Page 48 of Thaw of Spring (Knife’s Edge, Alaska #2)

A mka slowly came to, her head aching and her nose hurting. Why did her nose hurt? She tasted blood. Wait a minute. Blood.

Christian.

She gasped, opening her eyes. He’d been shot.

The room came into focus and she tried to move but couldn’t. Where was she? Wait a minute. She looked down, noting she slumped on a ratty old wooden chair. She was in Jarod’s apartment. In his small and dingy living room in the Willows.

The couch was across from her. Ugly green, ripped open at one corner, stuffing leaking out like it’d given up.

A crusted plate sat on the armrest. She couldn’t move her hands, which were tied behind her to the chair.

Wood bit into her wrists. Before she and May had broken into the place, she’d only been here once to try to talk him out of the fake engagement, and he’d grabbed her and tried to kiss her.

She’d kicked him and ran outside to her car, careful not to be alone with him again.

Light caught her eye, and she turned to see a filthy window. She smelled old pizza, feet, and something moldy. The carpet, what little showed, was worn to the threads.

The fake-wooden kitchen door was shut. The bathroom, too. Her pulse pounded against the rope. She tugged once and just caused pain up her arms.

The kitchen door was shut, and she couldn’t see into the one bathroom.

“Oh. Finally.” Helene Stanford walked in from the bedroom, this time wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, her black hair up in a ponytail. “Sorry about your nose. I kind of dropped you a couple of times.” Her dark gaze narrowed. “You’re heavier than you look.”

Amka lifted her chin, her hands tied behind her back and to the chair. It was a cheaper wooden chair. Could she damage it? Right now, her head felt like mush. “I don’t understand.” Why would the insurance adjuster kidnap her?

Helene drew out a matching chair from the dinged oak wood table. “What’s there to understand? We’re going to wait right here until Jarod decides to come get his fiancée. Do you think I don’t know what happened?”

Amka slowly twisted her fingers and winced as rope bit into her skin. “What exactly do you think happened?” Who was this woman?

“I saw how he looks at you. He wants you. Thought he could just drop me like I don’t matter? Like all the time we spent in Anchorage doesn’t matter? Our plan is going perfectly, and he just takes off?” Her eyes flickered. “I don’t think so.”

Amka noted the woman’s bag and the rolling suitcase in the corner with a laptop perched on it. That was Jarod’s. The insurance adjuster had been keeping his laptop? “You’re his friend who has the video.”

Helene drew back, her jaw clenching. “Friend? His friend ?” She leaned forward now. “No, honey. I’m his soul mate. You’re our ticket to a decent life.”

Amka tried to add up the numbers. “The life insurance policies? You sold those to him?”

“Yeah, and I signed your name on yours. His was just to make it look like you both took those out. Guess who was going to have a rough hike later this summer?” Red tinged Helene’s cheeks.

“That was the plan, and then he took off. We had a little fight because I saw how much he wanted you. I’m sure that would’ve changed once he had you.

But then, he’s off pouting. Or whatever.

So, he can come and get you…or I’ll end you for him. ”

Amka frowned. “What’s your plan here? That Jarod comes back and then, what?”

Helene slowly shrugged. “I think he just needs to see how much I love him. Then we’ll go on with our plan.”

The plan to kill Amka and get the life insurance of a million dollars? “Bad plan.” Especially since Jarod was dead. Very much so. “Wait a minute. Just how crazy are you?”

“I’m not. Love does that to a girl.” Helene flattened her hands on her jeans. “I’m sure Jarod is keeping track of news from town, and when you go missing, he’ll come find you. And me. We’ll settle everything.”

Nausea rolled through Amka’s stomach. “What would you do for love?”

Helene sniffed. “Everything.”

“Did you set those explosives in my storage building and kitchen?”

“Yep.” Helene arched an eyebrow. “You’re surprisingly resilient. Cut your brake lines, too.”

Amka struggled against the ropes. “Why? You know I don’t even want Jarod. Obviously you know about the blackmail.”

“Extortion,” Helene corrected. “He had to be engaged to you for folks to believe you’d take out insurance policies on each other. But he really thinks he wants you. He won’t once he sees how far I’ll go to have him.” Her voice cracked on the end.

What would the woman do if she discovered Jarod was dead? Amka tried to focus. “Did you kill Christian?” He couldn’t be dead. It wasn’t possible. The man was larger than life. Strong. Deadly. Hers.

“Dunno. He sure wasn’t moving when I dragged your ass out of there. I’ve never smashed anybody in the head before and was worried I hit you too hard with the gun. But you seem okay. For now, that is.” She sounded more thoughtful than psychotic, which was terrifying.

Where was that gun she’d referenced?

Could Amka keep her talking? For how long? Jarod wasn’t ever coming back. “You met Jarod after his motel burned down. You were the adjuster, right?”

“Yep. Fell for him right then and there.” Helene brushed a strand of her dark hair away from her face.

“He burned down the motel himself. You know that, right?” When Amka shook her head, Helene’s smile widened.

“See? He trusted me with the truth. I gave him that payout in an instant, knowing we’d be together forever.

But he wanted more money. Wanted you. Thought he could get both. ”

Amka tried to work her hands free. Where was that gun? She could try to break the chair, but that’d give Helene time to reach the gun. “The video? It’s on the computer?”

Helene lifted her head, looking down her nose.

“Yeah. On Jarod’s computer, my phone, and his phone.

Which he should be checking since I’ve left him fifty messages, including the one about meeting him at his place with his meal ticket.

