Page 30 of The Jinglebell War
“I got you.” His calm tone settles something in me, but for some crazy reason, that makes more tears stream down my cheeks. “What do you see around you? Any landmarks that might let me know where you are?”
I clear my throat and swallow around the lump. “Um, I don’t know. I thought I was on the blue trail, but I haven’t seen any trail markers for a while. The trail I’m on has definitely been tramped on, but I don’t see…” I look around for anything. “I passed a small, frozen stream on my right about twenty minutes ago, but the trail veered away from it, going deeper into the woods.”
He doesn’t sigh or groan. “Okay. That’s great. Do you see anything else? Anything at all?”
I stand and turn in a circle, looking for anything. “There are fewer aspens here, more evergreen trees. There’s a huge holly tree with bright red berries. I thought Holly didn’t grow here?” At least that’s what Everett Brown said, snootily, when I suggested Holly branches as decorations for a holiday dance. He’s one of the council members who hates me.
“How the hell…?” Garrick says, awe in his tone. “I know exactly where you are. I’ll be there in… It’ll be at least half an hour. Stay warm and hydrated. Do you have water?”
“I do, but if I run out, I can just eat snow.”
“It shouldn’t come to that. I’ll be there soon.”
I find a spot in the sun and settle back down to sit on the snow and wait. The cold seeps through my snow pants, but I’m too tired to stand for the next half an hour.
A rustling in the distance reminds me how not alone I am out here, so I start singing again. It’s a Christmas song Peach loves. She always changes the lyrics into whatever sex-fueled party she can make it, and I sing her twisted words just to feel less alone.
I lean my head against a tree trunk and belt the lyrics until the lump in my throat eases and the sick feeling in my stomach is fooled into thinking everything’s going to be okay.
When I hear a roar in the distance, I go still, my heart racing. Is that a wolf? A grizzly? A mountain lion?
But the roar gets closer and I recognize it for what it is: a snowmobile. Garrick’s on his way.
I leap to my feet and yell at the top of my lungs. Not that he can hear me over the engine, but I’m going to try, anyway. I don’t dare leave my spot near this holly tree he somehow recognizes.
Before I’ve even caught my breath, the snowmobile charges over a hill and makes its way to me. Garrick swings it to a stopand hops off. He hurries over to me like he’s worried. Like he actually cares that I might have frostbite.
The concern on his face looks real as he pulls off his helmet and scans my face and body. “You okay?”
I nod. I’ve never seen this kind, worried side of Garrick. I like it. It gives me warm fuzzies to realize he doesn’ttrulywish me dead. “I’m fine. Still have all my fingers and my toes.”
He nods once, all business. “Good. That’s good.” His expression shifts like clouds wiping out the sun. His brow creases, his eyes narrow into a glare, and his mouth forms a line so hard, the scar on his upper lip turns white. “What the actual fuck were you thinking, Demon? Why are you out here alone?”
“Francis and Marcus had to work. They’re back in Vegas.”
He just stares at me. Then he tosses his helmet on the ground and grips his hair with both hands. “You are seriously going to be the end of me.”
“I wasn’t supposed to get lost, okay? I can get around any city in the world, no problem, but out here, the trees all look the same.”
“Uh-huh. So why didn’t you stay in your nice, warm office or your apartment?”
Now probably isn’t the best time to tell him about the prank I planned. “I wanted to see the sights?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Lindsay told me you were asking about my schedule for today. She’s under the impression you have a massive crush on me.”
“So much for girl code,” I mutter.
“She told me because she’s worried about you, Demon. Everyone’s worried about you.”
“Everyone?” Shit. This is bad. This is so, so bad.
He steps close enough that I have to tilt my head back to look up at him. “I’m not buying you’re out here because of a stupid crush. Why are you really here?”
There’s no story I can make up that he’s going to believe. I sigh and take a step back. He gets into my space again.
“Can’t I tell you once we’re back in civilization?” I ask.
“We’re not going anywhere until you tell me what you were planning to do.”
