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“Griff.” Her voice was croaky, as if rusty from lack of use. Fragmented memories flickered through her mind as wakefulness replaced sleep. The river crossing. Cold burrowing deep into her bones, loosening her grip on reality.
But she was here. Alive and warm. She blinked. The world slanted into focus. It was night, moonlight slanting through gaps in the trees, draping the landscape in shades of silver and gray.
“They’re close by.”
“They?” Her thoughts tangled against each other, leaving her mind muddled.
“Raptor.” His voice jarred her from her confusion. “We need to move now.”
She sucked air into her lungs, fully awake at the mention of Raptor.
Whistles and shouts sounded in the night air. The hunt’s still on.
“Come on.” Griff helped her to her feet. She was in a foil-lined orange survival bag wearing clothes she didn’t remember putting on, and the wounds she’d sustained on her hands had been dressed.
Griff read the confusion in her eyes as he helped her out of the bag. “I dressed you when you were hypothermic.”
She traced the rugged contour of his jaw. “Thank you.” His care was so at odds with his hardened exterior. This complex man was the missing piece in her life, risking everything for her, prioritizing her needs over his own. No one had ever cared for her as wholly as Griff.
Eyes closed, he tipped his head into her touch for a moment, savoring it. When he met her gaze again, a grim resolution shone there.
He checked his compass, holding it against the map, and studied it intently before looking up. “I’m heading west.”
“Ok.” She bent to lace her boots. They were still sodden from the river, the laces uncompliant. “Hang on, you’re heading west?”
“Yup. You’re going south.”
“What?” Her hands froze. She hadn’t heard him right, surely?
“We need to split up, Jo. We’re outnumbered. Our best chance of making it out of this mess in one piece is to confuse them. Divide and conquer.”
Jo stood up abruptly, her laces forgotten. “No—”
“This isn’t up for discussion. It’s a directive.” His demeanor had changed, reflecting the Navy SEAL he once was, accustomed to giving orders in life-or-death situations. But it killed her to think of leaving him and running in the opposite direction.
He took her mouth with his, kissing her deep. He tasted of Griff, of mountains, fresh air and freedom. She gripped his arms despite the sting in her hands, not wanting to let him go.
When he lifted his head, he still held her. “Let me show you.” With a dirt-streaked nail, he traced a route on the map. “You follow this ridge. It’ll bring you out near the road in about three miles. From there, head east to town. Get to safety. Find the police.”
“Griff. I don’t know—”
“You do.” His tone was resolute. “I’ll head north and circle back.”
Jo studied the map. “You’ll be heading away from the road, deeper into the forest.” She met his gaze with fire.
“Jo. Trust me. This is our best chance. We don’t have time for discussion, only action.”
“Sure.” But she didn’t want to agree, reluctant to part from the man who’d already put so much on the line for her.
Holding her shoulders, he turned her away. “Go. Now. Run.” She stumbled forward, her legs wooden. This felt so wrong. Weren’t they better staying together? Rustling trees whispered their disapproval, their spiny forms fracturing the moonlight, intensifying her doubt. This is a mistake.
She spun to tell him, but already there were only trees behind her. Griff was gone. Her heart rate tripled. “Griff?” She forced her shoulders back. He couldn’t have got far. She’d find him.
“Over here, you bastards.” A voice echoed through the trees.
Dogs barked frenziedly in response.
She recognized the voice. Griff. Panic locked her in place. Griff was drawing them away from her.
