by Nicole James
Vano ran his hand through his hair. “She’s around somewhere. She’ll turn up. She’s got no car.”
Skin turned back to Weasel. “You find her yet?”
“Bingo.”
“Where is she?”
“Not in town, that’s for sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Give me a second, this map’s hard to see.” He put his thumb and forefinger on the screen and enlarged the area, zooming in on the flashing red dot. He snickered. “This app for finding your cell phone” —he paused to look at Vano—“or in this case your sister’s cell phone, is cool as hell. Good thing Skin made you download it to her phone when she wasn’t looking.”
“Just tell me where the hell she is!”
“I’m trying to read it. The type’s pretty damn small. She’s in this green area outside of town. National Monument Park, near one of the campgrounds. Hey, this thing’s pretty damn accurate. How ‘bout that?”
“That remains to be seen. We gotta find her first.” Skin grabbed Vano by the shirt and shook him. “You better pray we find her!”
“What would she be doing up there?” Weasel asked Vano.
“Hell, I don’t know. Maybe she’s out there with that guy from Brothers Ink. She’ll come back. What are you so upset about?”
“Because we got product coming in tomorrow, and I don’t want any surprises. I don’t trust her. I like to keep tabs on people I don’t trust. I like to know where all the players in the game are, and if she goes to the cops, we could be walking into a trap tomorrow, and I ain’t going back to prison.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Skin and Weasel drove slowly up into the east entrance of the park, climbing higher and higher. The two-lane road wound precariously with sheer drops on the right and views that went on for miles.
Skin parked the van, sat behind the wheel, and stared out at the trail, barely visible in the darkness. The cockeyed sign that read campsites pointed to the right. Dawn was starting to lighten the horizon. He glanced over at Weasel. “This it?”
Weasel pulled up the tracker on the screen of his phone. They both watched the pinging of the signal that proved she was close.
Skin shut the engine off. “Let’s go.”
“Shit, I told you I ain’t goin’ out there in the dark. There are mountain lions up here. Fuck that.”
Skin leaned forward and opened the glove box, pulling out a handgun. He drew the slide back, chambered a round, and then shouldered his door open. “Come on you fucking pussy.”
Weasel cursed, shoved his door open, and climbed out. He followed Skin down the trail.
***
Liam felt the warm lush skin of Velvet’s naked body snuggle up against him, and he smiled even before he cracked his eyes open. His hand stroked up her back, then down to squeeze her amazing ass. She rubbed against him, and his dick hardened. Seems anytime she was near, it came to life; having her naked against him was really getting its attention. The warmth of the sleeping bag and tent was like a wonderful cocoon against the chill of the morning.
“I have to pee,” Velvet whispered.
Liam chuckled, his chest bouncing her head. “Now? I was just about to roll you over and do all sorts off sinfully decadent things to you.”
“You’ll have to wait a few minutes.” She wiggled out of the bag, put his flannel shirt on over her bare breasts, and slid into her jeans and boots.
Liam rose up on an elbow, grabbed the back of her neck, and hauled her down for a quick kiss before releasing her. “Hurry back, babe.”
She crawled to the exit, and Liam lay down; his eyes drifting shut, only to pop open again when she stuck her head back through the opening in the tent. “You know, some coffee would be amazing.”
“Damn, you’re a demanding wench first thing in the morning,” he grumbled.
“Pleaseeee.” She gave him an entreating smile, and with her tousled hair, she’d never looked more appealing.
“I’ll see what I can do, beautiful.”
She blew him a kiss and left.
Liam stretched, then pulled his jeans on and slipped his thermal shirt over his head. He yanked on his boots and emerged from the tent. The edge of the horizon was a light purple with just a tinge of pink. It reflected across the cloudy sky like a watercolor painting. He never got tired of the beauty of the Grand Valley.
Moving to the remains of the fire, he squatted down to poke at the smoldering embers with a stick and then tossed some kindling on top. With a squirt from the small can of lighter fluid he’d brought, it flared to life. He piled on some medium size branches and soon the fire was crackling and licking the wood with flames of orange.
