High Seduction (19 page)

Also, Erin was brilliant.

The overhead noise cut to a whistle, and the pitch of the chopper changed. Instead of spinning violently, they were moving forward and down, rushing rapidly into the darkness.

Tim's head was still spinning. Matt was groaning. Red . . .

Their kidnapper was throwing up.

The sounds of his misery faded as Tim clicked to line one. “Erin, we landing soon?”

“Sooner than you'd like. Which tends to happen when you have to turn off your main rotor. We're on autorotation.”

Shit.
“This wasn't some great ploy of yours?”

“Negative. We have no more tail rotor, and I'm aimed at what I think is a grocery store parking lot. Hope there's no twenty-four-hour Laundromat or something in the area.”

Tim leaned forward so he could see out the front, but from his angle it was nothing but levers and knobs, and a small windshield that was full of pitch black.

Out the side window the only clue of their forward speed was the flickering lights rushing past, the small balls of light growing larger at an alarming rate. The rush of dizziness had completely left him, a new flood of adrenaline washing through his system and preparing him for anything.

Which hopefully didn't mean too hard a landing.

He snugged his straps as tight as they would go, then waited, trusting the woman behind the controls to get them through this.

Trust. There it was again, and in this situation there was no one that he'd want to deal with this more than Erin. Once they were out of this hole he'd be happy to spend all the time it took to convince her of that fact.

The lights grew larger still.

Erin came back on the radio. “Brace yourselves, guys. Changing angle in three, two, one . . .”

The aircraft tilted. After moving forward at a nose-down position for however long she'd had them in autorotation—free-fall using the rotors like a parachute, their nose tipped up, slowing their descent and bringing the skids into landing position.

They were in the middle of a parking lot, the tall lights at the corners of the lot creating a fantastic runway as the skids touched down and they basically landed like an aircraft, rolling forward briefly over the snow-slicked concrete. Erin brought them along so smoothly Tim wasted no time. He unsnapped his harness and grabbed his gun, out of his seat the moment the chopper tugged to a stop.

He turned on Red and got the gun into position. “Don't move.”

The man's expression of misery barely changed. “What the hell?”

Outside, flashing red-and-blue lights were converging on the chopper. Erin came back online. “Police are here. Sorry, Red, but there are some promises that aren't meant to be kept. Anything that starts with a gun involved would be one of them. But we'll tell the authorities exactly how much you helped us, and what we know you did and didn't do. The rest is up to you, and how much information you have to give them.”

“Shit.”

Erin had shut down everything and stood in the cockpit, a gun in her own hand. “Tim, go talk to the police. Matt and I'll keep an eye on Red here until they can take him away.”

There was the usual scramble of dealing with the police made much easier because their kidnapper-turned-rescuer wasn't interested in struggling as he got put into the back of a squad car.

Tim was ready to burst from pride. They still had a ton of details to deal with, but for now? They were back in civilization and they were alive. There was no way this could be considered anything but a win, and Erin had been a major part of it.

Matt leaned on the car hood beside him. “I had no idea glacier tours were so . . . invigorating.”

Tim laughed. “Yeah. Erin knows how to show a guy a good time, doesn't she?”

Erin slipped into his arms and squeezed him tight. “Maybe we can avoid the being-kidnapped part next time.” She held out a hand to Matt, and he leaned in and caught it. “I'm glad we made it out of that in one piece.”

“With my money still intact,” Matt added with a laugh.

“Hey, you notice your money got you a spot in the cabin instead of the shed. See how handy that was?” Tim teased. Erin leaned harder against him, and he cherished her warmth. The affirmation that she was alive.

That they were all alive.

“No more cabins. No more sheds,” Erin stated firmly. “And you two are responsible for finding us a way home from here. I'm done driving for the day.”

CHAPTER
20

Marcus peeled open the door a crack, glaring out at the three of them on his doorstep. “You really expect me to let you in after the mess you made of my chopper?”

“Idiot.” A towel hit him in the back of the head. “Open the door.”

He winked before stepping aside, the door swinging wide.

Becki rushed forward, stooping to pick up her towel and welcome them. “Ignore him and come inside.”

She offered a hug to Erin, which, all things considered, Erin gratefully accepted. “Thanks for the lunch invitation.”

