“Yes,” I say, and he leans in, quickly touching his lips to mine before he grabs my hand and scans the area around us. “You won’t be able to see them. They’re all wearing camo.”
“Got it.” He gives my fingers a squeeze. “On the count of three, run for that tree.” He points at one about ten feet away, then counts down with his fingers, and we both take off. When we make it without being shot at, he points at another tree, then another, and before I know it, the glorious sound of rushing water greets my ears, causing relief to fill me. “Don’t let your guard down, sunshine,” he orders without sparing me a glance, then points to another tree and another until the river comes into view. As we start to move to the right instead of forward, I keep an eye out for the four-wheeler, praying it’s not much farther. “There it is.”
A fresh wave of adrenaline blasts through my system, making me shake when I see what he’s pointing at, and I look around before he lowers me to sit with my back against the tree. “What now?”
Crouching down in front of me once more, he takes my face between his large palms. “I’m going to do a quick search of the area. I don’t think they followed us. I think that shot they fired was a warning to get us out of there, but I want to be sure, because once we’re on the four-wheeler, we’re going to be out in the open.”
“Are you saying you’re leaving me?” I grab hold of his wrist and lock on to him with all my strength. “Don’t do that. We can—”
“The four-wheeler is going to be our best option to get us to safety quickly,” he says, cutting me off, and I wonder how he can be so calm right now. “I need you to trust me, sunshine.”
I do trust him, but this isn’t him getting me up the side of a mountain. This is me trusting that he won’t get shot while leaving me behind to cower behind a tree. “I do trust you, but what if you’re wrong? What if they’re still following us and they see you?”
“They won’t see me.” He smiles like he thinks my comment is adorable. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He forces me to let him go, touches the tip of my nose with his finger, then disappears like he’s gone up in smoke.
Letting my eyes close, I listen for anything out of the ordinary, but with the water just in front of me, it’s difficult to distinguish between sounds. As the minutes pass, my hands start to shake. I’ve never felt more anxious in my life than I do right now. When I hear a branch break nearby, my eyes shoot open, and I roll to my knees and peek around the tree first on one side, then the other, not seeing anything. Then a hand wraps around my mouth from behind, cutting off the scream climbing up my throat.
Panicking, I start to rip at the arm holding me but then still when a deep voice rumbles “It’s me” against my ear.
“Tanner.” I spin around to face him, and when I see it’s really him, I wrap my arms around his middle. “Oh God, don’t ever leave me again.”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re okay.” He runs his hand over the back of my head as he holds the side of my face against his chest.
“Are . . . are the guys gone?”
“I didn’t see them, and there were no tracks following us.” He stands and takes my hand, pulling me to my feet. Once I’m standing in front of him, he pushes me back against the tree and presses his body flush against mine. “Now I need you to hold it together for just a few more minutes while we run for the four-wheeler. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.” He kisses me hard and fast, then leans back, giving me a look that makes me feel warm before he takes my hand, and we both run for the four-wheeler.
Chapter 10
TANNER
Even with Cybil tucked against my back with her arms wrapped tight around my waist, I have to keep reminding myself that she is safe. I fucked up. She shouldn’t have been able to wander so far away from where we were fishing, but I let Oliver and Lauren’s drama distract me. When I realized she was gone and that she wasn’t within shouting distance, I called Maverick and told him to come down on the four-wheeler and hike with the group back to camp.
Not surprisingly, everyone but Lauren wanted to help with the search, but I knew I’d be better off tracking Cybil on my own. She hadn’t been gone out of sight long; I just needed to be able to focus on locating her. Now, given the circumstances, I’m glad I followed my gut. If she’s right about what she witnessed, then the men who shot at us were poachers, illegally hunting bull elk, which if caught could lead to prison time and a fine of up to $20,000. Most men wouldn’t take the risk, but there are some who don’t believe the rules apply to them, especially when getting a bull elk tag during hunting season is like winning the lotto.