Chapter 18
18
“Are you planning to make a habit of carrying me around like a sack of onions?” Even though she was teasing him, she could have cried with relief at being off her feet. She was not cut out for all this James Bond movie stuff.
“I can tell you didn’t grow up on a farm. I never carried a sack of onions that looked like you.”
With one hand, he used the key card to open the suite. Still clinging to his chest, she glanced around it, soaking in the presence of normal furniture like couches and TV cabinets and curtains. “God, I love civilization.”
He laughed as he carefully set her down on the couch, where she immediately stretched out her legs and rested them on the arm, slightly elevated. That position often helped her muscles and bones and tendons relax back into alignment.
“My phone just died. Would you mind…” She wagged her phone at him, then waved at her bag. “The charger’s in there.”
He plugged in her phone, while she sighed at the miraculous sight of this big, strong, handsome man spoiling her like this. John would have grumbled and made a fuss about it.
She had to stop comparing Gil and John . They were two completely different men, and she had only had a relationship with one of them. That relationship was over, but the point remained the same.
As soon as her phone flashed back to life, Gil brought it to her so she could call her friends and ask them to check on Lachlan.
“Absolutely,” Molly said without hesitation. “I still have the map to his place. It’s not too far from our house.”
Our house. So Molly was now officially considering Sam’s home as her own. Ani could have danced with delight, if she wasn’t flat on her back on the couch.
“Would you mind seeing if Nick could meet you out there? Charlie’s probably busy at the lodge. I don’t want you to go there alone if there’s any danger.”
“That’s a great idea. I can see if Bear’s free too. Between those two, I should be perfectly safe.”
“You’re the best. Call me as soon as you get out there. Poor Gil is really worried. I think I’ve discovered his soft spot.” She winked at Gil, who was hovering over her, listening in.
“Is his soft spot about five foot three, with gorgeous, thick dark hair and a secret tattoo of a tiger on her hip?”
Ani’s face heated. “Um…did I mention you’re on speaker phone?”
She caught Gil’s glance, saw his eyebrows lift, his gaze drift to her hip. A deep shiver went through her, as if her clothes were no barrier to his penetrating gaze.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” said Molly. “I didn’t mean?—”
“Don’t you worry. I have much deeper and darker secrets than that.” She shot Gil a teasing glance. “Is Sam around? I need to talk to him too.”
“Sam took a group on an overflight of Korch Glacier. He’ll be back in an hour or so. Want him to call you?”
“Yes, and tell him it’s important.”
“A tiger?” Gil asked when she’d ended the call. His gaze dipped down to her hip again, and again that intense spark flared inside her. The way he looked at her…she’d never experienced anything quite like it. He made her feel…unsettled. Wild. Like anything was possible.
“You shouldn’t eavesdrop.”
“You shouldn’t put your calls on speaker,” he countered.
She sniffed. “You should mind your business.”
“You should show me your tiger tattoo.”
“You should be so lucky.”
He laughed, then grabbed his bag and carried it into one of the bedrooms—the smaller one. Gil was a man used to putting other people first, she thought. Another big difference with John. Not that she was comparing.
She heard the sound of a shower running. Fantasy images of his fit body naked under streams of water flooded her mind. She didn’t fight them; she was too tired for that. Instead she closed her eyes and indulged herself. Did Gil have any ink himself? She bet he did. Or maybe that wasn’t allowed in his line of work. He probably had to hide that powerful body under a plain dark suit and sunglasses.
A low moan might have escaped her lips, but no one would ever know about that.
When he came back into the living room area, he’d changed into a clean pair of khaki pants and a t-shirt with a picture of a skier on it, and the words Ski the Volcano.
She didn’t ski. Nor had she ever spent time on a volcano.
Her giddiness faded. Face it—she and Gil were from different universes. His life was all action and adventure. She, on the other hand, was sacked out on the couch after one night of such things. The fact that she felt so connected to him must be just a fluke.
Back to the serious stuff. She swung her legs around and sat upright on the couch. “I’ve been thinking about something.”
“Me too.”
“What?”
“That tiger,” he said bluntly.
Heat flashed between them, bright and dizzying, incinerating those doubts she’d just experienced. This connection was real. Her body knew it, even if her mind wanted to argue.
“Tigers are very meaningful for me. I got the tattoo on my injured hip when I turned sixteen. It helped me through a very tough time.”
“What time?”
“High school.” She smiled ruefully. “The whole thing. Anyway.” She took in a long breath and dragged her focus back to their situation. “As I was saying, I’ve been thinking about the symptoms that Dr. Christianson listed.”
He reeled them off, exactly as she remembered them. “Fever, chills, headache, fatigue.” He had a good memory, and he’d been paying attention.
“What’s missing from that list?”
When he didn’t answer, she said, “Hallucinations, delusions. Nothing that resembles what Victor has been demonstrating in his notes and so forth.”
He scratched at the scruff on his jaw. She wondered if he’d forgotten to bring his razor along. She wasn’t mad about it, since he looked even more striking with all that dark growth framing his features. “That’s a good point. Maybe Victor doesn’t have the virus after all.”
“I caught a glimpse of their collection log. I didn’t see his name. But it might not be the only log.”
He settled into the armchair across from her and stretched out his long legs. “They haven’t found Victor. They found us in a random cabin in the forest, but not him. I wonder?—”
Even though he broke off, she knew what he meant to say. “Do you think he might be…dead?”
