has me leaping into action. I grip her gloved hands, giving them a squeeze.
“Please look at me.”
She does, peeling her lids open the barest hint. It’s enough to catch glittering blue watching me.
I rub my thumbs over the top of her fingers. “There you go. Just listen to my voice, okay?” A jerky nod is enough to know she’s with me. I exhale through pinched lips. “Tell me your name.”
“Blakely Tate Cross.” Her response is barely a whisper, voice quivering and laced with terror. But at least she answered.
I give her a smile that’s meant to be encouraging. “When’s your birthday?”
“September eighth.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.” Her nostrils flare with a forced breath, sending twin puffs of steam barreling out.
“Where do you live?”
“Wrylea, Minnesota.”
“What’s your address?”
“Are you completing a thorough background check?” A dimple pops in her rosy cheek.
My grin cracks wider at that. “Fair enough.”
The friction has slowly seeped from her rigid posture. I find that the cloud of doom hanging over me is diminishing as well. The severity of our situation be damned, I can’t stop myself from admiring Blakely’s beauty. She’s flawless, better than the hottest version in my fantasies. And I’m only granted a view from her neck up. I’m certain whatever hides under the bulk of her winter gear is equally as tempting.
I’m openly staring, one bad decision away from doing something stupid and irredeemable. “Do you feel better?”
She tucks some stray hair underneath her knit hat. “Yeah, thanks to you.”
The wind picks up, releasing a shrill howl. That eerie sound is a stark reminder of where we are. For a moment, she had consumed me to the point that I was lost in her. That’s a dangerous error I can’t afford to make out here. With revived resolve, I do a visual sweep of our immediate vicinity.
Every direction is a mirror image of each other. Rows of trees sprawling across acres of snow. There’s no sign of civilization. Only endless miles of uneven terrain we can’t easily travel. The distance just keeps going until my eyes water from trying to picture something out there. It’s cold, but not unbearably so. The temperature must be above freezing, so we’re not in immediate danger of frostbite or hypothermia. But once the sun has set, all bets are off. Our escape plan will involve staying alive until a loophole forms, or someone happens to find us.
We’re fucked, plain and simple. The worst part is Blakely being dragged down with me. She doesn’t deserve this. Our lives don’t belong on the same track. We weren’t meant to cross paths. If we hadn’t, she would be safe from harm. I shouldn’t have shown a gleam of interest in her. If I hadn’t, her fate would be safe from mine. But it’s too late for wishful thinking.
Stefano and his goons executed a foolproof plan to dispose of me. Blakely is collateral damage. Across the wide scope, we’re two seemingly insignificant pieces in a massive plot for revenge. But I can sugarcoat our outcome for her. I’m about to do just that when she interrupts with a choked cry.
Her wild stare is scanning the confinement of our surroundings. She presses a palm to her quivering lips, trapping a sob. “Where are we?”
My sigh carries the load of our detriment. “I could take a damn good guess.”
“Please do.”
“In the northern Canadian wilderness.”
She flays her arms out to the side. “But it’s so empty. There’s probably nothing around for miles.”
“A lot farther than that. I bet we won’t find any visible landmarks. That’s kind of the point.”
Her mouth forms a flat line. “I don’t get it.”
“Don’t freak out, okay?”
Blakely quirks a slim brow. “Didn’t I already?”
“Nah, that was a normal reaction.”
“But I’m a mental health professional. Dealing with crisis is my specialty. To be truthful, I should probably be embarrassed about my reaction.”
“Pretty sure anyone would lose their shit under these circumstances. You have every reason to panic.”
She huffs. “You didn’t.”
The urge to laugh strikes me again. “I’m fresh outta prison, sweetheart. There isn’t much that can scare me after that.”
“Yeah, all right. That makes me feel better.”
“Good.” I drop my gaze, choosing to glare at the lush mixture of spruce and pines fencing us in. The fact we’re sitting on frozen ground, trapped in the wilderness, while having a civil conversation, proves that reality is already sinking in. We don’t have anywhere to go, at least not anytime soon.
“So, why are we here? Might as well rip off the bandage and face facts.”