Saving Amber - Zoe Dawson Page 0,66

he and three other hunters would chase me.” She took a breath.

“Garza’s an overconfident, egotistical asshole and that’s going to be his downfall. So, you’re doing great. I know this is terrifying but tell me everything.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Trapped by the intensity of his gaze, Amber stared at him, all her feelings for him swelling up inside her.

“I would never leave you alone or abandon you, Amber. I’m in this until my last breath.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Oh, God, Tristan.” This could be it. It could really be over. Really over. Her life was down to a matter of hours.

“Come on, sweetheart, tell me the rest.”

Her voice wobbled, but she cleared her throat and her voice got stronger. “If I make it to nightfall, they have agreed not to hunt me but let me rest. In the morning as soon as the sun rises, they will be coming after me again.”

“Sporting of them,” he said through clenched teeth. “All right. I’m going to explain to you how to survive the night, then about moisture and dehydration. Then, Amber, I’ll need to give you tips on how to avoid hypothermia. I need you to listen to everything and ask any questions you have. It’s crucial you do everything I say until I can get to you.”

“Tristan, you’re going to have four armed men after you.”

“I know. They’re all going to die. I swear to you that I will get to you as soon as I can.”

It was as if he gave her a shot of electricity. Experiencing a sharp hot-and-cold rush, she curled her fingers into his shirt to steady herself. She just stared at him, thinking about what he’d just said, then realizing that he was a Force Recon Marine. He was not going to hesitate. He was not going to hold back. He was going all-out tomorrow and unleashing the weapon the Marines made him into. A lethal, thinking, hard-muscled warrior. She could see it in his eyes, feel it in every line of his body, knew it in her heart. If anyone could save her tomorrow. It would be him. It was her job to stay alive.

“Do you trust me?”

He had thrown open a door to possibility—a door she desperately needed, a door that let in a whole new set of options. She cupped his face with her bound hands. “Yes. I trust you with my life.”

“I won’t let you down.” He pulled her close and whispered, “Are you still afraid?”

“A little less now.”

He kissed her mouth. “Good. We’re going to get out of this. So, listen to me. Do exactly what I say. I’m going to tell you where you can get a weapon. When Garza catches you, instead of a mouse, he’s going to find he has a tiger by the tail.” He smiled.

She closed her eyes and took a breath.

“But first, you run.”

“Tristan.”

“No, Amber. Run and keep running. Don’t stop, don’t fight, don’t think until you can act. You’ll have them right in your crosshairs. I’ll show you where you can get a weapon.” He grinned.

She grinned back at him and more of that fear diminished.

“I will find you. I promise. Stay alive. Keep moving. Survive until I get to you. I know this mountain like I’m the wind and the snow. I have the best training in the world and they just bought more trouble than they can handle. We may be miles apart, but we’re going to do this as a team. They’d be smart to put a bullet in my head right now.”

“Tristan. Please don’t say that.”

“So, run. I will find you. Stay alive, baby. That’s all. We are not going to die tomorrow. They are.”

She nodded. Hit with a giddy weakness, Amber closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Tristan’s, held on to him, forcing air into her lungs. And something hard and tight let go in her chest. There was a chance for them. If she didn’t blow it, there was a chance. Gathering her strength, feeding off his confidence, her heart fluttering like crazy, she opened her eyes and stared at him. Leaning forward with her eyes still open, she kissed his mouth. He stared right back, his eyes as open, intense and focused, and he kissed her back.

“Repeat after me.”

Managing as tough a smile as she could, she tightened her hold on his shirt.

They said it in tandem. “We are not going to die tomorrow. They are.”

Later they were fed. Tristan was sure it was