I know I should probably still fight this, but as Wes helps me down off the island and turns me around, I find myself in his embrace. The hug is gentle and sweet. His body’s warm and smells of the outdoors. I’m safe here, in the arms of a man who wants to love me in his own way.
I’ve never had this before.
And right now, the thought of leaving the safety of his embrace scares me more than whatever threat is out there, searching for me.
So I return the hug and hold Wes, praying that I’m not damning him, or the others, by staying at Gnarly Pines.
Chapter 27
Blair
“No, don’t hold it like that, Blair. Grab it by the butt of the handle,” Ledger calls from a few feet away.
I frown, shifting the small axe so that I’m holding it as he’s suggested.
“This feels weird.” I gauge the weight of the axe in my hand. “Are you sure?”
A loud thwack sounds as Santi’s throwing axe slams into the trunk of the tree we’re aiming for.
“Yeah, Ledger’s right. It definitely flew better that time,” he declares with a grin in my direction.
I glare at him. “Lucky hit.”
“If that’s the case, luck's on my side tonight because that’stwiceI’ve hit our target and you…” Santi pauses to grab his chin thoughtfully. “Wait, how many times have you hit the tree? Once? Oh wait, no that hit just bounced off the target. So, the answer is none. You’ve hit the treezerotimes so far. Luck isn’t your friend today, is it?”
Santi, Ledger, and Wes laugh at me as I growl at Santi. The slight wind shifts, growing stronger as the evening progresses, and forces the smoke from the campfire to drift over me and Santi.
“Alright, a few more times but then we should head in,” Wes suggests as he gets to his feet. “There’s a storm coming. Judging by the thunder, it sounds like it’s already hit downtown.”
I make a face but shift my feet, tighten my core, and throw the axe. It doesn’t hit the tree at all. In fact, it soars past it before disappearing into the woods.
“Hey, look! At least it got near the tree this time!” Santi cheers.
I shove him, causing him to stumble away from me. He laughs wildly in response. With a frustrated huff, I throw my hands into the air.
“Okay, I definitely prefer throwing knives. Even the throwing stars are easier than this!” I announce.
Santi snickers. “What’s this? Can the hitwoman nothitanything?”
I whirl around to point at him with a glare. “Watch it. I don’t need an axe to take you down.”
“Ohno! I’msoscared!” he taunts as he jogs away to grab his axe.
“If we were using guns this wouldn’t even be a competition!” I call after him, tapping the piece holstered to my hip.
“Too bad we’re not using guns then, huh?!” He calls over his shoulder as he yanks his axe out of the tree.
Ledger chuckles from his seat by the campfire. “You’re good with most weapons, Blair. You’ll get decent with these. It just takes practice.”
He’s a different person from the other night. The angry, commanding presence Ledger radiated is gone. Now, he’s relaxed and unperturbed as he watches me and Santi’s friendlycompetition with our new weapons. I’ve tried to ignore the way his eyes never leave my body but it’s nearly impossible. With each rake over me, he’s branding me wordlessly. I feel it deep in my bones.
“Here.” Wes approaches me from my other side, swooping down to pick up an axe before coming closer. He hands it to me and says, “Grab a hold of it and I’ll show you the rest.”
Taking the weapon, I slide my hand down the axe to where I’m supposed to hold it. Wes comes up behind me and grabs my hips. Instantly, the axe in my hand is forgotten. My heart skips a beat and my breath catches. All of my attention narrows onto the man pressing up against behind me. Wes feels enormous as he crowds me, there’s nowhere I could turn where Wes wouldn’t be. The last time he’d held me this closely was two days ago in the kitchen, where he and Ledger had chased away the idea of leaving these men, and Gnarly Pines, behind.
“Here, twist your hips a little and place a bit more weight onto your back leg,” he says.
His voice is calm and steady—as if he’s completely unaffected by our close proximity. Me? I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed as his woodsy scent wraps around me and the warmth that radiates from his jacket seems to cocoon me. The way Wes feels like he’s everywhere makes me feel safe. It’s a strange feeling to know I can’t let my guard down around anyone other than Ledger or Dad, but I know I can with Wes. He would keep any harm from me. It’s a heady sensation to include one more person in my small circle of trust. So much so, that it feels like the world around me is reeling.
