Saving Amber - Zoe Dawson Page 0,76

a delay, or he could be… No! She wouldn’t think that. He was alive. She was sure she would know if he’d died. She’d feel it.

She looked out of the cave and discovered that it was getting close to sunrise. She slipped out and headed for the stream. After drinking her fill, she started back the way she had come. She could smell wood smoke in the air, which meant that Garza and his friends were near.

As the smell got thicker, she became more cautious. All she had to do was get past them and run as fast as she could back to the cabin.

She trembled, but not sure if it was from the cold or from fear.

“Lookee here. I found a little rabbit in the woods.”

Garza lunged at her from the shadows and clamped his hand around her ponytail. She cried out as he dragged her back against him. “She’s a pretty little rabbit with a big mouth.”

She elbowed him in the gut and got satisfaction from the oomph he made. As soon as she was free, she ran. He caught the back of her parka hood and dragged her around, punching her in the face. The shock of the pain rammed into her temple and down her neck. Her lip split and she tasted blood. Amber flew back and landed heavily on her back, hitting her head hard against the packed snow.

He kicked her in the ribs, and agony exploded across her chest and abdomen. Then he walked around her. “It wouldn’t be as satisfying to put a bullet in you right now. Because you like to shoot your mouth off.”

“Screw you, Garza!” she managed around the pain.

He straddled her, clutched her parka in his hand and dragged her face up to his. “Let me show you what a real man can do.” He reached for her pants and started to tug on them. Amber went crazy, punching and kicking. He backhanded her across her cheek and snapped her head to the side. Then he leaned on her windpipe. She clawed at him, struggling to breathe as he got her pants just over her hips. “You’ll forget all about that Marine. Looks like the chief bagged himself a trophy.”

“Not quite.”

Garza reached for the rifle, but Tristan kicked him in the face, and he fell, half on half off Amber. She was dazed, sucking in air now that she could breathe.

The weight of him disappeared and she could hear a struggle, the smacking sounds of fists hitting flesh. When she regained her senses, she saw Tristan and Garza facing off not far from her. Garza’s nose was bleeding and his lip was cut. Tristan’s face was set and there was murder in his eyes.

Garza lunged and Tristan ducked, came up with a sharp jab to Garza’s ribs, doubling him over, then Tristan punched him in the face, sending him reeling. Dogging him, Tristan punched him again and Garza fell to his knees. Tristan grabbed his head, brought his knee up and drove it into his jaw. Garza went down.

Tristan kicked Garza in the face when he groaned. Then he lay still.

Dizziness swamped her as her eyes closed. Moments later she heard him dropping to his knees in the snow.

“Amber,” he said, his voice broken. “Talk to me, babe.”

Her head lolled and she worked hard to focus on his voice. Then her eyes fluttered open and he filled her vision.

“Tristan. I knew you would come. Are you all right?”

“Yes. Come on. We can’t stay here. We’ve got to go.” She saw the cut on his face, the dried blood on his coat sleeve. He’d been hurt.

“Tristan, your face, your arm.”

“Scratches. They’re nothing.”

Amber’s blood ran cold as she heard the three others with Garza calling for him.

“Stay here,” he whispered, and disappeared into the dawn’s pale light.

A man materialized through the trees. He saw her, raised his rifle and sighted down the scope, but then Tristan stepped out of the trees with a deadly-looking knife in his hand. He grabbed the guy, sliced it across his throat and then Tristan was running for her.

Chapter Fifteen

He grabbed her hand, but she could barely feel his grip or her feet, and she stumbled when he pulled her up. He jerked up her pants and she realized what Garza would have done if Tristan hadn’t been there to rescue her, the horror of it adding to her slow movement.

It was as if her body wouldn’t work. Tristan dragged her along and she stumbled again.