Gil thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t. I suppose it’s possible, but I talked to him two days ago, right before I met you.”
Was that really only two days ago? It felt like much longer…or as if the normal parameters of time passing didn’t really apply.
“Okay. Let’s say he’s still alive. Is he trying to avoid the CDC? Why would he do that? He’s a scientist himself.”
“I don’t know.” Gil bounced one leg restlessly. “The whole thing is strange and I don’t like any of it. I want to know what’s going on with my brother, I want to know if Victor’s okay, and I really hope none of us have some thawed-out zombie virus.”
Her heart went out to him. His brother and his friend were both in possible jeopardy, and on top of that he was stuck with her. She was probably holding him back.
“Listen, Gil. I know you made that promise to Victor. But I’m my own person, and I release you from any obligation to babysit me.”
“Babysit you?” His eyes, green and brooding, flashed to hers. “So far, all I’ve done is expose you to danger.”
Her eyes widened. Could he possibly believe any of this was his fault?
“That’s completely untrue. You got me out of the Institute before it exploded.”
He shook his head. “After you went there looking for me.”
“Which was my choice.”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. Stubborn man.
She ticked off the next item on her fingers. “After that, you found us a place to take shelter.”
“Some shelter. Someone burst in with a damn gun.”
“Exactly, and you protected me from that armed intruder.”
He snorted. “Don’t you mean the armed rescuer?”
“You didn’t know that at the time. I saw you plant your body in front of mine like a shield.”
“That’s me, a human shield.” In his dry tone, she picked up a hint of something surprising—uncertainty, or maybe vulnerability. It touched a tender place in her heart, the spot reserved for her closest friends and loved ones.
“You’re a lot more than that,” she said softly. She stood up and walked across the carpet toward him, stepping between his legs, which were stretched long before him. A bold move, out of character for her, but something about him compelled her forward. “You don’t see how special you are, do you?”
He gazed up at her with a blank expression.
“Let me guess. In your mind, Lachlan the scientist is the special one and all you do is protect him.”
His quick, instinctive flinch told her that she’d hit the nail on the head. “I’m sure he’s an amazing person, but you are too. I’m really grateful you’re here with me right now.”
He moved one leg so it touched hers. The contact burned through both their layers of clothing, right to her nerve endings.
Her phone rang, shattering the moment and making her jump. She backed away from that too-tempting shelter between his legs and snatched up her phone from the table where it was charging.
“It’s Sam,” she told Gil. “Hi Sam, I’m putting you on speaker.”
“You’re on speaker too, because I’m driving home. Connection might drop.” It was Firelight Ridge. No doubt the connection would drop.
“I’ll be fast. I’m here with Gil McGowan. We just got to Blackbear and heard that one of the Firelight Ridge pilots has died. Do you know anything about that?”
“I just heard. People are saying it might have been a domestic dispute.”
She frowned at Gil, who shook his head. “He died of a domestic dispute? What happened?”
“From what people are saying, he used to be a drinker. He fell off the wagon, went on a bender, tried to attack his drinking buddy, who happened to be a woman he’d picked up at a bar, and she conked him.”
Gil got to his feet and came closer to the phone. “Gil here. Let me ask you something. Did you know the guy?”
“Kyle Cross. That was his name. And yeah, I met him a few times. I didn’t know him well.”
“Does that story add up to you?”
It took a moment, but eventually Sam said, “Not completely, to be honest. I know he used to drink. He got divorced because of it. But he loved to fly, and they’re saying he didn’t show up for his first flight today, that’s why they knew something was wrong. Kyle wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his pilot’s license or his business. He was hoping to sell his business this year, actually. I just don’t see him falling off the wagon when he was so close. But that kind of thing can happen. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Thanks, that’s helpful,” said Gil. “Will you call us if you hear anything else? I’ll send you my number too in case you can’t reach Ani.”
“Yup, I can do that. If there’s anything else, say the word.”
Ani spoke up. “Have you noticed a higher than usual incidence of sick passengers lately?”
“No. I make everyone wear a mask if they seem sick. Hasn’t happened except for a few times this summer.”
Relieved to hear that, she prepared to end the call. “Thanks, Sam, and take care of that crazy redhead of yours.”
“You guys take care too. Molly called me and said she’s checking something out with Nick and Bear. What’s going on there?”
Gil gave her a questioning look, which she interpreted as, “can I trust this dude?” When she nodded, he said, “I got a nine-one-one text from my brother Lachlan. They’re going out to his place to check on him.”
“My planes are at your disposal if you need any help. Day or night.”
“Thanks, man.”
Call complete, Gil paced across to the window, then did an entire circuit of the room, then repeated the action. As she watched, she wondered why the name of the pilot sounded so familiar.
Kyle Cross.
And then it clicked. She’d seen that name on the collection log the young doctor had let slip. K. Cross.
“Gil, I think they tested the pilot for the omegavirus,” she said urgently.
He stopped pacing. “Shit. Do you think he could have died from it?”
They both shuddered. Ani wished those test results weren’t going to take so long.
Gil scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “That story going around about how the pilot died. It doesn’t sound accurate.”
“It definitely isn’t, if the virus was to blame.”
“It almost sounds like a coverup. I want to find out more, but now we’re stuck here doing jack shit about any of this. It’s almost like…” He stopped abruptly.
“Like what?”
“Like they want to keep an eye on us. Maybe they think we’re involved.”