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“Jagger.” Paul tugged on Jagger’s arm, interrupting their moment.
Jagger set Belinda down but kept her close. He gave her a smoldering look and murmured, “More later.”
“Definitely,” she agreed, so happy and relieved and safe and loved. She noticed the other six hikers were watching them like they were a trending TikTok. She didn’t care. Jagger was here.
“One got away,” Paul said in a fierce whisper to Jagger. “I went after the one hiding in the cave, but he took off into the forest. He’s in the wind now.”
“What?” Jagger looked around, doing a quick body count. “No. The police told Hays there were only five convicts that escaped.”
“There were six men,” Paul insisted.
“One of the campers that was here helped them.” The twenty-something man who’d gotten the rope pointed at one of the dead bodies, one of the two who’d been guarding the campers.
“Let’s go find him.” Jagger released her.
“He’s long gone.” Paul shook his head. “I tracked him until I lost the prints in the forest. He could be anywhere. We need to go defensive. I doubt he’d dare return, knowing we’re both armed and his friends are dead, but you never know when a criminal is desperate.”
Jagger nodded, then looked at Belinda. Everything she’d ever wanted was in his gaze. He loved her. He’d come for her. He’d always be there for her. It was just a bonus that his kisses lit her up all the way through and he was handsome as sin. What truly mattered was his heart, his dedication to her, and the deep and lasting love they shared.
“You’re all right?” he asked again.
“Yes. I can’t believe you came for me.” Finally. After all these years, her hero had come for her, and he certainly looked like her hero and kissed like her hero and she simply loved every inch of him.
He smiled. “I was coming to shoot you for the game, but then Hays heard about the convicts. I sprinted through the miles after that call.”
He’d sprinted to get to her. Ah, Jagger. But …
“Wait a hot minute.” She pulled away from him and instantly shivered. The rain wasn’t cold, but being out of his arms chilled her all the way through. Especially as she realized— “You didn’t come because you knew I was in trouble and are attuned to my every need and love me more desperately than you love anyone on this planet?”
Jagger’s brows shot up.
“I’ll keep a lookout and go talk to the group while you two … figure this out,” Paul murmured, then walked toward the group watching the drama between Jagger and Belinda.
“Bee …” Jagger pushed at his hair and then held up his hands. “I did come for you.”
“Because you wanted to win your game?” Her voice squeaked, and panic made her chest tight. He hadn’t come for her.
He rolled his eyes and pulled out the green laser gun from his backpack. “What do you want me to do? Throw it into the bushes?”
She did want him to do that.
“I promised Mercedes I’d give her silly show a hundred percent,” he said in a softer tone.
She knew he had, but fire was building in her chest. She wanted him to come for her and her alone. She’d longed for that for fourteen years, and instead of manning up and telling her why he’d ditched her, he had placed all the blame on her parents and had the gall to call her dad a pompous hypocrite.
Jagger was the liar, trying to make her question her loving family so he could get some sweet honey this week and ditch her again, or so he could get in her head and win the challenge for his best friends Mercedes and Shawn. Belinda wasn’t his best friend. Not anymore.
“Why don’t you shoot me right now?” she flung at him. “It’s not six o’clock yet. You can still win your game.”
He glanced around. Checking if the bad guys really were dead or avoiding her gaze? “Bee.” Jagger rubbed at his jaw, staring at her as if she was off her rocker.
She’d rocked clean off the porch at this point. No turning back. “Shoot me! You found me. You won.”
Jagger’s dark eyes were filled with frustration and anger. The natural competitiveness in him and his loyalty to his friends must have won out because his jaw tightened and he tagged her shirt.
“Oh, shut up,” she barked at the obnoxious voice that came from her shirt. “I knew you would do it,” she snarled at him. “‘Which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inward are ravening wolves.’”
“What?” He blinked the rainwater out of his eyes. Then he looked around as if checking for more bad guys before meeting her gaze again.
