Yolo (Carter Brothers #7)

Chapter 3

I’ll vacuum the beach before I tell Facebook I’m in a relationship again.

— Bindi’s secret thoughts

BINDI

“ You still with me?” the mystery man asked.

“ Yes ,” I said. “ I’m so sorry.”

“ You’re fine,” he promised.

“ I’m heavy, and I know that I’m affecting you because you’re breathing hard,” I corrected him.

“ I’m breathing hard because I’m physically exerting myself going down the mountain, but just sayin’, I carry fifty pounds of weight on me every day when I’m working. You’re fine.”

“ What do you do for work?” I asked.

It was the other man that was with him that answered. “ We’re police officers. Gee is a K -9 officer, though. So he lugs his dog around with him all the time.”

“ I do. Gable’s right.” Gee laughed. “ I shouldn’t have started that when he was younger, because now that he’s older, he still expects it.”

The two of them sounded similar, but the one that was holding me, Gee , sounded a little darker and more dangerous.

At first when they’d walked up, I’d had a moment of panic because there were two strange men looming over me when I was vulnerable. But upon them talking me through my panic, I was much better about the situation now.

That , and desperate.

I didn’t want to spend a single second longer on this mountain than I had to.

I’d never get on one again if I had the choice.

And maybe I didn’t have the choice.

The fact that I couldn’t see right now was terrifying me.

“ What do you do, ma’am?” Gee rumbled.

“ I’m a paramedic for Albuquerque Fire ,” I answered.

Or was.

“ Ewww , a firefighter,” Gable teased.

I would’ve smiled had I had the energy.

“ Tell me about these assholes that left you,” Gee suggested. “ Who are they?”

“ My ex-fiancé and his family,” I answered. “ They’re avid hikers, and they always leave me behind. But this is a new low for even them.”

“ I thought you said he was your boyfriend?” Gee asked for clarification.

“ The fiancé thing was new as of a couple of months ago,” I admitted. “ But boyfriend or fiancé, he’s still not that anymore. Not after today.”

I’d had an hour to think about it as I struggled to find out what the hell I should do.

I’d prayed for a group of hikers to find me, and I’d lucked out with the strapping man now literally carrying me down a mountain.

If my head didn’t hurt so bad, and I wasn’t so scared, I might very well be happy about this new adventure.

It was the wake-up call that I needed when it came to Joseph .

I lifted my hand to touch my face and felt my hand catch something hard.

“ Got ’em,” Gable said from our side.

“ Sorry ,” I said as we came to a stop. “ I didn’t mean to.”

“ I know you didn’t, honey,” he said. “ I’d leave them if they weren’t what I needed to see.”

He wore glasses?

He let my left thigh go momentarily but leaned forward to keep me securely on his back.

I jolted, my hand going to his neck accidentally, and grabbed for purchase.

“ Sorry ,” he said as he caught me back behind the leg. “ I should’ve announced that I was doing that.”

“ Yeah , you should have.” Gable chuckled. “ You doing okay back there?”

My hand loosened but didn’t move off of his neck.

My finger brushed a scar on his face, and I stilled. “ Oh , are you hurt?”

“ No ,” he answered. “ Old scar that’s not the most pleasant thing in the world to look at in the mirror every morning.”

“ He says that.” Gable tried for levity. “ But all the girls think it’s sexy.”

“ Sure , right.” Gee snorted.

“ Are y’all related?” I asked.

“ We’re twins,” Gee answered.

“ Oh , that explains the G names,” I said. “ I always wanted a twin. I settled for a dog, though.”

Both brothers chuckled.

“ We’re about half a mile out now,” Gable said. “ I’m gonna move ahead and call the cops. See if we can get someone here.”

Gee grunted, and then Gable left, making me slightly awkward when I said what I said next.

“ Beautiful weather we’re having, right?” I asked.

He chuckled. “ I hate to break this to you, but there are some clouds rolling in. Looks like a good ol’ mountain storm’s about to be upon us. Maybe it’ll knock that asshole and his family that left you right off the mountain.”

I snorted. “ The Harrises are too good at hiking for that.”

“ Damn . That’s a bummer,” Gee admitted.

I agreed with him.

I twisted my head so that I could lay my face on his shoulder.

“ Thank you again,” I murmured.

He squeezed my thighs. “ I signed an oath to protect and serve. If it makes you feel better, pretend that I’m working and it’s my job.”

I sighed. “ It doesn’t.”

He chuckled. “ I can see the path evening out. We’re almost there.”

I felt a drop of rain hit my head and then another.

“ Feels like the storm caught up to us,” I mused.

“ It’s about to be here any second,” he started walking faster, and the incline of his body changed, becoming more upright.

“ Almost there,” he assured me.

I breathed a sigh of relief when his next words were, “ I can see Gable at our truck.”

Sadly , like I expected, there was no signal to be had.

“ I don’t think you get any until you hit the main road,” I admitted.

“ You know this place well?” he asked.

“ Yeah ,” I sighed. “ We hike here a lot.”

It took them only a few seconds to load me up in their truck and start driving off.

I hoped that when Joseph got back, he would wonder where I was and start to worry.