All my focus rested on that knife. The pulse of my heart as it beat against the blade. My careful steady breaths. Every now and then, the cat would let out another low warning growl, and Atticus would bark all over again.
So the question remained: What would kill me first?
When Mark stumbled and shouted, Joshua's entire body tightened. As if he'd finally measured himself against Mark and realized how lacking he was. The blade moved away from my throat the tiniest amount in that moment of hesitation. Through the pounding in my head and the waves of tremors that slipped through me, I understood it would be my only chance. Not on any planet could Mark get from there to me in enough time to save my life, and he knew it.
I knew it.
Now I wouldn't let Joshua have the satisfaction. It was time for my revenge.
With a grunt, I shoved Joshua's arm away from my throat and dropped to the ground. My sudden, unexpected weight shifted Joshua's balance, and he stumbled forward. The knife slipped, grazed my throat as I fell, then disappeared in the snow at our feet.
A second later, the sound of a thud connected on top of me, and Joshua's weight was gone.
Another body had come from somewhere, tackling Joshua to the ground in a flurry of snow and rolling bodies. Benjamin popped out of the haze of white, his legs wrapped around Joshua's waist and his arm across his throat. Joshua thrashed uselessly in the snow.
With a cry, I tried to scramble back to my feet, but stumbled on the rocks. Another pair of arms caught me. Mark appeared, his warm hands on my face.
“Stell. I've got you.”
My knees toppled, but he caught me.
“Mark! I . . .”
“I'm here.”
“He . . . I thought . . . a-a-and—”
Mark hauled me back to my feet, then grabbed the zipper of my coat. “Take this off, Stell. We'll discuss all of it when we get back home. For now, you've gotta warm up.”
My hands trembled as I attempted to wrench the half-frozen coat off. He yanked it free, tossed it to the ground, and reached for my soaking wet shirt. When he ripped it off over my head, I let out a cry. Snow fell on my shoulders and soaking bra. Cold rushed over me all over again.
“W-w-what are you doing?”
“It'll take us at least thirty minutes to work our way back through the trees, maybe twenty by the road,” he said, ripping his own jacket off. “You can't be wearing those clothes that whole time. You have to start warming up sooner, at least at your core.”
Bare arms slipped out of his jacket. He only wore a short-sleeved shirt beneath his winter jacket, which he jerked around me, then zipped up while I pushed my arms through the sleeves. They were warm from his heat, thick with his reassuring scent.
“Wh-what about you?”
“I'm fine.” He scoffed. “Hot as an oven.”
Joshua's muffled shouts had faded. His eyelids slowly lowered until his body went limp. Just before he passed out, Benjamin released him, then held out a hand to Mark.
“Atty's rope?”
Mark tossed a rope his way. With surprisingly deft movements, Benjamin shoved a half-delirious Joshua onto his stomach, then tied Joshua's hands together. Still sluggish from almost passing out, Joshua didn't even protest. Just made weird, half-mewling sounds.
Mark put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, but turned to Benjamin. “You got him?”
“Hell yeah.”
“It'll be faster on the road. Follow my tracks back and I'll send someone to pick you up. Sound good?”
Benjamin nodded, then sent a hard smack against Joshua's head. “Go. Get her taken care of. Joshua and I have some chatting to do about how we treat women around here.”
“The cat is retreating, I think.”
“I'll feed Joshua to him if I have to. We'll be fine.”
“Atty, stay. Follow me, Stell,” Mark commanded quietly. “We'll be back home in no time.”
30 Mark
“I-I can r-run.”
Stella stuttered the syllables as soon as we spilled out of the forest and onto the road. Two sets of tire tracks broke through the snow on the road, which gave me discernible relief. Justin had already made it back, and likely my dad with him. They must have been hauling through the canyon to get here so quickly.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded as her body wracked with another shiver. The blood on her face made her cold face paler than usual, and her hair had frozen in weird clumps along her head. Fatigue showed in all her movements.
I hesitated, then nodded. If she could do it, the sooner, the better.
“Let me know if it hurts too much? I'll happily carry you on my back, but this would be faster. Warmer for you, too.”
I kept a hand on her back as she slowly shuffled forward with a grimace, then waved it off when I asked. We moved in a slow walk/jog, but it was faster than I'd expected. About fifteen minutes later, twirling red and blue lights greeted us as we stumbled back to Adventura. Two bodies moved near the front door, and a third lingered in the cop car.
“Justin!” I called. “Dad!”
Seconds later, Justin jogged across the parking lot, Dad striding out with his long steps right behind him. Justin slowed in front of us, eyeing my bare arms and her frozen clumps of hair with incredulous eyes.
Dad was only a few steps away. “What happened?” he asked.
“Benjamin is back on the road.” I jerked my head back. “He has Joshua tied up. I told him I'd send you. Atticus is with him if the mountain lion hasn't gotten them.”
“Mountain lion?” Justin cried.
“It's a long story.”
Justin reached a hand out to Stella's shoulder, concern in his gaze. “Are you all right, Stell?”
She nodded, but it wasn't immediately clear from her violent shivering.
“What happened?” Dad asked
