Inhaling a deep breath, I let his presence surround me. For now, even with Deke just feet away, I was safe.
Chapter 16
Lana
Ididn’t sleep.
Not really. I dozed in little snippets, jolting awake every time Deke shifted or the fire crackled too loud. Toren’s arm stayed around me the whole night, which didn’t help my ability to sleep. I was acutely aware of his musky man scent and the hard muscles that shifted with every breath he took.
I wasn’t sure if he slept, either. His breathing never quite settled into the deep, even rhythm of real sleep. But neither of us spoke, and eventually, the gray light of dawn began to blend with the firelight and bled into the tent.
Deke was already awake when I pushed the sleeping bag back, ready to stop feigning sleep.
Because of course he was. Why would I get lucky enough to have him be asleep still?
So much for possibly slipping around him to contact help.
“Rise and shine.” Deke’s voice was entirely too cheerful for a man who’d spent the night on a sleeping mat, probably not sleeping any more than we did.
I hated him. And not just because he was too perky. He’d done despicable things to those bears we found, who knowswhat to Dustin, and was now holding us against our will. Hate wasn’t a strong enough word.
Toren’s arm tightened briefly before he let me go and rolled away. I sat up, shoving my hair out of my face, and found Deke crouched near the tent entrance, watching us with those flat, dead eyes. In the daylight I could tell they were brown. But they weren’t an enigmatic and enticing brown like Toren’s. They were muddy and dull.
On his knee, he rested his gun, fingers tapping the grip absently.
“Good to see you awake. What have you got for breakfast?” Another of his mirthless smiles crossed his face.
Now that I could see him better, I wished it would get dark again. That flash of teeth with those dead eyes was not a pleasant sight.
“We need to contact my pilot. Before we eat, we need to check in. He’s expecting us to call,” Toren said, sitting up beside me. Sleep colored his voice, along with a deeper exhaustion.
I frowned, making a mental note to keep an eye on him. He was big and tough, but even tough guys could go downhill quickly when injured if they didn’t keep up their energy reserves.
Deke’s gaze slid to me. “On her phone?”
“That’s the plan. Or mine. I have satellite capabilities too. It doesn’t matter, though. Walker knows us both.” Toren unzipped the sleeping bag. “We’ll need to be outside for a decent signal.”
“We’ll all go outside.” Deke rose to his feet, unfolding to his full height in the low space. “Together.”
Of course we would.
Fighting not to roll my eyes, I pushed the sleeping bag out of the way and climbed over Toren’s legs. “Slow your roll, dude. We need shoes, and Toren can’t move that fast.” I reached for my boots, settling close to the front corner to get out of Toren’s way.
“So sassy. I bet you’re fun in the sack.”
A low grumble came from Toren’s chest.
I caught his eye and minutely shook my head. We did not need a confrontation with Deke. Not here.
His eyebrows dipped, but he stayed quiet, pushing his way out of the sleeping bag. Deke left the tent, giving Toren more room to maneuver.
With one eye on the hole in the tent flap, Toren reached back into the sleeping bag for the sat phone.
Keeping my back to the door, I took it and stuffed it inside the front of my pants, making sure my shirt covered it.
Even with his bandaged hand and immobilized ankle, Toren made quick work of putting a boot on his good foot. I crawled out when he was ready, then held the torn flap open for him. He emerged a moment later and pushed to his feet.
A tiny thrill of pleasure went through me when I watched Deke shrink back, a visibly wary look crossing his face as Toren reached his full height.
