Trapped on Vail Mountain

by Desiree L. Scott

  “Yes, I am. And it’s not because I do this all the time,” she added quickly. “My periods have always been irregular, so the doctors put me on pills to regulate them.”

  He sighed in relief and relaxed as she lay back down beside him.

  “Good. So I didn’t fuck up too bad then,” he remarked, causing her to laugh and her chest shake with the motion.

  As her breasts bobbled up and down with her sexy laugh, his eyes zoomed in on them, and his dick started to twitch. He stared down at it in shock.

  “That never happens either,” he muttered.

  Nina followed his gaze and laughed again, a teasing glitter in her eyes.

  “We still have a little more time,” she murmured, her slender hand moving down his body, headed toward his twitching cock and the blood that was slowly flowing back down toward it.

  He let his actions speak for him as he growled and rolled her back over onto her side, a grin spreading on his lean face as she laughed.

  They didn’t come out of the room for a good hour or more.

  Chapter 8

  That afternoon, Jacob saw Rob and Nina come down the stairs, the glowing looks of satisfaction on their faces, and his heart lurched in pain. If he hadn’t been convinced before, he was then. Nina had never looked at him the way he saw her looking at the other man, a silly grin on her face and a blush staining her cheeks.

  He hurt—hurt at seeing them together, hurt at knowing that he would never be with her, and hurt at the years lost hoping and praying that he could convince her to give them a shot. But as he saw the looks Rob shared with her as Emily ran over to them, acceptance and resignation began to finally heal what he should have known to begin with.

  But he could do one thing for her and that was to catch her father’s killers before the bastards could harm her or Emily.

  “Love hurts, doesn’t it?” Connie said quietly beside him as he stood next to the doorway of the kitchen.

  He looked over at the woman for the first time without an insane amount of love clouding his eyes. She was slightly shorter than he was but still tall for a woman, probably topping at five foot six, but it wasn’t her height that he zeroed in on. It was the sadness that glittered in her sky-blue eyes, and her mouth looked as if she hadn’t smiled in months, even years.

  Her blond hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and her red sweater hid her curves if she had them. He couldn’t tell. Even her jeans were baggy, overlapping her brown winter boots.

  And now I’m wondering if another woman I don’t know has curves? he thought, disgusted with himself. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Oblivious to his thoughts, thank God, Connie looked over at the pair next to the fireplace, her eyes glittering with a strange emotion. “It always hurts to see even if you are happy for them. They both seem nice, and Nina has a beautiful daughter.”

  At the mention of the little girl, Connie’s eyes filled with that extensive sadness again, but before Jacob could ask about her, Connie straightened and took a few steps away and gave him a small smile, a smile that didn’t really resemble a smile.

  “It gets easier, you know.”

  With that, she left, leaving him staring after her.

  Jacob heard a cell phone ring and saw Rob answer it, Nina pressed up against him on his side. She caught Jacob’s look, and her smile fell. With a gentle nod and an upturn of his lips, he assured her everything was okay, at least between the two of them.

  She grinned back, relieved until Rob’s conversation caught her attention, and she turned toward him, concerned.

  Jacob headed toward the three of them to hear the last of the conversation.

  “Okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll load up and take Stephen to find them,” he said before closing his phone with a curse. He looked down at Nina with an apologetic look.

  “I’m sorry, honey, but two men are missing. They never checked in at their hotel last night, and the sheriff thinks they are on this side of the mountain.”

  “It’s okay, Rob. Get going. Please be careful. Find them. It’ll be dark soon,” she said worryingly, glancing out the window behind them and at the sun that was just peeking out over the trees as dusk began to fall.

  Rob looked over at Jacob. “When were you planning to leave?” he asked.

  Jacob raised an eyebrow and then looked over at Nina. Seeing her look, he sighed. He already knew her answer to their last conversation, so he answered with the new plan.

  “Tomorrow morning but I’ll stay longer if you’re not back by then to keep an eye on everything.” Jacob thought about the missing men and frowned, his thoughts racing. “Do you think it’s a little too convenient that two men are missing, especially considering that Danny had also run into two men a couple nights ago?”

