Brynn landed face-first in the snow, unable to catch herself with her tied hands. She flipped over and scooted away from the thrashing men. Alex was on Darrin’s chest, his hands around the murderer’s throat. Where was the gun? Brynn wildly scanned the snow and couldn’t see it. The cord at her wrists gave an inch and she yanked harder.
Darrin’s fist connected with Alex’s jaw, jolting him off balance. The men rolled, and Darrin ended up on top. Until Alex’s knee connected with his crotch. Darrin grunted, lost his grip, and Alex scuttled out from under him. From a crouch, Darrin sprang at Alex and knocked him on his back.
Brynn gasped. “Alex!”
Alex’s foot hung over the cliff’s edge. He thrust with his other foot and heaved away from the drop-off. Fists and snow flew. Curses and grunts filled the air.
Brynn saw Kiana raise her head. Thank God! The dog had been immobile since Darrin’s kick. Brynn struggled with her hands and felt the cord slide another inch.
“I’m gonna drown you like I drowned your retard brother!”
Brynn looked up and her heart stopped. Darrin had maneuvered the struggle back to the cliff’s edge. On his back, Alex’s shoulder dangerously bordered the rim.
“Fuck!” Flinging his legs up and shoving with his arms, Alex propelled Darrin headfirst over the edge toward the river. The killer screamed.
“Alex!” Brynn shrieked as Alex flopped on his stomach and grasped at the snow to keep from tumbling off the edge. He caught his balance and twisted to look over the ledge at the water. Alex lay transfixed for three seconds. He shot to his feet and his silver gaze appraised her. “Are you OK?”
Brynn nodded, her heart racing.
“I’ll be back.” Alex dashed downstream.
Alex fixated on the bobbing head in the river as he floundered along the bank. Darrin vanished and reappeared. Alex pushed hard, his lungs straining for air. Ahead, a tree had fallen partway into the river. If Darrin could catch it…
The rough water swept the man under the trunk.
“Damn it!”
Alex slid to a stop. Why’d he run after the man? Panting, he rested his hands on his knees. Because he was better than Besand. He couldn’t be a cold-blooded killer; it wouldn’t bring his brother back. And death was too easy for the murderer. He deserved a lifetime behind bars.
Color flashed on the other side of the tree trunk in the water. Alex squinted.
Darrin had caught a branch.
Alex jogged to the tree, pulled off his snowshoes and coat, and climbed onto the trunk. Darrin clung to a thin branch, his legs pointing downstream, his eyes wide. On frozen hands and knees Alex crawled out over the river. The tree sloped down at a thirty-degree angle into the water. He felt like he was about to tumble headfirst. It was like crawling on a narrow, rounded sheet of ice covered in snow. The tree vibrated with the pounding of the river and shook as debris caught in its underwater branches.
Holy Christ.
He inched forward, and his right knee slid. He sucked in a fast breath then righted, found a solid grip, and continued to creep forward inch by inch.
He stopped above Darrin’s branch and straddled the tree. He leaned forward, laying his chest on the trunk, and stretched out his right hand, anchoring himself with a branch in his left hand. Darrin clung to the branch with both hands, immersed in the water up to his armpits, and stared at Alex’s hand.
“Grab it, damn it! I’ll pull you in.” His knees tightened on the trunk like he was riding a horse. “Grab my hand!” His left hand slid a millimeter, and he tightened his hold. Darrin’s white fingers moved stiffly on his branch. His face was pale, his lips blue. He was running out of time. His limbs would soon be useless.
If they weren’t already.
“Now!” With a jerk, he stretched out his hand another half inch, feeling his shoulder protest. One of Darrin’s hands unclawed from the branch and pawed uselessly. Alex grabbed it. It was like grabbing ice. Slick, wet, and frozen.
“Now, hang on! Pull yourself up the branch while I pull!” Alex gave a steady long heave. Darrin tried to get some leverage on the branch to drag himself closer. The water pulled at his body, weaving him from side to side, trying to drag him away. Agony struck Alex’s right shoulder and his arm ripped from its socket. “Fuck!” Pain shot nails down to his hand. “Pull up! Pull yourself up!”
Darrin focused on Alex’s shoulder. Alex followed his gaze and saw the outline of his right deltoid muscle showed a deep notch where it should arc. The arm was useless. A gleam narrowed the killer’s eyes. He sucked in a breath, let go of his branch, and hauled on Alex’s arm with all his weight.
Alex’s anchoring hand slipped off its branch. He flailed about for a grip as Darrin shrieked with laughter.
Strong arms wrapped around Alex’s waist. “Shake him off,” Brynn shouted in his ear. Alex shook his head.
“I can’t move my arm!”
From behind, Brynn shifted him and Alex grabbed a secure branch. He exhaled, his heart ready to pound its way out of his chest. He felt Brynn slide toward Darrin. “Brynn! What are—”
Brynn swung her boot down on the killer’s grip. At the impact, pain ripped through Alex’s arm and he bit down on his lip.
Darrin let go.
The water ripped the killer downstream. Alex held his breath and watched Darrin vanish under the surface. He counted to ten. Come up, you bastard! Darrin didn’t reappear.
Brynn tightened her arms around Alex and rested her head against his back. “It’s OK, you tried.”
