Blake
Fire and defiance flashed in her eyes, and I saw the move coming before I could open my mouth to stop her. Hands lashed together in front of her, she threw all of her weight into Johnathan and her elbow landed hard in his ribs. A gunshot split the air as the man let out a sharp cry at the unexpected blow. Victoria screamed and I jerked back, vaguely aware of the searing pain shooting through my shoulder and down my left arm. I brought a hand to my shoulder and winced when my fingers came away wet and dark. Shit.
In the blink of an eye, all hell broke loose. A blur of movement appeared at the far side of the bridge, yanking Johnathan’s attention away. The man lifted his gun and aimed at Clay as he came in low and fast, prepared to knock Johnathan to the ground. Two shots rang out almost in tandem over the drum of the heavy rain.
Johnathan stumbled backward, eyes wide with surprise as Con’s shot made contact. Blood pulsed from the wound in his neck and his face contorted in pain. His body went slack as he slumped over the rail, ready to tumble into the raging river. Victoria let out a startled cry as her own restraints entwined with Johnathan’s and she was jerked backward, his weight pulling her down.
In a swooping motion, Clay wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from going over. Con and I were a second behind, and he grabbed the rope holding Johnathan’s body suspended over the river. I yanked a knife from my pocket and sliced through the thin nylon.
“Wait!”
The slippery rain-drenched material slid through Con’s fingers as it released, and Johnathan’s body plunged into the rushing waters below.
Together, Clay and I lifted a soaked, trembling Victoria over the rail and onto solid ground. As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she launched herself at me. I let out a hiss at the impact, my shoulder protesting the motion as I wrapped my arms tightly around her. Despite the fiery pain shooting across my nerve endings, I refused to loosen my hold.
I tunneled one hand into her hair, loose and hanging limp around her face, water dripping from the curly ends. “Christ, I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you.”
She lifted her head from where it rested against my sodden shirt and met my gaze. “Blake, I…” Her eyes rounded with surprise as they dropped to my shoulder. “You’re bleeding!”
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” I pulled her flush against me.
“I’m sorry.” She burrowed her head against my chest, her voice cracking on the words. “I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you.”
“Shh,” I murmured against her hair. “Everything is fine now. Everything’s okay.”
She threw a look toward the swollen creek below, the churning water battering the bank. “Is he…?”
“Gone, baby. I’m sorry.”
“I still can’t believe it.” She shivered and I tightened my arms around her waist as if to shield her from the pain of the memory. “I never thought…”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned toward Con.
“Let’s get out of the rain.”
I hadn’t even realized Clay had retrieved the truck until the headlights swept over us. I ushered Victoria into the back of the cab and climbed up beside her, pulling her into my arms as soon as the door closed behind us.
Clay reached over and cranked the heat. “Locals are on their way. We’ll be outta here soon.”
“Not much to see at this point,” came Con’s low drawl.
Victoria shuddered at the implication and I slid my free hand under her legs and scooped her into my lap. She turned her face into my neck, seeking comfort, reminding me again of how close I’d come to losing her. I looped my arms around her like a steel band and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Me, too.” She turned those beautiful gray eyes on me, so full of love and trust. Concern filled them as they dropped to my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“Not a bit,” I lied. There was no way I was letting her go. I studied her. “How are you?”
“Fine.” The understatement in her tone was evident and painful to my ears.
I lifted one hand and examined her wrist, stroking a finger over the abraded, bruised flesh. My gaze rose to her neck. An angry red line bisected the flesh of her throat where the rope had pulled tightly across the delicate skin. Fury rippled through me at the sight and I wished Johnathan was still alive so I could kill the man all over again, rip him apart with my bare hands. The urge to put my fist through the window was almost overwhelming, but I forced my attention to the woman in my lap. She was here with me, and she was safe. It was all that mattered.
“We’ll get this fixed up for you as soon as we get to the hospital. Maybe we’ll get a group discount.”
She ignored my joke, a question in her eyes. I opened my mouth then immediately closed it again. That conversation was better had in private.
The sudden flashing of blue lights bouncing off the trees alerted us to the arrival of the locals. We took turns giving statements, though it was obvious to everyone from the state of Victoria’s battered flesh what had happened. The rain had slowed and, come daylight, they would start searching for Johnathan’s body, waiting for it to wash up on shore.
Fortunately, the man was a terrible shot, and the bullet had barely skimmed my shoulder. The flesh wound still hurt like a bitch, and the ER doc cleaned it and dressed it with gauze. Almost six hours later, we were finally on our way home. Johnathan’s car had been impounded, and one of the officers retrieved Victoria’s phone and purse for her. Around four in the morning, I pulled up in front of QSG, and Con and Clay filed out with twin nods and pointed looks.
As soon as the men were inside the building, I hooked an arm over the back of the seat and turned toward Victoria. “So…?”
She stared at me for several long seconds, the anticipation almost killing me. “We should talk.”
Those were not the three words I’d been hoping to hear. Cold settled deep in my bones and my heart fell to the pit of my stomach. I’d been so stupid. I thought once Johnathan was out of the picture that we could be happy. Her reticence pierced me like a blade. I would give her anything, do anything she asked, yet she acted as if it all meant nothing. I’d saved her life, for Christ’s sake. But it wasn’t enough for her. She didn’t trust me, didn’t love me enough to make it work. Maybe it would never be enough.
Completely numb, I turned back to the road and put the truck in gear. The trip to Victoria’s house was uncomfortably silent. Gray pre-dawn light had just begun to break over the horizon as I pulled to a stop in her driveway. I stared straight ahead, molars clenched as I waited for her to get out. The sooner she was out of my life, the sooner I could pick up the pieces and try to move on.
“Blake?”
Expression finally under control, I turned to her. It was so hard not to reach across the truck and haul her into my arms, beg her to give me a chance. Instead, I lifted my chin and fixed her with a cold stare.
She bit her lip before speaking. “Would you like to come inside for a few minutes?”
Hurt lanced through me. “I’m really exhausted, Victoria. It’s been a long night.”
“Just…” She trailed off, tears glazing her eyes, and she shook her head. “Never mind.”
My pulse accelerated as I watched her hand close around the door handle, head drooping dejectedly. Fuck. What if I was making a huge mistake? I’d let her walk away once before—I wouldn’t let it happen again. I loved her, damn it, and I was going to fight for her.
I slid a hand around her elbow, halting her before she could escape. “All right. Let’s go.”
She hesitated then nodded. I slid from the truck and jogged around to let her out. Rain continued to drizzle from the sky, though noticeably lighter than before. Still, I used my body to shelter her as much as possible as we made our way to the porch. While Victoria disarmed the security system I leaned against the door, adopting a casual pose despite the surge of emotion running rampant in my gut.
Victoria finally met my gaze and I wished, not for the first time, that I could read those fathomless gray depths. Worry spread through me. I was willing to do whatever it took to make things work between us. But what if she wasn’t? Could I walk away from her and pretend everything was all right? Victoria had touched my soul and she was a part of me, now and forever. My life would never be the same without her.