Chapter 15 | Alexis
Alexis
That night, we slipped into bed, somber after a day spent prepping for our long hike back to civilization. Nick pulled me to his side, and I rested my cheek on his chest as he stroked my hair.
“If something happens, I want you to know how grateful I am for you,” I said softly, my fingers trailing over the prickly hairs on his chest. “You saved me from getting killed and whatever else those assholes were going to do to me.” I shivered.
“Thank you for protecting me. It kind of makes me feel bad for being such a bitch to you in the beginning.”
Chuckling, he kissed my hair. “You were so feisty, and I secretly loved it. I love how stubborn you are. It’s going to come in handy tomorrow.”
“Once we get home, I’m going to give Michael the location of the flash drive. It’s in a locker at Penn Station. I’ll give him the code so you all can track down my dad’s Eastern European contacts.”
“Thank you. That’s going to help immensely.”
Lifting my head, I stared into his deep brown eyes. “I’m doing it for you. I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner. I was just so worried I couldn’t trust either of you, and Mom and I were so alone...”
He pressed my head back to his chest. “I get it, princess. Go to sleep. The sooner we rest, the sooner we can get out of here.”
I flicked his nipple. “Aaaaand, he’s bossing me around again. Some things never change.”
He pressed my palm to his chest, covering it with his hand. “It’s my honor to protect you, Alexis. Once we return to reality, just remember I’ll always be there if you need me.”
“You act like I’ll never see you again. Your cousin is married to my mother.”
“I know, but you’ll move on with your life, and I want that for you. You’re so young, and you need to follow your dreams.”
His words caused a deep welling of sadness in the pit of my stomach. “We can...make love... If you want to.” I swallowed thickly, already knowing he was going to reject me out of his inherent sense of honor.
He exhaled a long, slow breath. “Not here, and not like this, sweetheart.”
My nostrils flared as I fought the tears that stung my eyes.
“It’s not because I don’t want you.” Gliding his fingers under my chin, he gazed into my soul. “It’s because I know you deserve more, and I want your first time to be with someone you love. Someone you waited for, who will cherish you in the right way, at the right time.”
Sighing, I rested my head on my fist. “Why couldn’t you just be like every other man who’s a horny bastard?”
Chuckling, he caressed my cheek. “Because I care about you too much.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips, loving the flare of desire in his eyes. “You care about me?”
His eyebrows drew together. “You know I do.” He gently pressed my head back to his chest. “Now, let your tired bodyguard sleep and hold you one more night.”
“Just to keep me warm,” I teased, nuzzling into him. “Not because you enjoy it.”
“Of course, I enjoy it,” he said, his voice getting drowsy as his arm tightened around me. “I’m a man of honor, but I’m still a man.”
I breathed a laugh, splaying my hand over his chest as his breaths grew deeper. Several moments later, he began to snore above me.
“I think...” I ran my fingers over his pec as I whispered the words I’d never said to anyone. “I think I’m falling in love with you...”
My only response was the crackling of the fire and his deep breaths above me.
Wrapped in his arms, I lay there, unable to sleep, as I wondered what would happen to us when we finally returned home...
We woke the next morning and dressed in our makeshift gear before dousing the fire.
I dressed in one of the dead men’s clothes and covered my sneakers with two garbage bags before tying them below my knees to prevent snow from falling in.
Nick did the same before we each donned their fleece jackets.
We used the fire poker to cut one of the blankets in half. We each wrapped them over our heads and tied them to our bodies. Afterward, I stood back and assessed both of us.
“We look ridiculous.”
“But we also look warm,” he said, looking toward the window. “The sun is starting to rise. Time to go.”
We placed two cans of beans in one of the garbage bags, along with the matches, cell phones and other knickknacks we thought we might find useful. Nick strapped one of the guns to his belt before handing me the other one.
“The safety’s on, but I want you to wear it, just in case. Do you know how to shoot?”
I shook my head.
“Okay. Just remember that no one else knows that. Holding a gun can be just as menacing as using it half the time. I don’t think we’ll run into anyone, but you never know.”
I nodded and placed the gun in the holster I’d snatched from one of our captors. His pants were too big for me, but his belt helped a bit. Once we were ready, we headed out the front door and down the porch.
The snow was thick and heavy as we trekked through, and I could feel my toes getting cold after only a few minutes.
Clenching my teeth, I reminded myself to stay strong.
There would be warmth at the end of our very long hike, and I needed to be mentally tough to reach it.
If we were lucky, we’d find cell service, make contact with Michael, and I’d be back in a warm bed by tomorrow.
We didn’t talk much as we walked so we could conserve energy, and there was something comforting walking behind Nick and his broad shoulders. He projected an aura of strength, and I knew he would stop at nothing to get us to safety.
Several hours in, we stopped near a large rock to take a break and eat some beans. I chewed them slowly, hating the taste but knowing I needed the energy. When we were done, Nick glanced at me as I sat on the snowy rock.
“Ready, princess?”
Sighing, I nodded. “Yeah.”
He lifted the cell phones high, searching for service but finding none.
“Let’s go. We’re making progress.”
We continued to wade through the snow as the cold seeped through my bones and my toes began to burn.
They were wet, even with the layers of garbage bags, and I wondered how long it took to get frostbite.
That didn’t set in for days, right? Or was it hours?
I had no idea, but didn’t say anything since I knew Nick was probably freezing too.
The sun moved across the sky as we walked, eventually nearing the horizon as the day grew dimmer.
Worry set in that we would have to continue in the dark, and I wondered if I would make it.
Every part of my skin was so cold I could barely feel it, and my toes had stopped tingling ages ago.
My legs seemed to be working on autopilot now, but I knew I would eventually have to rest. I didn’t want to complain, especially since Nick seemed to be doing fine.
And besides, what would complaining do? We were in the middle of nowhere with no shelter in sight.
Just as the sun kissed the far-off mountains, Nick stopped and pulled out the cell phones. His eyes grew wide as he uttered, “Yes!”
He dialed a number and lifted the phone to his ear. “Michael? It’s Nick. We’re in Upstate New York.”
I heard a deep voice on the other end, but couldn’t make out the words.
“Yes, I’ll drop a pin so you can send to Joaquin. I have no idea how close we are to a road.”
He listened intently and nodded.
“Okay, got it. This phone has forty-seven percent battery, so we’re good for now. Talk soon.”
He turned to me, excitement across his face which was reddened from the cold. “Joaquin is going to find us. We’re almost there—”
His words faded as my eyelids fluttered, and I felt myself sway back and forth. Closing my eyes, I tried to speak, but words were impossible as I began to fall...
And then, the world went dark as I slipped into unconsciousness.