Read Online Nighttime at Willow Bay by Kasey Moone - Free Book Online

it to his brothers’ land in time?
     
    ~  ~  ~  ~  ~
     
    Naomi awoke a minute later.  When she opened her eyes, she spotted Ryder standing at the cave entrance, and heard vicious howls from outside. Ryder just stood there, looking down at the ravine.
    “What is it?”
    He glanced at her. “The Spades.”
    Her mind worked to remember what she knew about the Spades…her captors…demons…dangerous …had to escape them.
    Her back stiffened. “But you said we were safe in the caves!”
    “ Everybody in Willow Bay knows that the caves are off limits except for Jorys. I didn’t think the demons would be stupid enough to tread on our holy ground.”
    Those demons wanted her! And from the looks of it, the cave had one entrance. Good God, they were trapped. 
    Ryder came for her.  “Let’s go.”
    “How the hell are we getting out of here? There’s only one entrance.”
    “There’s a way.”
    Once again, the earlier vision she had of his death seared through her mind, and she clung to his arm in fear.
    “Ryder, I have to tell you something.”
    “It can wait.”
    “But you should know something.”
    “Not now. I think we’ve talked enough. We have to move.”
    She frowned at that. He was still mad at her.
    He took her by the elbows, and pulled her up in a standing position. “Remember, when I say move, you move, and I’m saying move.”
    Naomi rolled her eyes. Not this again. “You are so obnoxious.”
    “I know.”
    “I can’t believe they’d risk entering holy ground.”
    “I know.”  There was absolute anger in his eyes, and Naomi knew not to say anything more. The man was seriously pissed about the trespassers. She didn’t blame him. If someone disrespected her people’s holy land, there’d be hell to pay.
    He took her hand and guided her deeper in the cave; this time they passed the gallery of pictures and moved into a different set of narrowed hallways. Naomi frowned at his backside, wondering where the labyrinth ended. For all she knew, it went on forever. Her legs worked to keep up. Her brea thing came out in airy spurts. From behind her, voices sounded. The Spades had breached the cave.
    Suddenly they came upon a gushing underground river.  It was the stream she’d heard earlier!
    Ryder stopped. “We’ve got to get in and ride the river down to the lake. My brothers’ property isn’t far.”
    “Uh…” She cleared her throat. “Ride the river?”
    Ryder looked down at the river and then, slowly, looked back at her.  “Don’t worry,” he said.  “I’m a good swimmer.”
    “I don’t know about this.”
    “What’s wrong?”             
    “ You see, I’m a lousy swimmer.”
    “I’m good enough for the both of us. C’mon, it’ll be easy.”
    He tested the water with a foot and stepped in, all the while clutching a nearby boulder to keep from careening down the lane. His arm muscles flexed, and she couldn’t help ogling him. When he held out a hand to her, she shook her head. His lips thinned. “Naomi, trust me. You’re not going to drown.”
    She moaned , a sound that echoed in the chamber. “You just had to use the word ‘ drown’, didn’t you?”
    “Sorry, darling.”
    “And how do you know I’m not going to drown, old wise one?”
    Ryder pointed to his biceps. “Because these bad boys won’t let you.”
    Naomi laughed. The man was ridiculous! Here she was petrified about drowning in the  murky water, and he was making some corny joke about his muscles being able to save her, which they probably could…damn beefcake.
    “Okay,” she finally said. “Just don’t let go of my ass.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    Grabbing her by the waist, he hoisted her down into the water. 
    Naomi gasped at the frigid current, and whispered, “It’s cold.”
    “Hold on to my arms.”
    She did just that, marveling at the warmth radiating from them.
    “You’re like a furnace.”
    “Body heat.”
    “Are you always like this?”
    “Yeah—always run hot