STORMY SNUGGLED UP on the corner of the couch with Lola sprawled out next to her. The lights were turned off and the fireplace cast a little bit of light in the room. She felt safer with the lights turned off.
Knowing that Gray was part of an elite team who specialized in hunting down bad men, she felt a bit safer that he was out searching. No wonder he carried himself like a warrior heading into battle. She had no doubt that if someone had been out there watching, whether her ex or someone else, Gray would find them.
She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knee. She’d only known Gray for such a short time and yet she felt like she’d known him much longer. He was the dictionary definition of strong and powerful, both physically and mentally. He had shown his concern in her well-being, and she’d like knowing he cared enough to watch her back. It could be dangerous relying on him when she had no clue what tomorrow would bring. She couldn’t become his obligation or responsibility.
Yet, he would protect her.
Staring into the flames of the fire, she rolled her tongue along her bottom lip. Her headache had finally vanished and she was thinking clearer, didn’t feel as vulnerable, and still she felt a connection with Gray. She guessed it was possible for two people to meet, under any circumstances, and feel a strong attraction. A part of her wanted to stay at the cabin forever, just she and Gray. But another part of her knew she had to find her sister. They needed to talk.
Her rational side warned her she was getting too close to a man—a stranger—who was only in her life temporarily. Who would drift away as quickly as the weather. However, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that they were bound by something unexplainable. Her sister would say, “Follow your heart. It’ll never lead you astray.” Maybe she had a point.
Gray was a real life 007.
Now she was being dramatic. He wore a badge, but he didn’t say he leaped from tall buildings or shimmied his way through perilous disasters. Yet, he had the brawn to do both. Did he jump through rings of fire to catch the enemy? And why did her heart skip several beats.
He had said he wasn’t dating or attached, but a man who looked like him could have any woman he wanted, and most went for modelesque types. Stormy, well, she worked at a floral shop. Worse, a floral shop that had just shut down.
Oh wow.
What would Duncan think if he’d known she’d been rescued by a Special Agent? One that looked amazing. That body alone made her feel like she was having a constant hot flash. He was protective—not surprising considering his career. He was kind. Very much so.
Stormy realized she should have listened to the medicine man she met in Bali while on a trip with Colette two years ago. He took one look at her hand and made the amazing prediction that she lacked a love life, then proceeded to tell her three things. She’d be pushed, no shoved, out of her comfort zone. That she’d face trouble. And three, she’d find her heart where she’d least expect it. She’d brushed off the Yoda-looking man, but now, maybe all his prophecies were coming true. Colette had warned her not to discount the predictions.
Of course, her sister had always lived life to its fullest—always the adventurous one. She believed in destiny. Stormy had never believed in fate and an aligning of the stars, but as of lately, maybe something had brought her and Gray together.
The core issue here, maybe it was high time she did something impulsive, outside of walking away from a church in her gown.
If she were available, she would want to follow her emotions and see where they led her.
I am available.
Her eyes widened and goosebumps swept up both her arms. There was no going back after leaving someone at the altar. The contrast of her thoughts of Gray and the uneasiness in her stomach could easily be chalked up to the swift pace of events over the last few days. Anyone would gravitate toward a pillar in a time of weakness.
Slowly getting up so not to disturb Lola, Stormy then wandered around the small space, finally taking a seat in the chair in front of the window. She pulled back the curtain just enough so she could see out. The snow had finally stopped. The white was beautiful against the backdrop of the grayish-purple sky. She imagined it would be a good day to be snuggled in bed in front of a fire with a lover. An immediate vision of Gray came to mind, both naked, lying between the sheets. Instead, he was outside, in the cold, searching for…who really knew. She wished he’d come back soon.
Stormy wished she could reach in and wipe away all thoughts that would lead her down a dangerous path. When the weather lifted, she would go her own way. Her body shook, whether from the cold or the thought that she would never see Gray again. Also, she would have to find a place to live. And a job. She blew out a long breath.
*
Dusk was settling on the mountain as Gray moved the snowshoes through the snow. His knee didn’t feel any better, but the throbbing had stopped and now he had a dull ache. Because he didn’t have proper snow gear, he didn’t get far, but he’d made a half mile radius loop around the perimeter of the cabin and the only footprints he saw were those earlier that led to the tracks of a snowmobile.
He was still at battle with trying to find Phantom while protecting Stormy. Both of equal importance. An image of bloody bodies lying on the concrete in front of the church made his gut tighten. That was the motivator in catching the bastard. Gray would get him. Soon.
