could handle the methods used by the Petrovs. I knew that well enough. I’d suffered at their hands twice, both times leaving me bloody and near death.
But I’d survived.
And I would again.
If for no other reason than to make certain nothing happened to Chloe. The hard slap of water was jarring, but my reactions were instantaneous, able to catch my bearings and head for the surface. Gasping for air, I immediately searched the area, the slender light of morning at least allowing a variation in shadows. Somehow, I’d managed to hold onto the duffle bags. I stared at the waterfall, somewhat surprised I’d survived the fall.
But where the hell was Chloe?
No. Fuck, no. I wasn’t going to lose her.
There were no sounds for a few seconds, the surprisingly calm water only churning at the mouth of the waterfall.
I jerked in a complete circle, praying to God that she survived. Images flashed into my might of the day we’d spent together. Her genuine smiles as she’d laughed at some of my stories. The way the sunlight had shimmered against her beautiful skin.
And the way her body felt pressed against mine.
When the boat finally popped to the surface, flipped over from the force of the fall, the rage became overwhelming. I dove into the water, reaching out in a darkened search to find her. When I was forced to surface, gulping for air, I turned in a full circle again, almost bellowing to the heavens when I noticed her clinging to the side of the boat.
“Chloe,” I said in a hoarse whisper as I swam toward her, pulling her into my arms. “Oh, God. I thought I lost you.” I pressed my hand against her forehead, holding her steady. Damn it, her breathing was far too labored. “Are you okay?”
“I’m… fine.”
“Okay. Just breathe for me. We need to make it to the shore.”
“I can make it,” she insisted.
“My little warrior.” My words were almost cathartic, memories of Maxim’s statement when I’d been so young coming to the forefront of my mind. The single sentence had altered my life forever. Now I’d changed hers. It was time to fully release the monster inside. There was no doubt what I needed to do.
She didn’t fight me as I pulled us both toward the shore, grateful that there was some light guiding the way. There was no indication that the remaining soldiers had any clue of where the river led. That was our single advantage, but it would be short lived. The disadvantage was that I had no real understanding of the area, other than that the town was a few miles to the south. Traveling in the daylight would be treacherous, but I refused to hide in the woods.
When I reached the shore, I released her, watching as she managed to crawl onto the muddy shoreline. The girl was indeed stronger than she understood, able to injure at least two of the assholes. From their voices, there’d been at least six of them, but if I had to guess, there were more.
Chloe inched closer, lifting her head and trying to stare into my eyes. “I was afraid we wouldn’t make it.”
I took a few seconds to press my fingers against her face, longing to have another beautiful day together. “You did so well.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked breathlessly as she nuzzled against my hand.
“We find a safe location to get our bearings. Then I’ll figure it out.”
“They really are never going to stop.”
Her words weren’t meant as a question, but a final realization of what we were facing.
“No.” I wrapped my hand around her neck, pulling her forward and pressing my lips against her forehead. Dear God, she was so cold. “We’ll be okay.” The words could no longer be heartfelt. I’d never been placed in this position.
I yanked the bags from the water, immediately searching for a location to hide them. At this point, we couldn’t be saddled with anything but the essentials. I grabbed three weapons before shoving the bags into a dense patch of underbrush.
When I turned around, she was already on her feet, holding her arms and shivering.
“Come on. Just stay behind me.” The trees were just as thick as before, blocking out almost all of the morning light as we headed into the forest.
She made no sounds, offered no complaints as we moved forward. There was nothing to see but dense forest for a solid thirty minutes. When the light continued to expand, I had some