Page 23

KHALIL

T he camp is bustling with activity when the helicopter that picked us up from the exfil point drops us off at the edge of the encampment. All around us, the search team is rushing back and forth around and in and out of tents, either packing up or tying down equipment. It’s too early to call off the search, at least for a couple more days. It’s only first light, which we barely made because Aurelia is a distraction that’s going to get us caught.

It doesn’t matter how much I remind myself of the danger she poses, though.

We’re not. Giving. Her back.

The world could be on the cusp of total ruin, and the only way to save it would be to let Aurelia George go, and I would still let it burn. I know my brothers feel the same.

If we’re the hand, fuel, and match, she’s the friction to set it all aflame.

“What’s going on?” Thorin asks the moment we step into the command tent.

There are several tents around the camp for barracks, medical aid, supplies, armory, and food. I swear the older man scouring maps at the center of the largest one grows ten years older each day we don’t find Aurelia. Sheriff Kelly is too kind not to care as if it was his own daughter missing, and for the space of a heartbeat, I do feel guilty because we’re the reason he’s probably lying awake at night, kicking himself for not doing enough.

The blame lies with us and no one else, but for the first time, I realize it’s everyone else who will shoulder it.

“We just got word there’s a nasty squall line headed this way. I’m moving everyone into town until it passes.”

Keeping in character, I ask, “What about the search?”

“We’re going to have to call it off for a few days, son. It’s too dangerous, and we don’t need anyone else going missing or getting hurt.”

“A few days? The princess won’t last a few more days, Sheriff.”

“And if she’s dead,” I add, “her body will be buried under too much snow to ever find.”

“I know, boys. It’s a tough break, but I’m also accountable for the men and women who volunteered. They all have families who want to see them home safely, too.” When we all just glower, Sheriff Kelly sighs. “Look, I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. I tried to radio before you left, but no one answered.”

Thorin and I share a glance, and I know we’re thinking the same thing. We had our hands too full with Aurelia to check the damn radio.

“Don’t sweat it, Sheriff. Our frozen nuts just have us a little grumpy.”

Sheriff Kelly chuckles. “Well, it’s the perfect reason to head on home then, boys. Hole up, stay warm, and find a way to pass the time. We’re going to get hammered pretty hard, but if anyone can ride it out, it’s you three.”

I’m already nodding my agreement with that plan when I notice what looks like a pile of junk stacked on one side of the tent.

“What’s this?”

“We dug those up near the crash sites and brought them here. It looks like luggage. Most of it’s destroyed, but some of it’s good. Figured America’s sweetheart would want a little comfort when we find her.”

Indeed.

But she’ll have to earn it like everything else.

One of the deputies arrives with some emergency, and Sheriff Kelly excuses himself before leaving the tent.

Seth and I walk over to the salvage pile as soon as he’s gone while Thorin keeps watch. It’s taken our whole lives and nine years stuck in seclusion together to be in sync like this without even saying a word.

“Exactly how long was her uncle planning to keep her exiled?” I gripe ten minutes later while searching through yet another dented trunk full of clothes and shoes. “This is a lot of shit, and barely any of it’s useful out here.”

We’re taking a huge chance that this stuff hasn’t been inventoried yet, so we have to be careful not to take too much so the missing items won’t be noticed.

“Don’t know,” Thorin says with his back to us. “But I think Seth was on to something. Her uncle probably wanted her out of his hair for a while.”

“Or permanently,” Seth mumbles as he studies Aurelia’s flat iron like it’s a foreign object.

“She’ll want that,” I tell him. He nods and stuffs it inside the large duffel bag we’re using to carry her things back. I’m already picturing the look on her face when we show her. Although it’s Aurelia. It’s hard to predict how she’ll react. She’s as likely to chuck the flat iron at Seth’s head than she is to show a little gratitude. “And lay off with the murder plots. You’re just looking for a reason why she can’t go back to him.”

“Don’t need a reason. I’m crazy, remember?”

“Seth, you’re not crazy,” I tell him. “You’re…you.”

“Thanks,” he returns dryly.

“And if you’re crazy, so are we,” Thorin says. “Because we’re not letting anyone take her from us without killing anyone who tries. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

I’m slower to respond as a smile takes over my face, and I shake my head in awe. No one at home would ever believe that I, Khalil Poverly, was settling down. “Fuck it. If you’re not willing to shed a little blood for your woman, is she even yours? Yes. Hell yes. Agreed.”

“So…who’s going to break it to Aurelia?” Thorin muses.

“Not it,” Seth and I say at the same time.

Thorin glowers at us both.

Finding an unopened box of tampons, I toss it inside the now full duffel bag and zip it closed.

“What’s this?” I look up to see Seth holding a blue, flat, round container. When he opens it, there are tiny pills inside—some white and some pink—in a circular pattern with dates under them. He sniffs them and asks, “Candy?”

“It’s birth control.”

“Birth control?”

“Yeah. You remember I told you how it works.” Seth nods slowly. “Well, Aurelia is supposed to take one of those every day so that she doesn’t get pregnant when we come inside her.”

“Leave it,” Thorin orders tightly.

I raise my brows at him, but when he glares over his shoulder at me, I roll my eyes and take the pills from Seth before tossing them back inside the nearly emptied suitcase where we found her toiletries and makeup.