Coming to a large boulder, he decided to sit for a moment and rest his knee. He immediately smelled the scent of engine oil in the air. He looked around, seeing nothing and hearing nothing but silence.
But the quiet didn’t last long.
There was the low rumble of a snowmobile’s engine. Not just one, but two. Gray jumped up and ran down the hill, taking cover at the edge of the woods which wouldn’t last long considering he’d left a trail of tracks that a blind person could find. At least this gave him enough time to see who was on the snowmobiles.
The vehicles popped over the hill at a high rate of speed, then slowed and one rider circled the boulder twice. He recognized one as Dory Shewalter. The other rider pointed at Gray’s tracks left in the snow. They were on to him and headed his direction.
Gray stayed low as he stepped into the thick of the woods, then turned and retraced his tracks. Tossing his snow boots into nearby foliage, he stared up into an ancient oak and shimmied up it easily. By the time he made it high enough to be hidden, he was soaked and his fingers were numb. In the distance he watched the riders, both dressed in black and wearing helmets, vacate their vehicles. Gray could hear the soft crunching of their boots on the snow as they approached the wooded area which gave him an idea of how much the second rider weighed. One ninety, maybe two hundred, and he favored his right leg. Gray’s breath hitched. Phantom would favor his right leg because he’d been shot.
He could see the other rider and it was definitely Dory. She had the same frame and every other step she took, she stepped upon her toes.
Gray could take the man, no doubt, but the odds turned when he pulled a gun from his jacket. He looked unsteady, even awkward, holding the weapon and Gray accessed the situation.
A lot became clear to Gray as he crouched in the tree. Dory was working with Phantom and Gray had been so close to the terrorist today. Had Phantom planned to take Gray out? He had a feeling the bastard wanted to prolong things, maybe because he enjoyed the power of the chase.
Importantly, the only way the terrorist would have known Gray was on the mountain was if the informant had set him up.
Fuck! How could he have been so stupid?
The duo grew closer.
Perched on a branch, Gray remained still as a statue. One shift would cause the snow to fall and alert the riders to his presence. It took all his strength not to slip on the slick wood. His biceps ached and his forearms cramped in this position. His knee became wobbly. He couldn’t even reach around to grab his gun.
The couple moved slowly, looking around as they went, but both were clumsy. They passed the tree where Gray was hidden and continued following the path of his tracks and then he heard the woman say, “The footprints end. Where is he?” She turned, her head bobbing as she searched the woods.
The man responded, “He’s here somewhere. He couldn’t have just disappeared. He went back.”
“I don’t care! I didn’t agree to hiking in this shit.”
“Shut up!” the man whispered.
“Don’t tell me to shut up. I’m going back to the snowmobile,” she snapped.
“Like hell you will,” the man growled.
“Easy for you to say. You’re carrying the gun.”
“Fine. Take it. Just make sure you don’t shoot yourself, or me. You hear?” The man handed over the piece. Gray guessed if he could see the man’s face, it would be flushed in red from anger.
The couple moved back toward the tree like two ungainly elephants. This would definitely work in Gray’s favor, yet as clueless as they were, it wouldn’t take long for them to find him.
Quickly weighing his options, Gray knew he couldn’t wait in the tree for them to find him. He’d be a sitting duck. He could take out the man, but the woman held the gun, and the way her hand shook she could easily shoot Gray unintentionally.
As the couple grew closer, Gray realized he had only one option…
He jumped from the branch, landing on the woman, easily knocking her to the ground, her head hitting the snow. The gun fired but missed hitting anyone except for the poor ancient oak that sent an avalanche of snow from the branches. Gray hissed as he was hit with the wetness and ice, but he recovered quickly. The woman screamed which was muffled by her helmet as Gray grabbed her slender wrists, hit her hand hard against his knee and the gun dropped from her grasp, skidding across the icy snow. From the corner of his eye, Gray saw the man running for the clearing.
Grabbing the woman’s gun, Gray gave it a toss into the ravine, then made chase for the man.
The cold seeped into his lungs and his boots sunk in the snow which made running almost unbearable. He grabbed his gun from his waist and once he reached the clearing, he pointed the weapon at the man who jumped onto the snowmobile. “Stop or I’ll shoot!”
The snowmobile took off, sending snow flying in the air.
As a sharp shooter, Gray could have easily taken the man out from the distance that separated them, but without knowing for sure if the man was Phantom, Gray couldn’t risk killing an unidentified man. However, he could make it harder for the runaway.
