My heart pinched.Fuck.My best friend was gone.
Expelling a long breath, I recalled the stalker pursuing us into the forest…
Shooting me…
Grabbling with him across the ground…
Him hitting me in the side of the head with his gun…
Then…nothing.
I slowly lifted my head and took stock of my surroundings.
Dark. Cold.
I shivered. I was still in the forest where I’d passed out after the guy had slammed his gun into my head.
Oh, fuck. Annika!
My chest caved in.
“Annika!” I screamed.
Silence.
“Annika!”
No response.
She was likely long gone, probably taken by the crazy stalker.
I hung my head in defeat. I’dfailedher. I deserved to be punished. If that monster hurt her, I would never forgive myself.
Oh, Annika. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
As if deciding to remind me I’d been shot, my leg throbbed from the bullet wound, a persistent ache that made me wince.
My shivering intensified, my teeth chattering—probably a mixture of cold and loss of blood. I needed to get to the cabin, take stock of my injuries, and try to warm up.
The Popovs wouldn’t be happy that I’d lost Annika. They might even kill me for failing in my job.
My stomach churned.Annika.Was she okay? Had that bastard hurt her? I vowed I would find him and take him out. And get Annika back. Ihadto.
I will find you, Annika. I promise.
But first, I had to stay alive long enough to do all of that.
I fished in my pocket for my phone to call Efrem and give him the bad news, only to discover my phone was gone.
I groaned.
Had I lost it in the struggle? Had the stalker stolen it?
Harley licked my face again, making me grunt and turn away. “Harley, stop it.” I was starting to warm up to the dog now. He wasn’t so scary anymore. And he’d probably kept me from freezing to death out here, his body heat helping to keep me warm. I had to grudgingly admit I might even like him now. Just a little.
“We can’t call for help,” I told him. “My phone’s gone. Looks like it’s just you and me, buddy.”
I recalled Harley leaping to my defense, the man shooting at Harley, then the dog collapsing to the ground.