Death Cache (34 page)

“I’m just saying, now might have not been the best time for you to fuck him.”

“That’s enough, Nadia,” Gage said, coming up behind Tern, buttoning his pants, a forgotten t-shirt hanging in his hand. “Why were you spying on us?”

“Sounded like someone was dying. Besides, it’s not like there’s a TV to switch on.” She sauntered closer to Gage, licked her lips, and trailed her fingers down his bare chest. “Ever thought of trying a threesome?”

Tern growled, pushing between Nadia and Gage, forcing Nadia back. “What is with you?”

“It’s not like I haven’t been touched by him before,” Nadia smirked. “Though never quite like that.”

Gage stiffened behind her, and Tern suddenly felt the cold of the evening chill settle into her bones. “Excuse me?”

Nadia arched her newly cut brow. The action and resulting expression was so like one of Tern’s that she shivered.

“You never told her about us?” Nadia asked Gage with a pout in her tone.

“Told me what?” Tern had a chilling feeling she knew what Nadia was implying.

“Tern, we need to talk,” Gage said, laying his hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and spun toward him. “You slept with her?”

“Now, why say it like that?” Nadia said. “Like it’s something to be ashamed of. I have very fond memories of our night together.”

“Tern, it was nothing.” Gage’s words came fast, tumbling over themselves. “A few dates and the one night when we’d had too many drinks at a University function. It was over a year and half ago. Way before I met you.”

“It wasn’t nothing to me,” Nadia said, her tone trying to sound hurt, but coming out more biting instead.

Tern swiveled and pinpointed Nadia with a stare. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’re supposed to be my friend. Friends don’t keep things like sleeping with my boyfriend a secret.”

“Boyfriend? Is that what he is to you? He left you without a word, besides you weren’t together that long. There was no point in telling you.”

“Hey,” Robert said, at some point having joined them. Not that any of them noticed until he spoke. “What’s all the drama?”

“Shut up,” Tern and Nadia said together.

His eyes widened, and his mouth flopped open once and then closed. He might be smarter than Tern had given him credit for.

“Tern,” Gage said, taking her elbow. “I wanted to tell you, but the time never seemed right.”

She wrenched her arm free and took a few steps back. “You couldn’t have mentioned it before?” Did she have everything wrong? She’d thought they had been together, a couple, exclusive. For her there hadn’t been any time for someone else. If she’d slept with his best friend previous to their relationship, she’d have told him. “We’ve been together nonstop the last four fucking days and you never had a moment to tell me that you’d slept with Nadia? Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“Whoa,” Robert said with a gasp. “Gage and Nadia?” He turned toward Nadia. “Is there anyone on this trip that you haven’t spread your legs for?”

Nadia let her hand swing. It connected with a loud smack across Robert’s cheek. “You’re a bastard,” she spat.

Robert cupped his cheek and flexed his jaw. “Holy hell, did you sleep with Mac too?” His eyes widened with dread. “Is anyone using any freaking condoms? Shit, do I need to get tested?”

Silence spilt the open meadow, even the birds had the sense to hush as the repercussions ping-ponged between the four of them.

In a nauseating way, they had all slept together.

Tern’s head pounded with the disturbing information. She’d been with only four men in her whole life. Nadia had admitted to being with the same men. No that wasn’t right. It couldn’t be right. She hadn’t slept with Mac, had she? Tern suddenly felt the need to throw up.

Nadia turned toward Robert, her fingers in the shape of claws. A deep scary sound came from her throat. Tern grabbed her by the waist in case she went for Robert. They were all going to kill each other if someone didn’t start thinking rationally.

“Shake it off, Nadia,” Tern gritted out. “Robert, apologize.”

“You are one crazy bitch.” Robert slowly backed up not taking his eyes from Nadia. He continued his careful retreat until he was at the door of the cabin.

Nadia shuttered. Tern felt the tension in her body and didn’t blame her for wanting to go after Robert. Tern wouldn’t mind having a go at Gage, who continued to stand stoic next to her. Betrayal beat at her from both sides, and Tern didn’t know which to examine first. The betrayal of her best friend or the betrayal of the man she loved? Instead, she let go of Nadia and followed in Robert’s steps.

Let them have each other.

“Tern,” Gage said.

“I can’t,” she said, meeting his eyes and letting him see the pain and turmoil swimming in hers. How much heartbreak could she take at his hands? “Leave me alone.”

Gage dragged in a deep breath and hardened his jaw. “I won’t do that.”

“You don’t have a choice, Gage. Besides, it’s what you wanted.” She cocked a sardonic smile. She shut the door on the two people she loved, who apparently had loved each other, lied to her, and betrayed her.

Was anything what it seemed?

“You are a bitch.” Gage turned on Nadia. “What in the hell possessed you to hurt her like that?” His hands fisted. He’d never hit a woman. Never thought he could. But then maybe there was more of his father in him than he thought, because he wanted to beat the shit out of this one. It took everything he had not to give in to the temptation.

Nadia dropped her face into her hands and moaned. “I don’t know what overcame me.”

“You’re jealous.”

Her head snapped up.

“We were over.” He advanced a step, his muscles tensing as he got within arm’s reach. It would take nothing to snap her neck. The last time he’d felt like this he’d killed his brother-in-law. Sweat broke out over his body at the realization, and he anchored his feet. “You pushed me in her direction,” he gritted out through locked teeth.

