“Yeah. Ashton can drive if he’s more used to the conditions.” At least Hunter hoped so.
Rourke scowled as if Hunter had unmanned him. “No one can get ‘used’ to these conditions.”
Tessa handed him an armful of blankets for the trip, and Rourke carried them out to his truck.
“Cara, you and Rourke ride with Ashton. He’ll lead the way.” Hunter turned to Meara. “You and Tessa will ride with me.”
“Why two vehicles?” Cara asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if we all stayed together in the SUV?”
“If one of us has trouble, the other can pick up the stranded passengers. Let’s go.” The way things had been going since they had arrived here, he had hopes for the best, but planned for the worst.
Shingles on the ridge of the roof flew off, and Tessa rushed to lock the front door. Then she and the others climbed into their respective vehicles.
Once they were on the road, Hunter hoped Rourke’s truck would hug the road better with Ashton driving it.
“What are you going to do about our pack?” Meara stretched out on the middle seat, covered in blankets with a pillow underneath her head.
“Force them to leave the city. Either they’ll return with us or they’ll have to go elsewhere. Staying in Portland is not an alternative.”
But only three miles from Tessa’s house, Ashton slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching, the taillights coloring the snow cherry. The vehicle slid perpendicular to the road.
“Oh, oh,” Tessa gasped.
His skin prickling, Hunter pumped the brakes and tried to avoid colliding with Rourke’s truck. Tessa gripped her seat. The SUV slid to a halt. Rourke’s pickup tore off the road, plowing into saplings down the steep incline.
“They’ll be all right,” Hunter said, his voice gruffer than he intended. At least he prayed they were all right. He cut the engine. “Stay here.”
Tessa pulled on her parka. “You might need my help.”
Not only did he not want her to see what had happened in case anyone had died, he didn’t want her injured. Hunter grabbed her hand and shook his head, his look meant to make her obey. “Stay, Tessa. They’ll be all right. We heal quickly, remember? If you become injured, we might not be able to get you any medical attention for some time. So stay.” All he needed was for her to get hurt. No way was he going to permit it.
She pursed her lips, and then gave him a tight nod. He wanted to reassure her further, but time was of the essence and despite her noticeable reluctance, he was glad she’d listened to him.
Meara poked her head out from under the covers in the backseat. “What now?”
“Rourke’s truck went off the road.” The fact no one hollered up the hill to let them know everyone was all right furthered his disquiet.
“Oh, I’m coming with you.” Meara jerked on her jacket, hat, and gloves. He could use his sister’s help no doubt, although he hated to leave Tessa behind by herself.
She folded her arms and looked cross, her eyes narrowed, her brows pinched, a real hellion.
Hunter patted her leg, trying to reassure her. In a heartbeat, he would have taken her with him, except for the potential danger, and he really didn’t want her to see the wreck if any of them hadn’t survived. “We’ll be right back.”
He opened the driver’s door and the frigid winds blasted him.
“Rockslide? What next. I told you we should have gone to the city to live or at least stayed in California where it’s not so wet and cold,” Meara grouched, then slammed the door behind her.
This was their home, for better or for worse. Hell, the forest fires were worse. Hunter closed his door, gave one last long look at Tessa, still feeling she was safer locked in the vehicle, and then at a rush, he and Meara headed across the road and down the hill.
Tessa rubbed her hands together. Now that the SUV’s heater was off, the chilled wind quickly cooled the interior of the vehicle. She watched where Hunter and Meara vanished. This is ridiculous. She wasn’t a fragile piece of glass that could break with the slightest motion. With her brother, she had hiked and climbed every trail into the wilderness and… well, this was just nonsense.
She buttoned her parka. Why should she stay in the car while everyone else was helping out?
She yanked on her ski cap.
Just because they could heal fast, Hunter thought she could never do anything, just to avoid being injured?She jerked on one glove, then the other. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw lights approaching from behind, glowing softly in the curtain of blowing snow. What if the driver didn’t realize the danger ahead? Tessa dove back into the SUV and looked for the hazard lights button. Where the hell is it? There! She switched it on.
Glancing over the seat, she watched as the light blue pickup parked about twenty feet behind Hunter’s vehicle. She shivered from the cold.
The truck’s engine remained running. She waited, looking back in the direction Hunter and Meara had gone. Rubbing her gloved hands, she warmed her chilled fingers. Come on, come on, Hunter.
