Page 6 of The Mountain Man's Girl

“Show me the proof that you own this mountain,” Carter spouts off again, proving his idiocy.

The giant’s eyes slide over to the boy who I’m shocked I was ever attracted to. He’s scrawny and arrogant and has a freaking man bun.

“Someone should’ve taught you some respect, boy. You should turn and thank that girl right there”—his eyes glance in my direction, sending a shiver down my spine—“because of her, I’m going to give your entitled puny ass a five second head start to get off my land. Five…four…”

Carter widens his stance, refusing to budge, and I start to think heshouldbe shot. That may be the only way he learns a lesson.

A loud bang goes off and I scream, nearly jumping five feet in the air.I didn’t mean it.But thankfully, Carter isn’t hit. He and the others scream and take off running down the mountain, but my shocked feet don’t move. When the giant’s eyes lock on me again, I finally get them to work. I take off after my friends, but they’re already out of view. No one is waiting for me. Some protector Carter is. He just left me to fend for myself, not even giving me a second thought. None of them care what happens to me.

My foot hits a rock and I stumble forward, trying to catch myself, but then my ankle rolls, and I feel something snap. I hit the ground, reaching out to brace the impact, but I still face-plant in the dirt. Shit. This is not good. I think I might have broken my ankle.

“Help!” I yell out. “You guys, I’m hurt!” Ouch. Shoot. It really hurts. “Carter!”

Nothing. They’re gone. I can’t even hear them in the distance. How could they move that fast? Because none of them were carrying such a giant pack on their backs.

I try to stand, but the second I put any weight on my foot, I go down. I work to get the pack off my back, hoping that will help. It’s hard to see through the tears. I try to get up again, but Istill can’t. It hurts too much. I start to crawl on hands and knees down the hill, getting nowhere fast, feeling the pain shoot up my leg with every movement.

“You guys, please! I’m really hurt.”

Still nothing. The only thing I hear is the sound of my pounding heart, and…the heavy breathing from the beast who’s closing in on me. I wipe my eyes, and try one more time to stand, grabbing onto the tree trunk and pulling myself up. But as soon as I put weight down, my foot gives out and I start to fall again. I’m caught before I hit the ground, swept right up into the air. Trapped in two strong arms. The madman has me. He’s captured me and now he’s carrying me back up the mountain, deeper onto his property. Further away from safety.

“Help! Please! Carter! Kelsey! Jeff! Anyone! Please!”

“They’re gone,” the man growls. “Your friends left you all alone.”

“They’re coming back,” I sob. Yet, he’s walking so fast, his strides so wide that I doubt they’ll be able to catch up to us before he hurts me. Where is he taking me? And why did they leave me?

6

Traeger

They’re not coming back. His spineless little ass looked like he wet himself when I shot the blank off at the tree. For being so tough at the tongue, he sure showed his lack of a backbone, didn’t he? I should chase him back down the mountain and shoot the entitled jerk in the foot for leaving this girl all by herself. She’s hurt. And it looks bad. Though to tell you the truth, she’s probably better off without him. Or any of them for that matter. I was listening to the way they spoke to her this morning, and I wanted to come out of my hiding spot and tell them all off.

I probably would have, had that little shit pressed further for a blow job. It brought a big smile to my face when she refused to take care of his needs. Honestly, a girl of her caliber—so fucking pretty she’s blinding—deserves better than him. She deserves someone strong and capable. Someone who can keep her safe and has some brains. Someone who would take a bullet for her.

She’s the only smart one out of the bunch. More than once she insisted on them going a different way, but none of them would listen. They trekked right onto my property. acting as if they owned the place. Those three have no respect for authority or the law. And they definitely had no fear. Had I truly been a lunatic, I could’ve shot them for real.

Let’s hope the little punk has now learned a lesson. Though I fucking doubt it. Entitlement seemed to be bred deep in his snotty little ass. But I hope this pretty girl with raven eyes and the face of an angel has learned that she deserves better than a bratty little pipsqueak who leaves her alone in the woods with a man who’s carrying a gun. Though, I would never hurt one single hair on her beautiful head.

“Where are you taking me?” She cries. “Please let me go. I’m sorry we trespassed. I tried to tell them to go back, but they didn’t listen. Please don’t hurt me.”

I have no intentions of hurting her, but she’s not going anywhere. Not with that banged-up foot. She’d never make it down the mountain on her own. It looks broken. I watched it give out on her every time she tried to put weight on it. And if that’s the case, I need to wrap it up and elevate it. Even if it’s a bad sprain, she won’t be able to walk on the thing for a few days, which means I’ll have to give her a lift back to town. Or…she could just stay here for a couple of nights and heal up.

Bad fucking idea, Traeger. One look at the girl and I felt all my blood run south, turning hot in my shaft. I may not aim my gun at her, but something else was locked and loaded, ready to pump a few rounds into that tight little body. And I’m not shootin’ blanks.

“Let me go!” Her voice is even thicker with fear as she struggles in my arms, trying to get free, but I tighten my hold to thwart her efforts.

“Quit. You’re going to hurt yourself.” She’s liable to break something else if she doesn’t calm down.

I walk into the cave, winding through the old miner’s tunnel until I get to the other side. She finally starts to settle, either that, or her fear is locking her up in shock.

“I’m sorry. Please just let me go.”

We exit on the other side and I carry her right up my front steps and straight into my cabin, turning the lock to ensure those friends of hers don’t come busting into my place. Trespassing seems to be commonplace for them.

“You shouldn’t have listened to your friends,” I state. “Following the lead of people like that gets you into trouble.” She could’ve been shot or arrested had it been someone else’s property. She could be in danger right now, held prisoner by a monster, and her friends have left her high and dry. They didn’t even come back when they heard her screaming out. It makes me want to hurt the lot of them.

“I know, and I’m sorry. Just please don’t hurt me.”

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