Page 69 of Burning Hearts

Logan walked her around something, holding on to her. As long as he led her, she wouldn’t worry about where she was going. She trusted him to get her to safety.

Jamie held on to him, taking deep breaths of crisp Alaskan air—even with the scent of smoke. The terrain changed. Her brother took over from Logan after a while.

“Look at you, the one who needs saving rather than the other way around.”

She wanted to quip back that he shouldn’t get used to it, but the heart to say it aloud wasn’t in her. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” Tristan cleared his throat. “I should probably explain. Not that I didn’t want to before, it was just that we weren’t safe. Anyone could’ve been listening.”

“Explain what?”

Tristan held on to her as the terrain changed and they clambered up a hill. “I came up here for a reason, not just to get in trouble somewhere new.” He sighed. “Jamie, I’m a confidential informant for the DEA. I have been for a few years.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jamie couldn’t believe he’d kept it a secret. He was doing something good, even if it was crazy dangerous.

“I knew you’d try to talk me out of it,” Tristan said. “I’m not good at much. I don’t have that many options. Things haven’t been perfect, but it’s a decent gig.”

“And you’ll be able to take what we downloaded and turn it over to the DEA?”

“Maybe some good will come out of this mess after all.” He slowed them to a stop.

The air smelled cleaner, and it was cooler. Had they reached the summit? Jamie couldn’t see it, though she did feel as if the dark wasn’t quite so black. Probably just her imagination wishing for things to be different. But then, her brother was safe, and Logan was here.

Maybe things didn’t need to be different.

She heard the rumble of a small engine and flinched.

“It’s just Logan and Hammer. They found a couple of the ATVs, must’ve belonged to Snatch and his friends.”

The engines neared.

Tristan led her to one, and she climbed on. Logan tugged her arms around his waist and said, “You good?”

She clung to his strength. “I love you.”

Logan twisted around in her arms, touched her cheek and kissed her. It felt different than it ever had before, maybe because her vision was being denied her and everything else seemed so much more vibrant. She could focus on the touch of his lips on hers so much more than any other time.

“Don’t let go.” His voice was husky, and she could hear the worry in his tone.

Jamie wasn’t going to do that.

Not ever.

FIFTEEN

“We’ve got it from here.”

Logan said “She can’t see” for like the fifth time since they’d pulled into the hospital under sheriff’s office escort and he’d carried Jamie through the emergency room doors.

The nurse nodded. She and two others, one of whom was a doctor, wheeled Jamie away down the hall. Tristan had insisted on walking under his own steam, though Hammer went with him.

Deputy Mills clapped him on the shoulder. “I gotta go call Sheriff Starr. I’ll be back, so don’t go anywhere.”

Logan nodded absently. Jamie was going to be fine, right? He half expected Bryce to call and ask if everything was all right. Logan figured he’d head it off and sent his brother a text that they were at the hospital and to keep praying that Jamie would be all right.

Hammer strode around the corner at the end of the hall.

When he was close enough, Logan held his hand out.

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