Blind Trust (13 page)

Crack
.

The woman appeared as Renee pushed her upward.

“Brought a rope,” I heard a male voice say. Evan appeared right in
front of me.

“What are
you
doing here?”

He grabbed one of the lady’s hands and helped me haul her up.
“Husband was frantic, said she was pregnant.” He grunted as he attached the
harness around her upper body. “Called for a different rope.”

Brave and completely insane, that’s what this kid was.

“Get her going,” I told him. “Go.”

He disappeared back into the trees as his weight sent the branch
he’d only just stepped off, hurtling down into the ever darkening abyss below.

“Renee,” I called. “You getting your butt out here?”

Crack.

“Coming,” she muttered, looking up at me. “Had to free my foot.”

Her hand came up through the gap and I gripped hold of it. “You
free now?”

She nodded.

Crack.

The branch underneath my foot gave way. I lurched to the side. I
had to use the car itself to stop from swinging into the air.

Bad move.

The groaning grew louder. I yanked Renee up into the air. She
wrapped herself around me.

The car gave way.

I pushed off the breaking wood beneath my left foot, praying I
could swing us out of the way before the whole copse of trees came crashing
down onto us.

Hanging in midair, reaching, grasping.

Got it.

I caught hold of a tree branch jutting out and hoped it was
staying put. It did. The momentum sent us out onto the snow on the other side.
We hit the rock face with a breath-stealing thud.

Renee’s rope flopped into my face. We both stared at the torn end,
panting.

“Aeron, you’re too heavy with the both of us,” she said.

I gripped hold of her like my life depended on it. “Don’t even
think about it.”

“Aeron—”

“Aeron nothin’.” I gripped hold of the tiny ledge of rock under my
fingers and dug my boot into the snow. “Get this into your head, Black. I ain’t
leaving you, I ain’t letting nothin’ hurt you, and I ain’t gonna let you give
up hope.”

I adjusted myself so I was pretty much giving her a piggy back as
I started to climb up the sheer face.

“I don’t give a crap if it’s been written in stone that you ain’t
gonna make it,” I told her. “You are gonna be a crazy old woman living by the
river with an even crazier buddy for company.”

She squeezed me tighter. “You’re too—”

“Nobody,” I grunted, pulling us up an overhang, “is more important
than anybody else.”

Renee clung to me. Her warmth, the effort, making sweat drip off
the end of my nose.

“But . . . you have to help people.”

My hand slipped as a rock crumbled under my grip. My shoulder
slammed into the hard surface.

Ouch.

My side was already screaming at me from the first impact and I
tried to suck in my breaths. It was getting colder, the air heavier and I knew
somewhere overhead was that hanging guillotine of debris.

“Helping people won’t mean nothin’ if I ain’t proud of my actions
today.”

I managed to pull us up over another ledge. There was enough room
to stand and rest.

“Besides,” I said. “If I ain’t got my trusty protector. It’s not
so much fun.”

“Goofball,” Renee whispered in my ear. Her voice wobbled as she
cried, her tears were warm against my good shoulder.

I didn’t say nothing. I was too busy trying to suck in my breaths.
The pain in my side was getting worse and I could barely breathe. If I told
her, she wouldn’t let me carry her the rest of the way and I
was
carrying her out of there.

“Aeron?” came a call from somewhere up top. It was Evan’s voice.
“Aeron, are you two okay?”

“Down here!” Renee called up. “Stuck on a ledge.”

I heard him relay the information to the guys above him.

“The rope snapped,” he called down to us. “We thought we’d lost
you.”

You will if you don’t move your butt and help,
I thought.

The air was like breathing in liquid. I coughed, trying to clear
my lungs. A rope swung down before Evan’s face appeared above us.

“Whole thing is gonna come down now,” he said. “Boys are going to
winch you both in.”

Renee took the rope and clambered off my back. Her absence made me
shiver with the cold, then bite back the sharp dagger in my ribs.

“All clear,” he shouted up and the rope hauled me upward, Renee
keeping a beady eye on me.

“Ribs?” she asked.

I nodded.

“How bad?”

“Like someone impaled me on a sword.”

The snow glowed an eerie blue in the moonlight as we inched up the
side. I didn’t realize just how far we’d gone down and I sent up a silent thank
you that I hadn’t had to climb the whole way up.

At the top, several hands appeared and hoisted both me and Renee
up the last of the incline. I collapsed into a heap, gulping in the night air,
and gripped my side. Renee’s hands made quick work of untangling me from the
rope and undoing my jacket.

