Chapter 28 Jensen
Jensen
The dot on the map had stopped. Whatever Julian’s destination was, he’d arrived.
Eventually, I came to the turn he’d taken. It was probably a dirt road and nearly impossible to see in the storm. My car bumped over something, but a gap in the trees indicated where the road should be.
With the snow falling so heavily, I vaguely wondered if I’d be able to get out again. I’d have to hurry, or we risked getting stuck out there.
But one problem at a time.
I followed the road—or what I hoped was a road—gradually closing the distance between myself and the tracker. The snow deepened, and when I came to a slight hill, I almost got stuck. Fighting back frustration, I coaxed the car forward until I started to move again.
Since I couldn’t drive up and announce myself, I stopped at a flat spot a short distance from the dot on the map. If I had any chance of rescuing Natalie and getting out alive, I had to spring the trap—on my terms, not theirs. Stealth was imperative.
I grabbed a few things I might need from the center console—a pocketknife, a lock picking tool, and a few small explosives I typically used as a last resort if there was a lock I couldn’t crack.
And thank goodness for Natalie and her insistence I get Tilikum clothes.
I stashed everything in my inside pockets, zipped my winter coat, and donned the hat and gloves she’d pressed me to purchase.
Snow blew into the car as soon as I opened the door. I had to push against the wind to get out, and the cold stung my face. Ignoring the discomfort and squinting into the blizzard, I got off the road and took to the trees.
Wary of the possibility that Archer had brought snipers, or at least henchmen, I looked for any sign of them. It was hard to tell in the storm, but I had a feeling Archer was on his own. He always worked alone. Just like me.
Still, despite the frigid temperature, I was careful and glad for the cover of the biting wind and swirling snow.
Finally, a light came into view. I could see the vague outline of two vehicles parked in front of what seemed to be a small cabin.
There was the trap. Now, I had to figure out how to spring it without getting myself killed.
All in a day’s work.
While I didn’t know for sure that Natalie was there, my gut told me she was. I could practically feel her presence calling to me.
Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be there soon.
Creeping closer, I spotted the front door. Still no sign of henchmen. Good. Once I got rid of Julian, it would just be me and Archer. Man to man, as it had always been meant to be.
I picked my way through the snow, using the trees as cover, and made my way around the cabin. Just the one door. Several windows. A stack of wood in the back. The roof had a high pitch to allow the snow to slide off, and the wood stack was similarly protected.
I couldn’t see much through the small windows, even with my binoculars. Possibly a bit of movement—was someone walking around in there?—but the glare was too strong and the snow too thick to make out anything useful. I moved positions and paused again, looking at the landscape around me.
A bulge in the snow a short distance from the cabin caught my attention. It looked human shaped, like a person lying prone on the ground. I focused on the far end, and sure enough, there was blood in the snow.
No. Not Natalie. It couldn’t be my Natalie.
Forcing away the panic that tried to seize me, I crept toward the body and brushed away the accumulated snow. It was Julian.
Relief washed over me as I darted back behind a tree for cover. The bullet wound in Julian’s head meant Archer was armed. I was not. My work didn’t usually require that sort of direct confrontation. I was sent in to woo and flatter. To sneak in and get out without being suspected.
I needed to lure Archer outside. And use the storm to my advantage.
Reaching into one of my inside pockets—Natalie really had chosen the perfect coat—I drew out the small explosives. They weren’t strong enough to do a great deal of damage, but hopefully a few together would be loud enough to draw Archer outside.
I affixed them to a tree, set them to detonate, then circled around so I could see the cabin door and approach from a different direction.
A few seconds later, the blast filled the air. The sound echoed off the nearby mountain slopes, rumbling through the air like thunder.
I held my breath. Would he come out?
The door opened. Archer stepped out.
And he had Natalie.
He held her in front of himself, his arm wrapped around her upper body, and he brandished a gun in his other hand. The fear on her face cut me to the core.
“Lakes?” he called. “Is that you?”
If I answered, I’d give away my position. He turned to face me as if he somehow knew, so I backed up until I could hardly see them through the blizzard and circled a short distance in the other direction.
“Come out, Jensen,” he taunted. “I know you’re here.”
He turned so his back was to me. I darted closer, then froze when he called out again.
“I so enjoy our games, old friend. But we’ve reached the final round.” Still taking slow steps in a circle, he raised the gun to Natalie’s temple.
Rage burst through me like a torrent of fire. He was not going to hurt her.
In a few steps, I was there. I slammed into him and grabbed his elbow. The gun went flying and his grip on Natalie loosened enough that she fell forward into the snow.
Archer spun into me, landing a blow to my jaw. I took it—hardly even flinched—and returned the favor.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Natalie crawling away. Knowing she was out of his reach, I turned my full attention to Archer.
He staggered against the force of my strike, and I took advantage of his lack of balance, smashing into him. We hit the ground, each struggling for control. My hands slipped against the slick surface of his jacket. I couldn’t get a grip on him.
He wrestled me to my back and was about to land another blow when I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it in his face.
I hit him while he was blinded, but not hard enough to knock him off me.
He came for me again, and we grappled, rolling through the freezing snow.
He tried to get me on my back again, but I threw him off and surged to my feet.
