Nobody's Hero

by Bec McMaster

  “Jimmy,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his dangling legs. A suspicious shine brightened her pretty eyes. “What happened to him? What’d they do?”

  “I knocked him out.” At her sharp glare, he held up a hand. “Kid’s hysterical. And we need to move fast. You can rip strips off me later.”

  “I’ll hold you to that promise,” she warned, a touch of her old stubbornness tipping her chin up.

  “Now,” he said, spinning her around. “Let’s get the hell out of here. Before our friends realize the kid’s missing. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

  Five

  DAWN SILVERED THE sky by the time Wade let her rest.

  Riley collapsed into the shadow of a rock, sweat dampening her temples. She was exhausted. Emotionally and physically.

  The escape from Black River had been easier than she’d expected. Her nerves were wrung raw, expecting an ambush at every corner, but it seemed the ruse had worked. Even the revenants had given them little grief, watching them silently from the shadows as they slunk along the cave.

  “It’s the scent of me,” Wade had said. “Makes ‘em warier than they ought to be. They know I’m not human.”

  The thought still creeped her out. It might have been better if the revenants made some sort of noise, but all they did was watch. As if they were thinking about how good she would taste.

  Riley slipped out of her boots and tipped them upside down, letting the water splash out of them. Three miles wading through a creek had ruined the leather, but better that than being caught by the wargs that were surely hunting them.

  Jimmy was starting to make noise, his body jerking feebly. Wade had carried him over his shoulder as if the lanky youth were a feather-weight.

  Riley knelt beside him and stroked a gentle hand over his forehead. His face was a bruised mess, both eyes blackened and one of his teeth broken. She unscrewed the cap off the water flask Wade had smuggled out in a duffel bag and tipped it to Jimmy’s cracked lips. He winced then gulped at the water.

  “Easy, Jimmy,” she whispered. “I got you now.” Every bruise was a knife to her chest, compounding the guilt. If only she’d said they’d had enough rocs that afternoon, had headed back to Haven early. None of this would have happened. Jimmy wouldn’t be beaten within an inch of his life, there’d be no wargs on her trail, and she wouldn’t have made a deal with the devil.

  She looked up and saw Wade watching her with an inscrutable expression. The stubble along his jaw had darkened to a shadow, and his hair was wind-tossed and rumpled. Black as a raven’s wing. Black as his heart.

  “It was worth it,” she said, tipping her chin up as she stroked Jimmy’s hair off his face. “We got him back.”

  A slow salute of a nod. “So we did.” His gaze slid over her shoulder, raking the dusty plains behind them. “But I ain’t celebratin’ ‘til I know Colton ain’t on the trail.”

  “What’s with you two?”

  She eased Jimmy’s head back onto the blanket she’d cradled beneath him. He sighed and sank back into blissful unconsciousness.

  Wade shrugged. “Rode with him once. Him and his master.” At that, his lip curled. “Bartholomew Cane. Never did like that bastard.”

  “You don’t seem to like anybody.”

  “There are some exceptions.” A neutral look that could have meant anything. Wade pushed away from the rock he was leaning against, shouldering the shotgun. “Thought Cane and Colton were just men.” His voice became gruff. “It’s the worst fucking mistake I ever made. I swore then I’d be carving their names on a tombstone, and I thought I’d done it. Obviously, I was wrong. If Colton’s alive, that means Cane ain’t that far behind. He holds the leash, tells Colton where and what to hunt.”

  “How’d you mistake them for men?” she asked slowly. “You were a bounty hunter. You should have recognized the signs.”

  Wade fingered the pewter amulet around his neck. “I’d never seen a warg stay a man like that. The monsters don’t always look like monsters.” He stepped closer, the shotgun resting on his shoulder. The warm scent of him curled through her nose and the cool wind cut around him, leaving her in the slipstream. “Do they?” He searched her gaze, looked for the answer within.

  Riley stilled. She was suddenly very aware of his large body, of the faint slick of perspiration that gleamed on the muscles of his arms. Her nipples pricked and she crossed her arms over her chest, troubled by her reaction.

