Page 21 of Sheltered By the Mountain Man

Chapter Nine

Bella

Mason disappears into theoffice to make his call, looking more tense than when he went outside.

From our conversation?

His words still ring in my head. All of it. The little boy. Getting shot in the kidnapping. His guilt. All the blame he's been putting on himself for things he can't control. I wish he could see his actions the way I do. He's not a failure. He's a protector. One who's still bleeding for the people he didn't save—even though none of it was his fault.

I wish I could take away his pain. Feeling that raw emotion in him when I hugged him from behind—when he couldn't even face me—it shook me. I wanted to hold him forever. Be the person he shares his burdens with. Would he ever want that? With me?

Nitro stirs and stretches, then hops off the couch and goes to the front door. He sniffs at the bottom edge then looks at me and back at the door. He huffs a soft bark.

“Now you need to go out?”

He whines and scratches at the door.

Mason is still talking on the phone. I don't know who he's talking to or how long he'll be. He didn't want me walking Nitro at night, but it's daylight and the snow has let up for now.

Nitro scratches again, looking back at me. He obviously can’t wait.

I put my jacket and boots on, thankful for the bandages over my blisters, and grab a leash hanging by the door. “You're going to be good, right?” I ask him as I clip it to his collar.

Nitro whines, almost dancing in his need to go out.

“Okay, fine. Let's go. Just make it quick.” I open the door and am almost yanked off my feet as he charges outside into the snow. “Whoa. Wait for me!”

He pulls me down the steps and to the right. The dog is so strong, he's dragging me along. He growls low in his throat, then begins to bark.

“This better not be a squirrel.”

He lunges forward again, and I tumble into the snow, dropping the leash. In a flash, he's gone. Tearing around the side of the house and barking like we're under attack.

Mason is going to kill me if I lose his dog.

I scramble up, brushing the snow from my coat as I chase after Nitro. It sounds like he's attacking something, but the only thing over this direction is the garage. Is it a real bear this time? My heart hammers as I run around the corner and stumble to a stop.

A half-dozen steps away, a bearded man in an orange jumpsuit is shoving a snarling and snapping Nitro into the garage. He slams the door, swearing and holding his left arm to his chest. In his right hand is a big black gun.

Nitro’s muffled barking turns frantic.

Oh God.

I think it's the convict they were talking about on Bishop's radio yesterday. The one that was supposed to go south. Why didn't he go south?

I should run. Scream. My heartbeat fills my ears, drowning out Nitro's barking, and dark spots dance in front of my eyes. I can't move.

“Stupid mutt,” the man mutters, glaring through the windowpane into the garage.

His voice shakes me loose of the fear, unfreezing my limbs.

There's nowhere to hide! If I can just make it back to the cabin. Mason can help. I have to get to him.

I turn and run.

“Stop!” The man barks, and the clear sound of a gun cocking cuts through the hammering of my heart in my ears. “Don’t move, lady.”

I stop and slowly turn toward him, heart jack-hammering until I'm woozy. I don't want to get shot, but if I do, I want to see it coming. That's one thing I learned from being lost in the woods—there's more fear in the unknown.

---