She sat on her hands and looked out the back window. The occupants of the truck didn’t make a move. Did they think she was going somewhere, and they were waiting for her to do so? She climbed out of the SUV and shut the door. Stomping her boots to warm her feet, she shoved her hands in her pockets and stared at the tinted windows of the truck. Come on. Get out of your vehicle and either ask to assist, or turn around and leave.
The truck inched forward and slipped on the ice and snow. She waved her arms, trying to tell them to go back the way they came. All Hunter would need was to have this truck plow into his vehicle. Then where would they be?
The truck stopped again. Tessa glanced back at the trees Rourke’s truck had plowed down. Hell. She had to help them. Hunter and Meara were taking too long. She turned around to look at the pickup. Fine. She would go to them.
She stalked toward them and slipped, nearly falling. Heat suffused every pore. She slowed her step to keep her footing, but halfway to the pickup, her spine tingled with apprehension. No matter that the air was frigid, her hands felt sweaty and her skin perspired.
Fearing the motorist was silly. After all that had happened to her concerning the stalker, she was becoming paranoid. But no matter how much she rationalized her fear, she still couldn’t move. The driver could get out and ask her what the matter was. That’s what froze her in place. If it was a woman, surely she wouldn’t fear another woman. Which made Tessa worry the driver was someone more sinister.
The truck continued to idle, its exhaust leaving a wake of frosty smoke in its path. Fine.
“A rock slide’s blocked the road,” she hollered, motioning to the road ahead.
The driver didn’t respond.
She whipped around, figuring she had done as much as she could to warn the idiot. Now it was high time she helped Hunter. She slipped on the ice-covered snow and nearly fell, her arms flailing to keep her balance. One of the pickup’s doors opened. Another shiver stole up her spine. She didn’t look back. Unable to shake free of the fear that gripped her, she walked as quickly as she could in the direction where Rourke’s vehicle had disappeared, her heart racing faster than she could move.
Then running footfalls behind her, crunching on the crusted snow, warned her of the danger. Her heart in her throat, she tried to run, slipped, and landed on her butt. The person behind her was nearly at her back. Hoping her fear was unfounded, she turned. The man’s ski-mask-covered face loomed in front of her before his fist slugged her in the forehead. She fell backward. Cried out. Knew at once this was the stalker. Had to be. And she was in a hell of a lot of trouble.
Amber eyes peered at her from the black knit mask. His lips turned up and she screamed, just before he clamped his gloved hand over her mouth and yanked her up from the road.
The truck inched closer. There were at least two of them. She tried to knee him in the groin, but he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.
She screamed, “Hunter! Help!”
“Tessa!” was the reply from down the hill.
He was too far away. Too deep in the ravine to come to her rescue. She struggled so hard against the man, squirming to get loose, he fell on his backside. Scrambling to her feet, she managed to jerk her arm free from his iron grip. The driver’s door flew open and the one behind it, too.
Ohmigod, how many were there?
She dashed away from the truck and slipped on the ice, falling on her knees. Pain shrieked through her kneecaps.
“Get her, damn it,” the man on the ground growled.
She jumped to her feet and took a step, but one of the men grabbed her arm, spun her around, and hit her in the cheek. Her vision blackened. She was doomed if she didn’t do something—and quick.
Using her knee, she gave a hard, short jab to the man’s groin. He dropped to his knees, clutching his crotch, swearing.
The first man seized her arm and dragged her toward the truck. She dug in her heels and tried to jerk free. With as quick a move as she could manage, she slipped her right leg in front of him, and he tripped and fell.
And pulled her down with him.
“Get in the damned truck!” the one yelled, who she had hopefully maimed for life.
She noticed then, the third man was standing next to the truck still, his leg in a cast. Thank god he couldn’t help them.
A wolf howled, and then another. Her hope soared, Hunter would come to her rescue. The injured man ran with his hands clutching his crotch at a fast limp toward his truck, cursing violently. The other was behind him and jumped into the driver’s seat. He shut the door as three wolves raced by Tessa and slammed their bodies into the truck, snarling and clawing. She was damned glad they were on her side.
Before she could react, the driver drove forward, ready to run over anyone in his path while he tried to turn the vehicle around. A new flood of adrenaline rushed through her.
With her heart in her throat, Tessa scrambled to her feet and dove off the road into the woods. Tumbling down the steep incline, she smashed into trees until she slammed into a giant fir. Upon impact with her right side, the breath whooshed out of her. Up above on the road, the truck roared off. Beyond the pain she was in, she prayed Hunter and the others hadn’t been injured.