  He could have been any other man, but for the faint gleam of silver in his very-blue eyes. A mistake that was easy to make. One her body made every chance it could. He was getting under her skin, sinking his claws deep within her.

  And she didn’t like it one bit.

  The thought made her feel vulnerable. On edge. And dangerously tempted.

  Wade reached out and stroked her chin. Riley’s breath caught. He was always so gentle, as if challenging her to accept his touch. Like a man soothing a skittish filly, seducing her slowly, bit by bit. Getting her used to the idea of him.

  “We’d best be going,” she blurted, jerking out of reach. Leaning down, she grabbed the duffel for something to do and slung it over her shoulder. “Your friend Colton, remember?”

  Slowly, his hand dropped. Wade stared at her. “I remember.”

  The rest of the day was a nightmare as they walked for endless miles beneath the beating sun. Only a fool went out in this heat, but they didn’t exactly have a choice. Wade’s next den was hidden high in the Blaspheme Mountains.

  Most of the water they gave to Jimmy, who stirred at odd moments. Wade had him slung over his shoulders again. Not once did he complain about the kid’s weight as he trekked along at her heels. Occasionally, she’d stumble, and his warm hand would grab her by the elbow and steady her.

  Her knees were shaking. “I don’t think I can make it,” Riley murmured through dry lips. The water canteen was empty. Heat pounded down from the blazing sun, reflecting off the rock pan. The world was a shimmering haze. She felt like she was in an oven.

  “You drop and I’ll leave the boy here and carry you myself,” Wade said.

  Riley shot him a devastated look. “You promised.”

  His teeth ground together, an edge of frustration tightening his features. “Fine.” The word was grated. “I’ll get the kid out. I’ll get you both out.” He steadied her arm, looking down at her. Something softened in his eyes. “You can do it, Riley. This is nothing compared to revenants and reivers. Don’t make me think you’re weak. I was almost starting to admire you.”

  Heat flushed through her. She couldn’t stop trembling. “How far?”

  “Another mile. Just one more.”

  This time, he kept hold of her elbow. Riley stumbled along, the afternoon shadows starting to lengthen. Most of the going had been flat, but now they started climbing. She couldn’t keep up the pace, but Wade kept silent, helping her over rocks, leading her by the hand when she was sure she couldn’t go another step.

  One foot in front of the other.

  And again. Just one more.

  She didn’t even realize it was dusk until he finally stopped. Looking up, she blinked to find them in front of a tumble of rocks. There was a faint slit she thought she could just slip through.

  “We’re here.” A gentle hand settled in the middle of her back. “There’s water. Supplies. I even have spare blankets.”

  “More caves,” she muttered, but she didn’t have the strength to work herself up to even a minor panic.

  Wade leaned her against the rock face. “Stay here. I’ll settle the kid and come back for you.”

  She didn’t know how long he’d been, but the grip of his arm startled her awake. Night had fallen with the swiftness of a theater curtain, a thousand stars winking in the velvety sky.

  “Here.” There was a canteen at her lips, Wade’s hand cupping her face as he tilted it back and let the cool water trail into her mouth.

  Riley drank greedily. The water was colder than she’d have
ever expected to find. So refreshing that it woke her up.

  Wade screwed the cap back on, ignoring her protests. “You can have more in a minute. It’ll make you sick otherwise.” He bent down and slung her up into his arms. “Come on, time for bed, princess.”

  Riley’s head rested on his shoulder. She couldn’t even summon the strength to protest the name. Her eyes drifted shut. So warm. She could feel the tick of his heart beneath her palm as it rested on his chest. A hypnotic beat, but strangely quickened.

  “Your heart’s racing.”

  “Mmm,” he muttered into her hair. “It’s the moon.”

  Something about that tugged at her as wrong. She blinked. Saw the silver gleam in his eyes. A sight that had frightened her not so long ago. “There’s barely a sliver in the sky. I thought the fullness of the moon aroused your inner....”

  “The monster inside me?” A mocking smile, full of bitterness. He stroked a thumb over her cheek, strangely tender. “Shut up, Riley. Go to sleep.”

  Then he was snuggling her into a nest of blankets that he’d prepared on the sandy floor of the cavern. Dragging the blanket up, he tucked it around her shoulders. His face was oddly expressionless.

