Chapter 2

2

H adlee hurt everywhere, but the pain was secondary to her confusion. Where was she and who the hell was that massive mountain of a man named Indiana? The question which burned deeper than all the rest… Was Chad really dead? Had the bear killed him?

She jumped as a cold wet nose nudged her knee and she glanced down to see the dog he called Jones watching her with a soft, understanding pair of brown eyes. She held out her hand to let him sniff her and when he licked her fingers, she knew it was safe to stroke his head and scratch behind his ears. He really was a pretty dog and definitely some sort of golden retriever mix. She adored dogs. Chad hadn't. He'd always complained about her neighbors dogs when he came over to her place.

Oh God … Chad's dead.

That bombshell kept falling on her over and over again. She suddenly felt ill. She covered her mouth and leapt up from the couch, only to cry out in pain as her ankle twinged sharply and she vomited on the nice leather sofa.

No, no, no…

"Hadlee?" Indiana was at her side an instant later. He had moved so fast she hadn't even seen him coming. Where had he been?

"Sorry," she groaned miserably. He scooped her up into his arms as though she weighed nothing at all.

"It's easy to clean," he said, his voice gentle. "I'll put you in bed and I'll clean it up. Then I need to call the sheriff."

"No, thank you … I'm okay. I'm just going to … leave now." She tried to push against his chest, but he was as immovable as a mountain.

"Aspen Falls, the nearest town, is twenty minutes away by car. I can drive you, but not right now. You need to rest, and we need to stay near the scene unless the Sheriff clears you to go straight to the clinic. Until then, I want you resting in bed."

"Bed?" She tensed in his hold. She didn't think he'd hurt her or try anything, but after what had happened with Chad, she didn't trust anyone anymore … not even herself.

"I have a guest bedroom you can use." He walked through his house, and she took in the lovely cabin's feel. Part of her was still in shock, she knew it. But she was too tired and too hurt to find the strength to scream or cry in wild hysterics.

"Just let me go … I'll wait outside. I?—"

"You're safe here," Indiana murmured, his deep rumbling voice moving out from his chest and into her body in a way which comforted her beyond words. "I imagine you will have trouble believing that, but I promise you it's true."

She didn't reply, she just relaxed a little more against him and focused on examining his home. The structure was all exposed beams and stonework. The space was utterly masculine but also felt cozy and welcoming. The guest bedroom he took her to had a four-poster bed with a white comforter and plush pillows. A dark-green blanket draped over the end of the bed, giving it a splash of woodsy color. Two tall balcony doors were made entirely of glass and the other walls had large photographs of the woods, making it feel like she was still in the forest. That should have bothered her, but the woods didn't scare her. Chad did … and Chad was dead.

"This okay?" Indiana asked.

"Yeah, this is beautiful." She thought of her apartment back in Chicago. It was modern and pretty, but it didn't feel like this. This room was spacious, but she didn't feel lost in it. She studied the view through the balcony doors. The distant mountains hovered just beyond like silent sentries, watchful, protective. Something anxious in her suddenly calmed, like a wave at a beach washing over her feet as she sat down in the sand. She was safe here.

Her heartbeat slowed, matching the steady thump—thump of Indiana's heart, which pounded so steadily against her cheek as he cradled her in his arms. It would be a pity when he set her down, so she didn't dare move, in case he thought she wanted him to stop holding her.

"There's a guest bathroom over there in case you need it, but you can't take a shower yet," he said, his brows knit together with sympathy.

"Why not?" She was covered with blood, dirt, and God knew what else.

"You were assaulted by that man. The authorities will need to take pictures of your injuries and make note of defensive wounds. They'll also do a rape kit at the clinic."

"Rape? No, I stopped him before… Wait, how did you know I was assaulted?" She lifted her gaze up to his, searching his face. His golden-brown eyes were that perfect color of honey that drizzled from the combs of a beehive.

"I heard you scream. I was walking near the stream and saw you fall down the embankment. I saw him attack you when you were in the water." He paused. "Then I saw that grizzly bear run past you, chase the man down, and kill him."

"Oh." So he'd seen the bear.

"Hadlee, who was that man? Was he stranger who followed you on the trail while you were hiking?" Indiana asked.

