19. Roni

We surfaced after the storm. The wind had died down, the clouds that chased us yesterday were gone, and the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. Its golden light reflected off the water droplets that coated the plants around us. It was the polar opposite of the chaos that took place last night. The wind howled across the tent, so strong I thought we'd be picked up and blown away like a kite. Turned out storing that firewood had a dual purpose; it acted as a giant paperweight.

"Let's get a quick fire started, make some hot coffee, and then get going. If we are where I think we are, we aren't too far from Anchorage. And from there we're only another day or two's hike to reach the cabin."

I nodded. I really wanted that coffee, and I wouldn't do anything to slow down getting a warm cup in my hands. I needed it like my dad needed attention or my mom needed the daily gossip.

"I still can't believe you bought a cabin sight unseen. Who does that?" I asked as I dropped the kindling on a few flat rocks Diego had placed.

"Someone worried about getting you to safety and out of sight quickly. Probably won't be Caesars Palace, but it will be better than last night in the tent."

I sure hope so.

Diego lit the fire while I went to relieve myself in the woods. When I was back, there was a healthy amount of smoke wafting upward, and Diego held a tiny pot of boiling water. He nodded to the packets of instant coffee and foldaway cups that were sitting on the ground next to him. I held out the cups as he poured the hot water. I didn't realize how cold—or numb to the cold—I'd become since being out here. The instant heat woke up something inside me. He poured the coffee powder in our cups and stirred. When the smell filled my nose, I thought my eyes rolled into the back of my head from pleasure; when I tasted the coffee, I thought I died and went to Heaven.

Diego snickered. "Are you telling me all I had to do was dangle a cup of coffee in your face to make you more compliant?"

"Hey! I don't like that word…but yes. Except this wouldn't have worked day one. The White House's coffee isn't half bad. It took a couple of days of roughing it to get me this worked up over a cup of joe." I covered the smile I was fighting by taking another sip.

Diego passed over a granola bar. "Not sure when we will have time to eat next. Might want to scarf this down and we will look for some game on our way into town."

I nearly choked on my coffee. "Game?"

"You know, a deer or rabbit or something…"

I swallowed hard. "I know what you meant. You're telling me we aren't going to be grocery shopping while we're in town?"

Would I survive watching him cut up some poor, defenseless animal? I wasn't a vegetarian, but I certainly wasn't someone who could watch my meal die and sit down to consume it hours later. I didn't have the stomach for that.

"I think you underestimate how remote the cabin is. It's not going to be easy to get to, and I promise you won't want to lug fifty pounds of groceries on top of what's in your pack. In town we'll get a few necessities, more coffee, salt, and medical supplies. Maybe a few more blankets and firestarters. After that, we will get what we need off the land."

I groaned. "Good God, this trip is going to be the end of me."

"Not if I do my job right." His eyes were intense, as if he were trying to convince me he could keep me safe.

"Sorry, not trying to insult you. I…uh…just… I've lived a life of privilege, okay? I'm not used to the great outdoors and shit. When I bitched about wanting to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I wasn't quite imagining a spirit journey through the woods." I paused to take another sip of the coffee. "I didn't know what I wanted, but I never imagined it would be this."

Diego chuckled. "Well, if your answer after this isn't a shower and a hot meal, then you aren't human. Even I want that."

"Yeah, I think those are at the top of my list." I valued modern-day conveniences already.

A quiet ease settled between us as we listened to the sound of the fire and the birds singing. The fire helped warm me and gave me a new outlook as Diego began to put out the flames. We'd have another one of these tonight, and then hopefully one every night in the cabin.

With the tent put away, my belly full of coffee, and my feet rebandaged, we continued our hike along the beach. We stayed next to the tree line so we'd be out of sight if we saw someone suspicious.

After hours of endless walking, my legs felt like jelly, and I really wanted to take a break. My lips parted, about to complain, when I heard sounds from ahead. It sounded like an engine. Diego came to a stop in front of me, and I nearly ran into his back. He reached a hand out to steady me.

"Town," he mouthed. He turned to face me and kept his voice at a whisper. "Pull your hood up, and don't say a word to draw attention to yourself. We're getting the keys from the real estate office, and we're going into one store for the basics. That's it. Anchorage is pretty big, so hopefully we can blend in until we leave."

I nodded. We'd gone over the plan twice during our walk here. I was to stay out of sight. I was to tuck in my hair and pull down my beanie to cover as much of my face as I could, and I wore my clothes baggy so from a distance I'd look like a man. We'd be screwed if someone recognized me.

I braided my hair and then tucked the braid up into my hat. I pulled it down so it covered my eyebrows, and I fixed my shoulders, hoping to make them seem more broad.

Diego studied my face for a brief moment before he turned, and I followed his lead. We walked the last mile into the edge of town. The streets were gravel and looked like they could have used a new layer of rock ages ago. The sides of the buildings looked weathered and sun worn. The whole town could have used a remodel; the elements clearly had not been kind to it. The sun glinted off the windows of a small yellow building. It was very pale now but had likely once been as bright as the sun. It was almost ironic.

