Page 32 of True Valor
When she’d first pushed out of bed Nicthought he’d scared her.But she wasn’t acting scared.She wasacting angry.About what?No telling.But after his last statement,all doubt was removed.She was definitely pissed.
She filled a pot with water and put it on thestove to heat.When it was warm she brought it over to the bed and,without a word, started unwrapping his bandages.The line of herlips said it all.She ended up soaking the last bit off aftertrying unsuccessfully to get it loose from the edge of one of thebigger gashes on his chest.He’d sucked in his breath as she’dtugged on it.She’d said a clipped sorry and then sloshed water allover trying to get the danged thing to let go.
Once the new bandages and sling were inplace, she helped him to a chair in front of the fire, threw hercoat on and left the cabin.When she didn’t come back right away,he pulled himself out of the chair and walked to the bathroom.Atleast the dizziness hadn’t overwhelmed him.That was a good sign.On the way back to the chair he made a detour to the bookshelf andfound an old Clancy book.
It took him a few minutes to catch hisbreath.As he did, he fingered the spine of the book he held andsmiled at thoughts of the team.
Clancy.That’s what the team called WillPitkin.He’d been writing a bestselling adventure novel for atleast a year.He never went anywhere without his mini recorder inhis pocket.Once, when the entire squad was stuck on a cliff,waiting until the weather cleared to rappel down, Clancy had pulledout his recorder and mumbled plot ideas into it.
Cruz had laughed so hard that, if he hadn’tbeen clipped in, he’d have rolled off the cliff.The thought ofCruz brought him up short.Nic, Joey and Cruz were the threeamigos.Sorrow clawed at his guts.No one could replace Joey.Noone would try.It wasn’t likely there’d ever be a third amigoagain.Cruz and Nic would have to find another name.
Dang.He should have told Cruz where he andJulie were going.If Ski-Mask Dude found them here and killed themin their sleep, even Cruz might have trouble finding theirbodies.
What a pleasant thought!
Who was he kidding?It wouldn’t take EricCruz fifteen minutes to find them if he really wanted to.Somehow,that was comforting.
Where the hell was Julie?Nic looked at hiswatch.It was nearly noon.She’d been gone over two hours.Wherewas she?
The reality was that Ski-Mask Dudecouldfind them here.He’d been here once to booby trap thedoor, and it was only a matter of time ‘til he came back.And Juliewas out there and had been for two hours.What was he thinking?
Nic launched out of the chair and forcedhimself to move.He yanked off the sling, pulled his blood-crustedjeans on.He paused only an instant, then decided to tuck the .357inside his waistband.Not bothering to find a shirt, pulled hisparka from the hook—damn, there was blood on it too—and wentoutside.
He stood on the porch shielding his eyes fromthe stabbing light reflecting off the snow.Julie was nowhere insight.He hollered her name.
No response.
Visions of her laying, bleeding in the snowswirled in his head.Cursing, he went back inside and shoved hisfeet into his boots.His whole torso screamed with pain as he tiedthem.
Lieutenant Quillen, their CRO once said thatpain was your friend.Nic had rolled his eyes.The team calledQuillen Yoda when he started down the philosophical road, which hedid way too often for any of their comfort.The bit about pain hadoccurred when Joey landed hard on a jump after his chute hadtangled.He’d been lucky to be alive.Nic supposed that was whatYoda meant by his comment.Being alive was definitely the betteralternative.
But being injured sucked.Big time.
Nic made it back outside and down the porchsteps before the sound made him stop.He listened, calming hisbreath in a trained way.Footsteps on the snow.He reached back forthe revolver.But before he drew it, Julie came around the farturn, a shovel thrown over her shoulder, hobo style.
She didn’t smile as she approached.“Thecar’s almost dug out,” she said never slowing as she passed.“Maybetomorrow, we can get out of here.”
Things didn’t improve once inside.Nic triedto approach Julie, in an attempt to diffuse her anger, but shewould have none of it.At least, she wasn’t going to make iteasy.
“Can I help you with lunch?”he askedapproaching her in the kitchen.
“You need to conserve your strength,” sheinformed him with snarky efficiency, “so we can get the hell outtahere.”
That was it, damn it.He hadn’t said it thatway, in the first place, and the reason he wanted to leave was notto get away from her.He had no intention of leaving her.Not yetanyway.
“Julie, are you going to stay pissed at me orare you going to let me explain?”
Julie swung around and handed him a plate offood.“Stay pissed, I think,” she said, purposely narrowing hereyes.
Nic took a step forward, laying down theplate, trapping her between him and the counter.All anger fledwithin her at his nearness and the simmering heat in his browneyes.She could feel his breath on her face.Herbreathcaught in her throat and she could feel herself flush.
“You think I want to get out of here so I canget away from you?Is that what you think?”His voice was low,almost a growl, but hardly more than a whisper.
That was precisely what she thought.But now,with him so close, she could feel the heat from his body.The lookin his eyes told her she was wrong.Any answer she could muster,though, seemed to stick in her throat.Her body ached to be in hisarms.
A flicker of amusement crossed his facebefore he spoke.“The reality is that, if we weren’t sitting ducks,I’d be more than happy to stay here with you.And at the moment,I’m sorely tempted to ignore reality and kiss you.”
Julie couldn’t move, could barely speak.Sheswallowed, her gaze locked on his lips.She couldn’t look away,didn’t want to look away.She ached to be kissed.
