Hot rage ran through Liam’s veins. He wanted to tear this guy limb from limb.
Velvet took that moment to fling her head back, smashing it into Skin’s nose. He staggered, releasing her to grab his face. Weasel stood stock still, staring at the blood pouring from Skin’s nose and mouth as Velvet darted toward Liam.
Liam grabbed the hot pan and flung it. The scalding water splattered over Skin’s face, and the red-hot pan hit the side of Weasel’s. Both howled in pain.
Liam didn’t waste a second. He slung his pack over his shoulder and grabbed Velvet by the hand. They ran from the campsite, down the slope toward the ridge. It was rocky-going in the dim light. They headed toward the rim that overlooked the valley.
The branches of Juniper trees tore at their arms. Velvet slid on the loose rock, but Liam tightened his grip on her hand, keeping her on her feet. They hurried on. Liam frantically studied the landscape. He and his brothers had been up here many times; he knew there was a way down to his right, if he could just find it. There were many dangers in the park—snakes, big cats, scorpions even, but right now the biggest threat to their lives were the men he could hear pursuing them. Weasel was cursing and both were making a lot of noise.
Liam found the rock outcropping he’d been searching for, the one he remembered finding as a boy. It had an overhanging formation and a hidden recessed area beneath it. It was steep and dangerous to get down to, but if they could get under it, perhaps they could evade the men. Liam was resourceful and determined to protect Velvet at all costs, but they were out gunned, and he knew their best bet was to hide, not to run.
He turned to Velvet as the sound of the men pursuing them got closer. “This is steep. Hold on tight to me.”
She nodded and clung to his arm. He slid a few feet down on the loose rock and climbed into the small cave, Velvet right behind him. Below them was a steep slope. Off to the left was sheer rock. The only way in and out was to the right.
Liam put his finger to his mouth, and Velvet nodded, going completely silent. He slipped the pack quietly from his shoulder and dug his hunting knife out. It wasn’t the wisest thing to bring a knife to a gunfight, but it was all he had. He only hoped the men would either become completely disoriented and get lost or lose their trail. They waited quietly, barely breathing. Liam swore silently when he heard voices approaching.
“Which way did they go?”
“I don’t know, dipshit. Look for ‘em. They’re here somewhere.”
“Fuck, that’s a long way down.”
Liam glanced at Velvet who was looking up and then at him with wide eyes. The men were right above them on the rocky outcropping. He pointed up, and she nodded.
“My face is blistering. Fuck it hurts,” Weasel whined. “Let’s go back.”
“We’re not fucking going back. I’m gonna kill that motherfucker, and then I’m gonna fuck that bitch right here on the ground.” Skin’s voice sounded strange with his broken nose.
“You’re bleedin’ bad, Skin. Let’s just go back. We can get them when they get to their truck.”
“I said no.”
They heard the sound of loose rock scratching across the ground. A couple of stones dropped over the edge and sailed past the cave opening toward the bottom of the canyon.
“Fuck, I almost fucking fell! They ain’t here, Skin. Let’s go back. It’s steep as hell. I don’t want to fall off this fucking rim.”
“I thought you had guts.”
“Yeah, and I’d like to keep them in my body, not splattered all over the canyon floor.”
“Shut up, dickhead. I think they’re down there.”
“Where?”
Liam felt a tug on his sleeve and looked at Velvet. She was bug-eyed and pointing. It was still dim light, but he could see the outline of the big cat, off to the right of them about twenty yards. The mountain lion stared right at him, and Liam could only imagine it believed it had its breakfast cornered in the small cave, but Liam knew there wasn’t much room on this ledge, and as the cat eyed the ground below, he hoped it was realizing it would be a dangerous jump if it lost its footing.
There was a sound above them, and the cat’s gaze shifted to the men up on the rocky outcropping. It sniffed the air. Liam supposed it smelled all that blood that was probably pouring from Skin’s busted nose. He watched the cat closely and said a silent prayer, tightening his grip on the knife. Apparently the animal decided the men above would be a much easier catch, and it bound toward them, leaping with ease. It went out of sight, sailing above them with a growl he knew he’d never forget.
Blood-curdling screams and the shuffling of feet filled the air. A clattering sound hit the rocks and they watched the handgun fly over the edge of the cliff.
The screaming continued, and the sounds of struggle carried through the morning air. There was a thud, and Weasel tumble over the edge, falling past them to certain death. His terrified scream ended with a distant thump.
Liam peered over the edge to see the broken body lying on the canyon floor.
The screams above them cut off with a gurgling sound and then the sound of a thick body against dirt and rocks grew softer in the distance. The cat must’ve been dragging his prey into the trees.
Liam was armed with nothing but that knife, but he couldn’t let that man, no matter how much he deserved it, be eaten alive by that cat. He moved to the sloping rock and took a few steps out of the cave, peering over the outcropping. He was in time to see the cat dragging Skin’s lifeless body backward, the man’s jugular torn open. As he watched the man’s legs disappear into the vegetation, he knew there was no hope of saving him.
Liam moved back into the cave. He had to get Velvet to safety in case the cat came back.
