have anyone.
Guilt reached up and pulled him down.
“Forget it,” she said, waving her hands as she moved away. “You’re right. I don’t need you. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”
The war between his two responsibilities wrestled in his stomach like a rotten meal. It wasn’t just her physical well-being he needed to account for, it was her mental health, as well. He had to admit, the idea of being so completely alone as she would be without him here was a frightening prospect indeed.
Damn it all to hell.
“Fine. Just give me a few hours. Let me find fuel.”
She looked worried, and he could feel his plans slipping out of reach. He needed more than a few hours. He needed to be gone for as long as it took. “Maybe more.”
She was trying to pretend she was okay with that, he could see it in her eyes and the way she shrugged one shoulder. “Fine.”
His conscience nagged at him. He moved to the fire, stoking the embers and turning the logs. It was his fault she’d been hurt and was stranded in the woods without her car or cell phone, but damned if he would give up the first chance he’d had to get Steele since Ralph’s death.
Trevor clenched his jaw, his eyes shooting to the window and the raging storm beyond. He’d planned months for this mission, practiced how to accomplish his goal alone. Now he was being sidetracked, and much as he knew he was being an asshole, he resented the diversion.
If he was going to get Steele, he had to do it before the weather cleared and the evidence drove right out from under his nose.
Eleven goddamn miles away, and it might as well be the other side of the world.
He flexed his shoulder and cracked his neck, enough adrenaline coursing through his system to run to Steele’s house and back in record time.
Run? On this knee? Who the fuck are you kidding?
From the location of the pain, he felt certain he’d either broken his patella or pulled a tendon, neither one of which was any good for running anywhere. Just walking on snowshoes in search of gasoline was going to hurt like hell and take ten times the energy it normally would have, but the end result was too important for him to forsake it. Trevor needed that snowmobile to get to Steele’s compound.
But Olivia’s well-being outweighed all that.
Damn it all to hell.
“Maybe I won’t look for gas today. Maybe I’ll just run up the road to the accident scene and see if I can find my jacket.”
Or a gun.
Or any kind of weapon.
She met his eyes. “Thanks, Trevor.”
The melodious sound of his name on her lips made his hand twitch, and he reminded himself she was spoken for.
Tell her. Tell her now.
She had a right to know everything he knew about her, at the very least. He opened his mouth, the bride shirt and engagement ring hanging on the tip of his tongue.
But she was fragile. Unsteady. She needed time to get back on her feet before he told her about those things.
You’re just afraid it will bring her whole memory back.
She cocked her head. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”
11
O livia stared out the frosted window pane to the swirling scene beyond. Somewhere out there was her life, the people who knew her and the things she cared about. Had anyone even realized she was missing? Did she have family and friends concerned about her whereabouts, or was she as lonely in her forgotten life as she was in this limbo?
At least there was Trevor, though she sensed he was lying to her about his real reason for being here. She’d seen the way he was limping and knew he must be in considerable pain, so why venture out on foot?
Maybe his friend was a woman. A lover. The thought made her uncomfortable. But why shouldn’t he have a lover? He was nothing to her, not even a friend. She pulled the sweater she’d found tighter around herself, the cut and style just slightly too small. It was cold in the cabin despite the fire, and she
Guilt reached up and pulled him down.
“Forget it,” she said, waving her hands as she moved away. “You’re right. I don’t need you. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”
The war between his two responsibilities wrestled in his stomach like a rotten meal. It wasn’t just her physical well-being he needed to account for, it was her mental health, as well. He had to admit, the idea of being so completely alone as she would be without him here was a frightening prospect indeed.
Damn it all to hell.
“Fine. Just give me a few hours. Let me find fuel.”
She looked worried, and he could feel his plans slipping out of reach. He needed more than a few hours. He needed to be gone for as long as it took. “Maybe more.”
She was trying to pretend she was okay with that, he could see it in her eyes and the way she shrugged one shoulder. “Fine.”
His conscience nagged at him. He moved to the fire, stoking the embers and turning the logs. It was his fault she’d been hurt and was stranded in the woods without her car or cell phone, but damned if he would give up the first chance he’d had to get Steele since Ralph’s death.
Trevor clenched his jaw, his eyes shooting to the window and the raging storm beyond. He’d planned months for this mission, practiced how to accomplish his goal alone. Now he was being sidetracked, and much as he knew he was being an asshole, he resented the diversion.
If he was going to get Steele, he had to do it before the weather cleared and the evidence drove right out from under his nose.
Eleven goddamn miles away, and it might as well be the other side of the world.
He flexed his shoulder and cracked his neck, enough adrenaline coursing through his system to run to Steele’s house and back in record time.
Run? On this knee? Who the fuck are you kidding?
From the location of the pain, he felt certain he’d either broken his patella or pulled a tendon, neither one of which was any good for running anywhere. Just walking on snowshoes in search of gasoline was going to hurt like hell and take ten times the energy it normally would have, but the end result was too important for him to forsake it. Trevor needed that snowmobile to get to Steele’s compound.
But Olivia’s well-being outweighed all that.
Damn it all to hell.
“Maybe I won’t look for gas today. Maybe I’ll just run up the road to the accident scene and see if I can find my jacket.”
Or a gun.
Or any kind of weapon.
She met his eyes. “Thanks, Trevor.”
The melodious sound of his name on her lips made his hand twitch, and he reminded himself she was spoken for.
Tell her. Tell her now.
She had a right to know everything he knew about her, at the very least. He opened his mouth, the bride shirt and engagement ring hanging on the tip of his tongue.
But she was fragile. Unsteady. She needed time to get back on her feet before he told her about those things.
You’re just afraid it will bring her whole memory back.
She cocked her head. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”
11
O livia stared out the frosted window pane to the swirling scene beyond. Somewhere out there was her life, the people who knew her and the things she cared about. Had anyone even realized she was missing? Did she have family and friends concerned about her whereabouts, or was she as lonely in her forgotten life as she was in this limbo?
At least there was Trevor, though she sensed he was lying to her about his real reason for being here. She’d seen the way he was limping and knew he must be in considerable pain, so why venture out on foot?
Maybe his friend was a woman. A lover. The thought made her uncomfortable. But why shouldn’t he have a lover? He was nothing to her, not even a friend. She pulled the sweater she’d found tighter around herself, the cut and style just slightly too small. It was cold in the cabin despite the fire, and she
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