Page 52 of Hold Me Before You Go

She held the water out to me, and with a cautious effort, I took the glass from her and brought it to my lips. The water stung the cuts and cracks in my lips, but still, I took a small sip, letting the moisture sit in my mouth for a moment before swallowing. I stared at the floor as I took a second sip, then another and another. It felt so good on my throat, my God.

Once half of the glass was gone, I clutched it to my chest and looked up to find the woman to thank her but stopped. She was staring at me, a gutted expression on her face, like I’d just given her the worst news of her entire life.

The wordsI’m sorrywere on the tip of my tongue, but I held them in, not knowing if I should or not.

The man—Mase—looked back and forth between us, and I watched as a sense of realization hit him about something. Then, he stepped in front of her, partially blocking my view of her and whispering something as he backed her away from me.

My eyes widened, and I saw a flash of Brandon backing Monica into the bathroom.

I wondered if she was even alive…or did he finally succumb to all that anger lingering underneath the surface?

While that question hovered in my mind, another one shot to the front.

What the hell happened to my ex-husband’s little sister?

“Little Song,” the man—Mase—murmured to the redhead, stroking her cheeks as she looked up to him, love shining in her eyes.

My throat thickened.

I needed to find a phone. I needed to call Grayson. Then, he would come to me, and I would be safe. Then, he and the Red Snake boys would hunt down Brandon and Monica.

To do that, I had to speak to these people.

I looked back to the bearded cowboy and found him watching me, his mouth flat and those gray eyes guarded. I cleared my throat.

“C-could I b-borrow a phone?” The question came out weak, and more exhaustion slammed into me.

The cowboy nodded. “Absolutely, but right now, the phones are down because of the blizzard,” he explained softly, his eyes darting to the two windows on either side of the door.

My breath left me, but there was nothing I could do. I looked back down, watching the water gently move back and forth in my cup. I was truly stuck here. My throat began to burn, my chest aching in a way it hadn’t in a long, long time. I was trapped here, just like I had been at rehab.

“Miss, I need to check your feet,” the cowboy said softly.

My head snapped up, and I set the glass on the floor.

My feet.

I’d been in the snow, walking for miles…barefoot.

I let yet another fear drift around me, hovering over me like a raincloud, before finally settling on my shoulders. I took a small breath, holding it in as I grabbed the edge of the wool blanket, bracing for the horrible condition my feet might be in before yanking it off my feet.

My chest deflated as my shoulders sagged with relief.

They weren’t discolored.

The dark cowboy lowered down to his haunches, his eyes on my feet. “You had gloves on your toes,” he noted.

Was he the one who found me?

My eyes met his. “I’m sorry if they were yours,” I croaked, not knowing what else to say.

His lips twitched. “They weren’t mine,” he assured. “They belong to one of my ranch hands, Lance. He left his bag out there on accident.” His gray eyes met mine. “Though now, I’m sure he’d be relieved to know he left it there—for you.”

My bottom lip trembled. “I ate his jerky.”

A small, rough chuckle came from him then. “I’m sure he’ll get over it, honey. My name is Denver Langston. That’s my brother, Mason, and his wife, Harmony.”

Langston.

---