Page 11 of Burning Escape (Chasing Fire: Alaska #3)

Orion didn’t. He remembered the night they met. The way she’d danced and twirled under the twinkle lights. He remembered her gentle touch when she’d helped bandage his wound in the forest. Somehow, the weeks of intense rivalry didn’t seem so important. He was falling for her. And that wasn’t good.

He prayed until dawn that he could remember this was only a fake marriage.

* * *

The place might be called the Refuge, but it felt more like a prison.

After twenty-four hours stuck at the commune, Tori’s short handle on her patience was quickly disintegrating.

She couldn’t get rid of the constant gnawing inside, wondering what had happened to the rest of the Midnight Sun crew.

Had the militia gotten anyone? Had everyone made it out of the plane crash?

And if Orion asked her one more time if she was okay, she might resort to violence.

Which totally wasn’t his fault. Like on the night they’d first met, he’d been nothing but a gentleman.

Maybe it was the embarrassment of her late-night confession getting to her.

She’d completely fallen apart like some dumb damsel in distress.

She was supposed to be stronger than that.

But he hadn’t brought it up this morning when they’d woken.

She and Orion walked back to the cabin’s front porch from the chapel building.

Apparently, morning prayer time was nonnegotiable to stay here.

At least she didn’t have to lean on Orion anymore to get around.

She hobbled on her own and sat on the log bench outside the front door.

Hiram and his family were gone for the day and had made sure to tell them they could stay as long as they liked.

But this wasn’t a vacation. It was time to leave.

They just needed to figure out where this Brink homestead was.

“I heard Amos tell some of the guys that they’re going out this afternoon to check on their game traps. If you really think you can walk, we could try leaving when they’re gone,” Orion said.

“I can definitely walk. I can use a branch for support too, but we still don’t know where the homestead is.”

“Amos outright refused to tell me anything this morning when I told him we’d like to go. He said it’s not time yet. And this morning at breakfast when I tried to ask Mara’s brother where the homestead was, he made an excuse to leave the table.”

“Maybe we have Mara ask him. But no matter what, we have to get back. We’ve been gone two days already. The team is probably worried about us.” Tori kept her voice low, though the daily tasks had been given and most of the community members were off completing them.

“We don’t have food or supplies to get very far if we don’t know where we’re going. I don’t want to put Mara in a bad spot with her family, but we’ll have to risk it and ask her to get her brother to tell us where the homestead is.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Gabby stepped up to the cabin. She had a bit of a crush on Orion.

Not that Tori could blame her there. His dark hair, blue eyes, and those hero vibes made a very appealing package. Gabby smiled up at him now, ignoring Tori completely. “Is it stuff only husbands and wives talk about?”

“Yup.” Tori linked an arm through Orion’s. Better remind the girl the man was taken. “Did you need something, Gabby?”

“I’m supposed to get you to come help at the garden. Hannah said you’re late.”

Tori glanced at Ry. She laid a hand on her stomach and groaned a little, hoping he’d catch on.

“Oh, honey, is your stomach still bothering you?” Orion played the part well.

She nodded. “It must’ve been something I ate.” She looked at Gabby. “Could you find Mara and ask her if she has anything to help an upset stomach?”

“Sure, but it probably won’t help you if you’re pregnant.”

Tori balked. “There’s no way I’m pregnant.”

Gabby’s brow wrinkled. “Why not? You’re married. Isn’t it time for you to start having kids?”

This was not the time to explain anything to a young, impressionable girl. “Could you please get her?” Tori bent over and wrapped her arms around her middle, groaning again for good measure.

“I’d better help her. You’ll get Mara for us?” Orion asked.

“Of course.” But Gabby stayed glued to the bottom step, looking up at him a few seconds still. Orion ushered Tori to the door before the girl finally slipped away.

“Great. Now the whole community probably thinks I have morning sickness,” Tori muttered.

“Who cares? We’re leaving.” Orion shut the door behind them.

Tori paused. “I feel kinda bad lying to them.”

“Yeah, but the way Jeremiah follows you around, it’s safer for them to think we’re married. Let’s get dressed back in our regular clothes, pack the canteen with boiled water, and see what food we can scrounge up.” He unbuttoned the thick flannel Hiram had loaned him.

Tori found her pants clean and folded on the table. She slipped them on under her long dress. “I also hate the idea of stealing from them.”

Even if the older ladies watched her suspiciously all. the. time. No surprise there since they were Christians. Weren’t they all about judgment and condemnation?

Not that she got that sense from Orion though.

And Hiram and his family were sweet. And when Orion had held the door open for Hannah this morning, she’d nodded with the tiniest hint of a smile.

So maybe he was winning her over. But if these people had any clue about Tori’s past, they’d kick her out in a flash of fire and brimstone.

Still, that didn’t mean she actually wanted to take from them without asking. “I mean, they work so hard for everything they have here. I don’t want to take from them.”

