Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Fire and defiance flashed in her eyes, and Luke saw the move coming before he could open his mouth to stop her. Hands lashed together in front of her, she threw all of her weight into Andrew, and her elbow landed hard in his ribs.
A gunshot split the air as the man let out a sharp cry at the unexpected blow. Hannah screamed, and he jerked back, vaguely aware of the searing pain shooting through his shoulder and down his left arm. He brought a hand to his shoulder and winced when his fingers came away wet and dark.
In the blink of an eye, all hell broke loose.
A blur of movement appeared at the far side of the bridge, yanking Andrew’s attention away.
The man lifted his gun and aimed at Mason as he came in low and fast, prepared to knock Andrew to the ground.
Two shots rang out almost in tandem over the drum of the heavy rain.
Andrew stumbled backward, eyes wide with surprise as Knox’s shot made contact.
Blood pulsed from the wound in his neck, and his face contorted in pain.
His body went slack as he slumped over the rail, ready to tumble into the raging river.
Hannah let out a startled cry as her own restraints entwined with Andrew’s, and she was jerked backward, his weight pulling her down.
In a swooping motion, Mason wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from going over. Luke and Knox were a second behind, and Knox grabbed the rope holding Andrew’s body suspended over the river. He yanked a knife from his pocket and sliced through the thin nylon.
“Wait!”
The slippery rain-drenched material slid through Knox’s fingers as it released, and Andrew’s body plunged into the rushing waters below.
Together, Luke and Mason lifted a soaked, trembling Hannah over the rail and onto solid ground.
As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she launched herself at him.
He let out a hiss at the impact, his shoulder protesting the motion as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Despite the fiery pain shooting across his nerve endings, he refused to loosen his hold.
He tunneled one hand into her hair, loose and hanging limp around her face, water dripping from the curly ends. “God, I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you.”
She lifted her head from where it rested against his sodden shirt and met his gaze. “Luke, I…” Her eyes rounded with surprise as they dropped to his shoulder. “You’re bleeding!”
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” He pulled her flush against him.
“I’m sorry.” She burrowed her head against his chest, her voice cracking on the words. “I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you.”
“Shh,” he murmured against her hair. “Everything is fine now. Everything’s okay.”
She threw a look toward the swollen creek below, the churning water battering the bank. “Is he…?”
“Gone, honey. I’m sorry.”
“I still can’t believe it.” She shivered, and he tightened his arms around her waist as if to shield her from the pain of the memory. “I never thought…”
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned toward Knox.
“Let’s get out of the rain.”
He hadn’t even realized Mason had retrieved the truck until the headlights swept over them. He ushered Hannah into the back of the cab and climbed up beside her, pulling her into his arms as soon as the door closed behind them.
Mason reached over and cranked the heat. “Locals are on their way. We’ll be outta here soon.”
“Not much to see at this point,” came Knox’s low drawl.
Hannah shuddered at the implication, and he slid his free hand under her legs and scooped her into his lap. She turned her face into his neck, seeking comfort, reminding him again of how close he’d come to losing her. He looped his arms around her like a steel band and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Me, too.” She turned those beautiful gray eyes on him, so full of love and trust. Concern filled them as they dropped to his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“Not a bit,” he lied. There was no way he was letting her go. He studied her. “How are you?”
“Fine.” The understatement in her tone was evident and painful to his ears.
He lifted one hand and examined her wrist, stroking a finger over the abraded, bruised flesh.
His gaze rose to her neck. An angry red line bisected the flesh of her throat where the rope had pulled tightly across the delicate skin.
Fury rippled through him at the sight, and he wished Andrew was still alive so he could kill the man all over again, rip him apart with his bare hands.
The urge to put his fist through the window was almost overwhelming, but he forced his attention to the woman in his lap. She was here with him, and she was safe. It was all that mattered.
“We’ll get this fixed up for you as soon as we get to the hospital. Maybe we’ll get a group discount.”
She ignored his joke, a question in her eyes. He opened his mouth then immediately closed it again. That conversation was better had in private.
The sudden flashing of blue lights bouncing off the trees alerted them to the arrival of the locals.
They took turns giving statements, though it was obvious to everyone from the state of Hannah’s battered flesh what had happened.
The rain had slowed, and, come daylight, they would start searching for Andrew’s body, waiting for it to wash up on shore.
Fortunately, the man was a terrible shot, and the bullet had barely skimmed his shoulder.
The flesh wound still ached, and the ER doc cleaned it and dressed it with gauze.
Almost six hours later, they were finally on their way home.
Andrew’s car had been impounded, and one of the officers retrieved Hannah’s phone and purse for her.
Around four in the morning, he pulled up in front of Vantage, and Knox and Mason filed out with twin nods and pointed looks.
As soon as the men were inside the building, he hooked an arm over the back of the seat and turned toward Hannah. “So…?”
She stared at him for several long seconds, the anticipation almost killing him. “Let’s go home.”
Hope billowed up in his chest. Hearing her say the word “home” sent possessiveness curling through him, and fire washed along his nerve endings as he shifted the transmission into drive and headed toward her house.
Hannah scooted closer on the seat, leaning into his side. He curled his arm around her and held her tight, never wanting to let her go again. Neither of them spoke; too much had happened that night, and it would take a while for them to process everything.
He pulled into her driveway a short time later, then slid from the truck and jogged around to let her out. Rain continued to drizzle from the sky, though noticeably lighter than before. Still, he used his body to shelter her as much as possible as they made their way into the house.
Her fingers had barely punched the last button to disarm the security system when he whirled her toward him and swept her into his arms. His mouth slanted over hers as her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close. He kissed her until they could barely breathe with wanting one another.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his lips exploring the tender flesh. “Tell me.”
His voice broke on the words, the memories of that evening washing over him. He couldn’t begin to describe the terror that had lanced through him during that phone call, wondering if it would be the last time he heard her voice.
He tightened his hold on her bottom and pressed farther into her. “You were going to say it earlier. Tell me now.”
Her head fell to the side, giving him carte blanche, and he nipped the tendon that ran along her throat. “I want to hear you say it.”
She drew in a ragged breath, her chest rising and falling against his.
Her hands slid around his neck to frame his face, and those sleepy gray eyes blinked open, piercing his soul as she stared at him.
The moment seemed to drag on forever, emotion swelling between them, until he could barely stand it.
Those stormy eyes locked on his, never wavering. “I love you.”
Her words were strong and clear, the meaning behind them so powerful that it sent a tremor through his body. He’d never felt like this before, never loved someone as much as he loved her.
Hannah had touched his soul, and she was a part of him, now and forever.