Page 28 of Ghost

“Yes, you can!”She wasn’t far.If she just took two more steps and reached for his hand, he could grab her.

The flashlight beam picked up something metallic around her ankle—the shackle.A long chain wound around her legs and disappeared into her hands, which were holding the blanket.

Guilt chewed away any pride he had left.

He never should’ve taken shit this far.

Never should’ve shackled her.

Craaack

“Anna, now!”

His sharp command made her flinch but broke her out of whatever fearful spell she was under.She took one step—

Then she plummeted through the ice.

***

Mila plunged intothe cold water.Pieces of ice hammered her face and body.She gasped, and frigid liquid rushed into her nose.Thrusting her arms upward, dropping the blanket and chain, she grabbed onto the ice surrounding the hole she’d created.

A rough hand caught her wrist, hauling her up.

She choked and sputtered.Spreading both arms onto the cracked, frozen river, she struggled to breathe.Cold air rushed into her icy lungs.

The man lay on his stomach, his torso stretched onto the edge of the river, his lower body on the bank.The current swirled at her legs, pulling on the chain and shackle.

She locked eyes with her captor.Part of her wanted to pull away—from this madman she’d run from.But survival was a foreign beast.She couldn’t stop herself from clinging to his wrist.

“I’ve got you,” he called.

The wind stole another breath from her.

“You’ve gotta kick your feet.Think about making your body straight on top of the water, level with the ice.I’ll pull you across.”

Her teeth chattered violently.“I-I can’t.Too heavy.”

“Yes, you can.Kick your free leg.”

She didn’t want to disappear beneath the surface.Didn’t want the cold to take her.Listening to his instructions, she kicked her unchained leg.Slowly, her body rose.Her shackled foot hung low, preventing her from leveling out further.“Th-That’s all,” she gasped.

His mouth firmed.The flashlight rolled across the ice as he used his free hand to leverage himself, pulling her.His face clenched.His cheeks were dark with color.Inch by inch, he dragged her from the hole.

Her belly hit the ice and he heaved her in one fast movement.The frozen river cracked more, but he placed both his hands under her arms and hauled her to his chest.They tumbled onto the bank.Snow coated her skin and hair.

She shook violently, almost colder now than she’d been in the water.

He moved quickly, yanking off his jacket and bundling it around her.Heat touched her arms and she let out a moan.God, she’d never felt such a sharp contrast—bitter cold and toasty, manly warmth.

She watched as he sat in the snow and tore off his shirt and boots.A white muscle shirt highlighted every ripped contour of his shoulders and chest.

Her teeth chattered.Her bones were stiff and achy.Rubbing his henley over her legs, he dried her as best he could.Next, he tore off his socks and fitted one over her unchained foot.It reached her knee.

He dug his hand into his pocket, pulled out a key, undid the lock holding the shackle in place, and then tossed the metal aside.He worked so quickly and efficiently, she couldn’t do more than sit.

After yanking the other sock over her now-free leg, he pulled his boots back on and stood.He didn’t say a word as he bent down and tossed her over his shoulder.

She yelped as bone dug into her stomach.