Read Online Her Own Best Enemy (The Remnants, Book 1) by Cynthia Justlin - Free Book Online
Authors: Cynthia Justlin
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the door. “I won’t be here come morning.”
“Damn it, Grace!” Keith leapt off the recliner and grabbed her in two strides. “You win.” His fingers dug lightly into her shoulders, not out of anger but of acquiescence. “You win, okay? Now go to bed. We leave at first light.”
Chapter Five
A bead of sweat trickled down Grace’s temple. The dry air tasted of dust and desolation, but the bright sun shimmering across the dusky red rocks of the canyon filled her with hope.
Today was the day. Ryker would be in her arms soon.
She zipped the backpack they’d purchased and filled with supplies at the surplus store that morning in Tusayan, then hefted the secured pack to her shoulders.
“You ready?”
Her stomach flip-flopped at the brusque rumble of Keith’s voice. He’d made his case for leaving her behind, but she’d won. Her gaze strayed to the signs posted at the entrance to the South Kaibab trail, which warned hikers of the dangers of attempting to hike down and back in one day. Didn’t matter. She’d crawl up the trail with Ryker on her back to get him out of harm’s way.
Keith swung his own pack to his shoulders, a muscle ticking in his jaw. No, he wasn’t happy about her tagging along. Well, tough. Ryker was her son. She refused to stay behind and wait.
“Let’s go.” She took the lead, daring to annoy Keith further.
A narrow path spiraled down the canyon walls, snaking over the multi-colored rock, with occasional step like footholds meant more for a donkey’s safety than for hikers.
Her legs trembled and she froze. The trail was much steeper than she’d imagined. Her heart revved in her chest, racing for a sickening moment, before dropping to the pit of her stomach. Much, much steeper.
Keith brushed past her, his left shoulder scraping her right, obviously unaffected by the sheer magnitude of the drop that separated them from life and death. Which left her to stare at his back until he rounded a bend in the trail and disappeared.
She clenched her hands, stiffened her spine and hurried to catch up with him. Pebbles crunched under her feet, her worn tennis shoes kicked up reddish dust that billowed over their tips and settled across the white leather.
Keith came into view, his strides long and controlled as if the hike was nothing more than a leisurely stroll. She stared at his back and kicked her pace up a notch until she narrowed the space between them to several paces.
“You could’ve waited up top,” he said.
Yeah, he’d have liked that wouldn’t he? “No, I couldn’t.”
She needed Keith’s help to track Ryker, but that didn’t mean she trusted him with her son’s life. He shrugged, an infuriating, calm, gesture that had her gritting her teeth.
They walked in silence for close to a half an hour, the only sound between them her ragged breathing. Keith’s, of course, was still perfectly even. Damn him.
Her damp hair clung to the sides of her face. Sweat plastered her t-shirt to her skin. She shifted the heavy pack, settling it deeper against her tense muscles. With only the occasional caw of birds and the scuff of her shoes along the rocky terrain for company, her thoughts returned to Ryker.
Was he safe? Was his asthma giving him problems? Would she find him with Mark, or in the hands of men with guns?
Would she find him alive?
God, Mark, why did you have to take him?
Her hands shook. She curled them around the wide straps of the backpack, and remembered the gun Keith insisted she add to her pack. Could she use it? Oh, yeah, if someone tried to hurt her baby she’d have no trouble blowing a hole through them.
Sweat pooled between her palms and the polyester fabric she clutched. She dropped her hands, rubbing them along the edges of her jeans. Don’t think about it.
She had three—possibly close to four—more hours of this hike. She’d lose her mind if she thought about Ryker hurt, or sick, or God forbid—
“Why did you join the
“Damn it, Grace!” Keith leapt off the recliner and grabbed her in two strides. “You win.” His fingers dug lightly into her shoulders, not out of anger but of acquiescence. “You win, okay? Now go to bed. We leave at first light.”
Chapter Five
A bead of sweat trickled down Grace’s temple. The dry air tasted of dust and desolation, but the bright sun shimmering across the dusky red rocks of the canyon filled her with hope.
Today was the day. Ryker would be in her arms soon.
She zipped the backpack they’d purchased and filled with supplies at the surplus store that morning in Tusayan, then hefted the secured pack to her shoulders.
“You ready?”
Her stomach flip-flopped at the brusque rumble of Keith’s voice. He’d made his case for leaving her behind, but she’d won. Her gaze strayed to the signs posted at the entrance to the South Kaibab trail, which warned hikers of the dangers of attempting to hike down and back in one day. Didn’t matter. She’d crawl up the trail with Ryker on her back to get him out of harm’s way.
Keith swung his own pack to his shoulders, a muscle ticking in his jaw. No, he wasn’t happy about her tagging along. Well, tough. Ryker was her son. She refused to stay behind and wait.
“Let’s go.” She took the lead, daring to annoy Keith further.
A narrow path spiraled down the canyon walls, snaking over the multi-colored rock, with occasional step like footholds meant more for a donkey’s safety than for hikers.
Her legs trembled and she froze. The trail was much steeper than she’d imagined. Her heart revved in her chest, racing for a sickening moment, before dropping to the pit of her stomach. Much, much steeper.
Keith brushed past her, his left shoulder scraping her right, obviously unaffected by the sheer magnitude of the drop that separated them from life and death. Which left her to stare at his back until he rounded a bend in the trail and disappeared.
She clenched her hands, stiffened her spine and hurried to catch up with him. Pebbles crunched under her feet, her worn tennis shoes kicked up reddish dust that billowed over their tips and settled across the white leather.
Keith came into view, his strides long and controlled as if the hike was nothing more than a leisurely stroll. She stared at his back and kicked her pace up a notch until she narrowed the space between them to several paces.
“You could’ve waited up top,” he said.
Yeah, he’d have liked that wouldn’t he? “No, I couldn’t.”
She needed Keith’s help to track Ryker, but that didn’t mean she trusted him with her son’s life. He shrugged, an infuriating, calm, gesture that had her gritting her teeth.
They walked in silence for close to a half an hour, the only sound between them her ragged breathing. Keith’s, of course, was still perfectly even. Damn him.
Her damp hair clung to the sides of her face. Sweat plastered her t-shirt to her skin. She shifted the heavy pack, settling it deeper against her tense muscles. With only the occasional caw of birds and the scuff of her shoes along the rocky terrain for company, her thoughts returned to Ryker.
Was he safe? Was his asthma giving him problems? Would she find him with Mark, or in the hands of men with guns?
Would she find him alive?
God, Mark, why did you have to take him?
Her hands shook. She curled them around the wide straps of the backpack, and remembered the gun Keith insisted she add to her pack. Could she use it? Oh, yeah, if someone tried to hurt her baby she’d have no trouble blowing a hole through them.
Sweat pooled between her palms and the polyester fabric she clutched. She dropped her hands, rubbing them along the edges of her jeans. Don’t think about it.
She had three—possibly close to four—more hours of this hike. She’d lose her mind if she thought about Ryker hurt, or sick, or God forbid—
“Why did you join the
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