A bell rang as Diego opened the door for me, and I stepped in. He then hurried past me so he'd be the first person the worker at the desk saw.

"You must be Daniel," the smartly dressed woman said as her eyes snapped up to us over the rim of her stylish glasses. Her blond hair had been pulled back into a tight bun, and her pants suit fit her to a tee. Her perfectly painted lips grew into a smile as she took in Diego. A spark of jealousy took hold in my stomach, and I was suddenly glad that our cabin was going to be secluded. I wouldn't have to watch others check out my boyfriend.

Fake boyfriend.

"I am. You must be Heather. I'm sorry I'm a day late. I ran into a hiccup with our transportation. I trust that our late arrival isn't too much of a bother?" Diego leaned closer to her, his arms crossed on top of the counter in front of him. Was he flirting with her? The spark of jealousy grew from sparks to a bonfire. I suddenly felt overheated in my jacket.

"Not a bother at all. We are lucky to have you as an addition to our area. We don't get new residents very often. That cabin has been sitting empty since its last owner died." She leaned forward with her arms on the counter, too, giving Diego a good view of the breasts she pressed together. I wanted to gag. She didn't seem very sorry about the last resident's death.

I cleared my throat, unable to take another second of this. If jealousy was the cause for my early death, so be it. At least I wouldn't suffer in misery over watching…whatever this was. He might be my fake boyfriend and my bodyguard—but my ride on his hard dick was very real. I was on the fence about a repeat sometime in the future, and I didn't want this bimbo in my way if I decided I wanted it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you back there." She didn't look sorry, but she would if I was allowed to get close enough to her.

Diego cleared his own throat and stood up straighter, abandoning the counter. "Sorry, he's a little impatient. If you don't mind, I'll take the keys and be on my way. You can imagine we still have a way to go and would like to get there before nightfall." He flashed her a disarming smile, and she damn near melted into a puddle. I knew that Diego was an attractive man, it wasn't like I didn't get wet when he flashed a smile at me, but it was alarming to see just how other women reacted to him. There was no lying to myself; I was becoming territorial, not that I'd ever admit that to him. His ego was big enough in school—I could only imagine what it was like now that he'd accomplished so much with his life. I had a feeling the past few days had only scratched the surface of what he could accomplish when he tried.

"Of course. If you need anything at all, please let me know. You have my cell." She dropped the keys into his palm, and I swore it looked like she wanted to reach out and close his fingers around the metal. She looked sort of twitchy.

Diego either didn't notice or didn't care as he turned around and shot me an annoyed glare before we walked out the door and the bell rang behind us.

"What the hell was that?" he asked in a harsh whisper as we made our way down the half flight of steps and onto the gravel street.

"I could ask you the same thing! What the hell? I thought we were trying to blend in. Flirting with the real estate agent was not on our to-do list!" I barely managed to keep my own whispers from turning into shouts.

"I was making sure she had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. Most people don't show up late to close on a house. I also wanted to draw any attention away from you…so good going."

I huffed.

"Are you…jealous?" he asked. His eyebrows, which were pinched in annoyance, smoothed out as his lips spread into a smirk.

"Absolutely not, and if you suggest that again I will castrate you in your sleep tonight." I picked up my pace and crossed my arms as I crossed the street to the general store.

Another bell broke the silence as the door opened in front of me. I took a basket and headed to the right to gather the few items Diego put me in charge of. Mainly anything I'd need personally and hygiene products for the both of us. In no time at all, I'd managed to stock up on the clean body essentials, tampons, and a few extra pairs of socks. When I met Diego at the counter, he had a full basket. I snuck a peek and found rounds for the gun he was packing, another knife, several boxes and cans of non-perishables, several burner phones, and some seasonings and preservatives. Before he finished paying, I tossed a warm-looking blanket from a display table onto the counter. Diego didn't say a word as the clerk rang up the bundle.

"You new here?" the clerk asked as he looked between us.

"We are. I'm a writer working on a new book. Hoping to use the Alaska wild as inspiration for my next few hundred thousand words," Diego answered in a chipper tone. That was our cover. It explained the need for solitude and the reason to come to Alaska. What better way to learn about the wilderness than to live surrounded by it?

The clerk smiled in response. "Ah, well, you'll have to let me know when you publish. We don't carry many books, but I'd be happy to stock a few copies if it's inspired by my neck of the woods. Let me know if you need anything, and happy writing." I liked him much better than the real estate agent.

"Thanks, have a good one." Diego turned his back to the clerk after we snagged all the bags, and we exited the store.

We took a few steps away from the store before Diego quipped, "And how did we feel about that encounter?" The smugness of his tone felt tangible.

"I think he's into you, too." I hid my smile under the high neck of my coat, and we kept walking.