Men-of-Action-Seres-04 -Saints and Sinners Read Online Free
Author: Capri Montgomery
to make sure she was still behind him, but never once had he offered a hand up. Perhaps she was glad he hadn't. On some small level she didn't want to need anything else from him. She didn't want to be beholding to him for anything and so far she already was indebted to him for her life.
He looked back to her once more. "Just keep going."
For the first time she realized she was falling farther behind him.
Mentally she gave herself the standard pep talk. You're almost there. You can do it. At some point not even her pep talk was working.
"Typical woman," he snapped.
"You know your search and rescue demeanor could use some work. You're rude, hostile, rude."
"You already said rude."
"And not to mention the fact that nowhere, in any manual, would it ever tell the rescuer to shoot the hostage." She stomped up the hill the best she could. She was determined to catch up with him and when she did he was going to get the full brunt of her anger.
"You sure about that?"
"Positive." Actually she wasn't sure of anything. It wasn't exactly as if she had read the book on hostage negotiations, but she was fairly Capri Montgomery 21
21
confident that getting the hostage released did not include shooting him or her.
"You're insufferable, the most insufferable man I have ever met in my entire life." She huffed as she finally reached him. "You're—"
"At the top," he said.
She looked out ahead of them. She had made the climb thanks to him. He hadn't held her hand, but he had fueled her anger which had made her more determined to prove him wrong. He had baited her into hauling tail on the climb so that she could make it up. He was no doubt tired himself, and the thought of having to carry her up probably sent chills up his spine.
"You were helping me," she nodded. "Thank you." She looked down to the valley below. There was no vehicle, no military assist waiting to take them back home. "Now what?"
"You see that hill over there?"
"Yeah," she said cautiously.
"Now we have to get over that one."
"But I thought we just had to clear this one."
He shrugged.
"Well how many more?"
He shrugged again.
"Do you know where you're going?"
“Over that hill.”
Saints and Sinners 22
If she hadn't been looking she might have missed the small curve of his lips upward, because as quickly as it appeared it disappeared and he moved on. He was enjoying his job at her expense. Well, it wasn't going to happen. She was done. She couldn't keep going. Not only did her feet feel as if they were going to fall off, her entire body was in pain. She sat down.
"I can't. I can't keep going."
He stopped in his tracks, turned to her and without even a hint of compassion said, "Get off your butt and keep moving."
She tried to get up, but her knees buckled beneath her weight and she fell forward. He stomped back to her. "I can't."
He squatted before her. "Listen to me, you're almost there."
"You said that before."
"You just have to make it over that hill."
"You said that last time and I made it, and I can't make anymore."
"No, last time I said we have to get over the hill. I never said it was the only hill."
"So that one is the last one? That's it?"
"On the other side of that hill is freedom." He wrapped his hands around her arms and pulled her up to standing position.
"Last one," she nodded. "Okay. I can do that." At least she hoped she could do that. Right now her legs weren't agreeing with her mouth.
"Just remember, over that hill is freedom."
In less than two minutes he had uttered more words to her than he had since he rescued her. Somehow those words made him seem almost Capri Montgomery 23
23
human. He had let down his armor in order to get her to push on, but he hadn't let it down for long. Once she started walking he went back to the same quiet, uncharismatic Sully that she had met just hours earlier.
Five hours later, exhausted, sleep deprived and in desperate need of food, water and a bathroom, Alaina finally received one order she
He looked back to her once more. "Just keep going."
For the first time she realized she was falling farther behind him.
Mentally she gave herself the standard pep talk. You're almost there. You can do it. At some point not even her pep talk was working.
"Typical woman," he snapped.
"You know your search and rescue demeanor could use some work. You're rude, hostile, rude."
"You already said rude."
"And not to mention the fact that nowhere, in any manual, would it ever tell the rescuer to shoot the hostage." She stomped up the hill the best she could. She was determined to catch up with him and when she did he was going to get the full brunt of her anger.
"You sure about that?"
"Positive." Actually she wasn't sure of anything. It wasn't exactly as if she had read the book on hostage negotiations, but she was fairly Capri Montgomery 21
21
confident that getting the hostage released did not include shooting him or her.
"You're insufferable, the most insufferable man I have ever met in my entire life." She huffed as she finally reached him. "You're—"
"At the top," he said.
She looked out ahead of them. She had made the climb thanks to him. He hadn't held her hand, but he had fueled her anger which had made her more determined to prove him wrong. He had baited her into hauling tail on the climb so that she could make it up. He was no doubt tired himself, and the thought of having to carry her up probably sent chills up his spine.
"You were helping me," she nodded. "Thank you." She looked down to the valley below. There was no vehicle, no military assist waiting to take them back home. "Now what?"
"You see that hill over there?"
"Yeah," she said cautiously.
"Now we have to get over that one."
"But I thought we just had to clear this one."
He shrugged.
"Well how many more?"
He shrugged again.
"Do you know where you're going?"
“Over that hill.”
Saints and Sinners 22
If she hadn't been looking she might have missed the small curve of his lips upward, because as quickly as it appeared it disappeared and he moved on. He was enjoying his job at her expense. Well, it wasn't going to happen. She was done. She couldn't keep going. Not only did her feet feel as if they were going to fall off, her entire body was in pain. She sat down.
"I can't. I can't keep going."
He stopped in his tracks, turned to her and without even a hint of compassion said, "Get off your butt and keep moving."
She tried to get up, but her knees buckled beneath her weight and she fell forward. He stomped back to her. "I can't."
He squatted before her. "Listen to me, you're almost there."
"You said that before."
"You just have to make it over that hill."
"You said that last time and I made it, and I can't make anymore."
"No, last time I said we have to get over the hill. I never said it was the only hill."
"So that one is the last one? That's it?"
"On the other side of that hill is freedom." He wrapped his hands around her arms and pulled her up to standing position.
"Last one," she nodded. "Okay. I can do that." At least she hoped she could do that. Right now her legs weren't agreeing with her mouth.
"Just remember, over that hill is freedom."
In less than two minutes he had uttered more words to her than he had since he rescued her. Somehow those words made him seem almost Capri Montgomery 23
23
human. He had let down his armor in order to get her to push on, but he hadn't let it down for long. Once she started walking he went back to the same quiet, uncharismatic Sully that she had met just hours earlier.
Five hours later, exhausted, sleep deprived and in desperate need of food, water and a bathroom, Alaina finally received one order she
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