“He’s right,” Roman said. “You do get bitchy when you’re stressed.”
“The fact that we have cell service but no GPS location is something to be stressed about.” Everly started walking again, headed toward some ruffled snow that would most likely turn out to be an animal’s dinner spot. “I should never have brought Ian on board. Should have told him to take that bodyguard job so his brain could turn to mush.”
“He’s a big boy,” Roman said. “He can make his own decisions. And he’s been in situations way worse than this and survived.”
“You’d better not ream him for sleeping with Savannah if we find them alive,” she told Roman. “You live in a glass house, buddy.”
“Excuse me?”
His irritated tone only added fuel to Everly’s frustration. She stopped hiking, flipped her night vision up, and pinned Roman with a look. “Gianna?”
He hesitated a split second too long, and Everly knew the rumor was true.
He lifted his own night vision. “What about Gianna?”
“Like I said, glass houses.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “And you’d better not spread rumors—”
She laughed. “No need. Everyone already knows.”
Everly looked at Liam, and Roman cut a glance at the other man.
Liam shrugged. “I didn’t hear any rumor, but I figured…”
“Why?” Roman demanded. “Why would anyone figure something like that?”
“Because the attraction between you two is palpable.” Everly flipped her night vision down and continued toward the disturbed snow. “Don’t punish Ian for doing something you’re too chicken to go for.”
“You’re fired.” Roman pulled his night vision into place and continued searching the snow with an irritated “As soon as we find them.”
“Right. Like the last twenty times you’ve fired me.” Everly neared the uneven patch of snow that turned out to be more of a depression. Her intuition pulsed, shooting tingles down her neck. She picked up her pace. “Got something here.”
It was a hole in the snow. A big hole. Way too big for any of the small animals in the area to make. She tipped the night vision out of the way and shone a flashlight down the hole. The sight of black metal made her heart skip. Her spirits soared.
“This is it. They dug out.” Everly was breathless with relief. If Ian had gotten Savannah out of this, he surely would have found shelter, even if he had to build a damn igloo.
She turned off the light and unsnapped her snowshoes, then she shuffled down the hole. Scanning the interior, she could see signs of what had occurred. “They’re hurt—there’s blood on the seats and windows. They found supplies in the back. They took blankets, flashlights, and weapons.”
Though there was no sign of where they might have headed.
By the time Everly made her way to the surface again, Roman had already pinpointed the closest campground, one that also had cabins. “Let’s go.”
18
Ian pressed another kiss to Savannah’s soft hair. Before Savannah, it had been forever since he’d shared a bed with a woman—at least once the sex was over. And he had to be honest, it felt amazing to have Savannah sleeping in his arms, even if it was fully clothed. It was way too cold to sleep naked with no auxiliary heat source.
He had no way of telling time, b
ut he’d guess it was around two a.m. They still had a lot of night left, and it was obvious the GPS on his watch was shot. As soon as dawn hinted through the window, they’d have to get on the move again. It had been snowing nonstop through the evening and into the night. He doubted there had been any trace of what direction they’d gone by the time the team had found their location. Which meant Ian was going to have to get Savannah out of this on his own.
Savannah had said there was a tiny town about twenty miles up the road. The thought of dodging cops for another twenty miles in this weather, with this knee, was bad enough. The thought of dragging Savannah along, risking her health and safety, made his gut knot. If he knew she’d be safe in the cabin, he’d leave her there, but once the cops found their escape tunnel, every location with any kind of shelter would be raided.
He tossed around more ideas, but none had a positive risk ratio. There should be at least one forest service building between here and the town. It would have landlines. Maybe they wouldn’t have to go the whole twenty miles. But could he risk it? She didn’t have the muscle mass he did to generate warmth—
Light flashed through a window, and every cell in Ian’s body came alert. His fingers curled around the grip of his Glock where it lay on his stomach. He eased away from Savannah, sat up, and pushed his feet into his boots. The cold stole his breath.
He moved to the window that looked toward the road leading to the cabins. Headlights came at them. An SUV. Jeep by the look of it. The problem was that both Everly’s SUV and the deputies’ cruisers were Jeeps.