“Hold still,” she said.

I howled as she touched a sore spot. “Definitely broken at least
two, maybe three ribs.” 

“Take a deep breath,” she instructed.

I tried and coughed, then winced, then yelped.

“Lungs sound clear,” she mumbled to herself and started pressing
her hands on my stomach. “Nothing seems too badly hit.” She looked up at Evan
who was standing beside us. “Anyone got a flashlight?”

Before I knew it, she had one and was flashing it in my eyes. She
grabbed the medical kit without bothering to pretend she didn’t know exactly
what she was doing.

“No sign of concussion.”

“Then get me to a shower,
Doc
.” My eyes met hers as I tried
to remind her she was not meant to be a commander in public. “I’ll be fine
after some warmth and a change of clothes.”

At this, I was hoisted to my feet by the rescue team and stuck in
the trailer on the back of the ATV. Renee got in beside me. It was only then
that I realized the guys were all cheering and laughing.

Renee shrugged at me. “Not quite sure how you managed that,
Lorelei.”

“How is the couple?” I asked Mark who was grinning at me from up
front.

“Pretty banged up,” he called back. “Wife looks like she could be
in labor, took her up to the field hospital.”

“Your doctor good with stuff like that?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Mark answered. “Pretty much delivered most of the kids in
St. Jude’s.”

I looked at Renee who smiled and I knew she had me blushing all
over again.

“Thank goodness for that, huh?” I said, trying to wave off my dumb
reaction.

“What?” I asked.

She sat there with a big grin on her face and an aura pinker than
the sunset had been.

“What?” I frowned. I felt like my cheeks were on fire.

“I was just thinking,” she said, her eyes scanning every inch of
my face. “You just rescued two people and me in snowy conditions.”

Her pride filled her eyes. “Not bad, Lorelei . . .” she murmured,
her voice dropping to an almost inaudible level. “I’ll make a protection
officer out of you yet.”

Chapter 14

IT SEEMED LIKE the whole town was on the main street waiting for
us as we got helped out of the trailer. I tried not to cuss or yelp as our
intrepid helpers touched a sore spot. I was still having real trouble breathing
properly and was looking forward to a warm shower. The folks around us had
other plans.

“The Ice Cooler!” they shouted as Renee and I got jostled along to
the only dedicated bar in town. “Drinks for the heroes!”

I looked at Renee. I
never
drank. I’d tried it only once
and learned pretty fast that empaths, well at least me, and liquor don’t mix.
The last thing these poor folk needed was for me to lose my inhibitions and
loosen up my tongue.

“Nothing but water or soda for Aeron,” Renee objected. “She’s got
some strong pain medication in her.”

A pitiful “ah,” came back from the gathered group and it made me
laugh. It got me thinking it was a good thing they didn’t know what kinda
mayhem I would cause.

“Tequila for Doctor Llys,” one of the men called out.

The instant I heard his voice, my hackles rose. I turned to look
at him. He was the kinda guy that normally came in packs complete with pool
cue, plaid shirt, and trucker cap. His grin made me want to insert the beer
nuts up his nose and there ain’t many people that provoked that reaction.

“It’s fine,” Renee whispered my way. “One thing with being a
doctor,
I can drink my weight in alcohol.”

“I’d be happier if you kept your brain cells, Doc.”

Renee raised her eyebrows at me, studying me like she always did
when trying to figure out what was going on inside my head.

“He’s a creep,” I told her, not really sure why my need to throw
things at the guy was growing.

He swaggered over to us like some cowboy in a movie and Renee’s
hand on my arm did nothing to ease the tension rippling through me.

“I’ve had experience with them,” she said, amusement in her eyes.
“It’s okay.”

“Let’s just go get Zack and head back to the cabin.” I hoped she
would leave before the guy got to us but Renee stood her ground.

His pearly whites were on show as he held out his hand to her. I
got the urge to remove them.

“Brad Jewel,” he stated. “I heard a lot about
you Miss Llys . . . is it?”

Renee nodded and I folded my arms. He lifted his eyes up and up
until he reached mine.

I gave him the look that said, “Do anything dumb and I’ll put your
head through the bar.”

He gave me a confident smile but his aura said, “Hell, you’re
huge.”

I flexed a bicep just to confirm his suspicions. 

“Yes,” Renee said, casting a thoughtful glance at me. “This is
Aeron. It’s nice to meet you Mr. Jewel.”

“Oh, call me Brad.” There was that grin again. “You like tequila?”

“I’m more of a Bordeaux lover,” Renee answered and I was surprised
it was the truth. “But I don’t mind a shot every now and again.”

