“You know, Lauren, I’m starting to think you have a thing for Tanner,” Oliver says, and her expression hardens.

  “Well, it seems to me that you have a thing for Cybil,” she snaps. “You’re always looking at her and standing up for her.”

  “Here we go again,” he says, cutting her off. “Like I’ve told you before, it’s called being a good person. I’m not interested in Cybil.” Then he turns his back on her and slips inside their tent, with her quickly diving in after him. The two of them start to argue like they’re in a room with four walls rather than a fabric tent. I look around and see Jacob and Parker both staring at Oliver and Lauren’s tent with wide eyes as they shout about me, while Grant is nudging Avery, attempting to get her to look away.

  “Maverick is going to ride up with Blake,” Tanner says as he steps out of the woods. “Since we’re staying here tonight, they’re going to do a sweep of the area to see if they can find who fired the shots and let them know people are camping here. But since we haven’t heard another shot, my guess is they already left the area.”

  “Have you heard shots fired out here before when you’ve been on a guided trip?” I ask, wrapping my arms around my waist, and his gaze comes to me, his jaw hardening as he takes me in.

  “It’s not abnormal . . .” His words trail off when Lauren emerges from the tent and screams at him.

  “Tanner, I want to go home!”

  “Lauren.” Oliver scampers out behind her. “If you leave, we’re over. I’m not doing this anymore.”

  Spinning to face him, she shakes her head. “That’s not fair.”

  “What’s not fair is you continuing to try to start drama, then getting mad when I point it out.”

  “I’m not starting drama. I’m asking questions.” She throws her hands into the air. “We paid for this trip to grow closer as a couple. We didn’t pay for this trip so Cybil and Tanner could spend a week sneaking off and hooking up.”

  “Tanner and I are not sneaking off and hooking up,” I say in my defense, unsure if that’s a lie or not, because we did share a kiss this morning after sneaking off, but I don’t think either of us planned on that kiss. At least I know I didn’t.

  “Right, your lips are totally swollen.” Lauren rolls her eyes, and I instantly touch my fingers to my mouth and notice that my lips do feel tender.

  “I don’t mind if Tanner and Cybil are hooking up,” Avery says, winking at me, and my cheeks instantly warm.

  “We don’t care either,” Jacob inserts, and I find him and Parker both sharing the same smug look.

  “I don’t mind, either, Cybil,” Oliver says softly while Lauren huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Though I appreciate all your approval, whatever happens between Cybil and me is not up for discussion, as it has no effect on me doing my job or you getting what you need from this trip,” Tanner says, then locks eyes with Lauren. “If you want to leave, Maverick and Blake will take you back to the lodge when they leave. That said, I think you need to think about why you agreed to come on this trip and consider Oliver’s feelings. He obviously wants you here, so maybe you should put all your energy into working through things with him.”

  He pulls his gaze off her and looks to everyone. “Now, I know this morning has been crazy, but everyone still needs to get dressed, gather firewood, and have breakfast. We have a four-mile hike down to the river today, and when we get there, each couple will need to catch at least two fish, clean them, and have them ready for dinner.”

  “What?” I feel the color drain from my face while nausea turns my stomach. I might be able to fish, as long as I don’t have to touch any worms and I get to let the fish go, but there’s no way I’ll be able to kill or clean a fish.

  “I know you don’t eat meat, so I’ll show you different berries and mushrooms you can forage for.”

  “Thank God.” I sigh in relief, and he grins at me before glancing toward everyone.

  “Get dressed, then hit the woods. We need more firewood if we’re going to eat breakfast, and Blake and Maverick will be here in the next thirty minutes.”

  As everyone heads into their tents, I walk toward Tanner, and he turns his full attention on me. Once I’m standing toe to toe with him, I shake my head. “Now I see why you need to go off radar for a few days after one of these trips. Is it always this exciting?”

  “Not normally.” His gaze drops to my mouth, and his lips tip up. “But I’m not complaining about this trip.”

