Page 67 of Holiday Hostage
“How are we going to get there? We can’t possibly ride the boat the entire way. We’re too vulnerable out in the open. The woods offer decent protection, but we’d have to stop for fuel.” I rattled off the numbers, calculating how far we’d make it per tank.
Maverick’s eyes narrowed as he listened, and he set his cup on the counter, turning it around and around so it made low scratching noises.
“We’re miles away from our original course.” Reed pulled up a map on his phone and zoomed out. “We picked up Payton here.” He tapped the screen. “And extraction is here.” Another tap. “We were supposed to go here, but the fight and chase, combined with the storm, pushed us this way.”
I examined the screen with a nod. “He’s right. We’re way off course.”
“There’s a town several miles down this way. I might be able to walk in and buy enough gas to get us to the next location. But we’re at the mercy of the towns and their supplies once we walk out those doors.”
Not to mention, he had no way to carry the fuel unless he could drive the boat there.
“No matter what we plan, we have to wait out the storm. It’s too strong for us to travel safely.” He pointed at Reed. “Even going to town is off limits until the snow stops. You could get lost out there in these conditions.”
Reed held up both hands. “Wasn’t planning on going anywhere. I’m happy here.” His gaze slid toward the stairs, up to where Payton slept.
We’d enjoyed ourselves last night.
First in the kitchen, then in front of the fire, and finally in bed.
Nothing had been off limits, and I’d fallen asleep more satisfied than ever.
“At least the mercenaries won’t be hot on our trail.” Mav’s comment snapped me back to our predicament. “No one can travel in a storm like this.”
Reed’s shoulders hitched toward his ears, and he focused a little too hard on the coffee cup.
“Don’t bet our lives on that. Not knowing it’s Jack on our tail.”
I froze with my cup halfway to my lips. “What?”
Reed eyed Mav, then turned to me with a sheepish look.
“Shit, Tarron. Forgot to tell you. That’s how I got shot. Jack’s part of the mercenary group. And now he knows we’re the ones who took Payton from him.”
My body flushed hot, then cold. Adrenaline and fear fought for dominance. Adrenaline won, becausefuckfear.
“We might have gotten a head start, but he has more resources and avenues of finding us.” Reed stood and refilled his coffee, holding out the pot toward me in silence.
I stretched across the counter and let him refill my cup, my mind scrambling for answers to an impossible situation.
“Who’s Jack?” Payton strolled in wearing one of my shirts and a pair of fluffy socks that stretched all the way to her knees.
Her blonde hair hung in loose curls, and her eyes held remnants of sleep that she rubbed away.
I’d never seen anyone more beautiful. She stole my breath, and was well on her way to stealing my heart.
Maybe she had already, because I was willing to do absolutely whatever it took to keep her safe and well out of Jack’s hands.
“He’s our old commander. The one who would have let Mav die.” I rushed the explanation, trusting her to remember and put the pieces together.
Payton’s eyes turned flinty. She sat on the stool next to me and wrapped both hands around my coffee cup, bringing it to her lips for a sip.
Her nose scrunched, and Reed rushed to make her a cup of coffee the way she liked it, with a splash of creamer and one spoonful of sugar.
He handed her the rich brew and stepped back.
“Too bad you didn’t get a chance to shoot him,” Payton grumbled around the coffee cup, handing my coffee back to me, and picking up the cup Reed set in front of her.
“Does he have black hair, brown eyes, and a scar right here?” She traced a finger across her chin.
