“I’m trying, Collin, but this snow is covering everything up.” Chancellor raised his voice, and the vapor released from his mouth to the cold air. It was freezing, and Riley was really worried that Bethany could die out here.
“She’s smart and resourceful. She would worry that Curran might know her route somehow. She would go somewhere safe.”
Chancellor looked to the right. He pointed. “You told her, if she were ever lost or in trouble, where a safe place to hide from the elements would be.”
“The cave. Holy shit, she’s heading to the cave. Do you think she could have made it there in this shit?” Riley asked as they started moving faster up the mountain.
“She’d better, or I’m going to tan her ass,” Collin stated firmly, and Riley exhaled. He radioed in their location and the location of Curran’s body. Collin tossed a flare by it, and the green smoke filled the air. They would see it and know where to go.
“Be strong, baby. Get to that cave and cover yourself up. We’re coming for you.”
They moved even quicker, their adrenaline pumping as they got to the first of four ridges before the cave.
* * * *
“I’m not going to die, I’m not going to die,” she kept repeating as she made it to the top of the ridge. She could barely make out the pointed arrow on the top of the rock, but she did see it. It was just like Collin had told her that day weeks ago. No matter what, that old spear shape and point at the top of the rock showed through.
She fell to her knees, landing once again in the cold, wet snow. She could barely see through the blizzard conditions, and she felt so frozen, despite the gloves she wore. How she’d thought fast enough to grab her backpack, she would never know, but she remembered that it was on her shoulder when the cabin door burst open. The tears stung her eyes and froze against her numb cheeks. She’d heard the gunshots. She knew that Angelo was dead. They’d killed him. He’d died trying to save her.
She trekked up to the rock and then to the right. She saw the heavy brush and looked over her shoulder. She wasn’t even sure what she had in the backpack, her mind solely on getting to the cave to survive. She didn’t hear a sound. Nothing but the snow falling and hitting the trees and ground. It was dark and scary out here. She didn’t hear Curran anymore, either, or footsteps or anyone calling her name saying they were coming to help.
She was all alone and would be until her men came for her. She held on to that thought. They were why she fought to live and didn’t give up in fear of Curran’s threats. She wondered why he was no longer yelling or closing in. She couldn’t help but to think he couldn’t make it. He’d given up and headed back. He would find her one day. He wouldn’t give up. How was she supposed to live with that? She would be fearful forever.
She got to the cave, pulled off the brush that covered it, and crawled down into the darkness. She shivered with fear and was so damn cold her breathing was starting to suffer. She had hyperthermia and needed to warm herself up. She looked into her backpack. After covering the entrance to the small cave, she used the flashlight to look around her. It was dry, no animals, nothing but a bag. She felt relieved. The guys had a bag in here. She hadn’t known that. Riley had jumped out at her and scared her, tackling her to the ground and pretended to be a bear. She smiled at the thought as she pulled out the hat, the gloves, and a special Mylar blanket that insulated body heat. There were heat warmers, an automatic lighter, even protein bars, and, oh God, a radio.
“Holy shit.”
When she tried to move the buttons and the knob to call for help, her fingers wouldn’t function. She needed to warm herself up. She painstakingly removed her cold, wet sweater. She pulled on the warm, long-sleeve thermal that was in the bag and smelled like Collin. She then covered her body with the insulated blanket. She used her chattering teeth to open up the heat warmers. She placed them into her bra, then between her legs, and then cuddled into the blanket, making it like a tent of warmth with the radio by her cheek. She waited for the heat warmers to warm her hands enough that she could use the radio. The blanket was huge, made for a large man, and she was grateful as she felt her body temperature begin to warm.
The wind howled beyond the opening of the cave. She turned on the radio, her voice shaking, her teeth still chattering.
“Help. I need help. Riley, Collin, Chancellor, the cave. Help me.” The energy began to leave her body. She felt so weak. The fight in her was diminishing, and all she kept thinking was that she was warm now, and tired. So very, very tired. She dozed in and out of consciousness. She fought to stay awake and to live. She wasn’t stupid. She knew she could die if she fell asleep.
Then she listened. Was that a birdcall? Her eyes closed, and she just couldn’t fight the fatigue any longer. Riley?
* * * *
“Holy shit, did you hear that? She got to the cave. She’s alive,” Chancellor said.
Their other friends came over the radio next. They organized the location to meet, and the sound of quads could be heard in the distance.
Riley began to make the birdcall sounds as they hurried up the hill. She would hear him calling and know they were there, that they’d found her and were coming for her. As they hurried up this last ridge, getting there before the other rescuers, they got to the cave. They looked inside and saw her there out cold, covered in the insulated blanket, the heat warmers around her. Riley took off his coat and began to check her out. She wasn’t waking up.
“Her pulse is so weak. Jesus, she needs to be warmer. We need to get her to a hospital,” he said to his brothers.
Chancellor leaned down and kissed her lips. Collin was organizing the others as they arrived, trying to get blankets and thinking of a way to get her down the mountain without being exposed to further elements.
“She’ll make it. She’s strong and resourceful and our woman. She’ll make it just fine,” Collin said over his shoulder, but Bethany didn’t wake up, and Riley feared that her body had shut down.
Epilogue
“Easy, Bethany, you’re not even supposed to be walking around yet.” Collin wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her walk toward the stairs.
“I can’t lie around in bed and do nothing all day. I’m feeling weaker instead of stronger.”
She felt so thin and fragile. She had lost a lot of weight. They had gotten her to the hospital in the nick of time, as her kidneys began to shut down and her heart was in distress. Her entire body had been shocked, going from freezing cold to heated up with the heat warmers and the insulated blanket. It had been a miracle that she’d survived at all.