Brad laughed. I clenched my fists. Renee nudged my hip with her
shoulder as she took up a stool. Never in my life had I gotten the urge to
pummel another human being just by looking at them.

The guy was a bit creepy, sure, but he wasn’t doing anything wrong
by offering Renee a drink. What the heck was wrong with me?

“I heard that you were quite the heroine this afternoon,” he
continued, ignoring my glaring at him. “Did you get hurt?”

His eyebrows furrowed as though he were deeply concerned. If it
had been sincere, it would still have bugged me but the fact that his energy
was saying that he was anything but concerned, prickled at my senses.

“She’s just fine,” I snapped, flexing my fingers to stop from
making a fist.

“I didn’t ask you,” he shot back.

I scowled. I was just about to drag his butt outside when Renee
touched my arm.

“Don’t mind Aeron,” she said, looking at him. “We’ve been through
a lot the last couple of days and she likes to make sure that I’m okay.” She
squeezed my arm gently. “Habit from where we
work.”

“And where is that?” he asked, leaning in closer. “
She
looks like prison material.”

Another squeeze on my arm. She could squeeze all she liked. If he
kept this up I was going to wipe the smug grin off his face.

“
Aeron
is the head guard in the institution we work in.”

Head guard? I looked at her in a way I knew said “huh?” because
she almost laughed.

“She’s wonderful at her job too.” Her eyes lingered on mine for a
moment.

She was finding this way too funny. I didn’t get why I was mad and
knowing she found it amusing made me madder.

“So you’re a doctor?” he purred as Renee took the tequila and
knocked it back in one. She didn’t even wince or nothing. “What kind?”

“Psychiatry,” she answered. “And what do you do?”

“I own the local truck company,” he said, looking very pleased
with himself. “And I own the best hotel in town, not to mention this place.”

“Best hotel?” I spat out my words, starting to feel my legs shake.
Maybe my ribs were making me mad? “Don’t see yours putting up a hospital.”

He glared at me and Renee’s brow dipped. No doubt she was confused
with my mood. Her and me both.

“Why don’t you go find somebody to arm wrestle with.” Brad said
with a sneer. “Let me and the doctor here talk?”

Another tequila was placed on the bar as he raised his hand to
signal. I knew I was close to smacking him clean off the stool, too close.

Mark wandered over, saving him. His grin was wide and welcoming as
he slapped me on the shoulder.

“You met Brad?” His eyes twinkled as he looked at me, then he
turned to Brad while thumbing in my direction. “She’s a damn fine woman.
Couldn’t have gotten that couple out if it wasn’t for her.”

“Isn’t that wonderful,” Brad muttered.

It sure as heck wasn’t genuine and the glint in his eyes made me
think he was going to stick Renee over his shoulder and beat his chest.

I looked at Renee for support and caught that dark thought process
rumbling on. If she pretended to entertain this chump and not stick up for me
then I would never speak to her again and whatever was lurking in her past
couldn’t hurt me. So that’s what she was up to.

“If you do that, I’ll be mad,” I whispered. “But I ain’t buying it
for a second.”

Her lips twitched at the edges and her aura rippled like it did
when she laughed. She didn’t need to say the words out loud ’cause the twinkle in
her eyes said it for her. “
Freaky, that’s what you are, Freaky.”

“What is all the whispering about, ladies?” Brad muscled in
further, trying to draw attention back to himself. “To heroes?” he said,
lifting up the second tequila.

I stared at the glass then looked away, knowing that no matter how
adrenaline fuelled I felt, Renee was capable of making her own choices. Who was
I to tell her what to do?

Renee placed two fingers over the top of the glass and shook her
head, flashing me smiley eyes. “We’re going to have a seat over there for Aeron
to have her drink.” She stood up. “Two sodas please.”

The bartender nodded and set about his task while Brad’s smile
slid from his face. A frown deeper than the snowdrifts outside appeared.

“Come on, Doctor.” He looked like he was attempting to contort his
face into a puppy dog look. Shame it looked more like he was chewing on a
rattlesnake. “You’ll have a much better time with me.”

Renee took the offered sodas and nodded to me. “Corner booth,” she
said as she walked past me. I looked at Brad and managed to resist the urge to
poke my tongue out at him.
Hah, take that, you creep.

He looked like he wanted to ram my head through the bar now but I
didn’t care. In fact, I half wanted him to try it.

“Well,” Renee said as we took up a seat opposite each other. “I’ve
seen a lot of your moods but
that
was a new one.”

