Page 10 of Sequoia Flames
Laughing, I follow her up, my eyes glued to her ass swaying in her tight blue jeans.
“I think I might help you. Just point him out and we’ll get this party started. I know exactly how to hide a murder.”
Her laughing eyes turn back to me. “Why would that be?”
“Because I thought about it myself briefly. But she wasn’t worth the effort and the jail time.”
Her smile fades and I stalk past her, uneasy. I should have kept my big mouth shut.
The sun glows its last bit of warmth as I hunker down, putting the last bit of time we have into finding a good place to camp.
And ignoring her questioning gaze stuck on me.
SEVEN
VERITY
ThankGod it’s not cold tonight. The daytime heat is still hanging on more than usual for this or really any time of year on the mountain.
“I’m assuming that we’re not doing a campfire, right?”
Lassiter shoots me a raised brow and a smirk. “One fire isn’t enough for you?”
Rolling my eyes, I sit on a rock outside of the tent. “Oh ha-ha. You’re a funny guy.”
Twisting my fingers in my lap, I turn to stare back down the mountain. I can’t see anything thanks to the dark but we hiked a helluva long, convoluted way. We’re also camping in the open and he dug a fire break as soon as we set up camp.
“We’re gonna be fine, Firefly. Trust me.”
Staring at my fingers, I will my mind to settle. I can’t stop seeing the fire in my head and although I’m tired, I’m so damn fidgety there’s no way that I’m gonna get any kind of rest. Not until we’re out of here.
Sighing, I glance up at him from underneath my lashes. Lord, he looks good. Our portable lamps are set up around us andthe shadows dance on his high cheekbones and flare in his light eyes. His mouth is set and he looks like a freaking god in this light. Like the God of War with light dancing around him and fire on his heels.
“I don’t really know you.”
“You know this is my job, Verity. Trust me. I will get you out of here and you will make it back home. It’s my mission in life right now.”
“What did you mean when you said you thought about murdering somebody when we were hiking up here?”
He growls and his big hands clench into fists at his side before he takes a deep breath and rests his open palms on his legs. His very strong, muscular legs. That flex when he stretches his legs out further and sits back against another rock.
“My ex girlfriend. I… I wasn’t in a good place when I came back from overseas.”
My heart turns over at the tight, angry look on his face. And the sad look in his eyes when he looks up at the stars over top of us. “Military?”
He nods but doesn’t say anything. Just keeps staring up at the twinkling stars over our heads. Thousands of dancing lights that I often wonder if they have other people on them. If somewhere out there there’s another girl, or whatever a female is up there, and she’s watching the stars and wondering if there’s something else out there too.
The inky night doesn’t give up her secrets though. It’s still and silent around us, the air so hot and heavy that it’s like sitting in soup. Sweat pours off your body even if you’re not moving. It’s miserable and yet I’m not sure if I’ve ever been as at peace as I am right now, with this man that I’m fascinated by.
“Thank you for your service,” I whisper, my heart stuttering when he laughs. It’s not a happy sound. Bitterness pours off of him. Soaking the humid air around us, seeping in like poison.
“Don’t say that to me.” He holds up his hand when I open my mouth and his sad eyes turn to me, deep and fathomless with pain. “I know that you’re not being deliberately cruel but just… don’t.”
Nodding my head, I watch him, waiting patiently. My heart is thudding in my chest like a a trapped bird.
Finally, he sighs and looks back up at the clear night sky. “I was in Afghanistan for several tours. That last one was the one that almost killed me.”
I wait and watch him swallow, hard. “We were out on patrol and we came across this little village. They seemed so nice. We had to take a break because one of the vehicles was acting up. One of the guys was a mechanic and he was working on it with some of the other guys. I went off in the village and was keeping an eye on these kids that were playing some game by a big open area on the edge of town.” He takes a deep breath and a sick feeling creeps over me. I don’t think I want to hear what else he’s about to say. But I sit there and wait, my breath shallow and my whole body stiff and anxious.
