my heart race.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice hoarse from the wind and the rain.
Ice’s hand found my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Trust me to see you through this. Yes?” I nodded. “Good. Get some dry clothes on. I’ve got your back.”
As I looked up into his face, one strangled sob escaped me. I thought he might look disgruntled or annoyed. Instead, Ice’s eyes got big and he rocked backward like he was going to step away from me. Then he shook his head and reached for me.
“Come here, honey.”
Having Ice pull me into his arms was the very last thing I expected. He surrounded me with his big frame, those strong arms holding me tightly when I felt like I was going to fragment into a million pieces.
I wanted to break down. Wanted to let the fear wash through me so I could cleanse myself of it. Get it out of my system. But this was only the beginning. I knew the worst was yet to come, and that was assuming we could get out of this stupid parking garage and to the Salvation’s Bane clubhouse.
“Take some deep breaths for me.” His gruff voice was oddly soothing. His arms around me kept me grounded when I knew I was so in over my head -- literally -- there was no way I could fight this on my own. I could feel the heavy muscles of his chest where I had my cheek on his wet shirt. The water was hot from the heat of his skin and as he rubbed one hand gently up and down my back, the tension lessened inside me somewhat.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. This is a pretty scary situation.”
Strangely, I felt a laugh bubble up in my throat. “You can say that again.”
He grunted, holding me a few seconds longer before pulling back. “You can do this, Dawn. Get some dry clothes on and I’ll do the same. Then we’ll check in with Thorn and Ripper. They’re keeping an eye on the weather minute by minute.”
“I think Shotgun is too.”
“I’m sure he is. Likely, he and Ripper are in constant contact, conferring with each other and figuring out the best course of action for us. They’ll get me the most accurate information they can, and I’ll decide what we do next.”
Again, I nodded. “OK.” I took another breath. “OK. I can do this.”
