Avalanche

by Cambria Hebert

  I smiled and leaned over to peck him on the cheek. “Thank you, Alex.”

  His piercing blue eyes flew to mine. He hadn’t been expecting that, and for a second, I’d rendered him speechless. Something I think probably didn’t happen very often.

  “I’m grateful Liam has such a good friend in you.”

  He lifted the thick scarf around his neck and patted it against his eyes. “This damn wintry air is making my eyes water. Shoulda brought my shades.”

  I giggled.

  Dropping the fabric, Alex smiled, reached over and tugging on one of my messy braids. “Anytime.”

  “You two can bond later,” Liam muttered. “On the sled, Bells.”

  I climbed onto the snowmobile behind Alex. “What about you?” I asked Liam.

  He straddled the machine behind me, carefully sliding me forward until I smacked into Alex’s back. “It’s a tight fit, but we can make it work.”

  Alex peered over his shoulder at us. “Hey, look at that. A Bells sandwich.”

  Liam smacked Alex in the back of the head. “You are not part of any sandwich that involves my girl.”

  Liam’s arms slid around my waist, and my body shifted back into his. “You need to hold on to Alex, sweetheart.”

  After what he just said, that was literally the last thing I expected to hear.

  “Come on, then, girl. I have some driving to do,” Alex quipped and patted his side.

  I glanced at Liam, and he nodded, so I slid my good arm around his side and anchored it at Alex’s waist.

  “Hold on,” Alex called out over the engine as he revved it.

  The next thing I knew, we were flying over the snow down the mountain and cutting through the trees. Alex was a horrible driver. Like my life flashed before my eyes. I was kinda tired of that happening.

  The feel of Liam’s arms tightening around my waist gave me a greater sense of security, and I leaned into him again, the arm around Alex sliding loose. Liam scooted closer against me, using his body to pin mine more firmly between him and his best friend.

  After clearing one of the last hills, the resort came into view below, and I nearly cried in relief. I knew I wasn’t actually safe yet, but just seeing BearPaw after I honestly thought last night had been my last made me incredibly grateful and sentimental.

  Alex slowed to a pace that actually felt more normal and glanced behind him at Liam. Mirrored goggles covered his eyes, but I felt them drift over me before settling on the man I was leaning into.

  He didn’t even say a word, but he didn’t have to. Liam knew what he wanted to ask.

  “My place!” he yelled, and my body jolted back when Alex shot forward without any warning.

  My hand dug into Alex’s coat, and the rest of me knocked into Liam. His arms tightened, and the sound of his low chuckle over the motor filled my ears. He hadn’t even so much as jostled when Alex sped off like a demon!

  Alex cut away from the resort, and I forgot about his hellish driving because I realized we were heading to Liam’s cabin. A place I had yet to see.

  As anxious as I was to discover a new piece of the man I loved, I couldn’t help but worry. I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder as we drove on, scanning all the pristine snow for anyone who might be following.

  We might have made it out of the avalanche, but I knew better than anyone that I was still far from safe.

  Liam

  The aches were settling in. The throbbing in my knee was getting harder to ignore.

  Now that the imminent threat to Bellamy was gone and all the adrenaline that pumped through me most of the night was dissolving, my body was letting me know it needed some recovery.

  As an athlete, I knew how important recovery was. I also knew if you weren’t able to properly recover, the body—and mind—would never quite be the same.

  “The Extreme at the resort?” Alex asked the second the sled was parked beside mine on the side of my cabin.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  Alex glanced between me and Bells. “I’ll go get it and meet you back here. Then we’ll head to the hospital.”

  “Thanks, man,” I replied. “The extra set of keys are in the kitchen. My set is still in Bells’s room.”

  “House key with them?”

  I nodded.

  “I got this.” Alex pulled out a key ring from his coat pocket and went up the deck to the back door. Here at BearPaw, the back of the house was more like the front because it was usually the back that looked out to the slopes and the views.

  “He has a key?” Bellamy asked as I helped her off the sled.

  “Of course,” Alex and I replied at the same time.

  I pecked a kiss on her cheek, and into her ear, I whispered, “You’re gonna get one, too.”

  Bellamy smiled, her eyes going soft for a moment before they shifted to the landscape behind us. The tension in her body was still palpable. It was almost as if her nerves had increased since we got off the sled.

  “It’s okay now,” I told her, wanting her to feel safe.

  “But for how long?” She worried, her eyes coming back to mine.

  I didn’t have an answer for that. I wished I did. I didn’t want to see her like this. I didn’t want her to live like this. She deserved so much better.

  Charlie barked and nearly leapt off the back deck, bounding through the snow toward us. Bellamy laughed and held out her arm to the dog. He launched himself at her. I moved fast, putting myself between them so he didn’t pummel her into the powder.

  “Easy, boy.” I laughed as he licked my face.

  Bellamy scratched behind his ear as he leaned on me and let out a satisfied groan.

  Alex came out of the door, holding up the spare set of keys to my truck. “I’ll be back in just a few. Be ready.”

  “I really appreciate this,” I told him.

