Page 28 of Smoky Lake

A moment later came another crack of gunfire, following quickly by several more rounds.

“That’s a gun battle.” Now wide awake, Gil scrambled onto his knees. “Two people, or parties, firing at each other.”

“Do you think they’re close?”

“It’s hard to tell, but they’re not far.”

Shivering, she climbed to her feet, only to have Gil pull her away from the window.

“Just in case,” he murmured. She was smack up against him, her back to his front. He was so warm and solid and strong. Without overthinking it, she leaned back against him. He held onto her, arms around her, as they waited for the next spurt of gunfire.

“What should we do?” she asked him, fearfully. “Should we go somewhere? Will we be safe in here?” She’d always been more of a “flight” than “fight” person, and right now the urge to run was strong. But where should they run to? And how many bears would they disturb along the way?

“Whoever they are, they’re shooting at each other, not us. There’s no sign that they know we’re here or that they care.”

“Do you think it’s connected to whoever blew up the Institute?”

She felt him nod. “It would be quite a coincidence if it wasn’t connected.”

“So there’s someone out there with missile launchers and guns, and we’re here in this tiny little cabin with nothing but a utility knife.”

“If it’s any comfort, Bob kept a hunting rifle. I saw it in the corner. It might even have bullets.”

Ani flinched at the thought of a rifle just hanging out in the cabin with them. She feared guns. The man who had nearly snatched her off the street at the age of twelve had wielded a gun. And then there was the track meet shooting she and her friends had missed thanks to Lila’s intuition. Guns haunted her.

“We’d still be outgunned, judging by all the shooting out there.” Her voice wavered. “But I guess it’s something. Do you think there’s any chance one of the people shooting is on our side?”

“Sure. There’s a twenty-five percent chance that neither are on our side, twenty-five percent that one is, or the other, and twenty-five percent that both are on our side. In other words, who the hell knows? We don’t even know who’s firing or what the sides are. There could be several different parties firing, and it could have nothing to do with us at all.”

Ani heard herself laugh, amazed that she had it in her. “You know, sometimes I think I stepped into an alternate universe when I stepped off that plane from Blackbear. Every day, things make less sense.”

His chest moved and she felt the vibration of his laughter. “That’s only because we don’t yet have enough information.”

“Now you sound like a scientist.”

“My brother would be so proud.”

She giggled, still nervous, but less so. He made a good point. They just had to figure this out. Until then, things were just going to seem strange.

“But you know what does make sense?” he murmured.

“Hm?”

He turned her in his arms and tilted her chin up so her eyes met his. “I’m going to protect you. That part makes sense.”

“Because you promised Victor?”

“Because that’s what I do.”

She breathed an internal sigh as her tension eased. Of course Gil would protect her. That was his nature.

“I like the smell of your hair, too. That makes sense.”

The smell of her hair? She gaped up at him. Against her thigh, she felt the swell of an erection forming.

And suddenly everything else made sense too. He hadn’t wanted physical contact because he was attracted to her.

She rose up on tiptoe and tilted her head to touch her lips to his. The barest contact, just a light brush of her mouth against his, but it transformed everything in one flash of an instant.

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