She stood with her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight, stroking her head. “It’s over. You’re okay.” He held her for what seemed like a long time, but was probably in reality only a few moments. When he relaxed his hold, she looked up at him.
“Are they dead?”
He cupped her face and nodded. “We have to save ourselves, babe. There’s nothing we can do for them. We need to get out of here. Are you going to be okay?”
She shook her head. She was panicking, he realized; the men, the sheer drop, the terrifying cat, it was all too much. He understood why this strong, tough girl of his was having a hard time holding it together; anyone would.
“We’ll find a route up,” he assured her. He dug in his pack and pulled out a length of rope. “I’m gonna tie the rope to you and then secure it to me. The terrain is steep, and if you look down it can be scary, so don’t.”
“You’re freaking me out.”
He quickly tied the rope around his waist and then hers, yanking the knot tight with a jerk. “Babe, I don’t want you to start worrying too much; I want you to concentrate on what you’re doing. Watch your footing and hang onto me.”
“Liam—“
“Velvet, you have to trust me. You have no choice.”
“I trust you.”
“Ok, sweetheart, let’s do this. Follow my exact steps, and you’ll be good. Stay on the mossy parts, that way you won’t slip on loose rock.”
She did as he told her, and he’d never been prouder of her. They made it back up the slope to more level ground. Moving to the right, giving that cat a wide berth, wherever it was, he led her toward the campground.
They jogged the whole way, making it to where the truck and tent were.
When Velvet made a beeline for the truck, Liam brought her up short and grabbed her face. “Baby, I know you want to get out of here, but we’ve got to take everything with us—every trace of evidence we’ve been here. I don’t want anything tying us to those two men’s deaths.
She nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”
He jerked the rope off them. “Come on, we need to move quickly.”
They gathered everything and loaded it all.
“Get in the truck, Velvet
.”
She did as he ordered while he grabbed a small shovel out of the truck bed and buried the fire over with dirt. He tossed the shovel into the back and jumped behind the wheel to turn the truck out onto the road. Once on the pavement, he returned, grabbed up a branch and rubbed out the tire tracks and any footprints as he backed his way to the pavement. Tossing the branch aside, he stared at the site. All that went through his head was that there are a dozen mistakes made at any crime scene. He knew he and Velvet had committed no crime, but he didn’t want them to be connected to this shit in any way. He jumped behind the wheel and high-tailed it out of there.
The cab of the truck was filled with tense silence as they descended down Rim Rock Road. He studied Velvet. She seemed about as shell-shocked as he was, and he knew he had to take charge of this. “Here’s what we have to do…”
At his words, she looked over at him.
“We weren’t here. We didn’t see anything. We don’t know anything about what happened to those men. Got it?”
She nodded.
“They got what they deserved.”
She nodded again.
“Babe, talk to me. You okay?” He squeezed her hand. When she continued to just stare out the window at the scenery passing by, he tugged her over. “Come here.”
She scooted across the seat and under his waiting arm, which closed tight around her. He rubbed up and down her upper arm. “Everything’s gonna be okay. I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you. Understand?”
She nodded and tucked in against him.
He drove the rest of the way down the twisting, turning road one-handed. It was challenging, but there was no way he was taking his arm from around her.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Liam didn’t pull his arm from around Velvet until he spun the wheel up the driveway to the farmhouse.
She straightened. “What are we doing?”
He parked the truck. “We’re going inside. We’re going to take a shower and clean up. We’re going to wash our clothes and get rid of any evidence we’ve been up there. I’m putting the camping gear back where it was.” He glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes past seven. “What time does the shop open up?”
“Not ‘till eleven.”
“When does Vano go in?”
“Usually not until ten, but nothing’s usual anymore.”
“We could wait until tonight, but we may be too late by then. I say we hit the place now and tear it apart, see what we can find.”
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll do a drive by and make sure he’s not there.”
“Okay.”
Liam reached for the door handle. “Come on, angel.”
They climbed from the truck, and Liam put his arm around her and led her inside.
Mrs. Larsen was up taking a pan of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. She turned when they entered. “Well, Liam. I wasn’t expecting you this morning. What a nice surprise.”
“Mrs. Larsen, this is my fiancée, Velvet.” He smiled down at her, and she looked back at him with the first smile she’d given him since she crawled out of the tent this morning.
“Your fiancée? Why I had no idea you’d gotten engaged! Congratulations!”
“Well, I haven’t put a ring on her finger yet, but I asked her last night.”
“While you were up camping? Why, isn’t that romantic?”
Liam exchanged a look with Velvet, and they both realized there were people who knew they’d gone camping. He glanced back at Mrs. Larsen. “We’re going to go upstairs and get cleaned up, then some of those rolls would sure taste good.”
“Well, all righty. You two do that, and I’ll have breakfast ready in a jiffy.”
Liam led Velvet upstairs to the bathroom. He turned on the shower. “It’ll take a minute to heat up. It’s an old house. Get undressed, and I’ll be right back.”
She nodded and he moved down the hall. He grabbed clean clothes from those he kept in his old room. Then he tapped on Maxwell and Malee’s door. “Max, you in there?”