He dug in the pack he’d brought for the small fry pan and a blue enamel coffee mug. He uncapped a water bottle and poured some in the pan, then set it on top of the logs to boil. Then he dug out a piece of cotton cheesecloth and put it over the cup, making a well and securing it to the rim with a rubber band. He dug out a baggie of coffee grounds, inhaling the rich aroma, and shook a portion into the well of the cloth.
The water in the shallow pan was soon boiling. He grabbed a glove from inside the pack and used it as an oven mitt to pull the pan from the fire. After letting it cool for a minute, he poured it carefully over the grounds until the cup was almost full. Setting the pan back in the fire with some more water, he took the cloth off the cup and brought it to his lips. Grinning, he murmured, “McGyver, you got nothin’ on me.”
***
Velvet squatted down to pee. It was quiet with not even the call of a bird, nothing but the sound of the wind howling up the mountain. She felt a prickle on the back of her neck and the feeling that someone was watching her snaked up her spine like cold fingers.
She’d trudged a good ways from the tent, and now she was regretting going that distance. Quickly tugging her pants back up, she searched through the pines for the orange of the tent. Craning her neck, a small bit of the bright colored nylon fabric became visible in the distance.
She took a few steps and was grabbed from behind. As she sucked in a breath, a hand clamped over her mouth and the cold steel of a gun barrel pressed to her temple.
“Stay quiet or I’ll blow your fucking brains out, Velvet,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
Skin! What the hell was he doing up here?
She heard a quiet snicker from behind her off to her left. Skin wasn’t alone. That had to be his partner in crime, Weasel. The two were joined at the hip.
“Not a sound. You understand me?” Skin growled.
She nodded her head, her mouth still clamped tight in his hold.
“You come up here with your new boyfriend, huh? Did you give that pussy of yours to him?”
She was afraid to answer, so she didn’t move.
“From now on, ain’t nobody gonna be touching that pussy but me. And I’m gonna kill that motherfucker for touching what’s mine.”
Velvet’s stomach dropped at the thought of Liam. She didn’t want him hurt. She’d do anything to prevent it. She whimpered behind his hand.
“Told you, not a fucking sound!” he hissed, shaking her.
She nodded, frantic to appease him.
“Maybe I’ll fuck you right here, right now,” Skin whispered, grinding his pelvis into her ass.
He was getting off on tormenting her with his threats. She could feel his erection and it sickened her.
“That dude’s gonna come,” Weasel whined softly. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Shut up,” Skin snapped in a low growl. His attention returned to Velvet and his mouth pressed against the shell of her ear. “Did you tell him? Did you tell your fucking boyfriend what you know?”
She shook her head.
“I’m not stupid. I know you’ve been snooping around. You think I don’t know?” Then he pushed her forward toward the campsite.
***
Liam eyed the horizon again and wondered what was taking Velvet so long. He stood as the cracking o
f a twig sounded behind him. “I was just gonna come look—“
He broke off as he turned and found himself staring at a shaking, terrified Velvet, her neck in the headlock of a scary, tattooed skinhead who was holding a gun to her head.
“I saved you the trouble. Here she is,” he said with a sneer.
A chuckle brought Liam’s eyes to the weasely dude standing to the guy’s left. He had ‘side-kick’ written all over him, from the way he stood a step back, to his weaponless hands, to the way his nervous gaze kept shifting to the man with the gun.
Liam dismissed him as not being much of a threat and returned his attention to the man holding Velvet.
“What do you want, Skin?” Velvet whispered.
Liam’s eyes narrowed. She knew him. These two had to be the ex-cons working for Vano. She’d been right to be afraid of them.
Liam immediately began to assess the list of weapons he had within reach: the knife in his pack, the pan of boiling water on the fire, the stack of wood, and maybe even the can of lighter fluid.
“You shouldn’t have taken off, my little honey-pot.”
