Free Stranded with the SEAL by Amy Gamet Page B

runaway?”
    Trevor hurried back to the snowmobile. “Negative.”
    “Fuck.” The man sighed heavily. “This is not good. I’ll leave the utility gate open for you and Johnson. Park the snowmobiles off-site, sleep in the galley, and try again in the morning.”
    “Copy that.” Trevor moved back to the edge of the cliff, but it was impossible to see how far down it went or what had become of Gallant. At least Hawk had gotten the snowmobile and radio, even if the other man had managed to escape.
    Hawk took off his skis and bungeed them to the snowmobile as his mind repeated the man on the walkie-talkie.
    Utility gate.
    Sleep in the galley.
    Johnson.
    These were Steele’s men, and they were looking for someone.
    Any sign of our runaway?
    One of the women Steele was holding must have managed to escape. A gust of icy wind blew through the trees and he hoped the woman was able to find shelter. Without it, she wouldn’t survive long enough to find freedom or be recaptured.
    The thought reminded him of Olivia.
    If you had a shred of decency, you’d put her on the snowmobile with you and take her back to Denton in the morning, where she belongs.
    The thought made him still.
    He would have enough gas to make it down the mountain, but not enough to make it back up, and refueling now would bring attention to himself. Hell, even finding a place for Olivia to stay would do that, effectively squashing his plans to kill Steele.
    You could take Olivia to Denton, then come back and rescue the women. You just wouldn’t be able to kill Steele.
    Ralph’s killer would go free.
    He ground his teeth and started the engine, carefully winding his way back to the cabin in the moonlight. He couldn’t do it. He didn’t know if that made him a better man or a worse one.
    There had to be payback, had to be revenge. He couldn’t let Ralph die in vain, Ralph’s child grow up without a father while Steele continued on with business as usual.

17
    T revor had been gone too long , and it was nearly dark outside. What if he couldn’t find his way back without the chimney smoke to guide him? Olivia paced the living room, questioning whether or not she should go after him. Getting herself lost on this mountain wasn’t going to help anyone, and she was damn sure she didn’t know how to ski.
    She lit a candle and made her way to the bedroom. Opening the closet, she flipped through coats, jackets, and snow pants. Nearly everything here belonged to a man, though she supposed she could wear something too big if she had to.
    Suddenly, she froze, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She was overwhelmed by the sensation that she was being watched, and wished she’d thought to close the drapes. Forcing her hand to move, she continued to flip hangers.
    What if the snowmobile guy got away from Trevor, and now he’s come back for me?
    Or maybe it is Trevor.
    No. Trevor wouldn’t be peeking in through the window.
    Her heart was racing and a high-pitched hum invaded her hearing. This was fight or flight, with nowhere to go and nothing to fight with.
    Think, Olivia. Think.
    Damn it, where had she put that knife? Her mind flew through the cabin, looking for anything that could help her. Another kitchen knife, but they were too far away. A metal shovel that had caught her eye in the garage, also too far.
    The baseball bat under the bed.
    She closed her eyes, seeing it clearly in her memory. A good ol’ Louisville Slugger that was never intended for sports.
    The slightest noise at the window confirmed her suspicions. Someone was out there, she was certain. Fear made her limbs stiff and difficult to move. If she was going to do this, she had one chance to do it right.
    One, two, three!
    Olivia blew out her candle and spun around, the room thrown into darkness. She dropped to the ground and crawled to the bed, making her way around it by feel and wishing her eyes would adjust so she could see. Sure enough, her hand closed around the barrel of a baseball