  He barely paused. “You’d do the same for me.”

  “Yes. I would.”

  I led Bellamy into my place as the snowmobile started up and took off.

  “He’s a terrible driver,” she told me, grimacing.

  I laughed. “Actually, Alex handles himself well on one of those.”

  “Your cabin is beautiful, Liam,” she said, glancing around as we walked inside. “I’ve been wondering what it looks like.”

  I half smiled. “Not what you were expecting?”

  “Maybe a little cleaner than I thought.” She teased, then stepped farther inside.

  I made a sound. “I haven’t been home enough to make a mess.”

  Charlie lumbered across the room and grabbed a giant squeaking ball out of a basket and carried it over to me. I grabbed it. The familiar feel of slobber coated my fingers before I tossed it out the back door, and he took off after it.

  I glanced back at Bellamy, who was still gazing around with an almost wistful expression. I tried to understand what she might be seeing through her eyes, but it was hard because I’d seen it all a million times before.

  It was a simple log cabin, typical of what you would find at BearPaw. Or on any mountain. It had wood on the outside and wood on the inside. The ceiling was pitched in an A-frame style with beams running across it. The windows were large, giving views of the slopes, and were trimmed with the same wood that was on the walls. Everything was pretty basic, really. I wasn’t a guy who needed much.

  The table was handcrafted by a local furniture maker and so were the wooden benches that slid beneath it. Old snowshoes and snowboards hung on the walls, and all the pillows and blankets on the living room furniture were red plaid.

  The fireplace in the center of the room was made of stone, and a rough-hewn log served as the mantel. It was pretty masculine in here, actually, but the kitchen was updated with white marble counters (my mom picked them) and had a bunch of open shelving with white dishes, bowls, and mugs.

  I crossed the room over to the fireplace, suddenly feeling a little nervous about the place I never really gave much thought to. It was just home to me. Flipp
ing the switch, the flames in the fire roared to life at the same time Charlie rushed back into the house, tracking in a ton of snow with him.

  “I guess this place is pretty much a bachelor pad,” I said, crossing to shut the door and keep out the cold.

  “I love it,” she murmured, gazing out the window, wrapping her arms around herself. “It feels like a real home.”

  Understanding coursed through me. As well as pleasure. It thrilled the shit out of me she thought it was comfortable here. “Something you haven’t had in a long time.” My voice was knowing.

  Tearing her eyes from the view, she looked at me. “I think I forgot what it felt like to really have a home.”

  My chest ached. Slipping between her and the window, I tugged her gently, and she came, laying her head against my chest. “You have a home now, Bells.”

  I wanted to stand there with her all day. I wanted to take her on a tour of the place, show her both bedrooms and the loft. It was all going to have to wait.

  “C’mon,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her down the hall to the master bedroom. While she looked around, I pulled out some clean, dry, warm clothes, tossing it all on the bed. Next, I went into the attached bath, reached into the glass-enclosed shower, and turned on the spray to warm up.

  “Alex will be back with the truck any minute now, but I think a shower would be good before we head to the hospital. You up for it?”

  Her nod was eager, and I stripped off all my clothes and then helped her do the same.

  “I should call the police.” She worried, but I shook my head.

  “We will, but we’re going to take care of you first.”

  Bellamy relented, and I liked to tell myself it was because I was standing there naked in front of her.

  Inside the shower, I took stock of her body, noting her shoulder was still swollen and there was a lump near the collarbone. She needed X-rays and a sling, hopefully nothing more.

  “Will you help me?” Her voice floated around me like the steam from the shower. Ripping my eyes from her body and the way the ribbons of water cascaded over her, I saw her trying to undo her braids with just one hand.

  With a sound, I brushed away her hand and slipped my fingers into her hair, making short work of the braids.

  She sighed when her head tilted back beneath the water. Lust grew heavy in my belly as the water saturated the long strands, pulling them straight and making them cling to her neck, shoulders, and chest.

  The heat of my stare must have been palpable because she opened her eyes and lowered her chin, meeting my gaze.

  We stared at each other silently as steam floated around and water rained down over our skin. “If we weren’t in a hurry right now…” The words rumbled out of me. “I would have your back against the tile and your legs around my waist.”

  Reaching out, her palm covered my chest. “I miss you already.”

  I groaned. “That’s not making it easier on me, sweetheart.”

  “Kiss me.”

  I obliged. Thin cascades of warm water ran between our lips as they moved against each other. Her body was slick against mine, and the exhaustion that clung to my limbs was gone for long moments as I sank into her mouth.

  When I started to ease back, she came with, pulled my bottom lip into her mouth, and sucked, drinking down the water clinging to my skin. I swear she somehow managed to drink a piece of my soul.

  I groaned when she released me. Her arm slid around my waist, and she pressed close, hugging me as if she were afraid she’d never see me again.

  My heart was thumping quite heavily against my ribs, my stomach was doing all kinds of flips, and my fingers itched to explore her body, to push her beneath me.

  Above all, though, there was this sense of soul-crushing emotion. A depth of love I truly had never known. Not even eight years ago. It was even stronger than my need to be inside her. It was stronger than anything I’d ever experienced in my entire life.