He got up and wiped his arm across his face. I tasted the metallic tang of blood, and his nose bled freely. His shoulders were hunched, and an angry sneer distorted his features.
“You piece of shit,” he spat. “You can’t beat me.”
Maybe this was all a game to him, but it wasn’t to me. Gritting my teeth, I was about to charge again when he moved, reaching into his pocket. The strangest thought went through my mind. He was going to shoot me. And I was too far away to stop him.
My eyes darted for Natalie. I was about to throw myself on top of her in case he decided to point the gun at her instead, when several shots rang out. I looked down at myself, expecting to see bullet holes and splashes of blood dripping into the snow.
But I hadn’t been shot.
Archer crumpled to the ground in a heap. Natalie stood to the side, the gun still raised. The gun Archer had dropped.
She let go of the weapon, and it fell into the snow.
In an instant, I rushed to her, wrapping her in my arms while her body shook.
I held her for a long moment, but she was shivering violently.
“Is there anyone else here?” I asked.
“Don’t think so.”
“Let’s get you inside.”
She nodded against my chest.
I led her into the cabin and shut the door. It wasn’t much warmer, although at least there wasn’t any wind. I ripped the quilt off the bed and put it around her.
“There you go.”
“I’m so cold,” she said through chattering teeth.
“Your clothes are wet. We have to get you dry.” I glanced at the wood stove. “Give me a minute. I’ll get a fire going.”
Buried in the large quilt, she sat in an armchair.
With a sense of clarity born of our crisis, I got to work.
Luckily, there was a stack of faded newspapers and a few sticks of kindling.
I crumpled the paper and added it to the stove, along with the kindling to get the fire started.
The box of matches was nearly empty, but the first one lit, and I touched it to the edges of the paper.
The flames began to spread, licking the kindling.
“There’s wood outside.”
I rushed out and grabbed an armful. Despite the storm, it seemed dry. Filled with urgency, I rushed back in and shut the door on the storm. Natalie smiled at me.
And it hit me harder than the force of the wind. I was in love with her.
The shock was so deep, I almost dropped the wood. I loved that woman. I loved her with everything I had. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
With no idea how that could have happened—or how I hadn’t realized it before—I took the wood to the stove and put a piece in.
“Are you hurt?” she asked through chattering teeth.
“No.” My jaw would probably be sore later, as would my knuckles, but at that moment, all I cared about was her. “Are you?”
“I don’t think so. Just cold.”
“It’ll warm up fast once the fire gets going.” I put in another piece of wood and blew on the flames. “We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
Although she still shivered, she smiled. “I’m sure that’s very disappointing.”
“Darling, I’m happy to take your clothes off anytime you want me to. But I really do want to get you warm.”
“Body heat works best.”
Still bewildered by my realization—because what was I supposed to do with that—I took off my boots and stripped down to my boxer briefs. Natalie peeled off her wet clothes, and I quickly laid them out in front of the fire to dry.
We climbed onto the bed, and I covered us with the quilt. Her skin was cold to the touch. I rolled her onto her back and settled on top of her, careful not to put too much weight on her. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and tucked her face against my neck.
“I don’t know why I got cold so fast,” she said. “I guess sitting in here without a coat and then getting wet outside was enough.”
“It’s bloody freezing out there.”
We lay together for long moments, just breathing. Her body gradually relaxed and stopped shivering as warmth seeped back into her.
“Jensen?”
“Yes?”
“He was going to kill you.”
I propped myself up so I could look her in the eyes. “He was. And then he would have killed you. But you stopped him.”
“I didn’t even think about it. I just pulled the trigger. I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
The corners of my mouth lifted. “You were amazing.”
“The whole thing was a setup. Archer hired Julian to steal the necklace, and it was all a trap to get you here.”
“He certainly went to a lot of trouble, didn’t he?”
She laughed softly. “How did he know you’d be the one sent to steal it back?”
“Proximity, I suppose. I don’t live far from here. It’s probably why Archer chose Julian.”
“But it’s over.” She reached up and touched my face. “You did it. You beat him, and you saved me.”
“We did it.” I leaned in and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. “I never could have done this without you.”
And it was true. I’d always worked alone, but without Natalie—without someone I could trust—I would have failed. And Archer would have won.
I kissed her again, savoring her. This wasn’t just a partnership. And it wasn’t just sex. It was something deep and profound. A feeling I’d never experienced before.
Struck with awe, I pulled away and stared at her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you okay?”
Looking deep into her beautiful, dark eyes, I smiled. “Yes.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I just realized something.”
“What? That we’re stuck in a cabin in a blizzard with two dead men outside?”
“No.” I chuckled softly. “I love you.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t reply.
“Natalie, I love you. I love you so much I hardly know what to do with myself.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. Darling, I love you, and the more times I say it, the more true it feels. I love you.” I kissed her. “I love you.” I kissed her again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. It’s crazy, but I don’t care. I love you so much.”
“Well, isn’t this the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”
With our bodies pressed close and a fire crackling in the background, I kissed her again. Kissed her and loved her—hard but gentle, slow but deep. I poured myself into her, loving every inch of her. Showing her with all I had how much she meant to me.