She forced her heartbeat under control, breathing deeply as she calmed the heavy throb of her pulse in her ears and fought to listen closely to the sounds around her. A breeze, a rustle to her right.
She shifted again, moving along the trunk of the tree to ensure she stayed hidden. Weapon ready, she crouched along the base of the tree, peering around it carefully. There. A swiftly moving shadow as though something or someone had slipped along the edge of that outcropping of boulders several feet from the tree she hid behind.
Oh God. Had Grange found them? Had he somehow learned what they were doing? She turned, putting her back to the tree, watching the area around her with narrowed eyes as she considered her options. Whoever it was was more a danger to her than to Dash. But what if the irritation filling him had dulled his senses? He was upset with her. He might not be as careful as he should be.
How many were there? Where were they?
She breathed in deeply, nostrils flaring as she had watched Dash do, but nothing came to her. She couldn’t sense where they were hiding, had no idea how to get into position for a better view.
“Hey lady, where’s Dash?” She flinched as the male voice echoed from the boulders she had spied seconds before.
She stayed silent.
“Come on. I know he’s up here. I just have to talk to him. Just let me know where he’s at and everything’s cool.”
She was trembling. She could feel the breeze whispering over her chilled flesh as a sense of dread filled her.
Stay silent when uncertain, Dash had told her the day before. If you’re hidden, you’re hidden. No matter how much they think they know where you are, there’s always a chance you managed to move. Your best defense is silence.
She stayed silent. She didn’t shift or move, merely watched the land before her. She could see nothing from her side, couldn’t sense any movement behind her.
“Lady, I’m getting pretty tired of sitting back here. I know you’re there. I can smell Dash all over your body. Now tell me where the hell he’s at.”
Fear flashed through her. Oh God. How could he smell her? He had to be a Breed. Or lying. Lying, she decided. Callan and the Felines were the only Breeds aware of their location and they had Dash’s cell number. They wouldn’t be sneaking around the mountain.
“Killing you would be so easy,” the voice snarled with controlled fury. “Stop being stupid and answer me.”
“Killing you would be easier.” Dash. His voice seemed to echo around her as dizzy relief flooded her body. “Drop your weapon and move out where she can see you. Don’t fuck with me, either. This is my territory. You can’t win.” Silence filled the mountain for long moments. “Elizabeth, move around to your right carefully, keep that gun trained between his thighs until I get there. We don’t want to kill him if he gets stupid, just hurt him real bad.”
Giddy pleasure washed over her as she moved carefully to do as she was ordered. As she rounded the tree, she almost dropped the gun in shock before she managed to direct it as Dash had ordered her.
She blinked over at the stranger, watching as his pale eyes regarded her calmly, his hands held carefully away from his body.
“You’re his woman.” His eyes were narrowed on her intently.
She swallowed tightly, refusing to speak. His lips quirked in amusement.
“He did good.” He nodded. “Better than I expected.”
“Simon, you stupid son of a bitch.” Dash entered the small clearing, anger vibrating through every pore of his body. “Are you trying to get your ass killed?”
He was obviously a soldier of some sort. He held himself with careful readiness, his lean, muscular body poised for action. He had short dark hair, pale blue eyes and the face of a fallen angel.
“Trying to help you.” The other man shrugged. “I waited forever at that cabin and decided to come looking for you. Your woman sensed me, though. She’s good.”
Dash glanced over at her and Elizabeth basked in the approval of his gaze.
“Elizabeth, meet one of the men I fought with overseas. What the hell he’s doing here I have no clue.” He flashed the man a hard look as he lifted his arm and indicated to Elizabeth that she should come to him.
“I told you what I was doing here,” he said with a slow, soft southern drawl. “I’m not alone. I have a unit waiting back at that cabin. We didn’t want to surprise you too bad.”
Elizabeth felt Dash’s body tighten in surprise.
“A unit?” He frowned. “What the hell for?”
“Caught wind of what you were up to here.” He shrugged as he leaned down carefully and retrieved the weapon he had dropped. He holstered it immediately. “Taking that bastard won’t be easy, Dash. I’ve pulled my old team together and we’re here to help.”
Despite the soft, pleasant drawl, Elizabeth glimpsed a stubbornness in the man Dash called Simon that warned her he wouldn’t back off easily.