she said, her voice subdued.
God, he was cold. His knit cap was gone and the damn miserable rain had formed ice crystals in his hair. Not even his good cold weather gear could keep his body warm when he was losing so much heat through his uncovered head. He shivered convulsively, but forced himself to concentrate. He could see that Lolly’s pants were dark with moisture from mid-thigh down, moisture that would leach all of her bodyheat away, too. They had to get dry. They had to get warm. The exertion of the fight had warmed him while it was happening, but now the letdown was leaving him even colder, and Lolly would be in worse shape because she had neither his muscle mass nor the experience in handling the aftermath of an adrenaline burn.
He turned her toward the house, his arm behind her back, urging her forward. “Are you cold?” he asked, though of course she was.
“I was,” she said. She sounded exhausted. He’d expected that; it was normal. “I don’t think I am now, though. But I can’t feel my feet.”
He shuddered again, his body trying to generate some heat, and suddenly he noticed that Lolly wasn’t shivering. Shit, that wasn’t good. She was hanging in there now, but he had to get her to the house in a hurry.
He left Darwin’s body where it was; the only other option was to carry it out, and he had to devote what energy he had left to getting himself and Lolly out of these damn woods and back up the mountain to the house.
Cautiously they worked their way back to the pavement. They’d have to stay on the weedy edge where they’d have at least marginal footing, which meant they would be beneath the dangerous and increasingly ice-coated trees that leaned over the road, but they really had no choice because the road was the fastest way up. Whether they stayed in the woods orwent by the road, they had to face the possibility of being crushed by a falling limb, so the less time they spent under the trees, the better. He kept his arm around Lolly, pushing himself as well as her. She didn’t know how close to the edge he was skating, how much of an effort it was for him to walk, and he wanted to keep it that way. She’d been a trouper so far, but who knew where her breaking point was? He didn’t think she’d give up, but now wasn’t the time to find out.
He made his voice purposely steady and without emotion. “Earlier today, before I got to the house … did Darwin hurt you?”
He expected an immediate “No” that he wouldn’t believe, or a painful “Yes” that would make him want to go back to the body and kill the man all over again, but Lolly hesitated before answering. “He tried. He almost—” Her voice broke and she stumbled.
Gabriel stopped, pulling her to a halt, and he turned the flashlight so he could see her expression. Her face was white and pinched with cold. The poncho had torn, and ice crystals had formed on her hair, just as they had on his. But her gaze was steadier now, even if her lips were blue. He cupped her face in the gloved hand that wasn’t holding the flashlight. “He won’t hurt you now.”
Her answer was a nod, and in spite of the dire circumstances, it was relief that changed her expression. “Yeah, I know. You killed his ass.” She paused, then added, “Thanks. Good job.”
He almost laughed. Reassured, he started them walking again. She was going to be okay. Lollipop was turning out to be a pretty tough cookie. He continued to steady her as they walked up the hill, one slow, cautious step at a time. He stayed alert, watching and listening for the woman—Niki—but all he could hear was wind and the straining limbs of old, ice-covered trees.
Chapter Nine
Niki struggled to her feet. When that man had just appeared out of the darkness like a demon or something and attacked Darwin, her instinct for self-preservation had kicked in and she’d run like hell, without even a single thought about helping Darwin. She’d been looking over her shoulder
God, he was cold. His knit cap was gone and the damn miserable rain had formed ice crystals in his hair. Not even his good cold weather gear could keep his body warm when he was losing so much heat through his uncovered head. He shivered convulsively, but forced himself to concentrate. He could see that Lolly’s pants were dark with moisture from mid-thigh down, moisture that would leach all of her bodyheat away, too. They had to get dry. They had to get warm. The exertion of the fight had warmed him while it was happening, but now the letdown was leaving him even colder, and Lolly would be in worse shape because she had neither his muscle mass nor the experience in handling the aftermath of an adrenaline burn.
He turned her toward the house, his arm behind her back, urging her forward. “Are you cold?” he asked, though of course she was.
“I was,” she said. She sounded exhausted. He’d expected that; it was normal. “I don’t think I am now, though. But I can’t feel my feet.”
He shuddered again, his body trying to generate some heat, and suddenly he noticed that Lolly wasn’t shivering. Shit, that wasn’t good. She was hanging in there now, but he had to get her to the house in a hurry.
He left Darwin’s body where it was; the only other option was to carry it out, and he had to devote what energy he had left to getting himself and Lolly out of these damn woods and back up the mountain to the house.
Cautiously they worked their way back to the pavement. They’d have to stay on the weedy edge where they’d have at least marginal footing, which meant they would be beneath the dangerous and increasingly ice-coated trees that leaned over the road, but they really had no choice because the road was the fastest way up. Whether they stayed in the woods orwent by the road, they had to face the possibility of being crushed by a falling limb, so the less time they spent under the trees, the better. He kept his arm around Lolly, pushing himself as well as her. She didn’t know how close to the edge he was skating, how much of an effort it was for him to walk, and he wanted to keep it that way. She’d been a trouper so far, but who knew where her breaking point was? He didn’t think she’d give up, but now wasn’t the time to find out.
He made his voice purposely steady and without emotion. “Earlier today, before I got to the house … did Darwin hurt you?”
He expected an immediate “No” that he wouldn’t believe, or a painful “Yes” that would make him want to go back to the body and kill the man all over again, but Lolly hesitated before answering. “He tried. He almost—” Her voice broke and she stumbled.
Gabriel stopped, pulling her to a halt, and he turned the flashlight so he could see her expression. Her face was white and pinched with cold. The poncho had torn, and ice crystals had formed on her hair, just as they had on his. But her gaze was steadier now, even if her lips were blue. He cupped her face in the gloved hand that wasn’t holding the flashlight. “He won’t hurt you now.”
Her answer was a nod, and in spite of the dire circumstances, it was relief that changed her expression. “Yeah, I know. You killed his ass.” She paused, then added, “Thanks. Good job.”
He almost laughed. Reassured, he started them walking again. She was going to be okay. Lollipop was turning out to be a pretty tough cookie. He continued to steady her as they walked up the hill, one slow, cautious step at a time. He stayed alert, watching and listening for the woman—Niki—but all he could hear was wind and the straining limbs of old, ice-covered trees.
Chapter Nine
Niki struggled to her feet. When that man had just appeared out of the darkness like a demon or something and attacked Darwin, her instinct for self-preservation had kicked in and she’d run like hell, without even a single thought about helping Darwin. She’d been looking over her shoulder
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