Page 30

Hunt

A miniature flame flickers to life while I blow on the embers. The crackling heat rises. Smoke curls burnt pine into my nostrils. As I’m about to remove my coat, the front door opens. A frigid blast of air whooshes up the flue, causing devilish tongues of reddish-orange to dance inside the bricks.

I turn. Ah, hell.

Face pale, eyes shining, Kelly drops the bundled wood by her feet. “I found him.” Her hoarse whisper is barely audible over the storm’s roar.

“Babe.” I walk the rough plank floor in two strides.

Shoving the door against the howling wind, I squeeze her trembling body into my arms. Her fingers clutch my jacket as silent sobs wrack her frame.

When she stills, I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and tip up her chin. My gaze latches onto her fields of green, circled by lashes laden with tears. In this never-ending winter, she is my spring. I will not let her lose hope.

My airways constrict. Dammit. I should’ve left her by the fire. If I had, I would’ve been the one to find him, not her. “Can you show me, sweetheart?”

Swallowing hard, she nods.

Outside, her footprints lead us to a mound of white. A sudden gust of arctic air stings, but it’s nothing compared to the dread settling in my gut. Brushing away over an inch of fresh powder, my innards churn.

Who the fuck leaves a man to be gnawed at by scavengers?

The snow crunches as I brush it off the blue, frozen skin. The execution-style small caliber hole to the forehead makes my stomach retch.

Message sent and received.

Time expands while my mind explodes with likely scenarios. Finally, my inner Marine takes over, forcing emotions aside. “There’s nothing we can do for him. We need to talk. Now.”

Hand to her lower back, I escort her toward the cabin’s relative safety. Inside, I tear through my backpack. Once I find the SAT phone, I yank it out.

Fuck. “No signal.”

How long before we end up like Dante? Needing her to focus, I cup her cold cheeks. “How many people know about this place?”

“I-I don’t know.” Shaking her head for a moment, the blood drains from her face. “You think we’re next?”

There she is. My border guard and ex-military hottie.

“Don’t you?” While I raise my brows, she snatches her outerwear from the hook near the fireplace. “You’re right. We’ve got to go.”

My hands on her shoulders, I wait for her to settle down. When the wild-eyed panic disappears, I state the obvious. “Listen Kell, it’ll be dark soon. The roads are buried. Think. How long before the plows come?”

Exhaling, the creases in her brow vanish. “It’s a county road, not even on the maps. It could take more than a week.”

I free her arms from her coat sleeves, then tug her into me. “Are there any snowmobile trails nearby?”

“Yeah, but it would be suicidal in the dark. One wrong turn and boom—Goodnight Moon.”

Chuckling at the kid’s book reference, I rephrase my agenda. “So, you’re saying we should stay hidden, get some rest, and hike out at first light.”

Lids heavy, she yawns before glancing at the cot. “Not sure I said that, but okay. It’s a plan.”

“Take the bed. I’ll be fine right here.” To make a point, I place my pack under my head and shut my eyes.

Rustling fabric makes me twist my head. Damned if she doesn’t drag the sleeping bag across the floor for me to use.

When I tilt my head to argue, she places an index finger over my lips. “As the fire dies down, we’ll need to share body heat. Undress, soldier.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Once our wet clothes are situated near the fire, I grab her wrists. Directing her to my lap, I cover us up.

One chaste kiss on her chapped lips later, I press her head to my shoulder. “We’ll get through this. I promise. Grab a few Z’s. I’ll keep an eye out.”

When her breath steadies, I cross my legs so I can cradle her better.

The storm rattles the cabin walls. The firelight dances. Ice pings the windows. I am one with the night.

At some point, she stirs. “Is it my turn?”

“No. Go back to sleep.” I have no intention of sharing the watch. I’ve gone for days with nothing more than catnaps. Tonight’s no different.

She yawns and stretches with a cute snort of annoyance. “Nope. Not happening. I’m wide awake. How about we talk?”

Shifting her weight off me, I uncurl my numb limbs. “You start.”

