Gunshots erupted. Megan flinched, startled by the sound. The drone wavered, spinning out of control, before plummeting into the lake with a splash.
Footsteps pounded on the dock above her. “Megan!” Jax’s tone was sharp, barely controlled.
He called her name again, more urgent this time.
“I’m here,” she croaked, her voice weak and barely audible. She trembled violently in the water. Her feet were numb, and it was hard to feel her legs. Still, she willed herself to move away from the dock’s protection to the ladder dangling in the water. Every motion felt like swimming through wet cement. Her teeth chattered. “I’m here.”
Jax leaned over the edge. Stark relief flashed across his features, quickly replaced by fresh urgency. He extended his hand. “I’ll pull you up.”
Megan wanted to argue that he couldn’t lift her out of the water, but was shivering too hard to speak. Jax was closer than the ladder. And she was so tired. Her muscles felt as weak as a newborn kitten. She reached for him, sliding her icy fingers against his warm palm.
He clamped down on her hand, his hold strong yet careful. Jax dragged her closer, then slid his other hand under her armpit. With effortless strength, as though she weighed nothing, he plucked her from the frigid water. Her teeth chattered harder as a breeze swept across her wet clothes. Her eyes drifted shut.
“No, you don’t. Stay awake, Megan.” Jax’s tone was firm, allowing no argument. Before she could even register what was happening, he swept her into his arms, holding her close to his chest. He said something else, maybe to someone nearby, but she couldn’t make out the words. Her mind felt fuzzy and slow.
She clung to his shoulders as he jogged toward the house, the heat emanating from his body a welcome contrast to her icy skin. His scent surrounded her. It was grounding. Safe.
Megan buried her face in the crook of his neck, warming her nose and lips on his bare skin. The rough prickles of his chin scraped against her temple. If she could have crawled inside of him, she would have.
He’d saved her life. Again.
Tomorrow, or maybe even later tonight, she’d be ashamed of her behavior. Embarrassed by the unabashed way she plastered herself against him. But for now, all she could think about was the warmth his body offered and the protection he provided.
For the moment, she was safe.
Megan knew, even in her half-frozen state with her mind not fully operable, that this feeling wouldn’t last. She was being hunted by a killer who wouldn’t stop until she was dead.
And next time, he might succeed.
ELEVEN
Megan trembled in his arms.
Jax hurried across the grass. The boathouse groaned as it listed sharply, the wooden structure surrendering to the flames. Smoke and ash filled the air. The acrid burn stung his lungs, but he ignored the ache and increased his stride toward the house. Megan couldn’t stop shaking. If she didn’t get warm, she would succumb to hypothermia.
The back door swung open the moment Jax’s foot hit the bottom porch step. Clay ushered them inside, tossing a blanket over Megan before pointing toward the rear of the house. “Rose is already running a hot bath. I’ll make tea. An ambulance is on the way.”
“No… ambulance.” Megan’s teeth chattered violently, a clear sign her body was still in the early stages of hypothermia. She clung to Jax’s shoulders. Her complexion was ghostly pale, her hair wet and limp around the delicate curves of her face.
A wave of tenderness swept over Jax. He hurried to the bathroom attached to the primary bedroom. Rose was perched on the edge of a large bathtub, fiddling with the knobs that controlled the water temperature. Her face was pinched with worry as Jax set Megan down on the chair next to the vanity. Water dripped from her clothes onto the tile floor.
“We’re going to get you warmed up fast.”
He grabbed a towel from the counter and gently dried Megan’s face before wrapping up her wet hair in it. Then he removed her soaked shoes and peeled off her dripping socks. Her toes were a purplish blue and frigid to the touch. Jax grabbed another towel and started rubbing them to restore circulation. Megan’s whole body trembled. She clung to the blanket. “So cccold… ccccan’t believe… people ddddo this for fun.”
“Which part?” Jax smiled at her as he kept rubbing her feet. “Running from a fire-spewing drone or taking an impromptu dip in a freezing lake?”
“Ssswimming.”
“Ah, you mean the winter swimmers. I have an uncle who loves it.” Jax kept talking, hoping that it would distract her. “Uncle Jerry lives in Denmark. He swims every morning, no matter how cold it is. But he gets into a sauna afterward, so I think that makes a difference. I never tried it myself to know for sure though.”
The bathroom was warming up fast, thanks to the steam coming from the bathtub. Jax dried Megan’s calves and rubbed them as well to stimulate circulation. “Thank goodness you hid under the dock. I was terrified I'd have to jump in after you.” He winked at her. “I’m not a fan of cold water.”
She let out a weak laugh, but then her expression sobered. “You sssaved me.”
“Naw. You saved yourself.” Jax didn’t want to think about those harrowing moments watching the fire-spewing drone chase Megan. He’d felt helpless. The decision to dive into the lake had been a brilliant one and had likely spared her life, giving Jax enough time to shoot the drone down.
He continued to rub her chilled skin. “I just pulled you from the lake and warmed your toes.”