Page 89 of Savage Escape

“When we get home, everyone is gettin’ psych evals. You two especially. And Reid thinks Daisy needs therapy. Got fuckin’ Thelma and Louise over here.”

“Of the three of us, Jackiepoo, you are the one in the most need of a therapy session.”

“Yeah, I already had my come to Jesus moment this week,” Caden said.

“Does that mean you’re staying or going?” Holden asked.

“I’m stayin’.”

“Good,” Holden said, his voice a pained moan.

They lapsed into silence. Jackson shifted in the bushes he was all but buried in. Caden took a seat beside Holden and watched him breathe. His chest moved up and down, but the breaths were labored and fast, like he’d just run a marathon. That couldn’t be good.

What she needed to do was figure out how to contact the boys without a SAT phone. She couldn’t get two grown men out of the woods all on her own. She needed help.

But she was just so tired.

If she just took a quick nap, she could be useful again. Caden laid down where she was and put a careful hand on Holden’s forearm, right where his pulse was.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. She wasn’t sure; she wasn’t counting.

“A cliff?!”Reid’s outraged howl jolted Caden out of her light doze and back into a painful reality.

“They’re alive!” It was a familiar bellow.

Multiple feet started to pound the ground and Caden was suddenly staring up at familiar nose hairs. Nathan’s face was tight with worry lines carved into his handsome face and made him look ten years older. His hands hovered over her like he wasn’t sure where to touch.

Automatically, she sat up straight and checked on Holden. He was pale and still. His chest was heaving up and down, so he was still breathing. His pulse jumped under her fingers.

“You jumped off acliff?!” Reid was still shrill and his tone was outraged. It would have been funny if Holden wasn’t in the state he was in.

“It’s not like we did it on purpose.” Jackson’s drawl was dry.

“Yeah, we tried very hard not to go over the cliff,” Caden put in, visually searching Nathan for any injuries.

“Where are you hurt? What do you need? Caden, talk to me.” His voice cracked and his hands moved up and down ten inches from her like he was starting to panic.

“I’m not too bad. It’s Holden who needs the most medical attention.”

“Bah,” Holden groaned and waved a hand like his injuries were negligible. “I’m good.”

“Shut up, you were out cold rolling down the mountain! Who even knows what’s all wrong with you,” Caden snapped at him as Nathan’s hands continued to roam all over her, looking for injuries. “Nate, I’m fine. It’s Holden who needs attention.”

“Get the stretcher.” Reid’s voice was calmer now that he was hovering over Holden, his hands moving all over him. “Jackson, can you walk?” This he directed at the man still sprawled in the bushes.

“I think I broke my leg on the way down the mountain—give me a hand, Dax.” Dax and Maddox hovered over Jackson’s sprawled form. They were grinning in relief.

“Don’t move,” Reid commanded. “Let me splint it first.”

“Yes, sir.” Jackson settled back into the bushes with a salute.

“Caden, can you walk out of here?”

“Nothing wrong with my legs, just my arm. It came out of its socket again.”

“So explain to me how you ended up at the bottom of a cliff?” Reid’s voice was calm and reasonable, like he was discussing the weather.

“I don’t know—Caden said to run, so we ran. And here we are.” Jackson was scowling again. Caden could hear it in his tone.

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