“I was helping you out because you said you needed a gift for your mother. I didn’t mean for you to fall at her feet.”

“Did you set all this up as a way of getting back at her? At me?” He waved his hands in the air to encompass the hell they’d been going through.

“Of course not. Why would I do that?”

“For the same reason you blurted out that we’d slept together. You want to hurt her. Why?”

“She’s my best friend. The last thing I want is to see Tern hurt. I was saving her.”

“From me? If that was truly your motivation you would have told her about us back in December.”

“Back in December, I thought you might be good for her. Why should I have ruined what was developing between you? You did that without my help when you took off. Maybe I was trying to keep that from happening again. Now she knows how deceiving you can be.”

“You mean how deceiving both of us can be, don’t you?”

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY-
S
IX

Tern slammed the pot of water on top of the wood stove. Water sloshed up and out, sizzling on the heat of the cast-iron, sounding like the blood scorching through her veins. She was burning up inside, but relished the anger over the hurt that crept like a disease. Grabbing a wooden spoon, she stirred the porcupine stew she’d set to simmer before she’d been stupid enough to go outside. Before she’d caught Gage naked, and decided to take him.

“Hey, you okay?” Robert asked.

She jumped, forgetting she wasn’t alone. What she wouldn’t give to be alone. It seemed like forever since she’d had a minute to herself.

“Right, you’re not fine. Sorry. That was a stupid thing for me to ask. Here let me do that.” Robert took the spoon out of her hand. “Why don’t you take a minute to fix your hair, change into dry clothes, and for God’s sake, wipe the tears off your face.”

She reached up and found moisture on her cheeks. “Shit.”

Robert gave her his back as he mindlessly stirred the pot of porcupine stew. “Want me to take care of them both? I’ll do it. No one would know but us.”

She choked on a laugh and made sure there were no remaining tears on her face. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end in hysterics. “Don’t tempt me.” She snatched dry clothes and changed into them, grateful for Robert giving her a minute to compose herself. “How’s the graze on your arm?” she asked, wanting the attention off her situation. Besides, she should have asked how he was doing before now.

His chest swelled and he looked pleased that she’d asked.

“It looks good. Already scabbing over with no sign of infection.”

“I’m so relieved. That could have been bad all the way out here.”

She was running a brush through her damp, tangled hair when Nadia entered the cabin. Tern met her eyes, but couldn’t look at her long without tears welling up again. She turned away and took a fair amount of time to locate a hair-tie from inside the front pocket of her backpack and began braiding her hair.

“Tern,” Nadia said. “Can we talk?”

“Nope. Not yet.”

“If I were you,” Robert said, “I’d find a corner to sit in and stay out of everyone’s way.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she spat.

Tern straightened and faced Nadia. “Either do what he says, or leave, because I sure as hell don’t want to see you right now.”

“It’s raining again,” she whined.

If she didn’t stop her damn whining, Tern was going to do it for her. “I don’t care.” Tern tried not to think of Gage out there getting soaked in the rain, maybe even stalked by a killer. If there was a killer out there, he probably had more sense than Gage and was hold up somewhere nice and cozy, waiting out the weather. Or the killer was right now in the room with her. Even with all that Gage had done, she didn’t think he could have killed Lucky or Mac. What would be his reasoning?

Unless he was the psycho jealous type and was one-by-one killing all the men she’d slept with.

Could she believe that? It would mean that he was obsessively in love with her. And insane. Two things he hadn’t demonstrated, but he had killed someone. Maybe she shouldn’t discount it so fast.

Her rambling thoughts were driving her insane. She finished with her hair and took over the cooking from Robert, needing something to keep her busy.

“Whatever you’re cooking,” Nadia said from her corner. “It sure smells good.”

“Nadia, I don’t want to hear you either,” Tern said.

The door flew open and Gage entered.

She couldn’t help the shiver as her eyes met his from across the small space. He was wet, his hair almost black and wild around his unshaven face. If anything the rain seemed to have darkened his features, giving him shadows and hallows that were damned attractive. He exuded alpha male and her blood quickened in response.

Damn it, she wanted to look away, but her heart strangled in her throat, and it was all she could do not to fall at his feet in a pool of want and misery.

In two quick strides, Gage was in front of her and had her arm in the vise-like hold that didn’t hurt, but said in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t getting away from him without a fight. That traitorous part of her twittered to life.

“You’re coming with me,” he said, the gruffness of his voice raising the little hairs on her arms and the back of her neck.

She took a few steps with him before her mind cleared enough to ask what the hell she was doing. She dug in her feet. How many times was she going to let him break her?

She wrenched her arm free. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“The hell you aren’t.” He swung her up into his arms. Iron bands locked her in place against his rock-solid chest. He held her so tight she felt his heart pound in quick heavy thumps. That sick woman inside her thrilled at being swept off her feet and spirited away. She was suddenly Scarlett and he was one sexy Rhett Butler.

Robert barred the door, his shotgun clenched in his hands.

“Get out of the way,” Gage said.

“She doesn’t want to go with you, and I don’t want to be stuck with her.” He indicated Nadia who had risen to her feet when Gage came crashing into the small one room cabin. Robert raised the shotgun across his chest. “No one is leaving. I don’t trust anyone here. We all stay together until we get fucking home and let the authorities figure out this goddamn mess. Until then, no one is alone unless they need to take a shit in the woods.”