9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Bella
Mason disappears into the office to make his call, looking more tense than when he went outside.
From our conversation?
His words still ring in my head. All of it. The little boy. Getting shot in the kidnapping. His guilt. All the blame he's been putting on himself for things he can't control. I wish he could see his actions the way I do. He's not a failure. He's a protector. One who's still bleeding for the people he didn't save—even though none of it was his fault.
I wish I could take away his pain. Feeling that raw emotion in him when I hugged him from behind—when he couldn't even face me—it shook me. I wanted to hold him forever. Be the person he shares his burdens with. Would he ever want that? With me?
Nitro stirs and stretches, then hops off the couch and goes to the front door. He sniffs at the bottom edge then looks at me and back at the door. He huffs a soft bark.
“Now you need to go out?”
He whines and scratches at the door.
Mason is still talking on the phone. I don't know who he's talking to or how long he'll be. He didn't want me walking Nitro at night, but it's daylight and the snow has let up for now.
Nitro scratches again, looking back at me. He obviously can’t wait.
I put my jacket and boots on, thankful for the bandages over my blisters, and grab a leash hanging by the door. “You're going to be good, right?” I ask him as I clip it to his collar.
Nitro whines, almost dancing in his need to go out.
“Okay, fine. Let's go. Just make it quick.” I open the door and am almost yanked off my feet as he charges outside into the snow. “Whoa. Wait for me!”
He pulls me down the steps and to the right. The dog is so strong, he's dragging me along. He growls low in his throat, then begins to bark.
“This better not be a squirrel.”
He lunges forward again, and I tumble into the snow, dropping the leash. In a flash, he's gone. Tearing around the side of the house and barking like we're under attack.
Mason is going to kill me if I lose his dog.
I scramble up, brushing the snow from my coat as I chase after Nitro. It sounds like he's attacking something, but the only thing over this direction is the garage. Is it a real bear this time? My heart hammers as I run around the corner and stumble to a stop.
A half-dozen steps away, a bearded man in an orange jumpsuit is shoving a snarling and snapping Nitro into the garage. He slams the door, swearing and holding his left arm to his chest. In his right hand is a big black gun.
Nitro’s muffled barking turns frantic.
Oh God.
I think it's the convict they were talking about on Bishop's radio yesterday. The one that was supposed to go south. Why didn't he go south?
I should run. Scream. My heartbeat fills my ears, drowning out Nitro's barking, and dark spots dance in front of my eyes. I can't move.
“Stupid mutt,” the man mutters, glaring through the windowpane into the garage.
His voice shakes me loose of the fear, unfreezing my limbs.
There's nowhere to hide! If I can just make it back to the cabin. Mason can help. I have to get to him.
I turn and run.
“Stop!” The man barks, and the clear sound of a gun cocking cuts through the hammering of my heart in my ears. “Don’t move, lady.”
I stop and slowly turn toward him, heart jack-hammering until I'm woozy. I don't want to get shot, but if I do, I want to see it coming. That's one thing I learned from being lost in the woods—there's more fear in the unknown.
The man is already halfway to me, gun pointed at my chest. He's older, maybe mid-forties, with thinning hair, a wiry frame, and a patchy beard. Not to mention a very steady hand.
The gun doesn't waver even a fraction of an inch.
He looks me over, taking in my jacket and flannel shirt dress, to my knee-high men's socks and boots.
“It's the newest in mountain fashion. Boho flannel.” My voice pitches high, and I don't even know what I'm saying. Boring Bella turns into Chatty Bella in dangerous situations, apparently. I'm talking about fashion at gunpoint while poor Nitro is barking like crazy, trapped in the garage and possibly injured. This is all my fault.
“Figures, I'd find the nut job,” he mutters.
A hysterical laugh bubbles up my throat, but I choke it back down. Don't laugh at the convict with the gun, Bella.
He waves the weapon, indicating I come closer.
I can't. I'm frozen again, only this time my body won't stop shaking. A cold sweat slides down my back as I raise my hands in surrender.
Mason
“Watch your back, Ezra. The sheriff says there haven't been any sightings of this guy, but my gut says otherwise.” Ezra and I served together for two years in Special Forces. He's part of the reason I decided to stay in White Falls. This project to bring wounded vets out to the mountains to rebuild cabins is one I believe in. It's working for me. Same as it worked for him. Despite a serious head injury, he’s now married to a pretty woman he “won” at the holiday charity auction.
“Strange about the firewood. If he's holed up somewhere close, he's probably scavenging for anything he can get his hands on to ride out the weather. I'll lock down the house and keep Madison and Coop close. If this guy even thinks about hurting my woman or my dog, I'll bury him.”
“Right there with you.” Bella isn't mine. Not yet. But injured or not, I'll protect her with my life. “There's a woman I met—” Is that Nitro barking? He sounds like he's outside.
“Madison mentioned you were interested in her friend from the library.” I must have made a sound, because he adds, “It's a small town, brother. Romance news travels faster than lightning. Harmony called and—”
Whatever else he says is lost. I finally recognize Nitro's bark—panicked, then aggressive. Full protection mode.
“Oh shit. Bella. ”
I drop the phone and rush into the living room. Her jacket and boots are gone. So is the leash.
I grab my Glock, check the magazine, and rack the slide to chamber a round. Opening the front door a crack, I scan the yard. It's empty. Nitro's anxious bark is coming from the garage to the right. Bella's footprints lead straight there.