“Last chance. Stop or I’ll shoot!”
When the snowmobile kicked up clumps of snow, he pulled the trigger and blood splattered from the man’s left thigh. A loud howl came from him, but he didn’t stop as the vehicle took off from where they’d come.
“Fuck!” Gray jumped on the woman’s snowmobile and took off in chase.
The snow hit Gray’s face like pea rocks and he could barely see because his eyes were blurred. He relied on his hearing more than his vision as he held down the gas and kept steady pace with the vehicle ahead. The man was bleeding hard, leaving a trail of red in his wake.
Several miles passed and Gray continued speeding behind the man until a thought hit him like a hammer to his temple. Gray was being led away from the cabin where Stormy waited. This could be a trap. After all, none of this had been a coincidence. He’d left the woman who called herself Dory in the snow and by now she would be up and realizing she was alone without transportation. Would she go to the cabin? Was there a third person involved?
With a curse, Gray slowed the snowmobile and came to a sudden stop, spewing snow like the tail of a peacock. He watched with regret as the other vehicle disappeared until nothing remained but tracks. “Shit!” Looking down, Gray saw the radio hooked to the vehicle. Grabbing it, he pressed in a button and said, “Phantom, I’ll catch you, and when I do, you’ll pay for all the lives you’ve taken. Mark my word.”
He didn’t get an answer in return, not that he expected one.
Turning the snowmobile, Gray raced back to where the ambush had happened, hoping to find the woman, but she was gone. Her tracks headed west, but Gray didn’t waste time in going after her, not when he had no idea if this was all a strategy to get him away from the cabin. Would Phantom go through Stormy to get to Gray?
He now had a snowmobile and a radio, even if the bastard Phantom escaped.
As he made his way toward the cabin, he sped along the mountainside, a blustery cold wind broke through the layers of his clothing, but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. Not until he knew she was safe. He ground his teeth against the cold as the sun settled even more. If anything happened to Stormy…
He gritted his teeth. He realized how much he cared about her safety—about her. He had to make it to her in time.
GRAY HAD BEEN gone a long time and the sun was now only a sliver of orangish purple in the sky. Her heart sank. What if he didn’t come back? What if…
She swallowed against the bile rising in her throat. Choices knocked around inside her head, but she had to trust him.
Going to the fireplace, she placed another log on and stoked the embers, hoping if anything that Gray would see the smoke coming from the chimney in case he couldn’t find his way back in the dark. Who was she kidding? He was a special agent. Didn’t that mean he was bad-ass?
Pacing the floor. Back and forth. Back and forth. Her feet started hurting and she had no choice but to stop. The hair on her nape lifted and she suddenly was overcome with what exactly? A sixth sense? Like someone was watching.
Spinning on her heels, she focused on every space of the cabin. If someone was close enough they could see through the curtain, they could be staring right at her. She didn’t believe it was Duncan. So who? It would have to be the man Gray was after.
Lola perked her ears, listening. The hair on her back lifted, but she stayed in front of the fire.
Stormy quickly made her way into the kitchen, opened a drawer and looked down at the selection. A fork, spoon, or a butcher knife. She took the latter and grasped the handle tightly, holding it up.
Lola growled and jumped up, going to stand a few feet from the door. Her tail was ramrod stiff. Fear escalated in Stormy and she could barely breathe. Someone was outside.
Then she heard a noise. Tears filled her eyes. Lola spun around, her eyes round.
Stormy squeezed the handle until her knuckles burned. She took one step, two and three, her eyes focused on the door.
Then a loud bang came on the wood and Stormy jumped.
*
Gray hunkered down as he approached the cabin. It was completely dark now and he couldn’t see if there were tracks leading to the house or not. He caught a glimpse of Stormy passing in front of the window. She was okay, at least for now. Relief spread over him and he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders—but not completely.
He’d left the snowmobile hidden at the bottom of the incline just in case someone was close and would hear him arrive. He looked up at the swirling snow with a frown. Time was ticking and they needed to get the hell off the mountain. Right now, he needed to keep Stormy safe above everything and anything.
Gray stepped onto the porch and touched the door handle, but it didn’t turn. He pounded hard.
It flung open and he met the tip of a knife. “Fuck!” He looked up the slender arm into the eyes of a frightened Stormy. “What the hell?”