"He was my boyfriend," she whispered. A swell of shame choked her throat and prevented her from speaking further. No matter what she knew she was supposed to think and feel, she couldn't shake the guilt. The feeling that she'd been a fool to go camping with Chad and agree to try things he'd wanted try, because those choices had put her in this horrifying situation.

"Why don't you lie down a rest for a bit. I'll wake you when the sheriff is here."

She couldn't speak, and just nodded. After a moment, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving her alone. As much as she wanted to sleep, she didn't want to ruin his beautiful white bed with blood and dirt, so she opened the French doors and stepped out onto the deck. There were two Adirondack chairs waiting for people to sit in them. She chose the nearest one, limping over to it and easing down. Every muscle ached and every bone pulsed with pain, but her heartbeat was slow and steady. She drew in a shaky breath and stared at the forest, her mind blissfully shutting down for a long while.

When a hand touched her shoulder, she jolted awake. When had she fallen asleep?

"Hey Hadlee, the sheriff is here along with the coroner and a few other law enforcement officers. They need to take pictures of your wounds and take your statement." Indiana was leaning over her, his handsome face somber as he studied her. He stroked his thumb over Hadlee's shoulder. She shouldn't want a massive man touching her, but his touch soothed her. He was so big … far bigger than Chad and he could hurt her … kill her. But while she saw how strong he was, felt it each time his arms came around her, she didn't sense the darkness beneath his skin, the sickness she'd felt from Chad over the last few months.

She stared up into his gorgeous honey-brown eyes. She thought she glimpsed silver glints just behind the brown. Faint scars cut across his cheek and throat, but there was no denying he was beautiful in that rugged way only a man can be. Even with his hair, which was a tad long and a bit shaggy. He looked good . He was not perfectly polished like Chad—that man couldn't stand to have a single hair out of place or a wrinkle in his shirt. Funny, those obsessions hadn't mattered to him at all when he'd attacked her.

"Why are you asleep in the chair?" He glanced around, his brows lowering as if he were troubled.

"I…" She let out a bone-weary sigh. "I'm covered in blood and God knows what else. I didn't want to make anything dirty."

"It's just a bed." His voice was almost a growl with frustration. "I can wash the sheets."

She bit her bottom lip, then winced as she felt an open wound where her lip had split.

"You okay?" Indiana asked, then seemed to reproach himself. "Fuck, of course you're not. I'm not very good at this, am I?"

"Good at what?" she asked when she tried to stand. Her ankle twinged sharply and she cursed as she leaned against the chair for support. Indiana studied her face and caught her by the waist with his large palms.

"I don't spend a lot of time around people," he admitted as he dragged a hand through his hair and glanced away. "I forget the basic skills, you know?"

"I think you are good at it," she argued. "I probably should be having a full-blown panic attack but you've somehow kept me calm."

He raised one dark-brown brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, I definitely would have stroked out hours ago from the stress, but I'm okay." It was true, she was prone to panic and anxiety attacks. Chad used to berate her for it when she started to spiral out.

"That could be the shock," Indiana said as he frowned. Somehow the intense expression on such an attractive, almost intimidating, face was adorable.

She nearly smiled, but her cheeks felt like they were made of shattered glass. Every muscle hurt, even her jaw and cheekbones knifed with pain each time she spoke.

"If you feel up to it, the sheriff is ready to take your statement. The sooner you do that, the quicker you can shower and rest."

She followed him through the bedroom and down the hall. She heard the voices of several men before she saw them. The three men were speaking in low tones. Their vehicles were parked out front and clearly visible through the windows of Indiana's living room.

"Here she is, Sheriff Wade," Indiana announced as they stepped into the main room.

The men all turned and their expressions darkened at the sight of her.

"Jesus Christ," one of them muttered. "It looks like he used her face for a fucking punching bag."

"Shut up, Clive," said an older man. The sheriff, she guessed. He smacked the shoulder of the man who had spoken, and stepped forward to introduce himself more respectfully.

"Ms. Wilson, I'm Sheriff Wade. These are my deputies, Clive and Reeves. I'm sorry I don't have any female officers you could speak with. I can call another police station that might have one, but the closest one would probably be a good hour away. Or I can have a female nurse from our clinic come down to see you."

