A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(117)

Still, they were so close, her adrenaline kicked in. Then he stopped and pointed two fingers down the mountain. A cabin, barely visible in the moonlight, sat to the side of a small clearing.

Thanking God for the full moon, she fought to fill her burning lungs and slow her pulse. She looked at Levi as he studied the terrain. His magnificent profile against the snow-covered backdrop made her ache more than the run did.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice hoarse.

She frowned and followed his gaze to the clearing. “Don’t what?”

He reached out, grabbed the front of her jacket, and pulled her close. She stumbled against him and put her palms on his chest for balance.

The fog of their breaths mingled as he looked down at her. As he ran a gloved thumb over her mouth. As he bent closer, his gaze locked onto hers like a predator. “We have to get down this mountain, and we have to do it fast.”

“Okay.”

“And if you keep looking at me like I’m some kind of hero, you’re going to be very disappointed in the long run.”

“I don’t think so.”

He held her chin to study her face, then asked, “Ready?”

She nodded, but Quincy’s voice invaded the moment. “Are you guys making out?”

They were using a short-range in-ear comm set. She gritted her teeth. “What part of radio silence—”

“We have eyes,” he said.

They both turned and looked at the clearing. Price was just emerging from a tree line, heading for the cabin.

“Fuck,” Levi said, and he pulled Sun down the mountain.

They half ran and half fell. Sliding through huge drifts of snow, they landed on the side opposite of Price and Sybil. She could only pray he didn’t see them.

“She can’t get a shot,” he said, peering around the side of a stack of firewood.

She looked around him. He was right. There was no way Zee could take the shot. He had Sybil draped over him. “Son of a bitch,” she said. “Ideas?”

“You’re the idea person,” he said. “I’m more of a ‘let’s get in front of him and blow him away’ kind of guy.”

“We have to get her away from him.”

“Agreed.”

She drew in a deep breath, her stomach raw from all the acid pumping into it. “I have an idea. Zee, stay sharp.”

“Always,” she said, her voice as calm as the breeze on a summer’s day. She was already in the zone, centering the crosshairs on her mark, slowing her pulse.

She explained her plan, then said, “He’s got to be exhausted. I’ll get her away from him. You just make sure he doesn’t make it into the cabin with her should I fail.”

“Don’t fail,” Levi said.

She looked at his profile again, studied it, a mere shadow in the dark.

“Don’t,” he whispered as Price got closer.

The man was groaning, straining against the weight of the fourteen-year-old over his shoulders and the resistance of the snow at his feet.

They realized she was awake. Her whimpers drifted over the snow.

“Levi,” she whispered.

He reached back and took her gloved hand into his.

“If I do fail,” she started, her voice as quiet as the snow, but he turned to glare at her before she could finish. She shook her head, determined. “If I do fail, will you take care of her?”

They both knew she wasn’t talking about Sybil.

It took him a long moment to answer. When he finally did, he echoed Zee’s sentiment when he said, “Always.”

She nodded and ducked behind the woodpile as Levi slid onto the porch of the cabin from the back and slunk around to the front to head Price off.

Price started to take the first step when she realized he was carrying a hunting knife in one hand, and she almost lost her nerve. He could do so much damage to Sybil in such a short amount of time with that knife, but she had no choice.

She eased from behind the woodpile just as his foot landed on the first rung of the steps. That was Levi’s cue, and he played his part beautifully.

“Can I ask what you’re doing here?”

The plan was to make Price think Levi owned the cabin and was in residence.

Not expecting company, Price stumbled back in surprise. It was the opening she needed. She rushed him from the side, grabbed hold of Sybil, and pulled with every ounce of strength she had.

At the same time, Levi shot off the porch and, while Sun did succeed in getting Sybil away from him, she also succeeded in allowing Price to get a firm hold of her instead.

Before Levi could get to them, in a move startlingly quick, Price had his arms around her and the knife at her throat. A knife that was longer than her forearm.

“Back!” He gave Levi a warning glare as he dragged her backward.

Levi slid to a stop a few feet from them and raised his hands.

“I will slice her fucking throat so fast she won’t even know it until she sees her blood spraying onto your face.”

“Price,” she said, her voice calm.

He was beginning to unravel. All his plans spoiled.

“This would have worked if that idiot Redding had won the fucking election,” he said. He laughed helplessly. “Oh, my god, that man was so stupid.”

“Can I ask your real name?”