Her eyes widened, and the corners of her lips deepened into a frown. “Oh my…I-I didn’t know if it was you.” Lola was now at his ankles sniffing and wagging her tail. Thankfully, the dog didn’t attack.
Stormy’s eyes filled with tears and he swallowed hard. “It’s okay.” He took the knife from her and dropped it onto a small table, kicking the door closed with his foot. “It’s okay,” he said softly.
“Gray? Where have you been?” She fell against him, and although he needed to focus on getting her off the mountain, he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She seemed so small, so fragile, as she shuddered. She didn’t have to say a word for him to understand how worried and scared she’d been. Guilt coursed through him, but if he hadn’t gone, hadn’t found the danger, the enemy could have shown up on their front door unexpectedly. Gray would never accept being the hunted.
He threaded his fingers in her hair, weighing the silky strands. “Sorry, sweetheart. It took me longer than I thought it would.”
“I heard someone outside. Lola was growling, and I thought someone was out there. I didn’t know it was you.”
“Let me look okay. Just to be on the safe side. You stay here with Lola.” He regretted letting her go, but what choice did he have? If she knew there were gun wielding, bomb making monsters on the mountain, she wouldn’t want to stick around too long. He hurried to the back door, opened it and looked outside, grateful that he didn’t see any fresh tracks. That answered his question that no one had been here. He closed the door, making sure it was secure and went back to her, seeing how pale her skin was.
“I’m sorry I held a knife on you, Gray.” Her lips trembled, and he couldn’t resist. He took her shoulders and pulled her in for another hug.
“Thankfully I’m always expecting a weapon to be slung my way.” He tried to be light hearted but maybe it was too soon because neither of them laughed.
“What took so long? Did you find someone? Why are you soaking wet?”
Now was the time to tell her what happened. He pulled back but didn’t let go of her. She looked up at him with an expression that ate through any defense he had remaining. “We have trouble, sweetheart.”
She blinked. “Trouble?”
He nodded. “Remember I told you I was looking for someone? I found him. He knows I’m here—we’re here.”
“What do we do?” Her voice shook and there was something in the depths of her eyes that drew him in.
“First, there’s something I have to do.” After all that had just happened, he needed to feel her. He lowered his mouth to hers, planting several quick kisses on her lips, truly meaning to not allow things to go any farther, but when she pressed against him, he knew just a couple pecks wouldn’t be enough. He then went in for an all-consuming kiss.
She responded, standing on her tiptoes and slipping her tongue past his lips. Needing better access, he pressed her against the door, taking her wrists and lifting them high above her head until he could feel her firm breasts against his chest. Her body felt so pliant and warm under his cold skin. He drew in her warmth wanting to never let go, even if danger lurked outside of the four walls.
He’d allow himself just a moment’s worth of pleasure.
He’d stop soon…
Gray moved his palm to one breast, cupping the mound and her whimper sounded from deep within her chest. He took that as an invitation to continue his exploration. He squeezed the firm flesh under his palm, loving how the thick nipple erected. She gyrated her hips against his erection and it took all the control he could muster to keep from ripping her clothes off and taking her.
He lifted his chin, trying hard to regulate his pants. He needed to stop, but why couldn’t he seem to find the invisible brakes?
Hating that he wanted her so much, he was losing focus of her safety. Hated that he allowed a criminal to escape just so he could save her. He touched her jaw ever so gently and she looked at him, question building in the blue depths.
“I want to do this. I think you’re wanting to do this too, but I must think about your safety and neither of us are safe here. We need to get off the mountain.” His voice shook.
“How? We’re stuck here,” she said in a low voice.
“Not now. I.—” He was careful what he told her, “Came across a snowmobile that I borrowed. It has enough gas to get us down the mountain. I left it stashed down the incline just in case these people would show up.”
“People? There’s more than one?”
He hated to scare her. “Yes.”
“What do we do?”
“I want you to go put on layers, as many as you can. Tie something around your head if you don’t have a hat. Take the blankets off the bed and we’ll use those also. It’s below freezing out there and even colder on the snow mobile. I’ll extinguish the fire.”
“What about Lola? We can’t leave her.”
Gray scratched his jaw looking down at the dog who was staring up at him as if she understood exactly what was being said. “I’ll figure something out. Now go. We need to be out of here in five minutes.”
She wasted no time and was already across the room before he finished his words. He was glad she took this seriously.