"It's okay, thank you for asking. I don't need a female officer or nurse." It would be nice to talk to a woman, but she didn't want to delay giving her statement any longer.

"Very well, why don't we take a seat at the kitchen table." Sheriff Wade nodded at a room behind him. She caught a glimpse of white granite countertops and pale French-blue cabinets.

"Okay." She followed the sheriff into the kitchen.

When she and the sheriff were seated at a dark cherrywood table, mugs of coffee and tea in their hands thanks to Indiana, she told the sheriff everything that had happened, starting from the moment she and Chad had parked their car in the hiking lot and gone up to spend the night in a meadow that was supposed to be good for star gazing. She continued her account up to the moment she blacked out after seeing the bear charge Chad. She kept her story short, talking quickly, and it helped her feel detached, like it had happened to someone else, not her. Somehow that kept the numbness cloaked around her.

"So this Chad Parker was your fiancé?"

Her mind swirled with the rush of thoughts she'd had before she and Chad had come on this trip, how she'd suspected he planned to propose, that this would have been a romantic weekend … and how wrong she'd been about all of it, about him .

"He never asked me … so I guess … not."

The sheriff grunted and took some notes, his silvery brows lowered.

As she answered more questions, she felt the soothing presence of Indiana standing just behind her, and his heat. Jones sat beneath the table, leaning his head against her knee, and she patted him every now and then when she felt she needed the reassurance.

"Had Parker ever hit you before?" Sheriff Wade asked. "Or committed any other kind of abuse?"

"No. I mean not physically." But she thought about all the small things—red flags she'd missed. He'd always turned everything they talked about into an argument. If she did anything great at work, he would say that her company had low standards. He never liked the meals she cooked, and he left her to do most of the chores when she was at his place. She was always washing dishes or doing his laundry. Looking back on it, she felt exhausted and unhappy every time she was around him.

From the minute she'd met Parker, he had loved bombed her with gifts and fancy trips. But at the end of the day, being around him had depleted her energy and depressed her. Wasn't being in love supposed to lift you up? Make you feel like you could fly? It wasn't supposed to leave you in a constant state of unhappiness; nothing was worth being berated just so you didn't have to be alone. She would have given anything to be alone if it had meant avoiding this trip because it almost cost her her life.

"So the assault began when he tried to initiate sex?"

She nodded. "I was technically consenting at the time, but then he started choking me." Of course consenting was a vague word in that scenario; when someone didn't want to have sex, when did it cross the line to non-consent? She had stopped enjoying sex with Parker months ago. He had made it a chore for her. It was never about her, her satisfaction, her needs. He even told her that if she didn't have sex when he wanted to, he would find another source, because men had needs. Which was complete bullshit. How had she fallen for that?

"He choked you?" The sheriff paused taking notes to look up, sympathy clear in the older man's gray eyes.

"Yes. I tried to make him stop … but he only laughed and squeezed harder. I scratched his face, and he let go long enough for me to get away. I was in so much pain, and he chased me through the woods. That's when I fell and landed in a stream. I remember the bear…" She closed her eyes. Ribs cracking … lip busting, eye swelling … ankle twisting… God, would the pain ever stop?

"Indiana said the bear passed by you and attacked Parker." The sheriff's words interrupted her body reliving the worst moments of her life.

"Uh … yes, I blacked out. When I woke up, Indiana had brought me here and was trying to clean my wounds." Her hands went to her cheek and brow where Indiana had tended to the injuries with ointment.

"Clive, get the camera from the patrol car. Let's get some photos." The sheriff stood and nodded at Indiana. "Can I have a word, Mr. Rivers?"

"Sure, Sheriff."

Hadlee waited in the kitchen for the deputy to return, her gaze distant as she kept seeing the bear over and over in her head. The way it had stared at her, the golden-brown eyes deep and its white canine teeth as it roared and surged up the embankment. Chad's earsplitting screams… Then the warm puff of air as the bear returned and huffed and nudged her. Black dots filled her vision. As things had blurred almost beyond recognition, she'd seen something else, hadn't she? Something not quite as big as the bear, but what?