Page 140 of A Second Dawn

His body stiffens, and he eyes me suspiciously, his expression clouding over. He isn’t really thinking I’m going to hatch escape plans with them, is he?

I swallow my annoyance and try to see the situation from his perspective. We’ve been back together for less than a day. Of course he’ll have his doubts after I tried to run so many times. Trust is something that develops over time.

Snaking my arms around his waist, I pull him closer to me and kiss him. After a heartbeat or two, he pulls me tighter against him and responds with a desperation that has me melting on the spot.

Is he a little insecure?

Wow! My leaving him really has shaken him up.

I break our kiss and pull back to look at him. This time, it’s me cradling his face, and he turns to press a gentle kiss against my palm.

“I want to be a family with you. Gualtiero Leandro De Marco, I love you. I won’t run.”

An audible whoosh of air leaves his lungs, and he leans forward to rest his forehead against mine. Closing his eyes, he breathes me in.

“Thank you,” he whispers, and then his lips find mine once more. Seems my reassurance was just what he needed.

We step outside the cabin hand in hand. A frosty gust of wind hits us in the face.

Brrr…

A noticeable shiver runs through me, and Tiero moves closer to fasten the last button on my jacket and wrap my scarf a little tighter around my neck. Kissing the tip of my already cold nose, he guides me down the path to the other cabins.

Everything is covered in a white sheen of frost.

“Snow really isn’t far off. I can almost smell it,” I say as I clasp Tiero’s hand tighter when we pass some of his men. Poor buggers are trying to stay warm by a fire that’s been going all night.

Tiero’s gaze turns skyward, and then toward the distant mountains, standing tall and proud. Their majestic peaks reach toward the heavens and are cloaked in a gentle mist that hovers like a veil. There’s an air of quietude, an ethereal stillness that’s settled upon the landscape.

I really do love the mountains.

The thought of leaving this scene behind pangs my heart.

“Rhia is in the cabin by the driveway.”

I look at Tiero confused. “Why was she moved?”

He gives me a sideways glance, biting his lip. He doesn’t want to tell me.

“Why, Tiero? No more secrets, remember?” I remind him.

“Right. Well, when she woke up she got quite feisty, and my men deemed it best to separate her from the ex-special forces guy.”

I turned to face him, amused that my best friend is giving these men trouble. From the expression on his face there’s something he hasn’t told me, but we reach the new cabin, and I walk up the stairs and open the door.

My gaze immediately falls onto my best friend… and I see red.

Rhia is on the sofa, her hands and legs bound and a gag in her mouth. I stare at her, horrified.

“Gualtiero Leandro De Marco, how could you?” I shout, rushing to Rhia’s side and removing the gag from her mouth. “First you drugged her, and now you tie her up and gag her? I trusted you!”

His expression turns murderous as he turns to his man.

“You were under strict instructions not to touch her, Roberto.” He grabs him by the shirt, lifting him up.

“I swear I didn’t touch her… other than tying her up,” he stammers, fear written all over his face. “She bit me.”

That makes me laugh. Rhia would so do that.

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