Page 283 of Heart of Frost and Scars

It was the only way we could bring him.

He sneaked onto the plane like a ghost, parachuted out of it as we approached the hills, and hiked as fast as he could into this hell.

Rhett rises to his feet, still fumbling with the gun, and I realize the fired shot came from Oliver.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Oliver raises the rifle and fires again.

The sound of the shot cracks through the air, and the pistol flies out of Rhett’s hand. He lets out a howl of pain, clutching his wrist as blood pours from his palm. His eyes widen as he stares at the gaping hole where his weapon once was.

Then his complexion pales with panic.

Tucking his bleeding hand under his arm, he turns to flee. His footsteps are frantic and staggering as he makes a desperate dash for the door.

Oliver is faster. He moves like a predator, his rifle trained on Rhett’s back, finger hovering over the trigger, ready to end this once and for all.

But before he fires, Frankie jumps to her feet, her scream tearing through the cabin. “Don’t shoot!”

Oliver freezes, his rifle still aimed at Rhett’s retreating form.

Confusion contorts his face as he glances back at her, his brow furrowed. “He’s getting away!”

Her lips curl into a crazed smile, and she laughs. It’s a sound I’ve never heard from her. A sound more feral than human.

“There’s no escaping Hoss.” Her expression empties, and an eerie calmness settles over her. “Let him run.”

Oliver hesitates, clearly torn between his instincts and Frankie’s cryptic command.

“The bombs,” she says quickly.

“I will disarm them.”

“Do not squeeze that trigger.” Something in her eyes, something dark and knowing, makes him lower his rifle.

The front door slams shut as Rhett disappears into the night.

Frankie turns to look at us, her gaze sharp and intent. The air feels charged, electric, with the flames of something inevitable, something primal.

“My men want to hunt.” She bares her teeth.

The room thickens with an unspoken understanding.

The night is far from over.

The drug still has me paralyzed, but inside, the fire burns hotter than ever. Because I know, deep in my bones, that this hunt won’t end until Rhett pays for everything he’s done.

And when that time comes, there won’t be any mercy.

66

Monty

—

A faint twitch buzzes in my finger, like a spark igniting in the dark.

The subtle tremor spreads quickly, and my body begins to awaken, each muscle shaking off the paralysis with a stabbing warmth.

Relief consumes my senses, but so does the fury that still simmers in my chest, ready to explode the moment I’m free.

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