  Rob froze and then frowned himself, his eyes darkening. “I don’t know, but you have a good point. I can’t not go, though,” he pointed out. “You’ll stay here? Keep an eye on things?”

  Jacob nodded, not liking the turn of events, but Rob was right. He had to go. It could mean nothing and the men were seriously missing, but then again, it could be a trap.

  “Just be careful,” Jacob warned him.

  Rob nodded his understanding and thanks, gave Nina a quick kiss on the lips, hurting Jacob further, and then a quick hug for Emily before he turned, already on the phone to Stephen. The other couple had returned to Stephen’s cabin that morning with the idea of coming back for dinner that evening, or so Jacob had understood anyway.

  Nina looked down at her daughter with a tight smile, but Jacob wasn’t fooled. Nina was more than worried. She was scared.

  “Emily, sweetie, why don’t you go play? There’s some coloring books in the small conference room that Rob dug up for you.”

  Emily smiled, nodded, and took off.

  Nina looked over at Jacob. “You think it’s a trap, don’t you?”

  Jacob didn’t want to scare her, but he nodded. “Yeah. It’s too convenient for me. I want you to make sure you all stay inside, and if possible, stay away from the windows.”

  Nina nodded and went in search of Emily, fear darkening her blue eyes. Jacob hated to see that, but he wasn’t going to lie to her. It didn’t look good, and he went up to his room to get his gun. He normally didn’t carry it on him while off duty, but he felt the need for it now.

  More than felt the need for it. He had a bad feeling about the call Rob had received, and he wanted to be prepared for it.

  Rob hated to leave Nina and Emily, especially after everything that had been left unsaid between them, but he didn't have a choice. Two men were missing, and as he and Stephen loaded up the ATVs with supplies, he thought about what Jacob had said. It was a very real possibility that they were walking into a trap, but like he had told Nina, Rob couldn't not go, not with a missing person report or a call for help. He just had to be prepared, and he made sure he had his pistol strapped to his hip as the two men took off in the general direction of the location.

  An hour later, Rob spied something on the ground and braked suddenly, Stephen almost ramming into his back.

  "Damn, man! What the hell?" he growled, pulling up beside him.

  Shining his flashlight along the ground, Rob stared intently at what looked like drag marks mixed with blood. He stepped off the vehicle and knelt beside it.

  Stephen went quiet as he noticed the direction of Rob's gaze. He cursed, and Rob echoed that sentiment exactly because that's exactly what it was. Someone was bleeding heavily and had either been dragged or crawled through the dirt and mud. By the look of the blood, they were losing it too fast.

  Leaving their vehicles parked next to a large tree, the two men followed the trail, and Rob froze, hearing gasping coming from a few yards away.

  They took off, and around another tree lay a young man, his head and shoulders pushed up against its thick trunk. His pale face gleamed with sweat, and blood soaked his blue shirt.

  The kid saw them, his eyes starting to glaze, and Rob knelt down o
n one knee beside his hip, Stephen standing behind him.

  "Who did this?" Rob asked quietly, not sure if the young kid had even heard him. He must have because his eyes opened, pain in their brown depths.

  "K-kip Dale, my f-father."

  Rob flinched. Fucking A. The kid's father?

  "Why?"

  "I'm going to go get the first aid supplies," Stephen said quickly.

  Rob shook his head. "It's too late for him."

  Rob took his jacket off and lifted the kid's head, putting the cushion beneath his head and started to move, to stand, but the kid grabbed his arm, his fingers bloody and trembling.

  "I-I saw her…"

  Rob froze at the whispered words.

  "A-at the s-store…in t-the b-back r-room. I didn't s-say anything."

  "You saw Nina in the back room? When her father was shot? You killed him?"

  The kid shook his head violently and coughed, blood streaming from his cracked lips that looked as though a fist had rammed through the flesh.

  Son of a bitch. It had been a trap!

