Page 137 of Legacy of Danger
The seconds in Mariah's life slowed down.
His power. Could Vaughn still sense danger to himself?
Wyatt's massive fist was aimed right at Vaughn.
A feral grin ghosted across Vaughn's face, and he dodged out of the way then gave the guy a push to change momentum.
Wyatt flew over the edge of the cliff with a howl that abruptly stopped.
Without a backward glance, Vaughn rotated to Mariah, pressing her into the wall behind her. He braced his arms on either side of her head.
"Damn it. I thought I'd lost you," he breathed.
In front of the cave entrance, Linc groaned and pushed to his knees.
Kerr piped up, "Bro, can you do the smoochie make up bit later? I'm tired of hitting this asshole." He pointed. "Stay down, already."
Garrison did the honors, kicking Linc in the ribs. The man crumpled to the ground again in a sloppy heap.
Vaughn brushed his lips over her forehead. "We're leaving."
The tingle from being in physical contact with him brought stinging tears to her eyes. She didn't even mind the dull headache that accompanied the sensation of safety.
Anywhere. She'd hike with him for hours if it meant getting away from Wyatt and Linc.
Wyatt. The cliff. She craned her head around Vaughn's big shoulders. Should she help? She had taken the Hippocratic Oath, after all.
"Leave him. Linc can take care of it," Vaughn muttered.
On second thought, maybe the oath didn't count when the patient tried to kill the doctor.
Vaughn guided her up the narrow path of the cliff. She panted, scrambling on the snow-dusted rock.
She slipped. No way would she come this far, relive her personal nightmares, and escape Wyatt and Linc only to slide off this cliff. Forget that.
Vaughn grabbed her and pulled her up the steep track. Odie gripped her ankle to stabilize her foothold and helped from below. Garrison and Kerr brought up the rear of their group.
Keeping her hand in his, Vaughn hurried across the stark, moonlit, gray landscape. Snow melted in her hair, chilling her to the bone.
She didn't care. Vaughn was here.
She was safe.
They were both alive.
A sliver of brighter gray appeared through the trees. The forest road she had crossed over earlier. Her legs turned to Jell-O. Thank God.
"Almost to the horses," he said. "What the—?"
A yell lodged in her throat as a black figure loomed out from the trees.