Maxwell opened the door and stuck his head out. “Liam? What are you doing here?”
“Took Velvet up camping last night. We’re gonna take a shower. Any chance Malee’s got something Velvet can wear? I mean I know they aren’t the same height, but maybe a sundress or something might fit her.”
“Yeah, give me a minute.”
“You come up with anything, just leave it outside the bathroom door, and I’ll get it.”
“Sure, man. So, how’d it go?”
“Get dressed, and I’ll tell you over breakfast.”
“Deal.”
Liam walked back to the bathroom, closing the door quietly. Velvet was already behind the shower curtain and steam was beginning to fill the room. He set his change of clothes down on the lid of the toilet, then reached between his shoulder blades and pulled his thermal shirt over his head. He tossed it to the floor and shucked his boots and jeans. “How’s the water?”
“Heavenly,” she replied as he drew the curtain aside and stepped in. She was facing the water spray. His eyes swept over her back and ass. She was slender and yet had all the right curves. He moved in close, putting his hands on her tiny waist and moving over her hips. She leaned into him, her skin hot from the steamy water. His arms slid around her, and his mouth dropped to the wet skin where her neck met the curve of her shoulder. He pressed soft open-mouthed kisses along it.
Her head dropped back, and his mouth moved up to her ear. “This is the first shower we’ve taken together.”
“I think you’re right,” she murmured.
“Give me the soap.” His hands closed over hers, taking the bar from her. When his palms were lathered, he set the bar on the shower caddy hanging from the showerhead. Moving with care, he soaped her wet glistening skin from her throat to her waist, at first avoiding her breasts and making her squirm in anticipation, and then closing over them and giving her what she wanted. He gave them all his attention until the tension in her muscles melted off her. He knew her brain was buzzing with all that had happened, and he wanted to give her a few minutes relief.
He dropped one hand, trailing down her stomach and delving between her legs. He swirled the soapy slickness all over her and stroked and moved his fingers in tight circles around her clit. He kept at it until she writhed against him. When she was close to coming, he pinched her nipple, and she groaned out a shout as she trembled with orgasm.
His mouth hovered over the shell of her ear. “I love you, Velvet.”
“Oh…Liam,” she whispered, biting her lip and trying to hold back the moan that vibrated in her throat. When her shudders finally ceased, her forehead fell against the side of his neck, and she gasped out a breathy, “I love you, too, Liam. So much.”
He gathered her in his arms and moved her against the wall. “Brace your hands.”
She did as he told her, placing her palms on the tile as he positioned himself and speared into her slick wetness.
Her head fell forward, and she went up on her toes. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her gorgeous, firm, perfect ass that jutted out toward him. Only thing better was the way her slick pussy took his dick as he pumped in and out of her. Fucking beautiful. He moved one palm up her back from the two dimples at the base, up over the tattoo he’d put between her shoulder blades—the stallion they’d seen that day they’d gone for a hike. Wild and Free, were the words tattooed in a banner underneath the design. That’s what she’d always be to him, and he intended to make sure she stayed that way. He’d die before he let anything happen to her, and he sure as hell wasn’t letting any FBI agent send her to prison.
The resolve strengthened within him, and his thrusts accelerated along with it. He moved in close against her, his left palm landing on the tile next to hers while his right arm locked tight around her waist. He dipped his head alongside hers and pumped hard. He knew he was getting close, but he wanted her right there with him. His mouth hovered over her ear, and he whispered, “Touc
h yourself.”
She did, automatically following his command, as if she were powerless to do anything but as he wished.
He dropped his mouth to her shoulder and nipped, growling softly, “I’m close, baby, so close. Get yourself there.”
She moaned, her fingers working her clit.
He dropped his hand from the tile and pinched her nipple as he sucked hard on her neck. She moaned again, her body shuddering in orgasm, and his arm tightened. He thrust into her and exploded in release.
He slid slowly in and out of her slick pussy a couple more times and then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
Her hand came up to cup his cheek, and she turned her face against his neck and kissed him. “I love you, Liam.”
Euphoria expanded through his body. After a moment, he pulled out, and she turned in his arms. “I think we need to soap up again.”
He grinned down at her. “Yeah, and in this old house, we better be quick before we run out of hot water.”
“Thank you.” She stared up at him, her expression turning serious.
He frowned, and kissed the tip of her nose. “For what?”
“For believing in me, for coming for me yesterday, for loving me, for saving my life today. For all of it.”
“I told you, you’re it for me.” He stroked the side of her face with his thumb. “Today, tomorrow, forever. Understand?”
She smiled, and nodded.
“You and me, together against the world.”
She chuckled. “The world doesn’t stand a chance.”
He returned her laughter, glad to see happiness back on her face, if even for a moment. “No, it doesn’t.”
***
Once they dried off, Liam opened the bathroom door and found a small stack of folded clothes. He grabbed them and stepped into the steamy room, holding them out to Velvet.
She frowned. “What’s that?”
“I asked if you could borrow some fresh clothes from Max’s wife, Malee.”
“Is she the one in the picture I saw framed on the wall?”
He nodded.
“Liam, she’s lovely, but she’s about four inches shorter than me.”
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