Page 37 of A Rebel's Shot

“They found Sunny.” His voice cracked with emotion as he paced in front of the desk. “She’s alive, Merritt. She’s in the hospital, but she’s going to make it.”

Merritt’s heart leaped with joy at the news, a smile spreading across her face. But as she took in Tiikâan’s agitated state, the smile faltered.

“What happened?” she asked, a sense of foreboding creeping up her spine.

“She was shot.” His words came out in a rush. “Sunny stumbled upon the murder of a friend and spent days running from the people who killed him.”

Merritt’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Wait, what? Wasn’t Sunny in the middle of the bush, miles away from people?”

Tiikâan nodded, his expression grim. “I know. It’s crazy.” He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he had to say next. “She found our friend’s gold mine, and apparently, some terrorist group had been up in the area testing some kind of weapon.”

Merritt stared at him, her mind reeling. A terrorist group? A weapon? In the remote Alaskan wilderness? It seemed so unbelievable, like something out of a thriller novel.

She pushed herself up from her chair, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Her own problems suddenlyseemed insignificant in the face of what Tiikâan’s sister had endured.

Merritt crossed the room to him, her hand reaching out to rest on his arm. She could feel the tension thrumming through his body, like barely contained fear and anger simmered beneath the surface.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine what Sunny must have gone through, what you must be feeling.”

He looked down at her, his dark eyes searching her face. For a moment, the rest of the world fell away, and it was just the two of them, connected by a shared sense of disbelief and a desperate need for answers.

Merritt’s heart ached for him, for Sunny, for their friend who had lost his life. She knew all too well the pain of losing someone, the gnawing emptiness that came with unanswered questions.

As she stood there, offering silent comfort to the man who had become her champion, she couldn’t help the desire to lean in and press her lips to his. Merritt’s heart raced as she tilted forward, drawn to Tiikâan like a moth to a flame.

The air between them crackled with tension, a heady mix of comfort and desire that made her pulse quicken and her skin tingle. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body, could smell the faint scent of pine and fresh air that clung to his skin.

Time seemed to slow down as she inched closer, her gaze dropping to his lips. They looked so soft, so inviting, and she wondered what it would feel like to press her own against them.

Would he taste like the wilderness he loved so much?Would his kiss be gentle and reassuring, or fierce and passionate?

Merritt’s eyelids fluttered closed, her breath hitching in her throat as she surrendered to the magnetic pull between them. His hand gently, cautiously slid from her shoulder to just above her elbow.

Every nerve in her body was alive, humming with anticipation and longing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d wanted something, someone, so badly.

His breath warmed her lips as the shrill ring of the phone shattered the moment. Merritt jerked back, her eyes flying open as reality came crashing down around her. She stared at Tiikâan, her cheeks flushed and her heart pounding, as the phone continued to ring insistently on her desk.

What was she doing?

She wanted to ignore the phone, to lose herself in Tiikâan’s arms and forget about the rest of the world, if only for a little while.

But the moment was gone, the spell broken. Merritt stepped back, her hand falling from Tiikâan where her fingers gripped the front of his shirt. She couldn’t even remember doing that.

Sheshouldn’tbe doing that.

With a shaky breath, Merritt turned away, her feet carrying her toward the phone. Each step felt like a mile, a painful distance between her and the man who made her feel things she’d never experienced before.

Life sure had a way of sucking. She reached for the phone, her hand trembling slightly as she lifted it to her ear.

“Hello?” Merritt’s voice sounded breathless, even to her own ears.

“Is this Merritt Harland?” The man’s voice on the other end of the line was deep, with a slight rasp that sent a shiver down her spine.

“Yes, who is this?” She glanced over her shoulder at Tiikâan, who was watching her with concern and curiosity.

“I’m Dr. Ethan Erikson. I’m a geologist your father hired to investigate the safety of the mine.”

Merritt’s heart skipped a beat, her grip tightening on the phone. “My father hired you?”

---