socks and boots. Inhaling at the fiery pain burning in her
side, she swung her gaze back to the scene strewn with lifeless bodies. She could
no longer hold back her anguish at what had almost happened to her.
She screamed. And screamed.
* * * * *
Reena’s gut-wrenching shrieks rocked Cade right to his core.
He lay in the snow, on his back, his breath shooting like white flares into the
cold air. Through the haze of excruciating pain, he saw Reena sitting on a log,
her eyes squeezed shut tight, her hands stuffed beneath her armpits as she
rocked back and forth, screaming.
He wanted to get up out of the cold snow and wrap his arms
around her. Wanted to reassure her she was safe. Unfortunately every time he so
much as moved a muscle, powerful jolts of pain rocked into his right shoulder
and chest, making him inhale sharply, which in turn made his head spin.
Warm blood flowed out of him, lacing his flesh, sticky and
wet, and his body chilled as he readied himself to meet his maker.
Fuck, he was in bad shape. He opted to just lie there and
listen to Reena’s screams, knowing instinctively she was releasing her fear. Physically
she seemed to be out of harm’s way and it appeared the men were dead. At least
he hoped they were after seeing them drop one by one, compliments of Blade and
their surprise attack on the camp.
Icy snowflakes caressed his hot face. Yep, no use in moving,
he’d only pass out. For all he knew, he was already dead. Blade was probably
dead, too. Cade had seen him go down. At least with Blade out of the way she’d
have a fighting chance to reach safety.
He wrapped himself in the comforting knowledge of meeting up
with those bastards who’d just hurt her. In heaven or hell, wherever God saw
fit to put them, he’d make sure every one of them—whoever had hurt Reena—would
pay.
* * * * *
Blade drifted in swirls of searing pain. His left chest area
hurt. Every time he inhaled, fire lanced through him. So he tried not to
inhale. Tried not to breathe. But no breathing meant death. If he died, he’d
never have another night like the one he’d had with Reena all those months ago,
and he really would enjoy fucking her again.
Oh man, just thinking of her brought a lash of confused
emotions. Up until last night, he’d been able to keep a tight lid on his
attraction toward her and concentrate on following through on his kill orders.
But seeing her wrists cuffed, her ankles restrained, the need for protection
shining in her vulnerable eyes—he’d caved like a sixteen-year-old school boy raging
withhormones.
Yeah, he’d like to have her again, but that would mean he’d
have to get up. Breathe. Endure more pain.
Suddenly, he became aware of noise. It grew louder and
louder until it mixed with his red-hot pain. An engine? But that couldn’t be.
They were in the middle of nowhere. No roads. Just trees and snow. He tried to
open his eyes. Couldn’t.
He was cold. Icy waves speared right down into his bones
like a poison, anesthetizing his mind and chilling his brain. Numbing his
senses and crippling his well-honed reflexes. To his surprise, the ground moved
beneath him. No, not possible. The ground couldn’t move like this. Or maybe he was moving?
His temples throbbed with an excruciating headache. The roar
of the engine broke into his mind again, followed by the strong scent of gas.
The motion continued and so did the racket.
He drifted off and slept. For how long, he had no idea. A
sound…maybe a door closing? Whatever it was woke him. He tried to open his
eyelids again. It was hard. But he managed and winced at the blinding glare of
the setting sun. No, not the sun. A light? Yes, a porch light. It glowed,
stabbing like daggers into his head, thrusting his vision into a world of pain.
He closed his eyes again, welcomed the relief. Waited a few
seconds and then opened his eyes, this time squinting and wishing he had a pair
of sunglasses.
Behind the painful glare, he made out a building. A big
side, she swung her gaze back to the scene strewn with lifeless bodies. She could
no longer hold back her anguish at what had almost happened to her.
She screamed. And screamed.
* * * * *
Reena’s gut-wrenching shrieks rocked Cade right to his core.
He lay in the snow, on his back, his breath shooting like white flares into the
cold air. Through the haze of excruciating pain, he saw Reena sitting on a log,
her eyes squeezed shut tight, her hands stuffed beneath her armpits as she
rocked back and forth, screaming.
He wanted to get up out of the cold snow and wrap his arms
around her. Wanted to reassure her she was safe. Unfortunately every time he so
much as moved a muscle, powerful jolts of pain rocked into his right shoulder
and chest, making him inhale sharply, which in turn made his head spin.
Warm blood flowed out of him, lacing his flesh, sticky and
wet, and his body chilled as he readied himself to meet his maker.
Fuck, he was in bad shape. He opted to just lie there and
listen to Reena’s screams, knowing instinctively she was releasing her fear. Physically
she seemed to be out of harm’s way and it appeared the men were dead. At least
he hoped they were after seeing them drop one by one, compliments of Blade and
their surprise attack on the camp.
Icy snowflakes caressed his hot face. Yep, no use in moving,
he’d only pass out. For all he knew, he was already dead. Blade was probably
dead, too. Cade had seen him go down. At least with Blade out of the way she’d
have a fighting chance to reach safety.
He wrapped himself in the comforting knowledge of meeting up
with those bastards who’d just hurt her. In heaven or hell, wherever God saw
fit to put them, he’d make sure every one of them—whoever had hurt Reena—would
pay.
* * * * *
Blade drifted in swirls of searing pain. His left chest area
hurt. Every time he inhaled, fire lanced through him. So he tried not to
inhale. Tried not to breathe. But no breathing meant death. If he died, he’d
never have another night like the one he’d had with Reena all those months ago,
and he really would enjoy fucking her again.
Oh man, just thinking of her brought a lash of confused
emotions. Up until last night, he’d been able to keep a tight lid on his
attraction toward her and concentrate on following through on his kill orders.
But seeing her wrists cuffed, her ankles restrained, the need for protection
shining in her vulnerable eyes—he’d caved like a sixteen-year-old school boy raging
withhormones.
Yeah, he’d like to have her again, but that would mean he’d
have to get up. Breathe. Endure more pain.
Suddenly, he became aware of noise. It grew louder and
louder until it mixed with his red-hot pain. An engine? But that couldn’t be.
They were in the middle of nowhere. No roads. Just trees and snow. He tried to
open his eyes. Couldn’t.
He was cold. Icy waves speared right down into his bones
like a poison, anesthetizing his mind and chilling his brain. Numbing his
senses and crippling his well-honed reflexes. To his surprise, the ground moved
beneath him. No, not possible. The ground couldn’t move like this. Or maybe he was moving?
His temples throbbed with an excruciating headache. The roar
of the engine broke into his mind again, followed by the strong scent of gas.
The motion continued and so did the racket.
He drifted off and slept. For how long, he had no idea. A
sound…maybe a door closing? Whatever it was woke him. He tried to open his
eyelids again. It was hard. But he managed and winced at the blinding glare of
the setting sun. No, not the sun. A light? Yes, a porch light. It glowed,
stabbing like daggers into his head, thrusting his vision into a world of pain.
He closed his eyes again, welcomed the relief. Waited a few
seconds and then opened his eyes, this time squinting and wishing he had a pair
of sunglasses.
Behind the painful glare, he made out a building. A big
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