  “Stop.” I laugh, shoving his shoulder before I start toward the woods. “We need to go gather firewood.”

  “Is that code for ‘I want to sneak off with you and make out’?” he asks, following on my heels.

  “No, it’s code for ‘I’m hungry,’” I say, then gasp when he takes my hand and spins me to face him.

  “So you don’t want to kiss me again?” he asks, his warm breath brushing against my lips while my fingertips dig into his biceps.

  “I guess one more kiss won’t hurt,” I whisper, looking into his eyes, sure that I’ll never get enough of his mouth on mine.

  Chapter 9

  CYBIL

  Lost. I’m so freaking lost I spin in a circle as fear causes tears to burn the back of my throat. Tanner told me to stick to the tree line near the shore, so it’s my fault for not paying attention to my surroundings as I wandered with my eyes to the ground, foraging like he taught me to. Stopping in place, I close my eyes and try to listen for the sound of the group, hoping I can hear Lauren arguing with Oliver or Parker and Jacob joking about which one of them is going to catch the bigger fish. Hearing nothing but the sound of birds and squirrels running through the trees, I tip my head back and open my eyes. Through the canopy of trees above me, I notice the sky between the branches is starting to disappear as storm clouds roll in.

  “You’ve got this. Just pick a direction.” I look around again, then decide to use the ever-efficient “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” tactic to help me choose which way I should go. I can’t use the branch-in-the-ground trick Tanner taught us, not that it would do much good right now if I did know how, because I don’t know what direction the river is and the trees are blocking out most of the sun. I spin in circles, stopping at four points; then, when I get to the “You are not it” part of the rhyme, I head to the left, since my hand is pointing in that direction.

  I stop every once in a while to listen out for anyone who might be calling my name, but each time, I’m disappointed and even more freaked out when I don’t hear anything but the sound of my own panting breaths and nature.

  Needing a moment to think about what I should do, I lean against a tree and take a drink of water as I look around. With the light dimming and rain beginning to fall, I know it’s going to get a lot colder pretty soon, so if I don’t come across anyone, I’m going to have to find a way to make a shelter for the night. Letting my head fall back against the tree behind me, I drag in a few deep breaths.

  I know that freaking out is not going to help me right now, and neither is crying, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to do both those things.

  Lifting my head when I hear a noise that sounds like someone is in pain or crying, I scan the area around me, trying to figure out where the noise came from. When I hear a deep whine, I bolt to my feet, and that’s when my heart seems to stutter inside my chest. No more than fifteen feet away is a mound of what I think is dirt at first, but I soon realize it’s a large elk with a huge rack sprawled out on the forest floor. Its chest is barely moving as it makes a sound I never want to hear again in my life.

  Keeping to the trees, I tiptoe, trying to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to startle it, because I know that an animal in pain will lash out at anyone it perceives as a threat. Once I’m a few feet away on the opposite side of the huge animal, I peek around a tree and swallow hard when I see he has two very noticeable injuries—one just before his hind leg and another on his neck. Both of them are turning his brown fur a deep almost-black color. Not sure what to do, but knowing I can’t help him on my own, I scan the area, trying to decide which way I should go for help.

  I must make a noise, or he must smell me, because I hear him grunt and then turn to see him try to stand, only to give up and sprawl out once more. My heart pounds as I run from tree to tree, wanting to keep something solid between him and me as I make my way away from him slowly.

  “Fucking finally,” I hear a man say over the pounding of blood through my ears, and my heart soars in relief, thinking that I’ve been found. But then the next statements make my heart stop and my stomach sink. “I’ve never had to chase an elk this far or this long.”

  “Well, we found him. Now we need to finish him off, cut him up, and get the hell out of here before someone comes across us,” another man replies as the sound of branches breaking getting closer makes me dizzy.

  “No one’s out here. We don’t have anything to worry about,” yet another voice grumbles as the rain begins to fall harder.

