Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

Lying back on the rocks behind her, she let her equilibrium right itself, thinking inanely that at least she had been smart enough to wear a bra under her shirt.

When she thought she could continue without passing out, she put her shirt back on. It wasn’t much, but she needed the protection from the scrapes and tears that her bottom half was experiencing.

“A couple more feet,” she encouraged herself, repeating the refrain over and over until she reached the mossy ground where she could stand.

Whimpering, she grabbed a hazy tree trunk, wrapping her arms around it as if it was a long-lost relative. Biting her tears back, she looked around, trying to determine what she should do next. A rush of vertigo struck as she tried to focus her eyes, creating a chain reaction that had her wanting to vomit and fighting off the dry heaves as she clutched on to the tree with a death grip.

The trees were so thick that she couldn’t see if anyone was living nearby, nor could she figure out which mountain she was on. She had hiked most of the mountains where her family lived. Those trees were large and towering high, but not these impressive sizes.

Using her knowledge of the mountains around Treepoint left her with two choices—Pine Mountain or Black Mountain. If it was Pine Mountain, she stood the chance of finding a stray house that had been built out of sight. Those who lived there had lived there for generations and were so reclusive they would only come into town once a month for supplies; three times if it was during winter. There were also dozens of trails that drew weekend hikers and tourists to sightsee.

If she used all her luck at not being killed when she fell down the mountain, then she was in real trouble if she was on Black Mountain. The homes were even fewer and farther between; it had fewer hikers, and it was going to take longer to find someone to help her.

Looking upward, she saw that the sun was beginning its descent. She would walk as far as she could until she could find some cover for the night.

Pushing herself off the tree, she stumbled through the dead leaves and branches that littered the ground, keeping a wary eye out for snakes, both the slithering kind and those that walked on two feet.

As Jessie desperately searched for a place to rest, her blood started pumping furiously when she was hazily able to make out an old, broken-down house. She prudently walked to what was left of the small structure, jumping at the sound of the door scrapping open when she shoved at it with what little strength she had left. The floor was rotted through, and she heard the scamper of little furry feet as the floorboard creaked under her steps.

Her shoulders dropped. It was completely empty.

“What’d you expect, woman? A soda fountain?” Forcing back tears, she went back outside to search for two branches. Finding the size and lengths she wanted by touch, she went back inside. Using one, she braced the door closed. It wouldn’t keep anyone out, but it would give her time to react if anyone tried to enter.

Sitting down, she leaned against the wall that would hide her from view if the door was opened and gripped the other branch in her hands. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was all she had.

She licked her dry lips, her head falling back as tears coursed down her cheeks. Every bone in her body hurt, and she was so thirsty her mouth felt like sandpaper. The thing that terrified her the most was that she would die out here alone and Holt and Asher wouldn’t know what had happened to her. Hell, she didn’t know what had happened.

As exhaustion and pain overtook her, she brushed dried leaves from the floorboard next to her and lay down, curling up in a ball as the night air grew colder.

“Now I lay me down to sleep,” she mumbled out the children’s prayer she had learned in Sunday school as she began shivering. Raising her knees against her, she pulled the material of her shirt over her legs like a cocoon. “I pray the Lord my soul to keep. In the morning light, guide me home. Help those who love me find peace if I don’t return. And Lord, I promise I won’t hold it against You that the other two miracles I asked for didn’t happen if You decide to grant me this one. Amen.”

She closed her eyes as she thought about her brothers and friends that she was going to miss if the Lord took her. Another sob broke free as chestnut hair and amber eyes flashed in her mind. Growing colder, she pretended his arms were around her. She could almost feel him against her back.