  “Jimmy,” she muttered.

  A warm palm smoothed the hair back off her face. “I’ll watch him. You just go to sleep.”

  She couldn’t remember falling asleep. But the next thing she knew, she was freezing, the frigid desert night settling down with heavy skirts. Someone was humming, a lullaby she recognized as one her mama had sung to her as a kid. Blinking sleepily, she saw the small fire Wade must have started in a pit, and Jimmy’s prone body sleeping in another nest of blankets.

  Firelight gleamed over Wade’s face. He’d dragged a coat on and was kneeling on the other side of the fire, slowly whittling a piece of wood. Riley watched for long moments, certain she was dreaming, her mind trying to make out what he was carving.

  The knife moved with slow, steady strokes as he hummed under his breath. A curl of wood drifted to the floor at his feet, then another. A shape began to emerge. A tiny little doll. Every detail so fine and perfect it could have come from a master carver.

  He finished the piece and stared at it for a long time. The humming had stopped. Then slowly he put it down beside him and rested against the wall of the cavern. Dark shadows bruised his eyes. He drew the edges of the coat tighter, then tucked his hands inside and stared into the flames.

  Riley’s eyes shut, and she slept again.

  * * *

  By the time she woke, the sun was climbing in the sky. Riley yawned, half tempted to roll over, and go back to sleep. Then she saw Wade’s boots stretched out before the coals. He had the rifle leaning against the cave wall beside him, and he was staring through red-rimmed eyes at the mouth of the cave.

  Riley sat up. She was sweating again, the morning sun starting to bake the air outside. Hot enough that she didn’t need two blankets.

  Wade’s gaze swiveled to her. He looked drained, and she realized he’d been awake all night, keeping watch.

  “Jesus,” she muttered, shoving aside the blankets, and finding her feet. “You should have woken me.”

  Wade shook himself, sighing under his breath. “I can go a few days without sleep.”

  Riley grabbed his arm and tugged him to his feet. His large body staggered into hers, and she grabbed him around the waist before she could think about it. Wade looked down at her. So much taller, his broad shoulders dwarfing her. But graceless in his exhaustion. She could have led him around like a toy on a string.

  “You can’t fight in this condition,” she said. “If Colton comes, you’re worse than useless. Get into my blankets and get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

  He must have been tired for he let her tuck him in, and tug his boots off. His eyelashes fluttered closed, and he was asleep before she could drop his second boot on the ground.

  Fool.

  She hesitated then brushed the silky black strands of hair off his forehead. He looked infinitely more innocent asleep, his features softened, the hard line of his mouth easing. Riley’s fingertips grazed over the heavy stubble on his jaw.

  Sleep had driven away all of the confusion of the day before. She dragged a blanket up over Wade’s chest, turning to find Jimmy watching her through his raccoon eyes.

  “Ain’t that... the warg?” he rasped.

  Riley scurried to his side, helping him sit up. She wrapped her arms around his scrawny shoulders and hugged him. “Oh, thank God!”

  Jimmy winced and pushed at her. “Hurts, Riley.”

  She let him go and fetched the canteen for him. The water inside had warmed, but it was still fresh. Jimmy gulped it down, trying to drink around the split in his lip.

  When it was empty, he dropped it and collapsed back into his blankets.

  “Do you want food?”

  He shook his head tiredly. Then turned to glare at Wade. “What’s he doin’ here?”

  “He promised to help me get you back,” she replied. Something defensive rose in her breast. “He went into Black River with me. He didn’t have to. He didn’t have to make that promise,” she realized, even as she said the words. “He could have just thrown me over his shoulder and headed out into the desert.”

  Jimmy blinked through one swollen eye. “Why?”

  She didn’t have an answer to that.

  “What’s he want?”

  “A chance at McClain,” she replied quietly. “I’m going to give it to him.”

  Jimmy’s eyes darkened. “We don’t give the humans to the monsters.”

  “I’m not.” Her voice hardened. “I’m just giving him a chance. I’ve seen McClain on the hunt. He’s good, Jimmy. I’ve never seen a man move like that.” Not until Wade anyway. “Chances are he’ll bury Wade in the first few minutes.”

