Chilled (Bone Secrets, #2)(76)

One side of Brynn’s mouth fought to pull into a smile, but her eyes looked horrified at his words. Besand always brought out the * in him.

“Fuck you! You know I’m not—”

The connection was lost and the screen flashed the short time of the call. Alex felt like he’d rolled in pig shit. He shook his shoulders trying to get rid of the sensation. He turned off the phone; no way was he calling back. He’d found out what he needed to know. The killer still lived and was obviously close enough to know they were still in the plane.

Brynn’s other hand slid on top of his, sandwiching his between her two. Her heat gently rolled through him, and he felt the filth dissolve from his skin.

The sound of a throat clearing made her yank her hands back. Both of them turned to the rear of the plane. Ryan sat up in the cargo area, his hair sticking up at all angles, his gaze unfocused. “Who’s jacking off?”

“Alex!” A male voice spoke in his dreams.

Kiana barked.

Alex jerked awake in the dark, his hand going for the SIG he’d placed on the floor above his head. Crushed against his back was a soft, warm figure.

Brynn.

After telling Ryan what had happened on the phone, the sick man had fallen back to sleep. After another half hour of talk, Alex and Brynn crawled in the cargo area and stretched out next to Ryan. Alex had lain there for what seemed like forever, listening to Ryan snore, listening for sounds from outside.

“Alex! Ryan!”

Jim’s voice.

Alex scrambled to a sitting position with his gun pointed at the door. Neither Brynn nor Ryan had woken. The thick snow covering the plane was distorting the sounds. Then he heard the cargo door shift open against the snow, and Kiana gave a happy whine.

“Down, dog.” Affection rang in Jim’s tone. A glow from a headlamp lit the plane.

Alex lowered his gun and glanced at his luminous watch face. How long had they slept? Were Jim and Thomas back with help already?

His gut sank as he registered the time. Three in the morning. Something bad must have happened to cause the men to return so soon. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to erase the signs of sleep. “Jim?” He squinted in the direction of the headlamp.

“Everyone OK?”

“Yeah. Ryan’s fever is under control. Why’re you back so soon?”

“We’ve got company.” Instead of excitement, Jim’s voice grew grim.

“Fuck. Besand?” Now Alex was wide-awake. He awkwardly stood, muscles complaining and gun ready. But Jim looked beat, not panicked. He ruffled Kiana’s head as he turned exhausted eyes to Alex. His boots and jacket were covered in snow.

“No. Thomas and I came across a helicopter crash about an hour into our trek. We decided to haul the two men back here before they froze to death. We wouldn’t make it to the train trestle with them.”

“Were they searching for us?”

Jim gave Alex an odd look. “Yeah. I can’t believe they went up in this shitty weather. Ryan and Brynn said they heard a chopper right before that avalanche. Chances are the noises from this chopper set it off.”

“These are those same guys?”

Jim shrugged. “I don’t know anyone else cocky enough to fly yesterday.”

“Where are they?”

“Right outside. We rigged a carrier of sorts to drag one of them. Liam was able to walk mostly on his own.” “Liam?” Alex’s fingers tingled on his SIG. Jim had that odd look on his face again. “Yeah. Brynn’s Liam.”





Alex was shaking her, but she didn’t want to wake yet. She put a hand on his shoulder and tried to pull him down to her. She didn’t work today; why was he waking her?

“Brynn, wake up, damn it.”

Damn it? She opened her eyes and stared at Alex. Snow. Plane. Right.

“What’s wrong?” She blinked at the concerned look on his face. “Ryan?” She rolled to her side to check on the sick man, but he wasn’t there. “Where’s Ryan?”

“Giving Thomas a hand.”

“Thomas?” She sat up. Light from several headlamps filled the plane. There were more bodies in the plane than there should have been. She rubbed at her eyes.

“Brynn? Are you all right?” It was a new voice. One that shouldn’t be here.

Jesus Christ. Liam? “Liam?” Alex stepped back as a familiar figure kneeled beside her in the cargo area and took her head in his hands as he scanned her from hood to boots. Liam’s face was white, but the tip of his nose was bright red. His eyes looked like he’d been in a smoky bar for two nights.

“What…where?”

He pulled her close and buried his icy face in her neck. “Thank God. Brynn. I’d about given up. I was certain I’d seen you for the last time.” He pressed his lips in a cold kiss against her neck and worked his way to her mouth like a starving man. She kissed him back for few shocked seconds and then pulled away to meet his eyes.

“We’re OK, Liam. We would’ve hiked out just fine when the weather cleared.”

“Not you, Brynn. Tyrone and I crashed his chopper the day before yesterday.”

“What? You flew in this? Are you crazy?” She pulled back and ran her hands over his chest. “Are you hurt?” Her hands trembled as they touched his snowy coat. Only Tyrone would dare to fly in this weather. Although Liam probably would have tried if he’d had his own helicopter. The brothers were fearless. Sometimes in a bad way.