She laughs, a little rueful, then snuggles her nose into my neck. “Not much to tell. Mom and Dad owned a small dairy farm. I had a lot of cousins. They were my best friends. They loved helping take care of the cows.”

“Sounds like fun.” As I picture the idyllic scene, she shakes her head.

“What part exactly? Getting up at the ass-crack of dawn? Shoveling manure? Lifting a forty-pound bale of hay? Basically, we kids were their indentured servants.”

A half-hearted chuckle later, I stretch my feet out in front of the fire. When the attraction between us sizzles, a glimmer of wonder streaks across her face. I open my bent legs to hug her to me.

Under the spell of her cedar-cinnamon scent, my palm inches down her tense coiled back.

“How many siblings do you have?”

Her weighty sigh says more than the words to follow. “Five. Once my three older sisters married, they moved away. My little brother lives in Arizona near my parents. Only me and the oldest stayed here.”

“You two must be close, yeah?” I smooth her hair, loving how the silk glides against my skin.

She hesitates while she curls her fingers around mine. “Not so much, to be honest.”

Voice pitched down, her glances drift to the fire. “Kade wanted the farmland, but Dad sold it out from under him. Soon after, Gram died, leaving her house to me. You can see why he might be bitter. This is the most we’ve spoken in years.”

I get it. Families are complicated. I mean, my family was no picnic. But O’Malley’s? That’s a lot to unpack. No mystery why she has intimacy issues. “What about your daughter? Where does she fit in?”

She leans back into my chest, eyes closed, her golden eyelashes resting against her windburned skin. In the dying light of the fire, her jaw tightens with pure strength and raw beauty. It takes my breath away.

Her words jumble together, tangled in exhaustion. “Peter was my high school sweetheart. I had Mackenzie, he lost his job, so I enlisted. He cheated while I defended our country. When I came back, he wanted a divorce. I had no work, no money…I should’ve left the state, but Mack needed a father.” A long silence falls upon us.

As I’m thinking she’s drifted off, she exhales, throat tight. “Dante’s job saved me. Now he’s dead. It’s all my fault.”

“No way, honey. You didn’t pull the trigger.” Chin on her head, I wrap my arms around her.

She jerks away, tossing her head wildly. “You don’t understand. I might as well have. Because of The Incident, he made a deal with Bourdin.”

I swivel her to face me, my hands firm on her hips. “Babe, you can’t own his actions.”

Doubt-filled eyes stare back as her thighs straddle me. For the longest time, neither of us move.

I’m not sure who inches forward first, but at this moment, our lips hover a breath apart, electricity sparking between them.

As if on cue, a smoldering log snaps. She jumps, our mouths crash, and teeth bump. We freeze for a millisecond before laughter bubbles up. Still giggling, she slides her soft palms behind my ears. Those clever fingers thread through my hair. Holding me in place, her hungry mouth devours mine. Slow at first, she teases, tastes, then claims me.

Undone, a primal groan rips from my upper body. My hands move lower to cup her lovely butt and press her tighter. Legs stretched, molded to me, her hot, slick center grazes over my abs. Separated by only our underwear, a shudder wracks through me. Liquid lava races through my veins as her warmth pools in my navel.

Lying back on the stone hearth, cushioned only by a sleeping bag, a sharp jolt rips through my burn. Pain cuts through my hormone-induced haze.

Am I out of my mind?

The last time adrenaline hit me this hard, I was being shot at. A fear worse than death claws up my spine as I grab her shoulders. “What are we doing here?”

Lips plump, face flush, she lifts her eyelids. “Huh?”

Am I alone in this fucking quagmire of feelings? “Is this just sex?”

“Does it matter?” she asks.

“Yeah, it does.” My heart’s in this, whether I want it to be or not. I’m not about to go down this road alone.

Her bewitching green eyes zoom to my face, casting their spells. Right now, I could believe anything is possible.

“What we were about to do, Wildlife, is make love in front of the fire… unless you want to stop?”

I answer her with a kiss, so hot, she moans. She didn’t say fucking, screwing, or buds with benefits. Tomorrow, if we survive, we’ll figure out the rest.