Page 20 of Mountain Defender

Pain shears through my teeth and down my neck. My molars grind so hard, it’s a miracle they don’t shatter.

Dammit. At this rate, I’m going to need dental work by the end of the week.

But how can I not be angry?

Strike that. I’m not angry. I’m furious.

After spending the last twenty-four hours either inside Rory’s room or stationed outside the door, I’ve had plenty of time tostew about it. Plenty of time to come up with creative methods of revenge once we track down the asshole who hurt her.

And wewillfind him. Between my team and the Bliss police, it’s only a matter of time. Alec’s been scouring surveillance footage from the surrounding area, including neighbors’ security systems and traffic light cameras. While Ronan’s been at Rory’s place, he’s been canvassing her neighbors, asking if they saw anything suspicious. And once Rory’s at the GMG property and feeling better, we’ll do a deep dive into her background to find out if there’s anyone who might have a motive to hurt her.

But who would want to hurt Rory?

Generous, kind-hearted Rory who’s dedicated her life to rescuing animals?

Thoughtful Rory who sends Christmas gifts to all the families who adopted dogs from her, complete with a framed “Gotcha-Day” photo and a handmade bandana?

Sweet Rory who always greets me with a smile, her face lighting up when she sees me?

The idea of harming her is unthinkable.

I suppose itcouldhave been a random attack, or a case of mistaken identity, like the police suggested. But that doesn’t explain why Rory was outside in the dark when she should have been safely home in bed. Did she answer the door and someone attacked her, forcing her to flee into the woods? Was she having trouble sleeping and decided to go for a late-night walk, inadvertently stumbling upon some kind of criminal activity?

We don’t know yet, because she can’t remember.

Hopefully her memories will come back soon, and she’ll be able to give us a name. Or barring that, a description to go on. But the neurologist said there’s no way to know when they’ll return—in a day, a week, or possibly never.

“What if my memory never comes back?” Rory asked me last night, after spending half an hour pushing her sad-lookinghospital food around on the plate without touching it. “What if we never find this person? What if he hurts someone else because I can’t remember?”

“We’ll figure it out,” I promised, patting her hand while fighting the irrational desire to pull her into my arms instead. “No matter what happens with your memory, we’ll find this ass—this guy. He won’t hurt you again.”

That wasn’t exactly what she asked. But she let it go. After a few silent seconds, she lifted her chin and gave me a shaky smile. “I know you will, Gage. And I know I said this before, but truly, thank you for everything you’re doing for me.”

But I don’t want thanks. I want to go back in time and change things so this never happened to her.

That’s another thing I’ve been thinking about—more like torturing myself, really. All the things I could have done to make sure Rory was safe. I could have pushed her to install a full security system instead of backing off when she resisted. I could have called her, texted her, stayed in touch more often; so she might have thought to call me first before going into a potentially dangerous situation.

I could have…

Damn. I don’t know.Something.

“I’mdefinitelyready to leave,” Rory replies, returning my smile with a strained one of her own. Her gaze shifts to the door before returning to mine. “Do you think I can sneak out of here before they show up with the wheelchair? All the release paperwork is done, after all.”

“Probably not.” I spring forward as she starts to get off the bed, her legs wobbling a little as her feet hit the floor. Taking her arm gently, I ease her back onto the thin mattress. “I think it would be safer if you waited.”

She stares at me for a moment before admitting quietly, “I really don’t like hospitals. And I just… I really want to leave.”

I’m not a big fan of them myself, so I can definitely understand why Rory’s eager to leave. Not that being at the hospital is ever a pleasant experience—well, unless you’re having a baby, I guess—but having to deal with memory loss on top of painful injuries…

“We’ll be on the road in no time,” I reply in a cheerful tone. “Before you know it, we’ll be at GMG and you can check out the cabin. Winter and Lark went over yesterday to get it all set up for you. So the fridge should be stocked with your favorite foods, and?—”

A tiny line forms between her brows. “Gage. How would they know my favorite foods?”

“I may have made some suggestions. I hope that’s okay.”

She still looks confused. “But. How would you?—”

“Ror.” This time my smile is genuine. “I see you every week. Most of the time, we eat lunch or have a snack together. I know you try to make things I like, but I think I can figure out some of your favorites, too.”

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