CHAPTER 2
Jeremiah
“What the hell are you looking at, Linc? We’re hunting, you dumb dog,” I grumble under my breath.
The beagle howls like an idiot and lunges forward, yanking so hard at the leash that he rips it out of my hands.
And then I have other concerns. Namely, that the idiot dog won’t hold still and leaps up in the air and then springs into the woods and howls and barks like he’s he’s on the trail of a serial killer.
“Dammit, dog! Get the hell back here.” I howl in annoyance, my voice breaking on the last word as I strain what’s left of my vocal cords.
The damage done to them is permanent and easily aggravated. Cold, yelling at a dumb dog. All of it can set off a break and the loss of my voice for an extended period of time.
Just one more thing to thank my military service for. Besides the loss of my buddies.
My heart jolts in my chest as I push the memories down. The trees shiver in the early spring chill. The mountain doesn’t warm up that fast and it’s still early in the year. Still too soon to feel the warmth in my bones and know that the growing season is here. Renewal.
If only I could have my own renewal. But there’s nothing like that for a man like me. I don’t do soft things. I break soft things.
Just like I broke her.
My heart jolts again and I groan when my dick pulses with hunger. There’s been nobody since I fell in love with Marina. There never will be. My hand is a poor substitute for her pretty face and soft curves.
But that’s all I deserve.
My head jerks up and I pull myself back from lost memories that no longer mean anything. Just a false comfort on a cold, rainy day to lose myself in.
To know that someone loved me. Someone cared.
And I fucked it all up. Because I couldn’t wreck her the way my daily life wrecked me.
The scars itch and burn on my throat and I force my hands to stay still. It’s like they’re trying to tell me something today.
The dog howls like a banshee off to my right and I follow the sound, growling under my breath.
I knew I shouldn’t bring him with me. Knew he wouldn’t listen.
He’s the worst-trained dog I’ve ever had.
But he’s a comfort up here alone. I convinced myself that’s all I need and the dog’s quirks wouldn’t be that big a problem.
Rolling my eyes, I follow the full-throat baying. He’s a problem.
When I pull up at the edge of the road and spot the cloud of debris that’s still hanging in the air, painting my fresh, clean air dark and deadly-looking, I groan under my breath.
“What fresh hell have you found on my doorstep, you monster?”
When I peer over the side of the road, I see the little compact car stuck half-way down the slope of a cliff along the roadside.
It’s hanging by the thread of a huge tree that’s fallen partially down and embedded itself into the dirt and debris.
The wheels spin listlessly, like a toy hanging in the air.
“Hello down there!” I yell, swearing when my voice breaks again. Nothing moves and my heart lurches into my throat.
Maybe they’ve got out already and they’re somewhere on the mountain making their way to help.
Or maybe they’re dead.
My brain and my body are completely at work. I need to help those people, whoever they are. But the thought of the blood and gore that I might run across when I make my way down there makes my limbs lock in place, my heart thud in terror.
Like he’s picking up on it, Linc moves closer and hugs my leg with his fifty-pound body. My breath freezes in my lungs and then it starts again as I lean down and pat his head. My brain focuses again and I sigh.
“Thanks, buddy.” With a little yip that doesn’t fit the size of him, he bounds down the hill with the single-minded focus you’d expect from any rescue dog out there.
He’s not and immediately rocks skitter under his feet and he howls in frustration when he can’t get where he’s going as fast as he wants.
A limp hand falls out of the car window and my heart races but then it settles and I flex my jaw, grinding my teeth.
“Stop being such a pussy. Get down there and help that woman.” And to add a little more imperative to my own orders, another slide of rocks skitters down the hill and I see the car rock slightly against the tree holding it in place.
“Oh fuck,” I hiss under my breath. I drop my pack and rifle down on the ground and then tie some rope from my pack onto a tree and carefully lower myself down the unstable hill.
“Hey, are you okay in there?”
A soft moan is my only answer and I grimace. I get closer and closer to the vehicle and there’s something almost familiar about it. It’s not new. It’s older. And there’s a bumper sticker on the back of it that says, “My brother’s fighting overseas so you can ride safe. You’re welcome.”
I know that damn bumper sticker. My heart sinks to my toes and then races out of control.
“Mari! Hey, are you in there?” I’m close enough now to see in the vehicle and I’m desperately hoping that I’m wrong and she sold the damn car.
But what the hell would that person be doing up here?
Hell! What’s she doing up here? Is she here to find me?
My unruly heart pounds out of control as I picture her here for me. d
But that can’t be. I know when she left she told me that she’d never be back. And she hoped that I stepped on about a million legos in my bare feet.
That’s a cruel curse to put on a man by the way.
I get to the window and all my hopes and fears collide. “Marina,” I breathe, reaching out a shaking hand to push her silvery-fair curls off her forehead. There’s a gash in the pale skin that’s oozing a slow trickle of her blood and my stomach turns over, fighting not to throw up.
I hate blood. Have since I got home. Just another little trick that I got from my military service.
She moans and her lovely, ice-blue eyes open, dazed and pain-filled and my whole body goes white-hot.
“Jeremiah. Why the hell can’t you live someplace normal, you bastard?”
A harsh laugh bursts out of me even as she closes her eyes and slips away again.
“Okay, Linc.” I glare down at the dog panting at my feet. His tri-colored coat covered with dirt and leaves. “How the hell am I supposed to get her out of there and up the hill to my house?”l
Tongue lolling, he leans over and slurps at my hand. Grimacing, I wipe it off on my pants.
“You are not even remotely helpful.”
I swear to heaven the damn dog grins at me and then he heads back up the hill and sits down to stare at me.
Apparently his job is done.
Sighing, I eye the unconscious woman and then open the door and yank her ass out, throwing her over my shoulder, grunting when my feet shift under me.
She doesn’t move but her ass is right in my face and the craziest urge to reach over and bite it hits me. Brand her with my teeth. Mark her as mine in the most basic way possible.
Muttering under my breath, I head up the hill, my hands clinging to the rope as I carefully pick my way up and up.
And when I reach the top, sweating like I’ve run a marathon, I grab my things and trek to my cabin, which is fairly close. It should only take half an hour to make it home.
And then I’m going to have my dream woman, the one woman I’ve fantasized about forever, living with me until we get her car fixed.
Yeah, I’m not sure if this is a good idea or no…but I can’t leave her here.
And I can’t drop her on someone else to take care of. She’s mine, she’s always been mine. Even if she doesn’t know it.