“But if Sunshine’s taking those pills, it means she doesn’t want to have a baby, right?” Seth asks as we leave the tent with the overstuffed duffel.

It’s going to be tough as hell sneaking out of the camp with Aurelia’s shit without being noticed.

“Yes, but Thorin wants to breed her.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s an idiot.”

“I heard that.”

I shrug as we keep to the edges of the camp, heading for home—for Aurelia. “He thinks she won’t want to leave if she has our baby. And because the perv gets off on it.”

“I can still hear you.”

“Do you think it will work?” Seth asks curiously.

I rock my head from side to side. “It’s not the dumbest idea he’s ever had.”

Thorin sighs loudly.

“But babies complicate shit,” I continue. “I think further dividing the attention of the girl we’re still trying to bond with is a mistake. None of us have ever shared a woman before. We don’t even know if it will work.”

“Well, if you think it’s such a bad idea, why did you leave the pills?” Thorin snaps.

“Because when you fuck up, I get to swoop in and make it better. You know what they say about a shoulder to cry on…” Crudely, I grab my dick. “Also, I’m not helping with late-night feedings and diaper changes. Fuck that. You’ll be one hundred percent on your own.” Winking when Thorin scowls at me, I pick up the pace. All this talk of Aurelia has me eager to get back to her.

Also…the sixth sense that mysteriously materialized with Aurelia’s arrival has been buzzing since we reached the camp. I’m not sure what it means yet—if she’s hurt, upset, or in trouble—but I’m dubbing it the Girlfriend Tingle.

Even though we leave the camp earlier than expected, we still don’t make it home until early evening. The storm Sheriff Kelly warned us about arrived sooner than expected, so flying back to the north side of the valley where we left our Ski-Doos was out of the question. The trek back was hard, but it’s nothing we haven’t done a thousand times.

By the time we reach our clearing, the shitty visibility makes it hard to see even our cabin, a mere three hundred feet away. There’s no glow from the windows to guide us from the fires that should be burning inside, so it’s my second clue that something is wrong.

Aurelia didn’t seem keen on defying us again when we left her this morning, but I wonder if she’s a better actor than I thought as we step inside the cabin and don’t see her waiting for us.

The fires Thorin lit before we left are mere embers, so we’re once again returning home to a freezing cabin. Dropping Aurelia’s duffel bag and our packs by the door, the three of us search the cabin to see if she’s fallen asleep again. By the time Thorin walks inside his room and returns empty-handed seconds later, I’m praying she’s just taking a nap. The three of us silently search the cabin from top to bottom before meeting back up in the living room.

Thorin has a torn look on his face while Seth paces and pulls at his hair.

If Aurelia doesn’t walk through those doors in the next few minutes, he’s going to lose his shit. We all are.

“You…” I gulp. “You think she ran?”

The vein in Thorin’s neck bulges when he finally explodes. “Of course, she ran! We haven’t given her a fucking reason to stay.” He unzips his snowsuit, and I frown at the motion while he drops onto the couch. He frees a bottle of bourbon from under one of the couch cushions and takes a swig before leaning his head back to glower at the ceiling.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m drinking.”

“It looks like you’re on your ass sulking when we need to go find her, Thor.”

“And why would we do that?”

“What do you mean why? Because she’ll die!”

“I seem to recall you telling her that’s exactly what would happen if she left, and she did it anyway.” He lifts his head to give me a hard look. “Give me one good reason why we should go chasing that ungrateful bitch when she’s made it clear she’d rather die than be with us?”

“Because she’s our ungrateful bitch, Thor.”

“Really?” He waves a hand around the cold, bleak cabin. Aurelia’s brought so much life to it in just a few days, and she doesn’t even know because we never told her. We’ve been merely existing before now. Most days, we couldn’t be bothered to utter a word or climb out of bed if it wasn’t to hunt or rescue some dumb teenagers who’d wandered a little too far and gotten themselves trapped or lost. “Do you see her here? Because I don’t.”

“Thor—”

“You two do what you want. Waste your time rescuing her so she can run again the moment our backs are turned. God fucking speed.” He offers a sarcastic salute.

“You’re a selfish dick, you know that? You’re probably the reason she left. I heard how rough you were with her this morning. She told you no .”

“Yeah? Well, she told you no, too, or did you forget? And I don’t recall you trying to stop me, Khalil. You were too concerned with getting off to worry about her wellbeing, so I’d look in the mirror if I were you.”

“Fuck you. We both know you’ve been the biggest asshole to her. You—”

Hearing something slam behind me, I whirl around to see the front door wide open and banging against the wall. A gust cold enough to make my muscles lock up blows inside the cabin. The gale is strong enough to push my solid frame back a couple of steps, and Aurelia—our girl and reason for being—is out there in that, lost and alone.

“How did the door get open?”

I don’t hear Thorin move until he’s standing next to me with a pinched expression. “Seth.”

Frowning, I look around for him, but the spot where he was pacing a hole in the floor is empty, and his pack is gone. I feel the blood drain from my face and hands when I realize he must have slipped out while Thorin and I were arguing.

“Jesus, he went after her alone.”

Thorin sends the bourbon bottle sailing across the room, where it hits his bedroom door and shatters. “Goddammit!”