Damn it.
Slowly Brynn inched backward, keeping one arm around Alex’s waist. She tuned out the rush of the water, concentrating on the man in front of her.
She took a shuddering breath. She’d almost lost him.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked over his shoulder.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“You came out over the water.”
Quivers rattled down her spine. “You needed me. Now, careful, I’m gonna hop off onto the bank. I’ll help you down. Watch your arm.” His arm dangled uselessly, looking longer than the other. Shit. She couldn’t reset it alone.
Alex awkwardly climbed off the tree and pulled her close with his good arm. “I thought you were dead. I didn’t think I’d get to you in time.” He pressed his face into her hair.
Brynn leaned into his chest, her arms sliding up around his neck, the horrors of the past hours melting away. Nothing else mattered. She was safe. Darrin was gone.
“He was going to pull you into the water,” her voice cracked.
She felt a rumble in his chest. “I thought I was a goner. Thank God…”
He lifted his head and ran a hand down her face, pushing back her hair, gazing ferociously into her eyes. “I didn’t think we were going to have a chance.”
Warmth spread through her. “We do now.”
He smiled, and her heart contracted at the sight. His smiles were so rare. I want to see more of them, a lot more. Her arms tightened about his neck. He winced. She stepped back. “Your arm. I forgot.”
“I don’t care. Touch me again,” he begged, eyes sparkling.
She reached up and held his face, the stubble rough to her hands. Gently she tugged his face to hers and kissed him.
His mouth was soft and warm, and she wanted more of his heat. She moved closer, and he deepened the kiss. This was what she wanted, what she needed. He stopped to catch his breath and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. “Brynn,” he whispered. Tears pricked at tenderness in his voice.
“Helloooo! Alex! Brynn!”
“That’s Jim!” Brynn turned at the shouts and Alex mumbled a low curse. “Over here!” she yelled back.
Alex pulled her back to face him. “We’re not done here. Agreed?”
Happiness sparked through her, and she gave him a wide smile. “Not by a long shot.”
“Brynn!” Jim hollered again as he and Thomas stepped into view. Thomas had Kiana in his arms. Brynn met them halfway, burying Jim in a long, deep hug. “Thank God you’re OK,” he said. She turned to Thomas and rubbed Kiana’s head.
“Is she all right?”
Thomas nodded. “Bullet grazed her. She’s lost some blood, but I think she’ll be fine. Not real happy about me carrying her.” Kiana thrashed in his arms, and he gently set her down. Brynn threw her arms around him, and he patted her awkwardly on the back.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Jim and Alex were speaking in low tones as Jim assessed his shoulder.
“Where’s Besand?” Thomas asked.
“Dead. He went under in the water.” Brynn shuddered at the memory of the insane man’s eyes as he floated away.
“Good,” Thomas said ominously. His face brightened slightly. “And Liam’s gonna be fine. Has a big knot on the back of his head and was pretty chilled, but he’ll live. Matt’s playing nursemaid to all three guys.”
“Thank goodness,” Brynn breathed guiltily. How had she forgotten about Liam? “Alex’s shoulder is out of joint. Can you help me put it back?” The big man nodded.
She met Alex’s powerful gaze as they joined him and Jim. Her limbs went weak. How would she have lived without him?
Thomas spread his parka on the ground. “Lie down,” he ordered Alex.
Alex eyed the coat. “This is gonna hurt, isn’t it?”
“Just for a second.”
“Fuck.” Alex obeyed.
“Use his jacket to make a U around his ribs,” Thomas instructed her. “Pull both sleeves toward you. It’s got to keep him from moving while I pull on his right arm.” Brynn nodded. She knew the drill.
“Never seen this done before,” Alex muttered. “Except in Lethal Weapon, when Mel slams his shoulder against the wall.”
“Just hang on for a minute,” Brynn soothed him.
Thomas gently bent Alex’s elbow so that his fingers pointed at the sky. He pulled out firmly on his elbow then rotated his arm like he was guiding him to throw a baseball. Alex gasped and clenched his jaw. The notch at the shoulder didn’t change. Behind Brynn, Jim swore softly.
“Gotta do it again,” Thomas muttered. He wiped a hand across his forehead.
Brynn nodded, pulling firmly on the sleeves to keep Alex from sliding toward Thomas’s pull on his arm. Thomas did the overhand pitching movement again and Brynn heard a thunk as the bone slid into the socket. A gruesome sound.
“Ahh,” Alex exhaled, his face relaxing. “God! That’s better.”
“You’re gonna hurt tonight.” Thomas repositioned Alex’s arm across his chest. “I need something to rig him a sling.”
Jim ripped open his jacket. “I’ve got on an extra shirt.” He dropped his jacket and pulled a long-sleeved thermal over his head. Brynn slid the parka out from under Alex while Thomas tied the shirt around his arm and fastened it at his neck.
“That’ll do.”
“Thanks, man.” Alex held out a hand, and Thomas pulled him up to his feet.
Brynn wrapped Alex’s coat around him and rested her head on his chest. “Ready to head back?”
Alex kissed the top of her head. “I’m ready for anything as long as you’re with me.”
Brynn fought back tears. Happy tears.
Jim spoke up, “Anyone else hear a chopper?”