  And the kid confirmed it with a violent shake. "D-dad on h-his way. S-stop—"

  The kid's eyes stared up at the darkening sky, sightless as his chest stilled.

  As one, Rob jumped up and met Stephen's eyes in horror.

  Nothing was said as they raced back to the vehicles, and Rob had never prayed so hard in his life as the engines roared.

  Please, God, not Nina and Emily. Not when I just found them. Please, God, no...

  Chapter 9

  Nina glanced worriedly out the window to the side of her once again as dusk descended. Distracted, she threw down a card she hadn’t meant to and sighed.

  She couldn't focus on the card game they were currently playing, and Emily was coloring beside her. That was her daughter's passion. She no doubt had an artist on her hands. Emily was talented and seemed to be able to draw anything.

  Either an artist or architect, Nina thought, looking over at her daughter fondly.

  "He's going to be fine, Nina. They both are," Joan said, drawing another card from the stack in the middle. She sounded just as worried, but Nina didn't call her out on it. Before she could respond, Connie sighed and stood up, throwing her cards down on the table.

  "I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back," she said.

  Nina saw Jacob staring after the other woman and hid her smile. She had known Jacob hadn't really loved her, not really. She was just convenient, and she knew he wanted a family, someone to come home to. They had had multiple conversations on that. With his parents dead and him being an only child, he craved that intimacy, but it just wouldn't be with her.

  "I like her. She's sweet," Nina said gently, jerking him back to the present and drawing his dark gaze to her.

  "What?"

  Nina nodded toward Connie's exit. "Connie. I like her."

  "Me too," Joan piped up, grinning over at him before glancing back down at her cards.

  Jacob flushed and shook his head, his eyes dark as he looked over at Nina with an intensity that shook her.

  Denial. Nina sighed when she saw it. The damn man was convinced he loved her, but Nina didn't know what to say to snap him out of the delusion of the two of them.

  Ten minutes later, Nina looked up, realizing that Connie still hadn't returned. Just then, she met Jacob's eyes and they stood up as one.

  Joan looked over at the two of them in confusion, a full hand of cards in her hands.

  "I'm winning! You guys can't quit!" she protested, throwing down a full house with another shit-eating grin. She had won every game so far before Jacob and Nina had both realized that she was a card shark.

  "I'm going to check on Connie. Please stay here with Emily," Nina said, already turning toward the hallway where the restroom was located.

  "Not without me," Jacob said grimly.

  Joan's eyes widened, but she sent a quick look at Emily's bent head and nodded, not wanting to scare the little girl. Emily hadn't said much, her focus on the picture she was coloring.

  Nina and Jacob left the room, but as soon as they did, they took off running, coming to a jerking stop when they saw it.

  Blood. In the hallway.

  "Oh God…" Nina whispered.

  Jacob jerked out his gun and motioned back to the living room. "Go back. Take everyone to your room and lock the door. Don't come out for anyone but me."

  He didn't wait for an answer, and she didn't have time to utter one as she swirled and ran back to the living room, her heart racing.

  "Bedroom. Now," she ordered Joan and Emily.

  Joan paled, but she immediately stood up and collected Emily.

  "But I wasn't done!" the little girl protested, trying to grab her picture back from Joan's shaking hands.

  "You can finish later, sweetie. Right now, we have to go up to your mom's room."

  Emily frowned, seeming to catch on to the tension for the first time that evening.

  She stopped arguing, and together, they quickly made their way to the staircase. As Nina's foot touched the first step, her daughter's hand left her own as she was jerked back.

  Nina and Joan both swirled, and Nina felt her stomach drop, sinking to the floor as the man held her daughter by the shoulders, a small gun held against her throat.

  "Let's go, now, or the brat gets the first bullet," he growled.

  Nina and Joan shared a panicked look, but there was nothing they could do. The man stepped back, letting them pass, and Nina caught the tears, the terror glistening in her daughter's wide eyes.

