Chapter 21
Nick kepthis arms over the kids, pinning them to the ground, until the arrows stopped flying. Who the hell shot arrows in this day and age? But he didn’t have time to sort out details like who and why. He had to get help to Charlie.
Triage first.
He crawled back through the grass and checked the arrow that had pierced her black hiking joggers and embedded itself in the back of her leg. It had hit her at an angle, fortunately, and therefore hadn’t penetrated deeply. But he knew it would be better to leave it in so she didn’t lose too much blood.
He checked her pulse—fast but not dire—and her airways. Her breathing was fine. She must have passed out from the shock. Or maybe the arrowhead was laced with something. Fuck.
“Elias,” he called in a low voice. Elias and Hailey both came scrambling through the grass. “Run back to the four-wheelers and bring them as far up as you can. Stay low until it’s safe. Hailey, stay with me.”
“No, we need both four-wheelers. I’ll go with Elias.”
He nodded, feeling proud of his gutsy if queasy daughter. “Just stay low. Follow Elias. He knows how to do it, right?”
Elias nodded, and the two disappeared into the grass. Nick held Charlie in his arms so he could keep a close eye on her pulse and body temperature. He realized that he’d never seen her still like this before. Charlie was always in motion, her expressions animated, her body poised for flight. Now that she was unconscious, he saw something else in her face. A kind of poignant vulnerability that he wouldn’t have expected from someone with so much bravado.
He checked the back of her leg again. Jesus, there was a fucking arrow there. The shock of it hit him all over again. Would it be better if he took it out? Where was Google when you needed it? There was no service out here, of course.
Elias reappeared, so quietly that Nick nearly jumped out of his skin. “The tires on the four-wheelers are slashed.”
“Fuck. Where’s Hailey?”
“Right here.” Hailey crawled up behind him. Her eyes were huge with alarm. “What should we do, Daddy?”
Was it a promotion to go from Dad to Daddy?
“You guys need to go for help. I’ll stay here with Charlie.”
“But where?”
He looked at Elias. “Is Fire Peak Lodge the closest place to find people and a phone connection?”
The boy nodded, then glanced at the sky. Nick followed his gaze and saw clouds gathering overhead. He’d been so caught up with Charlie that he hadn’t noticed. Their dark gray underbellies threatened downpours at any moment, and he’d been here long enough to know that Alaska rain was damn cold.
“Old Solomon has a trailer near here. He wouldn’t mind if you take shelter in it.”
“Solomon.” Hadn’t he wanted Nick to check out his mining claim for the two campers who’d gone missing? Was that near here? He really needed to get out a map of this area and pinpoint every odd thing that had happened lately. “How close is it? Can we carry her there?”
“I don’t know.” Elias looked at her doubtfully. “She’s pretty big.”
“Hey,” came Charlie’s voice, weak and scratchy, but filled with humor. “I prefer ‘giraffe.’ Or skyscraper. I’ve heard both.”
“Charlie.” Nick swung all his focus back to her. “How do you feel?”
“Like I have a fucking arrow in the back of my leg.” She reached back and before anyone could stop her, she yanked it out. “That’s better. Also, ow.”
Nick flipped her onto her stomach so he could examine the wound under the bloody hole in her pants. More blood pulsed from it. He yanked off the bandanna he’d been using to keep the trail dust out of his face and tied it tightly around her thigh. “That was incredibly reckless,” he told her sternly. “You could have lost a lot of blood.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking, just reacting. My body wanted it out.”
She gingerly brought herself onto all fours, after which Nick helped her to her feet. He held his breath, ready to pull her back to the ground, but no more arrows came.
Swaying, she held onto his arm. “I don’t think I can walk all the way back.”
Nick glanced at Elias. “How far to the camper?”
“About half a mile,” the boy answered. “We can all help.”
“No. We need you guys to get a helicopter out here, or whatever’s the fastest and least painful way to pick her up. I’ll get her to the camper. Just tell me where.”
As he supported Charlie, who was starting to sag again, he listened closely to Elias’ instructions. The kid’s knowledge of this area was truly impressive. Another glance at the sky told him they should really get a move on.
“You guys better get going,” he told the kids. “Promise you’ll be careful.”
Hailey surprised him by lunging forward with a sudden hug that included half of Charlie as well. “You too, Daddy. Promise.”
He was almost too touched to answer, so he just gave her a smile.
“Can someone hand me that arrow?” Charlie asked. “That thing was in me, so it’s mine now. Souvenir.”
Hailey picked it up and handed it to her. “You’re pretty badass, you know that?”
The kids disappeared back toward the trail, while Charlie and Nick went the opposite direction, forging through the tall meadow grasses until they reached the welcome shadow of the forest. The canopy was so thick here that not much grew underneath the majestic spruces, which made walking much easier for both of them. Being less exposed helped too, and he felt his worry ease just a bit.
Charlie was walking and no arrows were flying; maybe they’d get through this just fine. Charlie must have relaxed too, because she started talking, although in a low murmur.
“All things considered, I think it was worth it, getting shot by an arrow so a teenage girl could call me a badass.”
