Page 37 of Following Their Heart

“Jud!” Rev calls out for me before he appears in the open doorway of the bedroom.

I relax, but only a fraction. I can tell from Rev’s rigid posture that something’s wrong. I can also tell from the fact he doesn’t crack any jokes at the compromising position he’s caught me in.

Thankfully, Cora and I are mostly under the blankets, not that Rev hasn’t seen all of her, but still. I position my body so I’m blocking Rev’s view. It’s going to take me time to get used to this sharing shit.

“What is it?” I ask.

His brow shines with sweat. His eyes are as wild as I’ve ever seen them. He looks at Cora, then back to me, and says, “They’re comin’.”

Raptor and his crew.

“Shit.” I pull out of Cora.

“Bernard found them.” Rev says. “They’re moving in a caravan. ’Bout three hundred miles away, now. Heading for Billings, and comin’ fast. They have two military choppers on flatbeds.”

Fuck. We’re not ready. “How long do we have?”

“Depends on when they launch. They’ll have to make camp and set up a staging area. The bird will let us know when they stop. For now, they’re still driving. We might have until nightfall, if we’re lucky.”

I’ve never counted on luck in my life. I swing my legs out of bed and fasten my pants. Cora’s beside me, top askew, and with blankets clutched to her chest. Her winged brows are slanted with worry.

I sling an arm around her shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay, baby.” To Rev, I say, “Find Grim. We need to get Cora underground.”

“Agreed.” Rev pins her with his gaze, and he looks like he could kill a hundred men with his bare hands, fueled by nothing but his love for her. I can relate.

I find my shirt and shove my arms into it. “It’s time to party,” I say.

Rev nods. “Let’s kick some ass.”

Chapter 15

Cora

One minute, Judis making love to me in my bed. The next—or so it seems—Grim is rushing me up the mountain on an ATV, and all I can think is,I never got to tell Jud the name I picked.Of all the things I should be worried about, my brain is stuck on that idiotic oversight.

It’s not until Grim parks the ATV at the uppermost mine entrance that the full weight of what’s happening hits me.

“Here we go,” Grim says. He grabs my backpack and his duffel bag off the rack behind the seat, and he holds out his hand to me.

I stare at it, still sitting astride the vehicle.

This can’t be happening. My guys and my home are being threatened, and it’s too soon. We should have had the rest of the week to prepare for this. There’s still so much to do. More fortifying, more stockpiling of weapons and ammunition. More nights with my guys.

What if anyone gets hurt? What if I lose one of them?

A breeze lifts my hair, and I look back in the direction of the camp. I can’t see the buildings from up here, but I can see how the trees thin where the camp stands. The morning is crisp and clear. It’s too sunny for anything bad to happen.

“I didn’t say goodbye to anybody.”

Strong arms come around me. “We will all be together again soon.”

I cling to Grim, fists gripping his hoodie. I’m shaking.

“Come,Druzhyna.We must get you to safety.”

I know he’s right, but I can’t make my feet move. I’m locked up with dread.

Grim must know, because he lifts me and starts guiding me toward the mine opening.

---