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Mother Earth was shaking the snow globe again. Didn’t the bitch ever rest?
His back hit the wood hard as he dropped the fire wood and got low to the ground. Eva was crouched in the corner, her hand outstretched toward him. With slow movements, he made his way to her and wrapped his body around hers. As soon as he had her, she gripped both his arms, anchoring him to her body.
He had no idea how much time had gone by. Minutes... a half hour? Frozen in time, he held her close.
When the shaking finally stopped, Eva moved out from under him, easing back onto her knees. She faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her face on his shoulder. Slowly, he enfolded her in his arms once more. Angel from the front.
His hand moved rhythmically down her back. “I got you... I got you now.”
Warmth filled his chest. This is where he wanted to be. Intertwined with her.
Krieger smoothed her hair while he whispered soft words in her ears. “Don’t fear, Angel, I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I believe you.”
Krieger’s heart pounded, a tingling sensation drifted across his skin, and he felt a shift in the mood between them. Silently, she stared at him, and an understanding passed between them. Had he just created a crack in her impenetrable wall? Only time would tell...
The darkening clouds outside promised more days of terrible-awful. The earthy smell of rain filled the air, and lightning streaked the blackened sky as thunder rumbled in the distance.
She placed her head back on his shoulder just as the ground began to tremble once more. Would they ever make it out of this alive? A knot formed in his gut as he watched the storm close in on their small moment of peace...
Chapter 9
The tourniquet was slipping. She could feel her need to be close to Krieger growing—close to his comforting arms and his kind words. Eclipsing why she felt the need to keep him at bay in the first place.
Two days they had rested, regaining their strength to make it back up the incline to Everwood. They hadn’t had to deal with much other than the earthquakes and torrential rain. In last night’s storm, the pounding wind had reared its ugly head. She kept her eyes on the sky for the tornadoes—the same tornadoes that still gave her nightmares. Lucky... they had been lucky. But for how much longer?
Hell, if she was being honest, she had been fortunate in other ways besides the weather. Having Krieger by her side this past week was worth more than any bag of provisions. He hunted when he could, finding a few squirrels. He had kept watch twice as often as she had; he’d let her sleep right through. He made sure they had fresh water, always leaving their bowls out at night to refill their canteen. And he’d hung the tarp on the front of the lean-to. It had at least blocked out the rain and wind from the side they slept on.
In addition to all that, each night, he would help her re-braid her hair since her arm was still aching something fierce. Mother Earth, what she would give for a hot bath and her lavender-scented soap, luxuries being on the road did not afford.
Krieger would also check her wound and change the bandage on it. There had been no sign of infection, but it still hurt like hell. She did the same for his wounds. Looking out for one another had become their priority.
When they weren’t scouting for fire wood or hunting, they talked. His voice was tender when he brought up her mother. “What was she like, Angel?” he asked.
Her cheeks always flushed with heat when he called her Angel. She hadn’t mustered up the courage to ask him why he called her that. She only knew it made her feel tingly and warm—and she hadn’t felt like that in a very long time.
Her mother was the sole person who had ever made her feel special. “She was the best person I ever knew. She was strong and sweet. She’d give you the shirt off her back, run right into a dangerous situation if she thought she could help.” Eva laughed and added, “But she never took any shit. She used to say ‘Eva, ist niemals respektlos.’ Never take disrespect.”
Krieger’s eyes widened at her admission. “You speak German?”
She nodded. “Ja, sir, seit ich acht Jahre alt war.” She laughed at the dumbfounded look he was giving her. “Yes, sir, since I was eight. I told you, my mom was from Germany. She thought it was important I learn to speak her native tongue.”
He smiled. “She sounds pretty great. I wish I could have met her.”
Oh Krieger, so do I. If you only knew.
“You know, you’re a lot like her,” she said, as her cheeks heated under his gaze.
Tilting his head to the side, he asked, “In what way?”
“Your characters are much alike.” She couldn’t meet his eye as she answered.
Instead, she studied the storm raging outside. She could feel his eyes on her, but he remained silent as she watched lightning streak across the sky. Every day the storms had come, she realized she’d never seen it this relentless before. The weather pattern seemed worse to her. She would have to report this all to her father—
Krieger’s voice filled the air, breaking her train of thought. “What is Stone Haven like?” he asked as he stoked the fire.
“They live on the side of a large mountain. It’s rumored they built a village of cabins up against a rock formation. To the left of their settlement is a steep drop-off. As I understand it, the place is somewhat of a fortress. An expansive fence squares off their land.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen it up close personally, but if what they say is true, they have made a grievous flaw. The land they have built this so-called fortress on is useless. It’s all dense rock, not much will grow there. The rocky cliff doesn’t make for good hunting grounds. They have blocked themselves in and need to find provisions elsewhere. Or steal it. Not to mention the landslides and avalanches we have heard they’ve had. They have suffered some losses over the years.”