  “Let’s get this done,” the third voice says, and in the next moment, my body jerks as a loud gunshot ricochets through the trees surrounding me.

  Covering my mouth, I bite my palm to fight the sob that climbs up my throat while hot tears stream down my cheeks. When the three men start to talk about how they’re going to skin the elk and carry it and its rack out of the area after dark, I know I need to get away. I peek around the tree and find the three older men all dressed in camo unpacking a bag of knives and other supplies.

  As I listen to them talk, it becomes obvious they don’t want to be caught doing what they’re doing, so I really don’t want them to find me out here. With them distracted, I begin to move from tree to tree, putting space between them and me while trying to be quiet—something that is almost impossible with the debris littering the now-slippery forest floor.

  “Cybil!”

  Hearing what sounds like Tanner shouting my name, I freeze and close my eyes. Minutes ago, I would have cried in relief hearing my name, but now? Now, I don’t know what to do or how to react. I don’t want to draw attention to myself, not with the guys and the elk still so close, but I also don’t want Tanner to stumble across them. When my name is shouted again, I peek around the tree to where the three men were, and my heart drops into my stomach when I see they’re gone, but the elk is still there.

  I glance around, wondering where they could have gone, then remember they are dressed to blend in with the environment, which makes them better suited for hiding. Unlike me, in my bright-red plaid shirt that sticks out like a sore thumb. Knowing I can’t stand behind this tree forever, I listen for my name, then run in that direction as fast as I can go, yelling Tanner’s name at the top of my lungs. I know it’s stupid to make myself a moving target, but I want him to stop coming my way. When I finally spot him and our eyes lock, relief fills his expression before concern makes his brows dart together.

  “Cybil.”

  “Oh God.” I plow into him, my voice hoarse and my throat dry, making it almost impossible to speak. “W-we need to . . . to run.”

  “What’s going on?” He wraps his arms around me, and I try to wiggle free from his tight embrace when all I want to do is curl into his hold and pretend the last few hours never happened.

  “Run. Please,” I pant, then scream when a gunshot sounds and a tree a few feet away from us splinters as it’s hit with a blast.

  “Fuck.” He shoves me to the ground and comes down on top of me, causing all the air in my lungs to leave in a rush. “What the fuck?” His arms curl around the top of my head before he somehow manages to move us both behind the trunk of a tree. “Talk to me,” he orders, crouching down in front of me, sounding firm but calm as his gaze locks with mine.

  “Th-three g-guys killed an elk. I . . . I don’t think they were supposed to. Th-they didn’t know I was there until I ran to you.”

  “All right, baby,” he says soothingly as he smooths my hair away from my face. “I need you to listen to me.” Nodding, because I’m attempting to focus on breathing and slowing my racing heart, I see his face soften. “We’re going to keep low to the ground and move from tree to tree until we reach the edge of the river, then stick to the tree line until we come across the four-wheeler. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” I say, and he leans in, quickly touching his lips to mine before he grabs my hand and scans the area around us. “You won’t be able to see them. They’re all wearing camo.”

  “Got it.” He gives my fingers a squeeze. “On the count of three, run for that tree.” He points at one about ten feet away, then counts down with his fingers, and we both take off. When we make it without being shot at, he points at another tree, then another, and before I know it, the glorious sound of rushing water greets my ears, causing relief to fill me. “Don’t let your guard down, sunshine,” he orders without sparing me a glance, then points to another tree and another until the river comes into view. As we start to move to the right instead of forward, I keep an eye out for the four-wheeler, praying it’s not much farther. “There it is.”

  A fresh wave of adrenaline blasts through my system, making me shake when I see what he’s pointing at, and I look around before he lowers me to sit with my back against the tree. “What now?”

  Crouching down in front of me once more, he takes my face between his large palms. “I’m going to do a quick search of the area. I don’t think they followed us. I think that shot they fired was a warning to get us out of there, but I want to be sure, because once we’re on the four-wheeler, we’re going to be out in the open.”