” She cocked her head. “I suppose it might be in the cloud, too? I’ve never understood how the whole cloud thing works. ”

Amka’s hands were screaming now, the rope grinding her skin raw. Her circulation had vanished long ago. The legs of the chair wobbled every time she shifted. Her fingers were wet—blood or sweat, she didn’t know. Maybe both.

Tears gathered in Helene’s eyes. She sniffed again. “Maybe I should just kill you and leave your body for him to find. That would be a show of love, right?”

Amka’s mouth opened and then closed. She could feel the dried blood on her upper lip from falling on her nose. “No. Definitely not.”

“I don’t know.” Helene looked down at her hands. “I guess it could be an offering.” Her shoulders hunched.

“Did you try to blackmail me?”

Helene wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Yeah, I left both notes for you. The first one about the explosion and fire was so Jarod didn’t get pissed.

He didn’t know I’d rigged that to kill you.

He wasn’t ready to kill you, but I was, so I learned how to create the device from an internet video.

The weird note got Jarod off my back. Well, at least he wasn’t sure I’d done it. I’m a good liar.”

Amka thought about who could’ve been hurt. What a horrible woman. “How long have you been in town, anyway?”

“A few weeks. I’ve been staying here. Well, until I officially showed up, and then I did get a room at Flossy’s.”

Amka needed to find that gun. “You left the blackmail note after Jarod disappeared?”

“Of course.” Helene preened. “The note was a wake-up call for my man. I figured it would get him mad and he’d try to find me. I just don’t understand why he’s left me. It doesn’t make sense.”

The woman was unraveling. Amka had to move and now.

She took a breath that barely made it past the pressure in her chest and twisted, leaping up and slamming the side of the chair against the wall. Wood splintered. Pain shot up her arms as the impact jarred every bone from elbow to spine. The chair didn’t break. Not yet.

Helene frowned. “That was stupid. You’re just going to hurt yourself.”

Amka did it again. Harder.

The backrest cracked. Her shoulder burned white-hot. She gritted her teeth and threw herself against the wall one more time. The chair exploded behind her. Jagged legs snapped, and she hit the floor in a tangle of broken wood and rope. Her wrists were still bound, but the chair was gone.

Helene shrieked and dove for the bag by the suitcase.

“No—” Amka tried to crawl, but her right leg buckled under her, the thigh muscle seizing from the fall.

Helene ripped a gun out of the bag.

“Don’t,” Amka gasped, her voice shredded.

Helene turned, weapon in both hands now, her eyes wild. “You think you can just take everything from me?” she panted. “You think you matter more?”

Amka scrambled forward. Her wrists howled in pain. She got her knees under her and lunged out of pure instinct and desperation.

Helene fired.

The shot cracked into the wall, wood dust raining down.

Amka slammed into her. The two women hit the floor in a heap, and the gun slid across the fake wooden floor to hit the front door. Amka tried to twist her hands free of the rope, Helene clawing at her face.

“You ruined everything!” Helene screamed.

Amka drove her shoulder into Helene’s gut. The woman grunted and elbowed Amka hard in the jaw. Lights burst behind her eyes.

They rolled.

Helene landed on top, fists raining down. Amka raised her arms, still bound, trying to deflect the blows. She caught a punch across the cheekbone, and the world tilted.

She fought through it, leaning up to slam her forehead into Helene’s nose.

Helene howled, blood pouring from her nostrils. She recoiled just enough.

Amka bucked hard, shoving her off.

They both scrambled for the gun, and Helene got there first. She grabbed it and turned, already firing.

The gun kicked in Helene’s hand, the sound tearing through Amka’s skull. She flinched, breath caught in her throat, waiting for the impact?—

It never came.

The front door exploded inward.

Christian.

He didn’t pause. Didn’t shout. Just moved, fast and precise and kicked the gun out of Helene’s hand. Tika hit the woman, snarling, his massive body slamming into her side. She screamed and went down hard with the wolf-pup pouncing on top of her chest, his teeth bared.

Amka pushed herself upright, breath scraping raw in her throat.

Her cheek stung. Her wrists burned. Everything inside her shook, but she was still here.

Still breathing. Her hands were still tied, but she dragged herself back, wedging into the space between the ratty couch and the coffee table.

“Christian?” He was standing? There? How?

Tires shrieked outside. More boots. More noise. It barely registered.

Christian reached her, crouching. “Amka? Talk to me.”

Even now, he was giving orders.

Brock stormed in, gun drawn, eyes wild. “Clear?”

Christian didn’t look up. “Got her,” he said, voice all steel.

Brock’s gaze swept the room, locking on Amka for a half second. His jaw ticked. He didn’t speak again, just moved toward Helene.

Damian slid in behind him, along with Ace.

Amka finally sagged, her body trying to melt into the floor. “How did you find me?” Her shoulders ached from where Helene had sat on her, and the rope at her wrists had rubbed her raw.

“Tracked you. Tika and me.”

Oh yeah. He could track anybody. Her face throbbed from the last punch, but everything still worked. Mostly.

Christian leaned in closer, those dual-colored eyes concerned. “Baby? Tell me you’re okay.”

Baby. He’d called her that before. She smiled.

Panic sizzled across his face. He dropped beside her and took her face in his hands like he was afraid to break her. “I’ve got you. You’re okay now.” His voice was rough. Warmer than anything she’d ever heard.

She couldn’t see well. “Weren’t we just in this situation? Seriously?” She was so over explosions and people pointing guns at her. “I need a vacation.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Humor. Relief. Rage. She couldn’t name the sentiment. But the sight grounded her. Behind him, boots pounded again. Troopers shouting. Brock cuffed Helene as Ace watched dispassionately and Tika sat quietly to the side.

Where had Damian gone?

Amka swallowed down the lump in her throat. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered to Christian right before she passed out.

Cold.