  Terror wasn't new to Nina, not with the past week, but the heart-wrenching panic and fear that nearly stopped her heart was.

  "Move!" the bastard barked.

  They couldn't stall for Jacob or her daughter would be the one to pay. Without another word, Nina and Joan led the way out the back door of the kitchen. The cold evening breeze sent violent shivers through the girls. The man took no notice as he led them farther from the resort, farther from any kind of help, farther from Jacob and his gun.

  There were no missing men. Jacob had been right. It had been a trap.

  Rob, where are you? Nina cried silently, tears falling from her eyes, blinding her. She almost stumbled, and the man behind her grabbed her hair to keep her from falling. She cried out in pain, her tears falling faster.

  "Mommy!" her daughter choked.

  "Shut up, brat, and keep moving!" he snapped, releasing Nina's hair. Within minutes, the lights behind them, lights from the buildings and any kind of help, disappeared through the trees.

  Jacob found Connie in a closet in the laundry room, unconscious but alive. His heart hit the floor, and he quickly grabbed her and picked her up, her blond head falling back on his arm. Her eyes closed, her pale face stared up at him, blood on her cheek and forehead. She had been hit on the head, and he could only imagine the headache she was going to have when she woke up. Seeing her unconscious, seeing her blood spilled, did something to him, something he thought only Nina could have invoked, but he didn't have time to analyze what he was feeling.

  With her in his arms, he rushed back to the living room and wasn't surprised that it was empty. He had told Nina to go upstairs with her daughter and Joan. Taking the stairs two at a time, even with Connie's light weight, he knocked on the door of Nina's bedroom, juggling Connie in his arms as he waited impatiently.

  "Nina, it's me, Jacob! Open up!"

  Nothing. Silence.

  God, no.

  He pounded on the door again, the pounding echoing his heartbeats as sweat started to gather on his brow.

  "Nina, it's me!"

  Silence.

  His palms sweaty, he laid Connie down gently on the floor by the door and drew his gun. He didn't bother to knock or even see if the door was unlocked. He took one step back and lifted his booted foot, kicking in the door with one try. Splintered wood erupted, and the door fell forward, barely hanging on with one hinge.

  It didn't take but one glance
to see that the room was empty and had been for a while.

  Fuck!

  He quickly grabbed Connie's unconscious body and raced downstairs. Leaving her on the couch, he raced outside and saw the tracks leading away from the resort. Four sets and one set was a very large boot.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  He turned and spied Danny's slumped form on the ground, lying on the side of the building, his head cocked at an uncomfortable angle. His shoulders were covered with blood, and Jacob quickly felt for a pulse. It was there. Like Connie, he was unconscious.

  Jacob couldn't say fuck enough. He had failed to protect those entrusted into his care. He had failed big time.

  For being a young man, he was a lot heavier than Connie, and he grunted as he picked up the kid, carrying him inside. Laying him on the other side of the sofa, opposite of Connie, he quickly grabbed his cell phone from the table and tried to call Rob. It went to voicemail.

  Then he called 911 and asked to speak to the sheriff.

  The idiot actually put him on hold even after telling him that it was an emergency. He paced the length of the room, his eyes catching the sight of Connie and Danny slumped on the sofa.

  Finally, the sheriff picked up, his voice harsh and impatient.

  “Hello?”

  “Sheriff, this is Detective Jacob Tanner from New York. I’m on Vail Mountain at Rob’s resort.” He quickly explained the situation, and the sheriff said he was going to send a few deputies out.

  “I want your ass on this mountain too,” Jacob snapped, his hand tightening on the cell phone.

  “Now listen here, son—”

  Jacob cut him off, not wanting to hear a bullshit story. “Get on this mountain,” he growled. “We have two women and a child missing, along with two unconscious people lying in front of me with obvious concussions. I want a whole fucking team up here now!” he barked before hanging up, not caring if he pissed off the idiot or not.

  Not pausing for breath, he continued to pace as he put his next call in.

  “Chief, it’s Jacob.” And for the second time in ten minutes, he explained the situation.