Walker readjusts his stance and stares at me as though I’ve lost my mind. “How are you going to do that? You could fall and hurt yourself or land on her and do more damage. Just sit here until I get back.” He talks like he’s had a high position in the military. Having listened to my father bark commands all my life, there’s an unmistakable cadence to their speech.
As much as I want to argue, I know he’s right. I’d guess the hole is about six feet wide and eight feet deep. It was covered by branches and leaves. It’s a trap, usually built by hunters, but this isn’t for animals. This was built to stop people. It’s a wonder I didn’t fall in myself.
Fucking hell.It should be me down there, not her. I should’ve never brought her out here to begin with.
I study the vines sticking out from the edges of the hole. They aren’t perfectly spaced, but they look strong. I doubt they’d hold my weight for long, but I think they might get me down there. Besides, Walker has at least a mile back to his cabin and a mile back. That could take twenty minutes or more. I can’t leave her down there that long. What if she’s bleeding, or hit her head?
Without more thought, I hop down the shaft and into the hole, skipping the roots as best I can until I reach the bottom. With the light from my flashlight, I look Violet over. For the fall she took, she looks to be in okay shape, aside from the fact that she’s knocked out. Then again, I can’t see inside of her. I splash water on her face. I know better than to move her immediately in case of a break.
“Come on, sweetheart. You’re okay.”
Nothing.
I splash water again, hoping and praying that this time she wakes.
“Come on, honey. Just open your eyes for me. Please.”
“Hawk? Where are we?” Her voice is shallow and crackling as she sits up in a hurry, frantically pulling herself to my chest. “Where are we? Did they get us? Did Jeramiah get us? Where’s Walker? It’s my fault he’s out here.” She twists around in a circle, easing my heart that there isn’t any major damage, though I’m sure once the adrenaline wears off, she’ll start to feel the pain.
“He went back to get some ropes, but I think we can climb out of here if you’re up for it. What hurts?”
She looks toward me. “Nothing. I’m okay. Well,” she rubs the back of her skull, “I think my head is going to be sore for a while. Am I bleeding?”
Carefully, I move her smooth hair to the side and shine the light toward her head, gently feeling for any injury. “No. The leaves and sticks must have acted like a spring when you fell. You may have passed out from the shock. Can you move everything okay?”
She bends her knees and elbows, then lands her hand on my chest, and stares toward me the same way she did last night. “I’m sorry. I think I just made this worse.”
I wrinkle my brows. “That’s not possible. Anytime you’re in my arms, looking up at me, I have a feeling everything will be okay. I do wish you weren’t hurting, though.”
She leans into my lips slowly, pressing into me with gentle pressure and my world starts and stops all at once. This woman is everything, and if we weren’t sunk in the bottom of this hole with God knows what lurking, I’d take her here and now.
“You need some help?” a voice calls from above. The man staring down at us, is the man I’ve been looking for. The man with the long dark hair and a beard that looks like it may be hiding birds.
Violet clutches my arm, and a streak of anger rushes through me that I’ve put us in this mess.
“We’re good,” I holler, playing dumb. “Got a guy on his way back now. He’s bringing a rescue team.” I’m lying, hoping Jeramiah doesn’t know I’ve come for him.
“It was for wild pigs, not people,” he shouts, throwing down a rope. I saw you fell in on one of my cameras.
Cameras.How the hell does the dude have cameras up here? I don’t bother asking. I only stare at the rope he’s dangled in front of us, knowing that I’ve still got fifteen minutes before Walker gets back and I’m not sure I can hold Jeramiah off the scent that long. If I don’t grab the rope, he’s going to know I’m up to something. Then, who knows what he’ll do.
I turn toward Violet. “You stay here until I’m at the top. Once I’m up there, I’ll see what he has for weapons, and I’ll pull you out once I’ve stabilized the situation. Okay?”
She looks toward me, a tear in her eye as she leans into me and lands her soft lips on mine once more. The motion is soft and slow and there’s so much emotion behind it that I feel torn away from her.
“The second we get off this mountain, you’re tying me up again, and finishing what you started.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I kiss her forehead gently. “I’d love nothing more.”
I grip hold of the rope, using the same vines I’d come down on to climb back up. The closer I get to the top, I see Jeramiah is leveraging the weight around a tree, no gun in sight.
Truthfully, I’m shocked. Shocked that he has no gun and shocked that he doesn’t recognize me. Though, it’s dark.
“See… saved.” He laughs. “Now let’s get your girl.” He turns toward the hole.
“Jeremiah Wilcox, you’re under arrest for drug distribution and trafficking.” I reach for my gun, but it’s gone.
Fuck. I knew I’d get distracted. It must have fallen when I jumped into the hole. I should’ve checked.