“I don’t either, but if we’re going out there in the backcountry, we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which means we have fifty miles to hike to get back to base camp if we can’t find the homestead or run into a problem there.

If we can set a decent pace, I think we can do that in two days. But we’ll need sustenance.”

Right. But Tori had helped in the kitchen last night and seen their stocked shelves. “Most of the food is in glass jars or containers. But I think I saw some canned goods in the kitchen area. Mara said they ship in some things they can’t grow.”

“Find whatever you can carry easily, and hopefully we won’t even need it and can leave it with the Brinks to give back to them.”

“Sure. What are you going to do?” Tori asked him, averting her eyes when he shrugged off the flannel, leaving the tight base-layer shirt showing off his well-sculpted torso.

Okay, fine. She peeked.

Sheesh. She was bad as Gabby!

“I’ll see if I can find something we can use as a tent and get some other supplies that might come in handy. Hurry back though. Mara will be coming to make sure you’re okay.”

Better leave now and let her face cool off. Tori snuck around the back of the cabins to a side entrance of the dining hall. Someone inside sang “Amazing Grace,” the soprano voice lingering in the air.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come:

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

Wishful thinking there. Grace had never done such a thing for her. She and Orion would make it home on their own, thank you.

Tori waited until the music faded away and a door closed, then she slipped into the dark pantry area.

Without any lights from the windows, she pulled a few cans from the shelves and brought them to the hallway.

Beans. Those would do. She stored two cans in the cargo pockets of the trail pants she wore under her dress.

She grabbed one more just in case and a small package of homemade jerky, then checked the area outside the back door.

All clear. She stepped into the tree line and rounded the corner, slipping behind the next-door cabin.

“What are you doing?”

Tori gasped. Her empty hand flew to her chest, and she spotted who was lurking. “Oh my goodness, Jeremiah. You scared me.”

He came out from behind a tree, a scowl on his face as he studied her. “You’re wearing pants.”

“So what? I realize the women here don’t, but it’s common in many places.”

“Why are you wearing them under your dress?” He stepped closer.

Instead of answering, Tori lifted her chin and moved toward the cabin where she and Orion were staying. “My husband is waiting for me. I better go.”

Jeremiah was quick. He stepped up and grabbed her arm. “I asked you a question.” He looked at the can in her hand. “Are you stealing from us?”

“I needed?—”

“I think you might need a lesson in hospitality.” He dragged her a few steps farther into the trees. Away from the cabin.

Tori dug her feet in. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She yanked but couldn’t free her arm. His viselike grip squeezed tighter. He tugged her closer to himself, grabbed both arms, and pinned her against a tree.

“What are you doing! I’m married!”

“Then your husband should keep a better eye on you.” He slapped a dirty hand over her mouth as she tried to scream. He moved in close to her face, his breath like rotten meat.

Footsteps sounded. “Tori?” Orion called.

She couldn’t see him, but if she made enough noise, maybe he’d come close enough to see Jeremiah. She thrashed, but Jeremiah pressed himself closer, squeezing her jaw closed. Rough bark dug into her back as he pressed her against the thick tree trunk.

But Tori was not going to be a victim again. She lifted her good foot and slammed it down onto Jeremiah’s foot. When he backed away enough, she kneed him in the groin and shoved with all her strength. He bowled over and growled.

Tori spun and ran as fast as she could with her limp. “Ry!” Within seconds, she broke out of the tree line and straight into Orion’s arms.

“What happened?” He held her in a safe embrace.

She couldn’t say anything at first as tremors took over her body.

He scooped her up and carried her back to their cabin.

“Tori, you’re scaring me. What happened out there?

” He gently laid her on a chair, wiped a strand of hair from her face. His brow furrowed as he studied her.

She finally caught her breath enough to whisper, “Jeremiah grabbed me.”

The muscles along Orion’s jaw flexed. “Where is he?”

“Ry, forget it. We need to get out of here. Now. We can’t?—”

A knock on the door stopped her.

“It’s me. Mara.”

“Do we let her in?” Orion asked. “Say the word, and I’ll make up an excuse and we can leave.”

But when it came down to it, she did trust Mara. And someone needed to warn the other women about Jeremiah. “Let her in.”

Orion opened the door. Mara walked in, but as soon as she saw Tori, her smile dimmed. “What’s wrong?”

Tori explained what had happened. “It’s not that we aren’t grateful, but we have to get out of here. Our team is probably worried. And I won’t stay any longer with Jeremiah here.”

Mara frowned. “I don’t blame you.” She looked around like she was afraid someone might be listening. “Jeremiah showed up about a year ago claiming he wanted to join our community. He hasn’t done anything like what he tried with you, but he makes many of us women uncomfortable.”

“Will you help us leave, then?” Orion asked her straight up.

She nodded.

Good, because Tori couldn’t get out of here fast enough.