I shrugged, staring down at my glass. “It’s new on me too.”
Goodness knew what she thought of my behavior. I weren’t like that, ever.

“The guy bugged me,” I mumbled, watching the fizzy bubbles popping
at me. I rubbed the back of my neck. “Maybe I’m getting cranky?”

Renee chuckled and I looked up. She gazed at me delighted. I had
no idea why. Delighted certainly wasn’t what I deserved.

“He was a creep,” she said, leaning across and taking my hand.
“You were getting protective.”

I looked down at her hand on mine. The flashes of her pain
subsided enough for me to push them away. “So I wasn’t out of line?”

Renee rubbed the top of my hand. She had deep grazes on her knuckles.
“Not out of line at all. It saved me having to listen to his life’s
accomplishments.”

“But you could have wanted to,” I said, wanting to heal those
cuts, wanting to take away the pain in her past. “Who am I to just assume—”

“You
know
I didn’t want to. We’ve had that conversation.”
She squeezed my hand and let go. “You were looking out for me and I appreciate
it, so quit brooding.” Her smile warmed her face, her cheeks rosy now we’d come
in from the cold. “Now, how are those ribs? You look a bit more human.”

I rubbed my side. “I need a shower.”

Her smile faded. “Aeron, if you think I’m letting you heal—”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t heal me.”

“How do you know?”

Renee sipped her soda as I recounted my weird life to her. “When I
first got to the institution. Doctor Bison, the guy you replaced, hated me.”

That was putting it lightly and Renee’s wry smile showed she knew
that. “So I recall.”

“Yeah. Well, he locked me in the showers with a fury-fiend called
Eva.” I rubbed my hand over my thigh, a scar was still there. “She had a shiv.”

Renee’s eyes widened and the panic in them made me smile.

“Relax,
Doc
,” I said. “I’m still here.”

She gripped her glass. “But now I know why you have a four-inch
scar on your leg.”

I took a sip of my soda, trying to avoid the concerned look.
“Ended up in a heap in the showers. I sure as shoots didn’t heal then.”

“How did you survive it?” she asked. I didn’t know why she was
still worried but it made me feel better. “You could have bled to death.”

“Dumb luck.”

Renee raised her eyebrows. “Explain.”

“Eva slipped on my blood and impaled herself on her own shiv.”

Renee lifted her eyebrows.

I nodded. “Don’t forget I was a weed back then and half the height
I am now.” I sipped on my Coke. It felt like a whole other life now but somehow
it still rubbed me raw. “So the fact I walked out of there and she didn’t, made
me look all kinds of scary to the others.”

Renee nodded but the question danced in her eyes. “I’m still not
sure how you survived the wound to your thigh.”

“Tied my drawstring from my pants around it, and before you say
it, Bison was
hoping
that I would use it.” I smiled. “Should have seen
the ol’ loser’s face when I was the one still breathing.”

“He should be facing justice for what he did,” Renee stated. “That
man did terrible things to you all.”

“Don’t forget that you once locked me in the yard with the
fury-fiends as punishment,” I reminded her. “First session too.”

“That was through fear,” Renee said, her guilt circling her. “I
thought you were . . .” She stopped and that dark cloud started to roll over
her aura. “You didn’t realize what you said.”

I took her hand this time. “Why don’t you stay here with me?”

Renee frowned and I knew she was trying to follow my thread.

“Stay here in St. Jude’s.” I squeezed her hand. “You, me, and
Zack. You don’t have to face your past if you hide out here with me.” I leaned
forward, hoping that she would at least consider it. “No one knows where we
are.”

Renee held my gaze, a million thoughts seemed to whirl around her.
They rolled across her eyes like thunderclouds. Her aura swayed, filled, then
dimmed as she sighed.

“It’s tempting, Aeron.” With her free hand, she ran a slender
finger along the rim of her glass. “But my past will find me wherever I go and
the CIG is even more astute.”

“Then quit and stay here.” If she did, it would solve all her
problems. No one would need to know and we could forge a happier life, a
peaceful one.

“Aeron, Zack can’t stay here with you either.” She tried to smile
but the sadness poured through her eyes toward me like cold river water. “There
are procedures to adopting children and with your record—”

“Which got wiped.” At least it would when Sam was officially
convicted. The wonderful state of Missouri wanted to be sure I had no part in
any of it first.

“Even so,” Renee whispered. I didn’t know why she was bothering,
in here it was noisier than the avalanche. “They are not going to let a child
live with a woman who spent a decade inside a mental institution.”