There was respect in his voice when he addressed me. For some reason, that praise meant more than any of the throwaway compliments I got from the men in suits who gave me a pat on the back over a job well done in my day-to-day life. This stoic ex-con, with a reckless attitude and revenge on his mind, made me feel better about myself and my choices in a way I had been searching for since Chris shattered my confidence.

I was going to tell him thank you and let him know that his insightful observation was very much needed and appreciated when an ear-piercing scream split the air. The noise obviously had come from a woman and obviously originated from the clearing where we were headed. My knees went weak when I realized the sound had to have come from Emrys. I reached out a hand and grabbed the closest branch to me so that I could stay on my feet. I stopped breathing as our little caravan came to a startled stop and exchanged somber looks.

“We need to move.” Cy muttered the words low under his breath as we wordlessly picked up the pace, maneuvering through the trees and over the rough terrain with purpose, and no small amount of panic. There was another scream, this one louder and longer than the one before it. Abruptly it was cut off. The shock of the silence made me start crying.

Emrys was out there being hurt and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Everything that she might be enduring in order to make her sound like that started running through my head like the most horrific and graphic movie that ever existed. The horrifying visions made me stumble and stagger. Luckily, Cy was there to put a hand on my arm and to catch me before I pitched forward onto my face. He wiped the tears running down my cheeks away with his thumbs, but he didn’t bother to lie by trying to tell me that everything was going to be okay.

It took longer than I wanted to think about to get to a place where the clearing in the trees was visible. Grady made us all stop far enough away that we were still sheltered in the thicket of the forest and quietly asked where we thought Sutton and Emrys would most likely be located. When I had fallen and landed on the leveled spot, I didn’t notice any kind of buildings or structures around the perimeter. Cy told the former agent that he hadn’t seen anything either but couldn’t imagine that the growers would want to be very far away from their crops in case intruders stumbled upon the site.

Tennyson tossed the extra radio to Webb and adjusted the rifle she had on her shoulder. “I’ll circle around and get up higher on the hill behind the field so I can keep you guys covered. I’m sure I’ll spot wherever they have their base set up once I’m on the ridge.”

The men nodded as she shifted her gaze to me. “You up for a little bit of a hike, Cali girl? You come with me so you can set that flare off from up high where no one can miss it. If bullets start flying, I’ll need you to be the lookout while I keep the bad guys pinned down.”

I gulped, because I didn’t want to leave Cy or either of the other men I had been in the trenches with up to this point, but I was smart enough to know this was the ranger’s way of putting the civilian, and least experienced member of the group, as far out of the line of fire as she could. This was the way I could help rather than hinder, so I nodded. “I’ll follow you.”

I took a step toward the ranger only to be yanked back and spun around so I was facing Cy. His gray eyes were stormier than the skies above us had been the last few days and the lines of tension and concern that were carved into his hard face made him appear much older than he was. It was like all of this had finally aged him enough to catch up to the silver threads woven throughout his dark hair and beard.

“Be careful, Sunshine.” The rumble in his voice made me shiver and the iron grip he held me in made me tremble.

“I’m not the one heading into a camp full of armed men who have a vested interest in making sure none of us make it home. You be careful. Go get my friend and your brother out of trouble.” I put a hand over his heart and startled a little bit when I felt how fast it was racing. He was just as worried about the unknown as I was, but he was letting his actions speak for him.

He exhaled long and slow. When he bent his head to press his lips to mine, it wasn’t a man stealing moments and making memories to hold onto because that’s all that would be left. No, this kiss came from a man who wanted to stake his claim. It was a kiss that was meant to imprint and last forever . . . however long that may be. It was a kiss meant to sear and mark the soul, so that pieces of him were eternally fused to pieces of me.

Tongues twisted.

Lips moved ravenously, hungrily against one another.

Teeth nipped and clicked together.

Breath mingled and was stolen and was replaced with soft sighs and murmurs of satisfaction.

Hands held on for dear life because even as the kiss consumed, the fact that we were going to have to let go soon, lingered between us.

I gave him a tight squeeze, felt his heart leap like it wanted to touch me, and then I did what I absolutely didn’t want to do. I let go and stepped away from him. We were both breathing hard and looking a little dazed, but there was no time to process what that kiss and all the substantial, important things inside of it meant to us.

“Make sure you get back to me, Leo. I’m not done enjoying my time in the sun.” His words were for my ears only, barely a sound, just a breath of noise that hit me like a ton of bricks. No one but Cyrus Warner considered me bright and shiny which was all the more reason my heart seemed so willing to jump wildly and carelessly into his hands.

“We aren’t done just yet, Cy. We’ll find our way back to each other.” My reply was just as soft as I leaned up on my toes so I could give him a quick little peck on the cheek, then I took a deep breath and braced. “I’m ready.”