trees and hills of snow raced past them in a blur. They had grabbed Frank’s hat and gloves for David while they were boarding up the windows last night in their preparations to leave the cabin. They’d also found another hat and pair of thick gloves in Tom Gordon’s bedroom for her. But even with the extra gloves and hats, it still didn’t feel like enough protection against the biting wind as they raced down the road.
She watched Cole’s wide back, his gloved hands gripping the handlebar grips and her thoughts turned to him. What was his next move? How long was he going to stay with them? She suspected his primary goal had been escaping the cabin and the terror that had stalked them. Now that they were away from the cabin, what would he do? He had a good share of the stolen money shoved down into his socks and coat pockets. Would he just ditch them now or would he travel with them part of the way? He also still had his gun. Would he hurt them? Would he demand the money back that she had stuffed into her own coat pockets and socks? He seemed like a good man deep down inside … he hadn’t turned on her and David in the cabin when he’d had so many chances to. But she had to remind herself that he was a career criminal and she would have to be wary of him. She would have to be ready for anything.
She didn’t really expect Cole to go all the way down to New Mexico with them. This wasn’t his fight. Yeah, he’d lost his little brother at the cabin, but this monster was too big to fight. Too dangerous. But she also didn’t expect him to ditch them just yet. At the very least, she figured that she and David were good cover for him to get out of this area of Colorado. Once they were farther south, he might leave them, but she would make damn sure that he didn’t hurt them. She hadn’t gone through everything that she and David had gone through just to have Cole put a bullet in their heads once he felt he was safe.
So she didn’t really have any other choice than to trust Cole for now, but she needed to think of things from his point of view. He was a man wanted for robbery and murder. She’d seen his face, she knew his name, she knew details about the bank robbery. He would ultimately be a suspect in the pile of burnt bodies left behind at the cabin. It was only a matter of time before the police got to the burning cabin, discovered the bodies and realized that at least one of the criminals was still at large in the area. It was only a matter of time before the local police, the state police, and maybe even the FBI, were combing the area for him. And that would make Cole a desperate man … and desperate men were dangerous.
She would hold onto the gun Cole had given her back in the cabin, and she would hold onto some of the money stuffed down into her socks. If Cole wanted to leave, then fine. But she wasn’t going to be stranded with David. She wasn’t going to let that happen to them ever again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cody’s Pass, Colorado
C ole pulled the snowmobile up into some trees off from the side of the road and drove the vehicle farther into the woods, whipping around the trees at a nerve-racking speed, but also with expertise. They traveled through the trees for ten minutes until they came to a ridge. He slowed the snowmobile down and stopped it right at the edge of the ridge. He cut the motor and the only sound they heard was the freezing wind whipping through the tree branches.
Stella pried her cramped fingers off of Cole’s arms and got off the snowmobile. Her boots sank down into the snow up to her calves. She flexed her fingers inside her gloves, and then shook her hands, trying to force the blood back into them. Her muscles were sore, and she was running on fumes now, running on the last reserves of adrenaline that she had.
Cole got off the snowmobile and lifted up the pair of goggles from his eyes. He’d swiped them from Tom Gordon’s garage this morning before they left. He walked over to
She watched Cole’s wide back, his gloved hands gripping the handlebar grips and her thoughts turned to him. What was his next move? How long was he going to stay with them? She suspected his primary goal had been escaping the cabin and the terror that had stalked them. Now that they were away from the cabin, what would he do? He had a good share of the stolen money shoved down into his socks and coat pockets. Would he just ditch them now or would he travel with them part of the way? He also still had his gun. Would he hurt them? Would he demand the money back that she had stuffed into her own coat pockets and socks? He seemed like a good man deep down inside … he hadn’t turned on her and David in the cabin when he’d had so many chances to. But she had to remind herself that he was a career criminal and she would have to be wary of him. She would have to be ready for anything.
She didn’t really expect Cole to go all the way down to New Mexico with them. This wasn’t his fight. Yeah, he’d lost his little brother at the cabin, but this monster was too big to fight. Too dangerous. But she also didn’t expect him to ditch them just yet. At the very least, she figured that she and David were good cover for him to get out of this area of Colorado. Once they were farther south, he might leave them, but she would make damn sure that he didn’t hurt them. She hadn’t gone through everything that she and David had gone through just to have Cole put a bullet in their heads once he felt he was safe.
So she didn’t really have any other choice than to trust Cole for now, but she needed to think of things from his point of view. He was a man wanted for robbery and murder. She’d seen his face, she knew his name, she knew details about the bank robbery. He would ultimately be a suspect in the pile of burnt bodies left behind at the cabin. It was only a matter of time before the police got to the burning cabin, discovered the bodies and realized that at least one of the criminals was still at large in the area. It was only a matter of time before the local police, the state police, and maybe even the FBI, were combing the area for him. And that would make Cole a desperate man … and desperate men were dangerous.
She would hold onto the gun Cole had given her back in the cabin, and she would hold onto some of the money stuffed down into her socks. If Cole wanted to leave, then fine. But she wasn’t going to be stranded with David. She wasn’t going to let that happen to them ever again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cody’s Pass, Colorado
C ole pulled the snowmobile up into some trees off from the side of the road and drove the vehicle farther into the woods, whipping around the trees at a nerve-racking speed, but also with expertise. They traveled through the trees for ten minutes until they came to a ridge. He slowed the snowmobile down and stopped it right at the edge of the ridge. He cut the motor and the only sound they heard was the freezing wind whipping through the tree branches.
Stella pried her cramped fingers off of Cole’s arms and got off the snowmobile. Her boots sank down into the snow up to her calves. She flexed her fingers inside her gloves, and then shook her hands, trying to force the blood back into them. Her muscles were sore, and she was running on fumes now, running on the last reserves of adrenaline that she had.
Cole got off the snowmobile and lifted up the pair of goggles from his eyes. He’d swiped them from Tom Gordon’s garage this morning before they left. He walked over to
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