Page 12 of Mountain Defender

Rage explodes in my chest.

My molars nearly shatter as I try to keep from shouting in fury.

Fingerprints. Large ones. On her neck. Ones she couldn’t have put there herself.

Fuck.

I take a steadying breath, knowing I need to keep calm even though I’m close to losing it.

Rory hurt. In the woods.

Not just hurt.Someonehurt her.

“Rory, can you talk to me?” I ask, keeping my voice pitched low. I’ve never been the reassuring type, preferring to let someone else do it, but every cell in my body is aching to comfort her. To protect her.

To find the person responsible for this and hurt them ten times worse than anything they did to her.

“Gage?” Her pretty features squinch up in pain. Tears well up in her eyes. “I don’t… Why am I out here? What happened?”

“I don’t know. But let’s not worry about that right now. I’m more concerned?—”

Her hand touches the back of mine, and it’s icy cold. I belatedly realize she’s got to be freezing. It’s barely fifty degrees, and who knows how long she’s been out here.

Elmore and Toby crowd around Rory on either side of her, nosing at her face. Her brows draw together in a little V. In the distance, the sound of barking filters through the trees.

“Gage.” Her chin wobbles, along with her voice. “The dogs. Why are they barking? What’s wrong?”

I’m torn between reaching for Rory and telling her to stay still. If she has internal injuries, moving her could make themworse. But she’s freezing, confused, and hurting. I can’t stand the thought of leaving her out here any longer.

“They’re just hungry, I think,” I tell her. “But I’m sure they’re okay.”

“Oh, I need to feed them.” She struggles to get to her feet, but only makes it halfway before her legs collapse under her. A tear streaks down her cheek. “I… I don’t understand. Why am I here?”

“Okay, Ror. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Crouching by her side, I put one arm behind her back. “I’m going to help you inside. But first, can you tell me what hurts? I’m sure your head does, and your”—my teeth grind together painfully—“neck. But what about your stomach? Your back? Your legs?”

“I…” Rory takes a steadying breath. Sets her shoulders.

And there. That’s the strong woman I’ve gotten to know over the last six months. The one who never asks for help. The one who faces every challenge without flinching.

“Nothing else hurts,” she tells me. “I think, if you help me up, I could walk.”

But I have serious doubts about that once I get her on her feet. She sways almost immediately, sagging against me. Her fingers clutch at my arm.

And now that she’s standing, I realize she’s only in her pajamas. Loose cotton pants and a sweatshirt, so at least she’s covered, but not nearly enough for this kind of weather.

Not for the first time, and I’m sure not the last, I wonder,What went on out here? Why is Rory in the woods, hurt and cold, instead of safe at her house or the barn?

When she takes a staggering step forward and sways again, I do what my instincts are telling me and gently lift Rory into my arms. “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “But you really need to get inside. Get warm. And it’ll be quicker if we do it this way. If you don’t mind me touching you?”

She tilts her head towards me. Her green eyes meet mine, and there’s a trust within her gaze I wasn’t expecting. In a whisper, she replies, “I don’t mind.”

“Okay.” I adjust her small body in my arms, one arm behind her back and the other beneath her legs. Trying to force a reassuring smile that probably looks more like a grimace, I say, “I’ll have you inside in a couple of minutes. Then we can call the police, the ambulance, get you warm and checked over. Alright?”

Without waiting for an answer, I start moving back towards the house, with Elmore and Toby obediently trotting alongside me. Worry and anger pulse in alternating waves. And I find myself hugging Rory closer to my chest.

Just as we’re emerging from the trees and the house comes back into view again, Rory stiffens.“Gage.”

“What, Ror?”

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