Page 24 of Mountain Hero

“Do you want me to—” But I stop myself. Of course Winter is capable of answering the phone on her own.

She smiles at me. “It’s okay. I gave the number to my aunt. So it’s probably her.”

Winter is still smiling as she picks up the phone and says hello, but a moment later, her smile drops. All the color drains from her face, and she clutches the receiver so tightly her knuckles turn white.

“Winter?” I jump up from the bed and rush over to her. “What’s wrong?”

She slams the phone down and stares at it as small tremors work through her body.

“Winter. Hun.” I gently turn her around. “What is it?”

Chin wobbling, fear etched into her features, she swallows hard before answering. “Someone… They said I’d regret what I did. That I’d be punished.”

I almost grind my molars to dust. “Thomas?”

“No. I couldn’t tell… they sounded weird. Disguised. It was probably one of his friends.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“We’re going to tell the police about this,” I tell her. But I’d put money on the number being blocked.

She nods and says in a small voice, “I know.”

Now the situation is even worse than before. Even with an officer posted outside, Winter’s going to be terrified here.

Giving in to the instinct I’ve been fighting since the moment Winter opened the door, I pull her into my arms, tucking her head underneath my chin. And thankfully she doesn’t pull back or stiffen, but leans into me instead.

“They already found me,” she whispers. “I just… I don’t know…”

Forget my plan. If Winter doesn’t want to come back with me, I’ll spend the night out in the parking lot instead.

But first, I say, “I know I already offered. And I understand why you may not want to. But the invitation still stands. You can come to my place and no one will know you’re there. I’ll make some food and you can get some rest and I promise, no one will hurt you.”

Winter tilts her head back to look at me. Hope and hesitation war in her gaze. “I don’t want to put you out…”

“You won’t.”

She’s silent long enough for me to think she’s trying to come up with a polite way to say no.

Then she surprises me. “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind… I’d like to stay with you.”

“Winter.” I hold her gaze, letting her see the truth in mine. “I absolutely don’t mind.”

CHAPTER 7

WINTER

I wish I had come here in the beginning.

For all my thoughts about practicality and logic and independence, being here is a hundred times better.

Back at the motel, I was scared and depressed and anxious and my stomach was in so many knots I couldn’t imagine ever getting them untwisted.

In the motel room, I was straining to identify each little sound, trying to reassure myself that Thomas wasn’t about to break in. All the noises I wouldn’t have thought twice about before—the fridge kicking on, the pipes creaking as hot water ran through them, the clunk of a car door shutting outside—sent me into spasms of panic.

Even though I knew Officer Wilkes was right outside, I still kept waiting for the doorknob to turn and Thomas to walk in, grinning in that slimy, malicious way he does right before he doles out another punishment.

I tried to take a nap, but relaxing enough to fall asleep was an impossibility. I could have taken one of the pain pills they gave me, but that would have been even worse. Drugged into a heavy sleep, I might not have heard an intruder until it was too late.

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