He picked up on her need to keep things light, to be as normal as possible. “And I got a hug out of it, and a ‘Daddy.’ So thanks for that.”
“You should probably thank whatever asshole brought bows and arrows out here. Any ideas about that?”
“Trying to scare us away from those birds? That meadow? Or something else we hadn’t yet noticed?”
“You’re really smart, aren’t you?”
She nearly buckled as her foot hit a low spot in the trail. He caught her, and they continued on, with him carrying more of her weight. “It’s just a theory at this point.”
“It’s a good one. Either that or they were trying to end my hurdling career. I used to be great at the hurdles. They bring out the best in me. Obstacles, roadblocks, hurdles. It’s because I’m stubborn and I have long legs.”
Okay, now he got it. She needed to talk to keep herself going. “That’s a good quality to have.”
“You have some good qualities, too.” She sounded almost drunk; maybe from loss of blood, maybe from shock. “You’re good to have around in a crisis.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re very attractive, too.”
He gave a snort of laughter. “Do you mind if I get my phone out? I want this on the record.”
“I’ll deny everything. I’ll say the arrow made me say it.”
“I find you attractive, too. I’m not ashamed to say it.”
“Really? But you also think I’m a criminal. Are you attracted to criminals?”
“Not generally. Anyway, I never said you’re a criminal. That’s not even my call to make. There’s a whole justice system for that.”
He felt her shudder against him. “I don’t want to go to prison. It’s terrible there.”
“Shhh. Maybe you should save your energy. We still have a quarter mile to go.”
“No, you see, part of me always knew I’d end up in prison just like my father. Maybe I wanted it to happen.”
Was she starting to talk nonsense? Was this a bad sign?
“My dad was my hero and I wanted to be just like him. I looked up to him so much, and then he went away and I couldn’t see him and when I did, everything was different.” He glanced at her, concerned by the dark shift in her tone. He spotted a tear on her cheek, but couldn’t tell if it was from the pain or talking about her father. “I just wanted to fix it. I wanted justice. That’s all I ever wanted. I wanted my daddy back and the world to be right again.”
His heart twisted hard. I’ll fix the world for you, he wanted to say. But no one could say that and really mean it. Her father couldn’t, and neither could he.
“He’s out now, remember? He’s okay. He’s getting treatment, and he’s free.”
In the shelter of the thick trunk of a towering cottonwood tree, she paused, catching her breath. He adjusted the position of the arm to ease the ache in his muscles. And then all pain disappeared as she leaned in to brush her lips against his.
“Thank you,” she murmured against his mouth, the contact light as a dragonfly. He could barely breathe. It was so unexpected, and she was so injured and so not herself. What should he do?
He kissed her back. As soon as he felt the press of her soft lips, longing filled his heart. He wanted her. Wanted this. Wanted a connection with this complicated, fascinating woman.
She swayed against him. He realized it wasn’t due to the seduction of his kiss, but the state of her leg. A raindrop hit the top of his head, then another. Literally raining on his damn parade. “Come on,” he said gruffly. “We need to get to that camper.”
Limping at top speed, they almost made it to Solomon’s trailer before the sky opened up—but not quite. By the time they reached his clearing, close to a fast-moving creek, a steady downpour had set in, turning the world into a wash of gray. He used his jacket as an umbrella to shield her for the last few yards.
“There goes another jacket,” she gasped as he pushed open the door of the camper for her. “I hope you brought more.”
“Only one more. Looks like you’re going to have to take me shopping. There’s a mall nearby, right?”
“Ugh, don’t make me laugh. I might faint. Hey, this place is pretty nice!”
It was—shockingly. Having met the odiferous Solomon, he would have expected some kind of hard-drinking-hoarder-bachelor-pad scene. But it was barebones and tidy, with a cushioned bench along one wall that would do nicely for Charlie. The rain drummed on the metal roof, making a sound somewhere between deafening and soothing.
He settled her onto the bench, facing the wall of the camper, and spread his jacket over her. “This bandanna is soaked through. I want to tie something else around your leg, but I’m not sure I trust Solomon’s laundering habits. Okay if I use my t-shirt?”
“Yes, but he might have a first aid kit.”
“Pretty good thinking, for someone with blood loss.” He poked around the cabinets until he found a small leather satchel filled with medical supplies—along with a joint and some mystery tinctures. At least the bandages were still in their packages, so he didn’t have to question their cleanliness.
When he got back to Charlie, she was on her feet, unbuttoning her pants. He gritted his teeth to keep his imagination from going the wrong direction, then helped her ease her joggers over her hips.
Black hip-hugger panties. Long slim legs. Damn. This woman was going to kill him.
The wound was a jagged rip in the back of her thigh. The area was already turning purple from blood clotting under the skin. He had minimal medical training, but it seemed logical to him that it would be best to keep it clean and dry until the professionals could take care of it.
“Let me see that arrow.”
The damn thing was still gripped in her left fist. She handed it to him, and he examined the arrowhead for any signs that it might be missing a piece, that part of it might still be lodged in Charlie’s thigh.
“Oh shit,” he murmured.
“What?”
“There’s something written on the shaft.” He met her shocked gaze. “It says, ‘strike two.’”