Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
He squinted, trying to peer through the darkness, and saw Zeke Caine holding Laurel’s head under the water. With a roar that came from somewhere deeper than his soul, Huck rushed forward and tackled Zeke, throwing them both out onto the ice.
Huck scrambled back and yanked Laurel from the water, flipping her over and pressing hard on her sternum.
Zeke careened into him, throwing them both back on the bank.
Huck struggled, but Zeke hit him in the face. Huck punched him back in the jaw with his left arm, cracking the man’s head against the ice. Then he pushed Zeke away and lunged toward Laurel.
She wasn’t moving. Then, miraculously, she shoved herself away from the ice.
Huck had almost reached her when Zeke barreled into him from behind, sending them both against the bank again. Huck landed hard, and his injured shoulder screamed agony through his body. Or was it his chest? He wasn’t sure. His whole right side was killing him.
Grunting, he flailed around, and his hand landed on a set of crampons. Grabbing them, he turned and swung, viciously swiping the sharpened edges across Zeke Caine’s face.
The man howled and fell back.
Huck stumbled to his feet, turned, and side-kicked Zeke in the neck, throwing him several yards. Then Huck dropped to his knees and scrambled to grab Laurel.
Zeke again tackled him from behind and cracked his head on the ground.
Grunting, Laurel pushed herself up, grabbed the crampons, and launched herself forward, slashing them down Zeke’s face.
The man shrieked.
Laurel leaned to the side, shuddered wildly, and coughed. Water poured out of her mouth.
Zeke Caine limped away.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Huck tried to get up but fell back down. The right side of his body had gone numb, but he crawled toward Laurel and gathered her close, keeping her curled on her side as she coughed out more water. Then she went lax.
Zeke disappeared into the tree line.
“Just hold on.” Huck smoothed Laurel’s hair back with his good arm. “Just hold on.”
The sirens came closer.
* * *
A light beeping sound filtered through Laurel’s consciousness, and she opened her eyes, remaining perfectly still until she recognized a hospital room. The bed was warm and soft, and her elbow hurt. She looked down to see an IV catheter beneath a stretchy bandage. “Ouch.”
She glanced to the side to find Huck slumped in the chair wearing a bloody T-shirt. She tried to speak his name, but nothing came out. She swallowed, but her throat was parched. “Huck.”
His eyelids instantly opened, and he leaned toward her, grasping her hand. “Laurel, are you okay?”
She blinked. “I don’t know. Why am I in the hospital?” she croaked.
He reached for a plastic cup with a straw. “Drink this.” He pressed the straw to her lips and pushed a button on the bed, which slowly raised her to a sitting position. She drank, and the water felt soothing.
Water.
Drinking.
In a burst of memories, the entire night came back to her. She gasped and blinked. He removed the straw and placed the cup on the table next to her. “Did I die?”
“No,” he said shortly, leaning toward her. “How’s your brain?”
She gulped. “My brain?”
“Yeah, you were out for a while.”
She knew she had died. She had felt the life leave her body, something that she wouldn’t have thought possible. “I don’t know.”
He flicked on a small light near her head and peered into her eyes. “What’s my name?”
“Huck.”
His brown eyes warmed. “How was I named?”
“You were named after your dad’s dog, Huckleberry.”
“Good,” he said. “What’s the square root of 1,020?”
All right. Her mind was coming back. “Approximately 31.937.”
The tension slowly left his face. “You’re okay.”
She swallowed and looked at his bloody shirt. “Were you shot?”
“Yeah,” he said shortly. “I’m fine.”
Her entire body hurt. She looked down at her hands, which were both bandaged. “I scraped the ice.”
“Yes. You took off a couple of your nails. You did good. You fought well.”
“Not well enough. Where’s Zeke? Is he in custody?”
Huck shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I let him get away. I’m sorry.”
She stared at him. He looked exhausted, and his hair had dried curly, standing up on end. Bruises mottled his face, and blood was quite evident on his light T-shirt. “I think you were probably saving my life.” Her chest ached.
“You swallowed a lot of the water.”
She looked around the darkened room. “Do I have any permanent lung damage?”
“It’s too early to tell,” he said, “but since your brain is fine, I assume your lungs are, too.”
She liked that logic. “I see.” She took a deep breath and looked down. Somehow, she already knew. “The baby?” Then she looked in his eyes.
“No,” he said. “I’m sorry.” His voice cracked at the end.
Surprising tears filled her eyes. Could she have fought harder?
“It’s okay.” He leaned in and pulled her against the left side of his shirt as if trying to keep the blood off her.