Sensing my intent, the grinning man points his barrel at my woman. “Try anything. She dies. Weapons to your feet. Now.”
Wondering why he doesn’t simply shoot us, I lower my Glock, then my rifle. “I love you, Kell.”
My throat tightens at the tears dripping down her face. “I’m not giving up, Wildlife. Meet you on the other side.”
Disarmed now, I step in front of her. “Let her go. I’m FBI. She knows nothing.”
She pushes out from behind me. “Border Patrol. Your plan is toast.”
A sudden thunderclap makes the huge man flinch. He glances up nervously when a jagged streak of lightning cracks. “We’ll sort it out back at the shack.”
Was that some kind of heavenly reprieve?Tie-wrapped, we stumble toward the sheer slope.
Be killed now or later? Screw it.I suck in a breath, leap, and tuck tight. Like jumping from a plane without a parachute, I free-fall into oblivion.
Pain implodes in my ribs on impact. White powder packs my nose and mouth. Coughing, spitting, I claw for oxygen. The world spins. Trees and sky blur in a dizzying tumble. Scraggly brush finally slows my roll, scraping my skin raw.
When gunfire cracks in the distance, my senses sharpen.
Arms and legs flail as I dig in my toes, skidding to a stop. The earth tilts under me, but I push to my knees. Wheezing, I crawl under the nearest pine. No firepower. No backpack. Only a lighter, a knife in my boot, and a damn candy bar.
My wrist throbs. Broken? It moves, so probably not. Come to think of it, every inch of my body hurts, but hey, I’ve survived worse.
Kelly, baby. Hold on. I’m coming.
Chapter 33
Kelly
“Scott!” I lunge toward the cliff’s edge. Far below, he tumbles, rolling so fast he’s just a blur. How could anyone survive that leap?
He did this for me. I’m not about to waste his life. The moment my captor, Scowlface, takes his eyes off me, I butt my head into his ribs, throwing all my weight into it.
Go over, you bastard.
Crap. I might as well have hit a brick wall.
“Bitch.” The mercenary smirks, raising his gun.
Closing my lids, I brace for death.Please, Jesus. Help Kade and Mack.My biggest regret? Not seeing my daughter grow up.
“Stop.” A commanding bass voice booms from down the hill.
A blink later, I open my eyes to a militiaman in a white camo snowsuit trudging up the path. “Lower your automatic, stupid.”
Granted a stay of execution, no matter how short, tears sting my cheeks. While I swallow hard, the guy I’ve dubbed Mr. Freeze glares at my guard.
“Fucking idiot. We need to question her.” He hammers his fist between my shoulder blades, sending me sprawling.
With my wrists bound behind my back, I dive onto the ice, chin first. My molars clack together, firing bolts of lightning through my skull. Skin raw and burning, I rise, then spit out a piece of filling.
Their evil laughter echoes as I trudge down the slippery path. Each step drags me closer to whatever hell they have in mind.
Gram sounds in my ear.Think positive, girl. Hunter reached Wulf. Your job? Stay alive.
Too soon, I kneel by the hearth, wiggling the sting from my fingers and toes. If I’m lucky, frostbite will be the worst of my worries.
“Where is the thumb drive?” The leader jams his pistol into my temple.