“I’m not your honey-pot. I’m not your anything,” Velvet insisted in a hiss.
“Oh, just you wait.” He stroked the muzzle of the gun along her cheek. “You and me are going to be spending a lot of time together.”
Hot rage ran through Liam’s veins. He wanted to tear this guy limb from limb.
Velvet took that moment to fling her head back, smashing it into Skin’s nose. He staggered, releasing her to grab his face. Weasel stood stock still, staring at the blood pouring from Skin’s nose and mouth as Velvet darted toward Liam.
Liam grabbed the hot pan and flung it. The scalding water splattered over Skin’s face, and the red-hot pan hit the side of Weasel’s. Both howled in pain.
Liam didn’t waste a second. He slung his pack over his shoulder and grabbed Velvet by the hand. They ran from the campsite, down the slope toward the ridge. It was rocky-going in the dim light. They headed toward the rim that overlooked the valley.
The branches of Juniper trees tore at their arms. Velvet slid on the loose rock, but Liam tightened his grip on her hand, keeping her on her feet. They hurried on. Liam frantically studied the landscape. He and his brothers had been up here many times; he knew there was a way down to his right, if he could just find it. There were many dangers in the park—snakes, big cats, scorpions even, but right now the biggest threat to their lives were the men he could hear pursuing them. Weasel was cursing and both were making a lot of noise.
Liam found the rock outcropping he’d been searching for, the one he remembered finding as a boy. It had an overhanging formation and a hidden recessed area beneath it. It was steep and dangerous to get down to, but if they could get under it, perhaps they could evade the men. Liam was resourceful and determined to protect Velvet at all costs, but they were out gunned, and he knew their best bet was to hide, not to run.
He turned to Velvet as the sound of the men pursuing them got closer. “This is steep. Hold on tight to me.”
She nodded and clung to his arm. He slid a few feet down on the loose rock and climbed into the small cave, Velvet right behind him. Below them was a steep slope. Off to the left was sheer rock. The only way in and out was to the right.
Liam put his finger to his mouth, and Velvet nodded, going completely silent. He slipped the pack quietly from his shoulder and dug his hunting knife out. It wasn’t the wisest thing to bring a knife to a gunfight, but it was all he had. He only hoped the men would either become completely disoriented and get lost or lose their trail. They waited quietly, barely breathing. Liam swore silently when he heard voices approaching.
“Which way did they go?”
“I don’t know, dipshit. Look for ‘em. They’re here somewhere.”
“Fuck, that’s a long way down.”
Liam glanced at Velvet who was looking up and then at him with wide eyes. The men were right above them on the rocky outcropping. He pointed up, and she nodded.
“My face is blistering. Fuck it hurts,” Weasel whined. “Let’s go back.”
“We’re not fucking going back. I’m gonna kill that motherfucker, and then I’m gonna fuck that bitch right here on the ground.” Skin’s voice sounded strange with his broken nose.
“You’re bleedin’ bad, Skin. Let’s just go back. We can get them when they get to their truck.”
“I said no.”
They heard the sound of loose rock scratching across the ground. A couple of stones dropped over the edge and sailed past the cave opening toward the bottom of the canyon.
“Fuck, I almost fucking fell! They ain’t here, Skin. Let’s go back. It’s steep as hell. I don’t want to fall off this fucking rim.”
“I thought you had guts.”
“Yeah, and I’d like to keep them in my body, not splattered all over the canyon floor.”
“Shut up, dickhead. I think they’re down there.”
“Where?”
Liam felt a tug on his sleeve and looked at Velvet. She was bug-eyed and pointing. It was still dim light, but he could see the outline of the big cat, off to the right of them about twenty yards. The mountain lion stared right at him, and Liam could only imagine it believed it had its breakfast cornered in the small cave, but Liam knew there wasn’t much room on this ledge, and as the cat eyed the ground below, he hoped it was realizing it would be a dangerous jump if it lost its footing.
