Chapter 6 Talk Less, Run More
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Jamie had just reached the shore. He’d planned to hop off the speedboat and catch up with Dana, but the island was thick with wild trees and overgrowth–not at all like a developed tourist spot.
Stepping onto the beach, Jamie strolled toward Dana with a grin. “Dana, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? Practicing wilderness survival on some uncharted island?”
Dana stared at him, speechless. She wanted nothing more than to crack open Jamie’s head and see what nonsense was swirling around inside. But this wasn’t the time for jokes.
“There are wolves,” she said, grabbing his arm. “We need to go. Now.”
The moment Dana touched him, Jamie’s heart skipped a beat.
Ever since he’d confessed his feelings, Dana had kept her distance–emotionally and physically. This was the first time in a long while she’d willingly come close to him.
Trying to hide the way his heart was racing, Jamie kept up his usual laid–back front. “Wolves? Dana, you’ve gotten a lot funnier since I last saw you. I’ve been to more deserted islands than I can count. Never once seen a single wolf.”
Just as the words left his mouth, a low, menacing howl echoed through the trees.
Then came the rustling.
Jamie’s grin vanished. “Oh, shoot. You weren’t kidding? Wolves? Where on earth did they come from?
“Less talking, more running,” Dana whispered urgently.
Jamie didn’t argue. He took her hand and started running, but they’d barely taken a few steps when Dana gave a sharp cry and collapsed.
“Dana?” Jamie dropped to his knees beside her. In the light spilling from the speedboat, he saw dark stains spreading across her
clothes.
Blood!
Heart pounding, Jamie gently lifted the hem of her dress and saw several fresh surgical stitches along her leg.
His eyes widened. “W–what happened to you?”
But there was no time for questions. The metallic scent of blood was already hanging thick in the air, drawing the wolves, and the forest behind them was growing restless.
Jamie scooped her into his arms and raced back to the speedboat. He roared the engine to life, speeding away from the island like the devil was on their heels.
By the time the speedboat reached the marina at Verton, Dana collapsed on the ground, too weak to move from the blood loss.
Jamie carried her to the nearest hospital.
Fortunately, they’d made it just in time. Dana didn’t pass out.
1/2
2:57 pm G PPP.
Chapter 6 Talk Less, Run More
After treatment, she lay pale and weak on the hospital bed.
Jamie sat at her side, his gaze soft but burning with pain. “Who did this to you?” he asked, voice tight with fury.
Dana didn’t answer.
But silence can be louder than words.
Jamie clenched his fists and clenched his teeth. “It was Hunter, wasn’t it? That jerk! I swear, I’ll kill him!”
He shot to his feet, heading for the door.
Dana reached out and caught his hand. “Don’t.”
Jamie turned back, stunned. “Why not? After everything he did to you, you’re still protecting him?”
She shook her head. “No. But murder is murder. It comes with a price.”
“I don’t care!” Jamie snapped. “I’d pay that price for you!”
Dana looked into his eyes. There was so much there–anger, grief, regret.
And every bit of it was for her.
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She hated herself in that moment. Hated that she’d once been so blind, so desperate to chase after Hunter, while ignoring the one person who had always truly cared for her.
Looking at Jamie, she whispered, “But trading your life for his? That’s not a fair deal.”
Her words hit Jamie’s heart, sinking deep, sending ripples through his soul.
He looked at her, really looked at her. Her face hadn’t changed–still as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her–but something was
different.
Something inside her had shifted.
He turned and slumped into the chair beside her bed. “Dee,” he murmured, using her old nickname, “what happened out there? What did Hunter do to you?”
Dana’s throat tightened. The memories were too raw, too painful to relive.
Her eyes turned red. She squeezed his hand, harder this time, her voice choked with emotion. “Jamie, take me away. Please. I don’t want to stay here anymore. This time, I’ll go with you.”