  A part of her didn’t like that at all. Her breath hitched. What if she broke her word? Got Jimmy and her out of there before Wade woke? He’d miss his chance, and both he and McClain would be safe.

  He hadn’t moved, not even when her voice had risen. Sleeping like the dead. It wouldn’t be hard to sneak out.

  Wouldn’t be hard for Colton to sneak in.

  Riley bit her lip. She couldn’t leave him there for the vultures. Her gaze shuttering, she pressed Jimmy back into his blankets. “Rest,” she murmured. “I’ll organize breakfast.”

  And figure out what she was going to do.

  * * *

  After a breakfast of bread and cheese, Riley took the chance to explore a little while the men were sleeping.

  Sunlight spilled through gaps in the cavern roof, and the floor was creamy white sand. A long ago water course, she imagined, which had carved its way through the mountains until it formed this. The walls were washed smooth, and mustard-yellow stains marked where water had discolored the wall at stages.

  Wade hadn’t been kidding about the supplies. Enough long-term food items to keep a man for months, plus spare blankets, binoculars, guns, knives, ammunition and clothes. She found them packed in crates behind a curve of rock, his footprints imprinted in the sand in front of them.

  He’d planned this well.

  There was no sign of anyone following them. Riley climbed to the ledge of rock above the cave and scanned the desert with the newly found binoculars. Heat wavered over the rocky plains. A roc soared high overhead, riding the blistering thermals. But nothing moved over the gravelly sand.

  Clambering back down, she headed as deep into the cave as she dared, past several corners and winding outcroppings. And that was when she found it. Water. Pure and fresh. Spring-fed.

  It gleamed a crystalline blue from the shaft of sunlight that speared down through the roof’s opening. Riley took off her boots and dipped her toes into the edge. God, it felt divine. So cold, it startled her wits into crystal clarity.

  Glancing over her shoulder revealed nothing but silence and shadows. She lifted the hem on her shirt – Wade’s appropriated shirt – and wiggled
out of it. The jeans were next, hitting the sandy floor around her ankles.

  She kept her bra and panties on, wading out into the cool water. It struck her thighs, the cold of it leaving her almost breathless, but she couldn’t wait to wash off the past few days’ dirt and grime. And the blood. Definitely the blood.

  “Kid’s asleep.” Wade’s voice called from behind. “Got one hell of a shiner.”

  Riley squealed in surprise and dove under the water. When she came up, Wade dropped his bag on the sandy shore and reached over his shoulder for the collar of his shirt.

  “What are you doing?” she blurted. “I thought you were asleep.”

  “Someone kept tiptoeing past like a small elephant.” He paused as he saw her face, the shirt half over his head, revealing inches of hard, chiseled abs. “Please. Tell me you’re not going to play the helpless virgin now.” Wrenching the shirt off, he tossed it aside, his hands falling to the snap on his jeans. “I stink,” he told her. “I’m covered in blood and God knows what, and I’m not standing in it one more minute. Either we share the pool, or you get out.”

  Riley stared at him, fanning the water slowly with her hands. “I only just got in.”

  “True,” he said. “You weren’t smelling real good either.” A sudden smile lit up his face, his white teeth gleaming in the shadows. The sunlight’s reflection off the water danced over his upper body in blue rippling movements. “I have soap,” he said suggestively.

  Soap. Her lips parted on a sigh. She’d do a lot for soap right about now. It was incredibly tempting. “What about Colton?”

  “That’s why I chose this place.” He shrugged. “This jumble of rock is the only hill out here. I can see for miles, and there’s no sign of him.”

  “Fine. I’ll let you share my pool. On the condition that you keep your hands to yourself.”

  The pewter amulet gleamed against his tanned chest. Wade tugged his jeans open, enough for her to realize he was wearing no underwear. Arching a brow, he met her shocked gaze. “Darlin’, I ain’t the one staring.”

  Damn him. Riley ground her teeth together and spun around, staring at the blue-lit cavern walls. The low, throaty sound of his chuckle echoed through the area. He’d obviously recovered some of his usual spirit after the couple hours of sleep. A pity. He’d been almost pleasant when he was exhausted.