Once he snuffed out the fire, he went through every closet looking for anything extra to help stay warm. He finally found a large tarp folded under the sink. It wasn’t a snow coat, but it would add a layer. By the time he’d finished, Stormy was back in the living room and, just as he’d requested, she was in layers. So many that she could barely move. He met her across the room, taking her hands into his.
“What about you? You’re not dressed for a ride at dark on a snowmobile.”
He smiled. He found it sweet that she worried about him, although he could handle himself. “It’ll be okay. I found a tarp that we can wrap around us.”
“Will we make it on the snowmobile somewhere safe?” The worry in her eyes made his heart skip a beat.
“We only have to make it to your car. I’ll take the shovel and dig it out. The battery was still charged.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? Won’t this person, or people, watch for us there?”
“We have no choice. The snowmobile doesn’t have the gas to get us far enough. I shot one of the assailants in the leg and he’ll need to treat the wound before he can move again. That buys us some time. We’ll abandon the snowmobile away from the crash site and with it being dark, it’ll give us some cover. Are you ready?”
He saw the hesitation, but she nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
*
“You need to go to the hospital.” Natasha pressed the towel against the wound on Phantom’s bare leg. The white terry cloth was quickly turning crimson.
He gave her a narrowed eye over the whiskey bottle he was sucking down like water. He swiped the back of his hand across his lips and groaned. “I can’t go to the hospital. They are mandated to call the authorities when someone has been shot.” He looked like hell. His normal neatly styled hair was messy and he was sweating profusely. “That fucking asshole. Twice. He’s fucking shot me twice!”
“If we don’t go to the hospital, then you’re okay with dying?” She looked down at him with disgust, putting pressure on the wound, but knowing it wasn’t enough.
“This is your fault,” he growled.
“My fault?” She lifted a brow.
“I gave you the fucking gun. You should have shot him!” He took another long swig of whiskey. Between his copious sweating mixed with stale liquor and the sight of blood, she felt like she was going to throw up.
“He jumped on me. When was I supposed to shoot him?”
“Pfft. My mistake was ever bringing you with me. We lost our chance to get him.” His skin was white and his eyes red-rimmed.
“Maybe this is a sign that you need to move on. If you weren’t so hell bent on seeking some effed-up justice on him, this wouldn’t have happened. We could be anywhere right now besides this Godforsaken mountain.” The entire towel was now covered in blood and her fingers were turning pink. She tossed it to the floor and grabbed another.
“I won’t stop until I see that bastard buried. The entire Ghost Hawk Ops unit. Why can’t you get that through your fucking head?”
“Fine.” She jumped up, looked down at her crimson hands and felt her stomach roll. She forced her gaze back on him. “Let’s go now. We can set fire to their cabin and be done with him once and for all.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “You twat. Don’t you have sense in that pretty head? That won’t work.”
“Why?” She went back to putting pressure on his wound. “Because you’re shot? Man the fuck up.”
He gritted his teeth. “He’ll be on the defensive. With me wounded and you worthless with a weapon, he’ll take us both out. I know him, how he thinks. He’ll get her off the mountain. That’s the thing with good guys. They think of others instead of themselves.” He laughed, but it lacked humor. “But in the end, I’ll get the upper hand again. I’ve snuck one right under his nose and he doesn’t even expect it,” he slurred.
“Unless…”
“Stop! Neither of them will suspect anything until it’s too late. I knew she would be as powerful a weapon as any bomb I’ve ever made. Yes, my plan is a bit skewed, but this will be even better.” He reached over, turned on a monitor and a map came up with a tiny red dot moving across the screen. “See, what did I tell you. They’re already on the move. Thankfully we have the tracking system on the snow mobile.”
“There’s not enough gas for them to get off the hill. They’ll go to the vehicles. I’ll go and kill them both.”
“Rest yourself, pretty. I have this covered. Watch and see.”
She handed him a leather belt. “Here.”
“What’s this for?”
“I’m going to have to remove the bullet or you’re going to bleed to death,” she said.
He hissed out a long breath and grabbed her wrist harshly. She jerked and lifted her wide eyes to him. “Listen. I don’t plan on losing one of my legs or bleeding to death. You fuck this up and we’ll both go down. You hear?”
She nodded once and prepared the tools she needed. Once he bit down on the belt, she took the pliers in her shaky hand. She was shaking too much. “Give me a drink of that.” Grabbing the bottle from his grasp, she chugged.
“Hey there. Enough.” He grabbed it back. “Drink when you’re done.”
Steadying the tool above his leg, she warned him, “This is going to hurt.”