Chapter Ten #2
Shelly stared at Devin. His fingers were pulling at the handle of the knife—the same knife he’d planned to use on her. But he couldn’t get the blade out and his body shuddered. His eyes—rolling, wild—found hers. “Sh-Shelly…”
She still held the branch, gripping it as if her makeshift weapon were a baseball bat.
But Devin didn’t get to say anything else. His breath rushed out, and his body stopped shuddering. Devin stilled.
She didn’t move. She gripped that branch, and her fingers were absolutely numb as she held it close.
“Baby?”
Her head whipped up. John was gazing at her. John…alive. Strong.
“Are you okay?” John asked carefully.
She dropped the branch. She threw her body against his, and she held him as tightly as she could.
“I was afraid you weren’t going to come back!
” And she’d been freaking terrified. “I got you out of the fire, but then you weren’t moving.
You weren’t breathing. Devin was there, and I wanted him away from you. I wanted you to come back and I—”
He kissed her. Crushed his mouth to hers and pulled her even closer to his body.
There was desperation in his kiss. From him.
From her. Adrenaline and fear crashed through her body, and she just held on to him.
In her mind, she kept thinking…Alive, he’s alive.
John’s alive. Everything is going to be okay. Everything—
“I’m alive,” he gritted out against her mouth. “Death won’t keep me from you.” Then his arms were rubbing against hers. “Shit, baby, you’re freezing. Let’s get you back to the cabin. Get you safe and we’ll call the sheriff—”
She shoved against his arms, her eyes widening in horror. “The deputy!” Then she tried to rush around John, but he caught her in his arms, holding her against his body. “John, the deputy in the car—Devin stabbed him, but he’s still alive. He needs help!”
John let her go. They hurried back to the car. The deputy had slumped deeper into the seat. The whole car smelled of blood. John put his hands over the man’s wounds, trying to stop the flow of blood. Light flooded out from the interior of the car.
“The radio doesn’t work,” Shelly said as shivers slid over her body. She couldn’t seem to stop shaking. “I-I need to go back to the cabin and get my phone.” She vaguely remembered putting it down before she’d gone upstairs. “I can call for help. I can—”
But John’s head whipped to the side. He stared out at the darkness. “I hear a siren. Still some distance away.”
Had to be, because she didn’t hear a damn thing.
“But help is coming, baby. It’s on the way.” He nodded to her. “You flag them down. I’ll stay with the deputy.”
Her gaze slid toward the darkness. Fear snaked through her.
“You’re safe,” John assured her. “Devin is dead.”
“He was my friend.” Her body was still trembling. From the cold? From fear? From the horror of what had just happened? She didn’t know. “He was my brother’s friend. But I think he killed Charles.”
“He won’t hurt you ever again. He isn’t going to hurt anyone else.” John was still pushing against the wounds on the deputy’s chest. “He’s gone, Shelly. You’re safe now.”
Her breath came too fast. “He said he knew you. Did you recognize him?”
John just shook his head.
And she could finally hear the faint wail of the sirens. Still in the distance. She stayed with John, trying to help the deputy, until the sirens grew louder. Closer. And when they did, when the lights swept toward them, she rushed to wave down the cars.
Soon the area was swarming with the local authorities. Blane ran to her, pulling her into his arms. “Shelly, shit, I got reports from folks half-way down the mountain. They saw the fire—”
“I’m okay.” She wasn’t, though. But a good lie was needed right then. He didn’t need to know how close to breaking she was. “We…John stopped…he stopped the man who was trying to kill me.”
John was beside her. EMTs were working on the injured deputy.
Blane let Shelly go, and he stepped back, his gaze sweeping over John. “That’s a whole lot of blood.”
John didn’t speak.
“Where is the attacker?” Blane demanded. “Where—”
“It was Devin,” Shelly cut in. “Devin Donley.”
“Your brother’s partner?” Blane’s voice was heavy with shock.
Blane knew Devin. Devin had been to the cabin before. He’d come with them on summer vacations. He’d been a friend.
He’d also been a killer. But now… “He’s dead,” Shelly said. And she wanted to be very, very clear on this part. “John killed Devin in order to save my life.”
Blane swore, then he hurried past her.
She stood there, trapped in the swirl of lights, her body absolutely ice cold. She didn’t know how long she’d been out in the cold. Her teeth were chattering. Maybe she should go find a coat. Shelly took a step forward and almost fell face-first into the snow.
But John caught her. He pulled her into his arms, lifting her easily. Her face slid into the crook of his neck. He was so warm.
“I’ve got you,” John whispered.
She remembered what it had been like when he was so still on the ground. When she’d touched him and found no heartbeat.
Her tears came and she couldn’t stop them.
“I’ve got you,” he told her once more as he held her tighter.