I circle left, cursing every step. My swollen ankle is painful, but I can't fail again. I won't. Letting my training take over, I creep forward to identify the threat.
Even in the snow, I don't make a sound. Every step is silent as I stay low.
Nitro's muffled growls echo from the garage. He's tearing at the door like he'll rip it off its hinges.
A man curses just ahead. ”We're going to go inside, and you'll get me the keys to that truck. Understand?”
“I don't know where they are!” Bella's voice is high, but strong.
Hang on, baby. I'm coming.
The crunch of footsteps in the snow draws near.
“Don't lie to me, bitch.”
“Then stop being a bitch,” she snaps.
I poke my head around the corner in time to see Bella slap a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock at her own sass. My fierce little lamb—scared, but standing her ground.
A man in an orange jumpsuit grips her arm, a pistol in his other hand. The bastard frowns, then roughly spins her and presses the weapon to her forehead.
“You want to say that again?” he snarls.
Bella trembles, her head barely moving in a 'no'.
“Get moving.” He shoves her toward the cabin.
They'll be even with me in three seconds. Normally I could close that gap fast enough to take him by surprise. This injury makes that impossible. Fuck!
I should have taken the shot when he spun her around. Bella gave me the perfect opportunity. But I didn't take it.
Fear slithers in, whispering this time will be like the rest. That I'll fail her, too. My gut clenches.
No! I'll die before I let that happen.
The second they're even with me, I step out from behind the cabin, Glock raised. “Let her go.”
The convict jerks Bella in front of him and presses the barrel to her head.
“Back off! I just want out of here.”
“Not happening.” My voice is calm, controlled as I take a step forward, ignoring the pain. “Let her go, and I'll let you live.”
“No way, man. I'm not going back in. You don’t know what it’s like…” His voice cracks. “I didn’t even hurt anybody. I just want to get my life back.”
“By taking a hostage? How’s that going to go?”
The man grimaces, a look of grief crossing his face. Then he presses the gun harder against Bella’s temple. She flinches, sealing his fate. “Drop your gun and give me the keys to that truck, or I kill her right here.”
He's bluffing. She's his only leverage off this mountain. “You hurt her, and I'll drop you before you can blink.
A tremor runs through his hand.
I take another step.
“Stop,” he says, panic edging his voice. He moves backward, pulling her with him.
Bella meets my gaze. No fear, just trust—and determination.
I center my aim on his chest.
“Let me go, man,” he says, taking another step back.
Bella stumbles, dropping her weight. His grip slips, and she spins to the side.
The second she's clear, I fire.
Bam! Bam!
He drops, dragging her down with him.
I surge forward, ready to end this—but it's over. The gun slips from his limp fingers. I grab it and shove it in my waistband, then drag her into my arms. “Baby, are you okay? Did he touch you? Are you hurt?”
Bella clings to me, face buried in my chest. Trembles wrack her body, each one killing me.
“I'm okay,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “Is he...?”
I cup her cheek, not letting her turn. “Don't look. He's dead.”
She nods and hugs me tighter. “You rescued me.”
All the fear, all the pain, rips through me, cracking me open. A rough, animalistic sound rips from my throat. I sink to my knees, bringing her down with me. I can't let her go. I almost lost her.
If he'd had any more of a tremor, the gun could have fired. If he'd tripped instead of Bella... If I'd been too late...
I pull her onto my lap and press my face to her neck, breathing in her spicy rose scent. She trusted me. I could have failed her, yet she trusted me.
Bella holds me tight. “I was so scared he'd hurt you,” she says. “And Nitro! He might be hurt.”
We'll get him. First, I need a few more minutes to reassure myself she's okay. I cup the back of her head and check her over. She has a couple smears of blood and some light bruising, but she's alive and in my arms. “I thought—when I heard Nitro barking and realized you were gone—I thought I was too late.” I press a kiss to her lips. “I couldn't lose you, Bella. I wouldn't survive it.”
Bella wipes the tears from her face with the back of her hand. “You didn't lose me. You won't.”
I kiss her again, desperate to feel her in my arms.
Nitro whines and barks, scratching at the garage door.
“I swear he doesn't want me to kiss you,” I murmur against her lips.
Bella laughs, breathless. “Maybe he just wants in on the cuddles.”
I nip her lower lip. “There are some he's not allowed in on.”
A flush tints her cheeks. “I like the sound of that.”
I help Bella to her feet, then release Nitro from captivity. He zips around us in a few circles, then jumps up to put his paws on her shoulders, nearly bowling her over. She laughs and hugs him. He doesn’t seem to be injured.
In the distance, I hear a snowmobile engine approach.
Ezra pulls up, fully armed. He scans the scene, then steps up and clasps my arm. “I thought you might need backup.”
If I'd needed him, he'd have been ready. “Thanks, brother.”
“You hurt, Bella?” he asks.
She shakes her head and tucks closer to my side. “Nitro is okay too. He tried to warn us.”
Ezra goes down to one knee, ruffling Nitro's fur. “I knew this guy would be okay. He's too smart.”
Nitro eats that up.
Ezra gives me a knowing look. “Get her inside, man.”
“Yeah. She's been out here in the cold too long.”
“I'll get this mess cleaned up and take care of Nitro.”
My heart swells and my throat is thick when I thank him. Then, keeping Bella close, I take her home.