Page 54 of Risk It All
“Fine,” she said, putting all the attitude she could dredge up into her words. That was all that was left except for panic and terror. “I’m passing you, then. Try to keep up, slowpoke.” She darted around him, taking the lead and hating that she couldn’t keep her eyes on him in case he started to go down. When she heard the shuffle of his boots behind her picking up speed to a stumbling jog, the flood of relief was so strong it made her dizzy.
She allowed herself a glance over her shoulder to see that Henry was just a few strides behind her, and his gaze looked a little more focused…as he stared directly at her ass. She cleared her throat loudly, and his eyes locked with hers as his steps became more even and measured.
“Nice view,” he said, and she couldn’t even be embarrassed, because she was just so thrilled that he was looking almost like himself—well, a completely worn-out version of his normal self.
“Thank you,” she said primly, delighted to see the corner of his mouth twitch up in a Henry-type grin.
The rest of the hike was brutal. They alternated between jogging and walking when the slope got too steep or the footing was tricky. Henry kept his focused expression, but the pallor underneath his tan grew worse, and his features drew tight with strain. Cara was so focused on keeping an eye on him and also making sure she didn’t fall over herself that she almost ran into the trailhead post.
“Careful,” he warned, his voice gruffer than normal.
She dodged just in time to not hit the sign head-on, and then stopped and stared for a full five seconds at the etched letters that proclaimed Red Hawk was point-two miles straight ahead. “Did we…” She didn’t even want to dare to hope, in case it was an illusion and they had ten miles of upward slogging to go. “Did we actually make it?”
“Looks like,” he said in words that were barely more than a grunt. She stared at the sign once again, still marveling that their hike from hell was almost over.
Henry grunted again, although this time it sounded more like air had been knocked from his lungs. Whirling around, Cara jerked back, bumping into the trailhead sign she’d just been so gleeful to see.
Geoffrey Abbott stood between them and the safety of Red Hawk, holding a pistol aimed right at them.
Cara took a sideways step, trying to get between the two men, but Henry must’ve had the same idea, since their sides bumped together. If she hadn’t been hyperfocused on the gun in Abbott’s hand, she would’ve glared at Henry. Why did he always get to protect her? Why couldn’t he lethersavehimfrom danger every once in a while?
“Kavenski,” Abbott said, a certain smugness in his tone that exponentially increased Cara’s desire to punch him in the face. “You know, all of this could’ve been avoided if you’d just given me what I wanted the first time I asked.”
When Henry didn’t respond, Cara asked, “What did you want?” She needed to keep him talking until her racing brain could come up with a plan that didn’t end with her or Henry getting shot.
Abbott’s gaze flickered toward her. “Just for him to tell the truth. That’s all.”
“What truth?” She hated that her voice shook when she wanted to sound as impassive as Henry.
“Your boyfriend didn’t tell you?” Abbott sounded positively gleeful. “He’s taking the fall for someone—someone I’d love to see finally go down.”
“Why?” Now Cara wasn’t just drawing out the conversation to distract Abbott. She was honestly interested in why Henry wasn’t fighting the false charges with every resource he had.
“That I don’t know. Kavenski? Care to share?”
“I have the evidence you need,” Henry said, his voice deadly calm. “I’ll take you to it. Hurt Cara, and I’ll kill you.”
His flat tone made her shiver with its utter certainty. Even if she hadn’t seen him take down two of Abbott’s men on the trail, she wouldn’t have doubted his willingness to kill for her safety. In a morbid, violent way, she almost found it sweet. As Abbott’s attention turned to Henry, Cara let her eyes dart around, trying to find someone or something that she could use to get them out of this situation. A tiny movement in the brush a few feet away from Abbott’s feet caught her attention, and a rough plan began to form.
Tipping his head to the side, Abbott looked as if he was considering Henry’s offer, but then he offered a cold smile. “No. It’s not worth it. You’re too slippery for me, Kavenski. I’m cutting my losses.”
The gun barrel shifted to point directly at Henry’s chest. Cara’s mind raced. She was out of time.
“Don’t!” She shifted, subtly bumping against Henry’s side. He stiffened at her shout, but then shifted over slightly as if he could read her mind. “After all that work you went through, kidnapping me and chasing us through the mountains and everything, you’re just going to give up on getting the evidence?” They shuffled over another tiny step, and Cara felt a spark of hope when Abbott moved to the side, keeping himself directly across from them.
“Like I said”—Abbott took aim again—“not worth it.”
Out of time, Cara bumped Henry over another step. They were in position now. The rest of her pathetic plan was up to nature.
Abbott took a deliberate step forward, his gun hand not wavering, and Cara tensed. As Abbott’s very expensive leather shoe stepped down in a patch of brush, a sage grouse burst from her hiding place just inches from his foot, flying up in a mad flutter of wings. Even though Cara had planned for that to happen, she still jerked at the movement, her tensed muscles reacting to the sudden burst of noise and motion.
Taken by complete surprise, Abbott staggered backward, his arms—and the gun—flinging up to protect his face. Recovering from her start, Cara lunged forward, ready to tackle him in her best bounty-hunter fashion. She was just a fraction of a second too late. Henry got to him first.
Moving so quickly it was hard to believe he’d almost drowned just a short time earlier, Henry hurled himself at Abbott. Grabbing the gun barrel with one hand, Henry clamped his other over the top of Abbott’s fist. Jamming the pistol up, he twisted it out of the other man’s grip, making him shriek with a crunch of broken fingers. Muscles tight with the need to move, Cara held back, not wanting to jump in and make Henry lose his advantage. As she watched, in awe of his efficiently brutal movements, he tossed the gun to the side.
Distantly, Cara heard it clatter down the incline they’d just ascended, but she couldn’t look away from the fight happening in front of her. Pulling back his fist, Henry swung, but he staggered when Abbott dodged. As Cara sucked in a harsh breath, she felt her stomach seize with terror when Henry gave his head a shake, his eyes unfocused. He’d used up everything he had, the last tiny bit of focus and energy he’d held in reserve. Henry swayed, looking like an enormous tree about to crash to the ground.
A gleeful grin crossed Abbott’s face as he yanked a switchblade from his pocket with his unbroken hand. He crouched, ready to spring at a disoriented Henry. Cara felt her molars grind together. There was no way she was letting this mob-boss wannabe hurt her Henry.