  “Are you saying you’re leaving me?” I grab hold of his wrist and lock on to him with all my strength. “Don’t do that. We can—”

  “The four-wheeler is going to be our best option to get us to safety quickly,” he says, cutting me off, and I wonder how he can be so calm right now. “I need you to trust me, sunshine.”

  I do trust him, but this isn’t him getting me up the side of a mountain. This is me trusting that he won’t get shot while leaving me behind to cower behind a tree. “I do trust you, but what if you’re wrong? What if they’re still following us and they see you?”

  “They won’t see me.” He smiles like he thinks my comment is adorable. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He forces me to let him go, touches the tip of my nose with his finger, then disappears like he’s gone up in smoke.

  Letting my eyes close, I listen for anything out of the ordinary, but with the water just in front of me, it’s difficult to distinguish between sounds. As the minutes pass, my hands start to shake. I’ve never felt more anxious in my life than I do right now. When I hear a branch break nearby, my eyes shoot open, and I roll to my knees and peek around the tree first on one side, then the other, not seeing anything. Then a hand wraps around my mouth from behind, cutting off the scream climbing up my throat.

  Panicking, I start to rip at the arm holding me but then still when a deep voice rumbles “It’s me” against my ear.

  “Tanner.” I spin around to face him, and when I see it’s really him, I wrap my arms around his middle. “Oh God, don’t ever leave me again.”

  “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re okay.” He runs his hand over the back of my head as he holds the side of my face against his chest.

  “Are . . . are the guys gone?”

  “I didn’t see them, and there were no tracks following us.” He stands and takes my hand, pulling me to my feet. Once I’m standing in front of him, he pushes me back against the tree and presses his body flush against mine. “Now I need you to hold it together for just a few more minutes while we run for the four-wheeler. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good girl.” He kisses me hard and fast, then leans back, giving me a look that makes me feel warm before he takes my hand, and we both run for the four-wheeler.

  Chapter 10

  TANNER

  Even with Cybil tucked against my back with her arms wrapped tight around my waist, I have to keep reminding myself that she is safe. I fucked up. She shouldn’t have been able to wander so far away from where we were fishing, but I let Oliver and Lauren’s drama distract me. When I realized she was gone and that she wasn’t within shouting distance, I called Maverick and told him to come down on the four-wheeler and hike with the group back to camp.

  Not surprisingly, everyone but Lauren wanted to help with the search, but I knew I’d be better off tracking Cybil on my own. She hadn’t been gone out of sight long; I just needed to be able to focus on locating her. Now, given the circumstances, I’m glad I followed my gut. If she’s right about what she witnessed, then the men who shot at us were poachers, illegally hunting bull elk, which if caught could lead to prison time and a fine of up to $20,000. Most men wouldn’t take the risk, but there are some who don’t believe the rules apply to them, especially when getting a bull elk tag during hunting season is like winning the lotto.

  “I’m going to stop at the clearing just ahead and call Maverick,” I shout over the engine, and I feel her nod against my back as her arms tighten around my waist.

  When I get to the small clearing about twenty minutes from camp, I set the engine to idle and grab the satellite phone out of my pack, wait for a signal to show up, and quickly call Mav. I let him know I’ve got Cybil and tell him what went down so he can call the warden along with the police and have them meet us at the campsite tonight.

  By the time I hang up, Cybil’s body behind me has begun to shake. Lifting my shirt, I place her frozen hands against my stomach, then pull my shirt down before I take off. I know she’s cold, and the fact that her clothes are soaked isn’t helping. I’m also sure she’s about to crash, and when that happens, I want her to be somewhere safe. As we pull into camp, all eyes come to us, but I ignore everyone standing around the fire. I don’t even acknowledge them as they start to ask questions. Without a word, I turn and drag Cybil onto my lap before I get off with her and carry her toward our tent.

  “Cops and warden are on the way up,” Maverick says, stepping forward to unzip the tent. “It shouldn’t be long.” He turns his attention to Cybil. “You okay, sweetheart?”