I shoved at his chest. “You don’t fight fair.”
“Never said I would.”
The drive was quiet,like so many of our drives were. Just the easy peace of being together. It soothed my frayed edges in a way nothing else could.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out where we were headed. As we drove up the mountain pass, I was relieved to see that the snow from the blizzard a few weeks ago had melted, and though more snow would come, for now, the bitter cold had given us and the mustangs a break.
Tuck pulled to the side of the road. We’d stopped at a spot I hadn’t been to before. It was easy to forget just how vast the forest was. So many unexplored nooks and crannies, so many wondrous sights to take in.
Tuck reached over and gave a strand of my hair a few gentle tugs. “You ready to go?”
I leaned across the console. “I don’t know where we’re going, so how can I know if I’m ready or not?”
Tuck gave me one of his signature grins that made my insides flip. “You’re ready.”
I shook my head. “Okay, then. What about you?”
Tuck gestured to the back of the cab. “I’ve got my pack in the back, so we should be covered.”
Tuck was always prepared for an adventure. Or an emergency. Since he and Walker were on both the SWAT and Search and Rescue teams, they never knew when they’d need to head into the wilderness.
I slipped out of the truck. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. The air was so fresh, so clean, so…pure. It held the dampness of recently melted snow. The unique scent of a specific type of pine tree only found in this part of the world. The smell, the feel—it was home.
Tuck tugged on my hand. “Come on. There’s something I’ve been wanting to show you.”
He led me through the forest, following a path only he could see. Yet again, we walked in silence, the familiar peace sliding over my skin. I loved these moments with him.
I wasn’t sure how long we hiked. I let my mind wander, soaking in the sights and sounds around me. Tuck stopped suddenly, and I almost ran into his back. “Geez, behemoth, watch where—” My words cut off as I gasped.
In front of us was the most beautiful waterfall I’d ever seen. The water was so crystal-clear it almost had a turquoise hue to it. A massive tree had fallen by a pool at the base and was now covered with the most vibrant green moss I’d ever seen. It was the most breathtaking place I’d ever been. I could only get one word out. “How?”
Tuck wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into his side. “I was tracking the herd one day, and they led me here. I’ve never told anyone about it. Never brought anyone here. There’s just something about it that’s so pure. I didn’t want to sully it with other people.”
I looked up at him. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”
Tuck brushed his lips against mine. “Look.” He gestured down the stream that led out of the pool at the base of the waterfall.
I turned, and my heart clenched. There were our mustangs. A family band of about twelve getting a drink at the stream. We stood watching, saying nothing, just soaking up the experience of this magical place together. I closed my eyes, wanting to commit this moment to memory forever.
Tuck brushed a hand over my face, and my eyelids rose. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud crack. The color drained from Tuck’s face and, suddenly, we were falling.
27
Tuck
My body dropped,covering Jensen. The band of horses at the stream took off at a gallop. The crack of another bullet filled the air.Fuck!Where was the shooter? I tracked the sound the best I could, trying to determine the trajectory.
Jensen grabbed at my shirt, tearing at it with a frenzy that I’d never seen from her before. “Where? Where are you hit?”
“Wilder, calm down.” I needed her quiet and, more importantly, still. “Steady. I’m fine. I wasn’t hit.”
She froze, her beautiful face marred with dirt looking up at me. “But you dropped like a ton of bricks,” she whispered.
“Yeah, because I wasn’t looking to get shot.” I attempted to glance over my shoulder without raising my head. I couldn’t get a good look. “J, on the count of three, I’m going to roll us, okay?” She nodded. “One, two, three.” I rolled us until we rested up against the protection of that massive fallen tree. At least now, we had cover. I pulled my Glock from its holster. “Stay down.”
Jensen gripped my shirt. “Don’t. We don’t know where he is.”
I rolled onto my side. “I got a location when he shot the second time. But I need to see if he’s taken off.”