There was a sound above them, and the cat’s gaze shifted to the men up on the rocky outcropping. It sniffed the air. Liam supposed it smelled all that blood that was probably pouring from Skin’s busted nose. He watched the cat closely and said a silent prayer, tightening his grip on the knife. Apparently the animal decided the men above would be a much easier catch, and it bound toward them, leaping with ease. It went out of sight, sailing above them with a growl he knew he’d never forget.
Blood-curdling screams and the shuffling of feet filled the air. A clattering sound hit the rocks and they watched the handgun fly over the edge of the cliff.
The screaming continued, and the sounds of struggle carried through the morning air. There was a thud, and Weasel tumble over the edge, falling past them to certain death. His terrified scream ended with a distant thump.
Liam peered over the edge to see the broken body lying on the canyon floor.
The screams above them cut off with a gurgling sound and then the sound of a thick body against dirt and rocks grew softer in the distance. The cat must’ve been dragging his prey into the trees.
Liam was armed with nothing but that knife, but he couldn’t let that man, no matter how much he deserved it, be eaten alive by that cat. He moved to the sloping rock and took a few steps out of the cave, peering over the outcropping. He was in time to see the cat dragging Skin’s lifeless body backward, the man’s jugular torn open. As he watched the man’s legs disappear into the vegetation, he knew there was no hope of saving him.
Liam moved back into the cave. He had to get Velvet to safety in case the cat came back.
She stood with her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight, stroking her head. “It’s over. You’re okay.” He held her for what seemed like a long time, but was probably in reality only a few moments. When he relaxed his hold, she looked up at him.
“Are they dead?”
He cupped her face and nodded. “We have to save ourselves, babe. There’s nothing we can do for them. We need to get out of here. Are you going to be okay?”
She shook her head. She was panicking, he realized; the men, the sheer drop, the terrifying cat, it was all too much. He understood why this strong, tough girl of his was having a hard time holding it together; anyone would.
“We’ll find a route up,” he assured her. He dug in his pack and pulled out a length of rope. “I’m gonna tie the rope to you and then secure it to me. The terrain is steep, and if you look down it can be scary, so don’t.”
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“You’re freaking me out.”
He quickly tied the rope around his waist and then hers, yanking the knot tight with a jerk. “Babe, I don’t want you to start worrying too much; I want you to concentrate on what you’re doing. Watch your footing and hang onto me.”
“Liam—“
“Velvet, you have to trust me. You have no choice.”
“I trust you.”
“Ok, sweetheart, let’s do this. Follow my exact steps, and you’ll be good. Stay on the mossy parts, that way you won’t slip on loose rock.”
She did as he told her, and he’d never been prouder of her. They made it back up the slope to more level ground. Moving to the right, giving that cat a wide berth, wherever it was, he led her toward the campground.
They jogged the whole way, making it to where the truck and tent were.
When Velvet made a beeline for the truck, Liam brought her up short and grabbed her face. “Baby, I know you want to get out of here, but we’ve got to take everything with us—every trace of evidence we’ve been here. I don’t want anything tying us to those two men’s deaths.
She nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”
He jerked the rope off them. “Come on, we need to move quickly.”
They gathered everything and loaded it all.
“Get in the truck, Velvet.”
She did as he ordered while he grabbed a small shovel out of the truck bed and buried the fire over with dirt. He tossed the shovel into the back and jumped behind the wheel to turn the truck out onto the road. Once on the pavement, he returned, grabbed up a branch and rubbed out the tire tracks and any footprints as he backed his way to the pavement. Tossing the branch aside, he stared at the site. All that went through his head was that there are a dozen mistakes made at any crime scene. He knew he and Velvet had committed no crime, but he didn’t want them to be connected to this shit in any way. He jumped behind the wheel and high-tailed it out of there.
The cab of the truck was filled with tense silence as they descended down Rim Rock Road. He studied Velvet. She seemed about as shell-shocked as he was, and he knew he had to take charge of this. “Here’s what we have to do…”
