Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
She gives me a look that isn’t fooled. “Eight it is, then. Time for medication.”
As she hands me pills and water, I study her more carefully. “You’re his mother’s nurse.”
“That I am. But I’ve been a friend of the family for a long time.” A hint of reproach creeps into her voice. “Though I didn’t expect to find him at the hospital with a woman who looked like she’d gone ten rounds with a mountain.”
She knows. She must know.
About the hungry ones.
About what happened up there.
“What did Jensen tell you?” I ask carefully. “About what happened up there?”
“Enough.” She busies herself checking my bandages. “The McGraws have encountered those creatures before. Sarah told me the stories years ago. I just never thought…” She trails off, shaking her head. “Jensen’s family has a complicated history with those mountains. But he comes from a strong stock of people.”
She gestures to the old-timey portraits on the wall. “Eve and Jake McGraw first encountered the hungry ones in 1852. They survived to tell the tale. After that, they moved to Oregon, but eventually they returned right back here to the scene of the crime. Jake supposedly said that they were stewards of this land now, that they had a responsibility to keep watch. Make sure history didn’t repeat itself. Think they did a pretty good job, but you can only poke a bear too many times before he attacks. Jensen has always been good at poking the bear.”
“Where is Jensen?” I ask.
“Meeting with the sheriff.” Margaret’s voice is carefully neutral. “They’re discussing the official story about what happened up there.”
The official story. Right. Four men missing, presumed dead. A woman with serious injuries. How do you explain any of that without mentioning monsters?
“Don’t worry,” Margaret says, reading my expression. “Jensen knows how to handle the authorities. And you being FBI helps.”
Former FBI, I almost correct her, then realize my status is still active. Another complication to deal with. No doubt if I was brought to the hospital, if Jensen is talking to the damn sheriff, that Carlos and Diana know what happened to me.
I’m going to be in so much shit.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for him to be talking to the authorities?” I question, giving her a look that tells her I know all about Marcus’s illegal operation.
“You need to eat,” Margaret says, ignoring that and retrieving the tray. Oatmeal, toast, sliced fruit. Simple foods for a recovering body. “And then rest more. Doctor’s orders.”
“And where is the doctor?” I ask. “Why am I not in the hospital?”
“You were there, just to get your head checked out. But they released you to me. I’ve got twenty years’ experience in trauma care as a nurse practitioner.”
“What did you tell them?”
“The truth. You were caught in an avalanche. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
I mull that over. No one would believe the rest of it.
“Thank you,” I say, meaning it. “For helping us.”
Margaret’s expression softens. “That boy has been through enough. I’m just glad the both of you are okay.”
Before I can respond, she’s pressing the tray into my lap.
“Eat. Then sleep. Jensen will be back when you wake.”
“…avalanche took out the eastern ridge,” Jensen’s low, gruff voice pulls me from sleep. “Sheriff says search and rescue can’t get up there for at least another week, maybe longer.”
I open my eyes to find him sitting near the window, his attention focused on his phone. When he notices me watching, his face softens. “I’ll call you back,” he says into the phone before ending the call.
“Hey,” he says to me, setting the phone aside and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better,” I say, and it’s mostly true. The fog in my mind has cleared slightly, though each movement still sends pain radiating through my ribs. I probably won’t be riding again anytime soon.
At the thought of Duke, I look at him, wide-eyed. “The horses!”
“They’re all fine.”
“Duke!”
“Duke made it back. So did Jeopardy and the rest. All except Angus.”
I put my hand to my chest. “Oh no.”
“Oh, Angus is fine,” Jensen says with a chuckle. “But he’s a mule. He didn’t head back here, he ended up in someone’s backyard at Donner Lake. Swanky place too. Anyway, we got his ass back here in the end.”
I sit back with relief. “Okay. Well, now you need to tell me what happened with me. How did I get here?”
He gives me a grave look. “You were buried when the avalanche hit. I managed to stay anchored to a tree, but you were swept away.” His voice remains steady, but his hand tightens around mine. “When I found you, you weren’t breathing. I thought—” He breaks off, jaw tightening. “But then you gasped, and I knew we had a chance.”
I remember nothing of this—not the avalanche, not being buried, not Jensen finding me. The last clear memory I have is Adam’s death.