  I had to protect it.

  To protect her.

  But how?

  Bellamy

  “It’s Bellamy.”

  “Who?”

  I sighed. “Bella Lane.”

  “Ms. Lane, I’ve been waiting for your call.”

  I glanced down at the floor and Liam’s socks that were covering my feet. “You know what happened?”

  “We know that your location and identity were compromised and that you were found by Crone’s men. For a while, we really weren’t sure if you made it out alive.”

  “I did. I felt it best that I keep a low profile.”

  He grunted. “Going back to your original identity was not recommended.”

  Something inside me sparked with anger. I was exhausted, hurt, and people kept trying to kill me. Yes, I probably pissed off the good ol’ FBI by not calling, but didn’t I have a right to protect myself?

  “It’s not my original identity,” I snapped. “It’s who I really am.”

  “You are Bella Lane.”

  “I’m well aware of my new identity. I haven’t actually gone back to the old one. I’m just with some people who knew me as Bellamy.” The real me.

  “Are you talking about professional snowboarder and Olympic medalist Liam Mattison?”

  It didn’t even surprise me that he knew I was with Liam. I mean, if Crone’s men could find me, I guess the FBI could, too.

  What a freaking mess.

  “Yes.”

  “And Alexander Carter?”

  “Do you know the name of my hotel maid, too?” I snapped.

  “This morning, a Jennifer Fray was attending your room.”

  Holy crap! I snorted. “That was a joke.”

  “This is no joking matter, Ms. Lane.”

  “I’m well aware, especially since I’m on my way to the hospital right now.”

  “So his men made contact?” He wasn’t surprised by this either.

  “Yes. They took me up into a snowy mountain to die.”

  “We have a team en route to you now, including me,” Agent Frost said, not even showing any kind of reaction to the fact someone tried to kill me. Again.

  How many times did this make? Three? Four?

  I didn’t even know anymore.

  “My mother—” I started, but he cut me off.

  “Has already been moved to a safe location.”

  “I want to see her,” I said, feeling my lower lip wobble.

  “That’s not advised at this time.”

  I knew he’d say that.

  “I don’t give a damn!” I yelled into the phone.

  Liam, who had been lounging against the island, listening, pushed off and came forward. I couldn’t help but notice his limp. It seized all the anger and fight right out of me. After our shower, he strapped on some kind of serious-looking knee brace to stabilize it.

  He needed the ER.

  “I have to go,” I said into the line.

  “We will meet you at Caribou Memorial in about an hour and a half.”

  I hung up. “They know where I am. They’re on their way.”

  Liam scooped me into his arms and held me tight. A few stray tears leaked out, and I rubbed them on his sweatshirt. Then I pulled back. “Let’s go.”

  We held hands on the way out to the truck, and when I moved to climb into the back, Liam stopped me and sat in the back instead.

  The drive to the hospital was silent, even though I knew Alex had about a hundred thousand questions. Maybe he sensed my stormy mood, or maybe he thought he’d get more answers when it was just him and Liam. Either way, I was glad for the quiet.

  I had no idea what was going to happen when Frost and friends showed up. He wasn’t going to be happy at all when I informed him I had no intention of returning to witness protection.

  He would tell me what a huge mistake I was making.

  Part of me knew he was right.

  Liam

  Hospitals sucked.

  I’d spent enough time in them to last me the rest of m
y life.

  Yet here I was. Again.

  The second we rolled into the ER, we were given a room. I guess there were some benefits to being town royalty and an Olympic medalist.

  An Olympic medalist who was washed up… one who probably wouldn’t see the slopes again.

  I tried not to focus on the blizzard forming inside my brain. Instead, I focused outward on my girl and making sure she got the same level of treatment I would.

  Every nurse or doctor who walked into the room got introduced to my girlfriend, something that was starting to irritate me each time I said it.

  She wasn’t just my girlfriend.

  She was my life.

  How did I make that clear to people? How did I articulate exactly what I would do if they didn’t take care of her as though she was the ruler of my world?

  I took comfort in the fact that the word girlfriend seemed to work. We were put in the same room, but they pulled us apart for X-rays and shit. Something I really didn’t like.

  In addition to Bells calling her FBI contact (who I already hated because he seemed to upset her), I called the local cops. There was a party going out to look for the bodies of the men who tried to kill us, and there were also a few sticking around on our floor to make sure no one else tried anything stupid.

  Aside from the general questions, we hadn’t had time to answer much else because the first priority was our injuries.

  I knew the questions would come, though. A lot of them. Hard ones. I wasn’t ready yet, but I was going to have to be.

  I wasn’t ready for the results of the MRI I just had either.

  I was saved from the depths of my own head when the door opened and Alex strode in. I glanced behind him, expecting Bellamy to appear. When she didn’t instantly, I glanced to him.

  “She’s coming. Nurse wouldn’t let me push her down the hallway.”

  “Because he’s a terrible driver,” Bellamy announced as she came around the corner.

  “Am not,” Alex protested.

  “Are, too,” the nurse countered.