Under Threat by B.J. Daniels (reading the story of the .TXT) 📕

by nightfall, and though he could read the map and do some general calculations, he couldn’t be sure where they’d end up when the sun set.

So, they needed to head out and get as far as they could. He didn’t think they could make it to cell service today, but if they got good enough mileage behind them, they could hopefully get there tomorrow.

They hiked in silence for most of the morning, and though Vaughn was sorry that she was obviously brooding about a difficult situation, he couldn’t feel bad that there wasn’t any conversation to distract him from his task at hand.

Occasionally they stopped and ate a snack and drank some water. Vaughn would consult the map, but mostly they walked. He knew she was exhausted, and probably on her last legs, but he also knew that she was strong and resilient, and that he could push her and she would survive. That was one of the things he most admired about her.

“You’re holding up remarkably well, you know,” he said as they sat on rocks and Natalie devoured a granola bar.

She glanced at him, the granola bar halfway to her mouth. Her gaze didn’t bother to hide her surprise. “I haven’t really had a choice, have I?”

“We always have a choice. One of the choices is to lie down and die, to give up. One of the choices is to think that you can’t, and so then it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You could be so busy complaining about the lot you’ve been given that we never got anywhere. But you’ve chosen to move forward. To keep fighting. Not everyone could have done that, not everyone has that kind of wherewithal. I’m not sure anyone should have to have that kind of wherewithal, but it’s special. And you deserve to know that.”

She smiled a little and looked down at her granola bar for a second before leaning over and giving him a long, gentle kiss. Her arm wound around his neck, and it took all the willpower he had not to lean into that, not to pull her into his lap. He couldn’t let her distract him, but...

She pulled away, that sweet smile playing on her lips. “You know Vaughn, I like you a lot. That’s not something I would have said about five days ago.”

He chuckled a little at that. “Well, that’s very mutual.”

It was her turn to laugh, but she sobered quickly. “When we get back...” she began, emphasizing the when meaningfully. But her seriousness morphed into a grin. “You’re going to have to let me hypnotize you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, but he couldn’t help from smiling in return. “Like hell, Natalie.”

“Why not? Are you afraid?”

“No. You told me that the person has to be willing. I’m never going to be willingly relaxed. Unless it’s by things other than hypnotism.”

She snorted at his joke. “Do you have secrets to hide that you’re not willing to share, Ranger Cooper?”

“I don’t have any secrets.” Which had become true the minute they’d discussed his marriage. There was nothing about himself kept under wraps, because there wasn’t much there. Work.

She might not know he was related to a few celebrities, but that wasn’t his secret in the least.

Natalie looked down at the last bite of granola bar, something in her gaze going serious. “I guess I don’t really have any more secrets from you, either.” Her eyebrows had drawn together, and she didn’t look at him. “Everything in my life has been Gabby for so long...”

She swallowed, and Vaughn could tell she was dealing with some big emotion, so instead of pressing or changing the subject, he gave her time to work through it.

“I want her back so much, and I just have to believe she’s alive... But...” She shoved the granola wrapper into her backpack forcefully, irritated. “I feel terrible saying this, it feels like a betrayal, but when we make it out of here, I want a life that isn’t solely focused on her.” Her brown gaze met his, and he had a bad feeling he knew where this was going.

And where it couldn’t possibly go. Because his feelings for Natalie ran very deep, but he’d been here before—loving someone and knowing that her views on the world would never allow them to make something permanent, to make something real.

“One step at a time. Remember?”

She frowned at him as though she could read his thoughts, as though she could read everything. He didn’t like that sensation at all. But in the end, he didn’t have to bother figuring it out because a shot rang out in the quiet, sunny afternoon.

Immediately Vaughn had Natalie under him, protecting her body with his, scanning the horizon for where the shot might have come from.

“Wh-where?” Natalie asked in a shaky voice.

“I don’t know.” Based on the sound, he didn’t think it had come from behind them. It seemed more likely it came from higher ground. From someone who’d presumably assumed his plan all too easily. He swore viciously and tried to reach for his pack without leaving Natalie vulnerable.

Another shot sounded, a loud crack against the quiet desert, this one getting closer. It had to be coming from the other side of the mountain they were climbing. They couldn’t stay put, they were too vulnerable, too exposed. And he had no idea where to shoot toward.

“We’re going to have to run from it,” he said flatly, his eyes never stopping their survey of their surroundings.

“Run for it? Run where?”

He pointed to a craggy outcropping a little ways behind them. “You run there. No matter what happens to me, you run there and get behind those rocks.”

She tried to twist under him, but he wouldn’t let her. “What do you mean no matter what happens? You can’t honestly expect me to—”

“The most important thing is that you stay safe. Out of the way of a bullet. If I—”

“What about you? What about your safety?” she demanded, a slight note of hysteria in