“You’re not getting weaker. You’re trying to push yourself too far too soon,” Riley reprimanded her from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs.
As Collin helped her down the stairs, she nearly fell.
“God damn it, Bethany.” He lifted her up into his arms and carried her.
“I can do it. Put me down,” she demanded.
“No, you’re to listen to what we say. That was what you promised when we got you out of the hospital earlier than the doctors wanted,” Chancellor said as he stood by the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed.
She growled low as Collin set her feet down, and she sat in the chair. She ran her hands through her hair and then banged her hand down on the kitchen island.
“I can’t take this. It isn’t fair. I want to feel stronger. I don’t want to rely on others for help.”
“Well, tough shit. You have our help because we love you and we take care of what is ours. Now, no pushing it. We have company coming in a couple of hours, and you don’t want to feel too tired to enjoy their visit,” Collin told her.
“But I look so weak and sick still. I don’t want your parents to see me like this, or Lacey and Suzette, either.”
“You look beautiful. You nearly died,” Chancellor said to her and kissed her cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and her cheeks blushed a nice shade of pink.
Collin took the s
eat next to her and caressed her hair.
“The shower helped, didn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then after we eat, I’ll help you get dressed, and then, if you’re up to it, you can help me here in the kitchen. Our mom and the dads will be here in an hour and are ready to help, too. It will be fun to have everyone over.”
“It smells so good in here,” she whispered and the tears filled her eyes.
“We promised you a happy Thanksgiving dinner. That’s what we’re going to have.”
“But Thanksgiving was weeks ago.”
“But no one celebrated it. They were all worried about you and wanting you to be there with them to celebrate and be thankful.” Chancellor placed a plate of bacon and eggs down in front of her. Riley brought over a cup of coffee.
* * * *
Bethany took in the sights, the smells, and the anticipation of how these men made her feel like part of their family and the community in so many ways. She had gotten loads of flowers and well wishes in the hospital. Chancellor had gotten her the best medical care, and Riley had made sure he and his law enforcement friends got Cristano arrested. Turned out that Riley had a lot of good friends with connections, and the evidence they got on Cristano would put him away for life. He would also be charged as an accessory to murder for killing Angelo.
She thought about him from time to time. Her brother had never really acted like the older brother and one to care for her, but in the end, he’d given his life for hers, and there had to be something said about that. She would always love him for giving his life for hers.
“I’m thankful for so much, for the three of you, for my friends and new family, and, mostly, for experiencing the smell of turkey cooking in the oven on this wonderful Thanksgiving morning.”
Collin smiled. “That’s my girl. Now eat up. If you’re good, maybe I’ll make love to you again before our guests arrive.” He winked.
She smiled at him. “Maybe the four of us can together? That would be the perfect way to start the day.”
“We did that this morning, and you fell asleep for another two hours. Tonight, if you’re up to it, we will,” Riley said firmly.
He was such a disciplinarian, an authority figure in this relationship. Plus, he, Collin, and Chancellor were so very protective of her since the incident in the mountains. They told her that they never wanted to see her so close to death ever again and that she had scared the hell out of them. She loved them so very much. They were part of her, and she told them that their love and seeing them was the only reason she’d held on and fought. She wanted to be with them forever.
“Party pooper.” She took a bite of egg. Collin chuckled, and she smiled at him as she chewed and took in the sight of her three handsome rescuers. She was blessed, and she didn’t think she could feel any happier than at this moment, knowing she was in love with three amazing men and that they loved her, too, completely.
“As I recall, you have a spanking or two coming your way, missy, so I would watch it,” Riley replied.
Her cheeks warmed, and her thoughts had her cheeks blushing as she remembered the numerous times during her recovery that she had said and done a few things that got under her men’s skin.
“Well, play your cards right, Chief, and you may just get the chance to cash in on those spankings tonight.”
Collin and Chancellor laughed and teased Riley, and she laughed, too, until he stalked toward her and pressed his body close, caging her in with his lips close to hers.
“Oh, baby, you are in a heap of trouble, and I think it’s time you met my handcuffs.”
He covered her mouth and kissed her, and she was lost in his kiss and in his arms as she fantasized about being with her three men in bed upstairs with Riley’s handcuffs. Yep, she was in love for the first and the last time in her life because, from here on out, she was going to love her Cummings brothers forever.
THE END
WWW.DIXIELYNNDWYER.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
People seem to be more interested in my name than where I get my ideas for my stories from. So I might as well share the story behind my name with all my readers.
My momma was born and raised in New Orleans. At the age of twenty, she met and fell in love with an Irishman named Patrick Riley Dwyer. Needless to say, the family was a bit taken aback by this as they hoped she would marry a family friend. It was a modern day arranged marriage kind of thing and my momma downright refused.
Being that my momma’s families were descendants of the original English speaking Southerners, they wanted the family blood line to stay pure. They were wealthy and my father’s family was poor.
Despite attempts by my grandpapa to make Patrick leave and destroy the love between them, my parents married. They recently celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.
I am one of six children born to Patrick and Lynn Dwyer. I am a combination of both Irish and a true Southern belle. With a name like Dixie Lynn Dwyer it’s no wonder why people are curious about my name.
Just as my parents had a love story of their own, I grew up intrigued by the lifestyles of others. My imagination as well as my need to stray from the straight and narrow made me into the woman I am today.
Enjoy Crossroads 5: Show Me What Love Is and allow your imagination to soar freely.
For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Crossroads 5: Show Me What Love Is (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 18