Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Dana Mentink (e books free to read TXT) 📖

The hallway was pitch black except for the patches of moonlight, broken up by the trees, streaming in through the glass on the front door like a night-light. She took a step into the hallway, squinting. Another thud followed by a scrape. She shuffled down the hallway, irritation growing. She may have already been awake, but if the guide didn’t stop making noise, he might wake the others. Light from under one of the doors in the men’s section caught her attention. Her mouth went dry. Wasn’t that Dexter’s room?

The light extinguished, and the door opened. Every muscle tensed as she faced the silhouette stepping out of the room. In the darkness all she could make out was a man’s form, but she couldn’t get her eyes to widen enough. It appeared he had no face.

She clicked the button on the side of her phone and the light from the screen illuminated her feet as she began to lift her arm. “Who are—?”

The figure sprang at her, slamming her backward. Her shoulders felt the brunt of the attack, as if two bowling balls had been launched at her. She stumbled back so quickly, her feet left the slippers behind. The forceful push proved too intense to keep her balance. She dropped, twisting her right arm back to catch herself.

Her elbow hit the carpeted hallway first before her back slammed against the floor followed by her head. Pain radiated through her bones as the breath rushed out of her lungs. The phone flew from her hand and spun down the hallway. Standing above her, the man raised his arm. Something was in his hand. Was he holding a gun?

* * *

Henry stepped out of his truck, fighting against the desire to stop and stretch. He’d already spent more hours than he’d like in the front seat of his truck, and his spine had lodged a formal complaint. He’d nodded off and woken many times, but he thought he’d just seen the strobe of a flashlight from the men’s side of the employee lodging. It was possible one of the college kids was sneaking back in through a window, like some of the guys had done to avoid curfew when he’d spent his time guiding. Given that Nora had witnessed a shooter, he needed to know she was okay. A quick look through the front window should be enough. He strode to the front door.

He spotted a shadowed figure standing over Nora. The man dropped into a lunge with the gun raised in the air, reaching for Nora’s neck as if he was going to smack her hard with the weapon. “No!”

Henry pulled at the front door, willing to shoot out the front door window to get inside, but the door swung open easily. The man spun and rushed at Henry. “Drop your weapon,” Henry shouted, reaching for his holster. The figure barreled right into his stomach, using the gun to hit Henry’s elbow.

Henry’s eyes rolled back as he growled, absorbing the pain of the hard impact on a sensitive joint. He blinked rapidly as the man ran past him into the night.

“Nora,” he croaked. “Are you okay?”

“Go.” Her voice shook but sounded strong enough. He pushed off on his heel, sprinting after the man who’d run into the space between the rafting office and lodging. Henry’s arm throbbed but he grit his teeth and all-out sprinted.

The man, dressed in a dark turtleneck and pants, looked over his shoulder, only his eyes visible behind the ski mask. Twenty feet away. The man took a sharp turn into the campfire area. Henry pumped his legs faster and hurdled over one of the logs used as a bench. The man disappeared into the tree line. Henry grabbed his flashlight with his left hand and searched the trees.

Five frustrating minutes passed and he couldn’t find any sign of the man. Nothing. He balled up his fists and stomped the ground. He’d be foolish to run into the forest without any backup or visibility with a gunman on the loose.

He took out his phone and called Dispatch as he jogged back to the lodge. Several rooms now had lights on as well as the hallway. The front door had been left open and Bobby Olson, a guide Henry knew as being a friend to Nora’s family, stepped onto the threshold. “Are you okay? Nora said the man hit you with his gun.”

“I wasn’t shot, so I’ll be fine.” Nora might still need an ambulance. “Where’s Nora?”

Her door opened and she appeared, wearing a pair of green-and-purple-plaid pajamas.

“I’m fine.” She placed an ice pack on the back of her head. She looked pointedly at Bobby. “I really am. Could you tell the guides everything is okay and turn off the hallway light so they can get a little more sleep? It’s not quite time to start breakfast.”

“Sheriff’s been contacted,” Henry said. “Do you need an ambulance?”

“No, I just hit the floor hard. I think it might’ve been much worse if you hadn’t showed up.” She smiled shyly. “Thank you.” She spun around, stepping inside her room in the direction he remembered was the kitchen. She stepped back out with another ice pack, arm outstretched. “Do you need an ambulance?”

Bobby looked between them both and nodded. “Looks like the two of you have each other’s backs. G’night.” He sauntered off.

Henry accepted the ice pack and placed it on his already swelling elbow. “I’ll be fine.”

The hallway light went off, leaving them bathed with only the light from Nora’s room and the lights from the shared bathrooms, which Bobby had decided to leave on. “The front door was open.”

“I figured that out when you came in. Bobby is sure he locked it, though, and I believe him. He’s my right-hand man.” Her eyes widened. “Why were you here?”

He shrugged. “In the area. I think it’s time I took a look in Dexter’s room. Can you show me which one?”

The sound of crunching gravel drew their attention