Page 92 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

He searched his mind for a T in the path, not recalling one, though he was certain she knew what she was doing. He wondered how far back it was and how much of a climb it was in the other direction. His muscles ached already, and he felt soaked through. He wouldn’t rest until they’d found Sierra, but the thought of another climb exhausted him.

“Okay,” he said with a nod, “just give me a second.”

“Okay,” she said as she closed the distance between them, absentmindedly grabbing his hand as she searched the horizon.

The warmth of her hand sent a flood of emotions through him from gratefulness to the deep love he never thought he’d feel for anyone. As rain soaked them, he tightened his fingers around hers. “Julia…”

She snapped her gaze to him. “We’ll find her.”

He shook his head and scrubbed his face with a hand to remove some of the water. “No, it’s not that. I mean, it is that. I’m terrified for Sierra, but there’s something else.”

She studied him, rain streaming down her cheeks and sliding down the pink hood of her raincoat. As the precipitation blurred the world around them, his thoughts swirled in turmoil. Each droplet echoed his regret, the way he wished he could rewind time, hold onto her and change the outcome of their argument.

The rhythmic patter of rain echoed her laughter, glimpses of her smile, and pieces of tender moments they’d shared, all of which were a painful reminder of what he feared he’d lost forever. “There’s something I really need to say.”

“Okay,” she said, her brows knitting.

His stomach tumbled as they stood in the pouring rain, their hands clasped. “Julia, I…”

He sucked in a deep breath, trying to force the words that terrified him so much out of his mouth. “I…”

The crease between her eyebrows deepened, and her eyes slid sideways. “Shh.”

“No, Julia, I really, really need to say–”

“Shh,” she insisted, pressing a hand over his mouth.

Did she know what he was going to say and was that certain she didn’t want to hear it? The idea made his heart ache until she said something else.

“I hear something.”

His heart stopped as he strained to listen while she pulled her hand away from his lips. He didn’t hear anything outside of the rain smacking the earth and trees.

They stood in silence as she stared at the ground for a moment before she snapped her gaze up to him. “There. Did you hear that?”

He shook his head. She pulled her hood off, allowing the rain to soak her hair as she closed her eyes. He did the same, hoping he could hear better without the vinyl fabric covering his head.

“There,” she said, snapping her gaze sideways.

His heart stopped. He’d heard something, too. It sounded like a bleating animal. Was there a hurt creature somewhere in the vicinity?

“Sierra?” Julia called as she stepped away from him, heading toward the edge of the mountaintop.

The sound split the air again. His heart sped as he followed behind her.

“Sierra?” she called again.

The cry reached his ears again, twisting his insides in knots. Where was she?

“Oh, no,” Julia murmured as they stepped onto the rocky edge of the plateau. “Careful, this will be slippery.”

She tightened her grip on his hand as they inched toward the edge. She dropped to her knees as they reached the edge.

“Careful,” she said as he knelt next to her. “Don’t get too close.”

He lifted his chin to peer over the edge.

“Sierra!” Julia shouted before her voice turned forlorn. “Oh, no.”