Page 194 of Wrecked
“Whatcha need?”
“Your car,” she replied. “I want to head over to the farmhouse and check on him.”
Jericho handed her his keys. “It’s the Escalade.” Then, he told her where he’d parked.
“Congratulations, I’m so happy for you guys. I’ll be back soon.”
Fifteen minutes later, Addison pulled down the dark road leading to the farmhouse, then up the driveway. Hawk’s ALPHA SUV was parked out front, but no lights shone from inside the home. Anxiety slithered down her spine.
Please be okay.
She pulled her Glock from her handbag, turned on her phone’s flashlight, and ventured out. She ran around the perimeter of the house praying he wasn’t lying injured on the ground. To her relief, he wasn’t there, so she hurried up the farmhouse steps. The door was unlocked, she went inside. Urgency had her flipping on the foyer lights.
“Hawk!” she hollered.
No response. She ran through the first floor calling out to him, then up the stairs to check the bedrooms. He wasn’t there either. Venturing into the basement sent a chill through her, but she flipped on the lights and hurried down the old steps. After running through it, and not finding him, she raced back upstairs.
Ohmygod, the tracker.
She pulled up the ALPHA app on her phone and signed in. Then, she typed in his name. The tracker wheel spun. Seconds later, it delivered a result.
He’s in the barn.
Outside she ran, her heart now pounding hard and fast in her chest. He’s probably fine, she told herself as she tore past the henhouse.
Relief and dread coursed through her as she rushed inside. The stalls were clean and empty. She hurried to the walk-in freezer and pulled open the door.
“Ohmygod!”
Hawk lay in a fetal position on the floor, wrapped in plastic and shaking. She hurried to him.
“The door,” he chattered. “Broken.”
She shoved open the door just before it closed, grabbed a stool next to one of the stalls, and propped it open. “I got you,” she said.
Using all of her strength, she dragged a very frigid Hawk into the barn.
She removed the plastic. He was like a block of ice. Pushing out the fear, she focused on him. The August air was warm, but she needed to get him into the shower so she could slowly elevate his body temperature.
“I need to get you into the house, but I don’t think I can carry you.”
“Help me up,” he said through chattering teeth.
Supporting him, she guided him toward the house. It was slow going up the porch steps, but he made it into the living room.
“I’m going to get blankets. Can you lie down?” She helped him to the floor, then flew up the stairs, flung open the hall closet, and grabbed two. Then, she ran into a bedroom and pulled two more from the bed. Dragging them behind her, she raced back down the stairs.
She laid out one blanket, helped him to move onto it, then removed his frozen clothing. After stripping off her own clothes, she lay on top of him to warm him with her body before pulling the remaining three blankets over them, making sure to wrap his head. Within minutes, she was sweating, but his shivering had subsided.
Several more moments passed while she hugged him, her body heat helping to elevate his while their breathing fell into sync. She needed to check his fingers and toes, then get him into the shower. She had so many questions, but she stayed quiet, grateful she’d gotten there in time. She lifted her face and peered at his.
His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. “If you wanted me naked, you coulda just asked.”
Her heart rejoiced. They’d deal with everything else in time… and together.
“Can you stand in a shower?” she murmured.
“Yeah,” he replied.
