Page 43 of The Heat is On
Tucker climbed to his feet, ignoring her hand again, but letting out a groan. How hurt was he?
“Have you lost your mind?”
Okay, apparently not that hurt. She recoiled.
“March is a murderer and a rapist—”
“I know, okay? I know. But…” But see,Rio…
Why hadn’t Rio jumped in after her? He’d sacrificed himself, and…and…
No. Because suddenly the conversation she’d been spinning through her mind over the past two hours, the description of Buttles given by Darryl, slipped into place.
Congealed.
He just wears this wicked scar on his face to remind everybody that he can’t be killed.
Buttles had been at the Midnight Sun Saloon two days ago. Probably hunting for Darryl.
Or his pregnant wife.
“Let’s just get going. We have to catch up to them.”
Tucker gave her a way-too familiar look. “You’re not going anywhere—”
That was justit.“And you’re not the boss of me!”
Silence. Because well, that sounded silly. Of course he was.
Or maybe not here, so far from the fire line.
“Actually, I’m exactly that. Your boss. And you’re going to do exactly what I tell you to do.”
Oh. She gritted her jaw, running her hands up her arms, unable to hold back a shiver.
He must have thought he’d hurt her because he touched her shoulder, his own hand like ice. “Sorry, Skye. I’m just…”
“Scared?” She met his eyes, not sure where that came from. Maybe because he’d spent the past twenty-four hours chasing her down, thinking the worst…
Okay, she could cut him some slack. Especially when, “Yeah, okay? I’m…I’m…yeah. Fine. Scared. Stevie could be hurt—even dead for all I know, and…”
He clutched his hand behind his neck and turned away from her. “I can’t believe how royally I screwed this up. I was supposed to get everybody home in one piece. That’s all Jed asked of me, and now…”
Hescrewed this up? Huh. She lifted her hand to touch his back, then dropped it, but kept her voice soft. “Tucker. You can’t stop bad things from happening. And you don’t need to save everyone.”
“Just for once, I’d like God to be on my side, okay?”
What—? “And why are you assuming that He’s not?”
He rounded on her. “Have you not been paying attention over the past twenty-four hours?”
She recoiled. “Actually, I have. Very much so, and—”
“I just don’t get why God has it out for me.”
Oh boy. Clearly something had happened out there in the forest. “Why do you think this has anything to do with you?”
“Because I was put in charge!” He stalked away from her, rambling about doing things right and not being trouble anymore, and it took a second for her to realize he wasleavingher there.