“Are you kidding? I was ordered to invite you over because everyone wants to hear the entire story.” Becki squeezed once more before rotating her on the spot.

The rest of the Lifeline team, minus Alisha and Devon, stood in the living room, a few extra bodies hovering on the edges. Tripp's boyfriend, Jonah, waved from the couch. Anders's best friend shifted positions where he stood beside Anders. Marcus's brother David was there as well. The owner of the local search-and-rescue training school stepped forward from the kitchen area, lowering a tray of snacks to the table.

“Dammit, I thought you'd all be busy with other things,” Tim complained. “There's nothing interesting here. Move along.”

“No? I've never been kidnapped in the middle of a rescue. That takes some serious talent.” Tripp gestured them forward. “You may as well give us full disclosure all at one time rather than having to repeat it multiple times.”

“But Tim was planning on getting a barbecue dinner out of each of you while he shared the story over and over again,” Erin drawled. “You've gone and ruined everything.”

“Oh shit,
barbecue
 . . .” Marcus darted across the room and through the deck doors, throwing open the lid on the massive grill. A cloud of smoke rose upward. He grabbed a set of tongs and poked around for a moment before waving the metal hooks reassuringly at the house. “No problems. All under control.”

Becki laughed. “Don't worry, we have extra. But first—you must be Matt.”

He accepted her hand, then glanced around the room. “Nice place you've got. Thanks for including me in the invitation.”

“Hey, we're an equal opportunity barbecue provider. You get kidnapped, you get the same goodies. Make yourself at home.” She picked up a platter from the side counter and held it toward Tim. “Any of you men who want to go do some male bonding, feel free.”

Tim had already been inching toward the doors, but he paused, taking the tray from her. “Is it that obvious we're dying to be involved in making charcoal of good food?”

“It's a genetic thing. We get it,” Erin said. “Go, have fun making fires.”

Suddenly the room was empty of all but Becki and Erin.

“We really need to do something about the lack of female population around here,” Becki complained.

“Definitely a good idea, but notice they're the ones standing in the cold while we've got the warm house?”

“Because we plan ahead.” Becki held bottles in the air. “Beer, wine? Something harder?”

“Tequila shots at noon. I don't think so.”

A lazy shrug lifted Becki's shoulders. “Don't consider it noon, consider it
early in the day during your extended vacation
. Marcus is giving you extra time off, did he tell you that yet?”

“No, but that's great news.” Erin pointed at the beer. “One of those would be fine. And extra days off would also be fine.”

Becki twisted the top off and handed the bottle over. “You deserve it, and besides, Devon and Alisha aren't back from training until Wednesday. So unless there's a dire emergency that requires your flying abilities, Lifeline remains on break.”

Erin curled up in the corner of the couch. “Thank you. I'm pretty sure you had a hand in convincing Marcus that was a good idea.”

Becki settled beside her. “Maybe a little. How are you doing?”

“Tired,” Erin admitted. “By the time we dealt with the police, and the helicopter, and the media, and transferring all the Lifeline gear, it was past midnight. Tim got us dropped at a hotel for the night. We rented a car and drove home this morning. We stopped at Lifeline to dump gear, hit my place for a minute, then used Tim's apartment to clean up before heading over here.”

“A whirlwind. You do need some extra holiday time. Is Matt flying home later today?” Becki asked.

Erin hesitated. The discussion had remained very generic for the entire drive, at least the parts she hadn't slept through. She wasn't sure if it was because Tim didn't want to talk in front of Matt, or the guys didn't want to talk in front of her. Or maybe they were all just overloaded with their own thoughts after the heart-pounding adventure.

For whatever reason the trip had been mostly filled with bad radio reception and conversations about food. “You know, he didn't say yet. There was talk about the meetings he has in Calgary, but I don't think that's until next week.”

She briefly went over what had happened, Becki's eyes widening in appreciation at the appropriate moments.

“Damn. You did everything right
and
you were really lucky.”

“If Red hadn't decided to help us, I'm not sure what we would have done. It's not something I'd like to experience again anytime soon.” Erin shivered briefly.

“Agreed.” Becki leaned back on the couch. “Marcus said you've already got the helicopter dealt with.”

“Get this. One of the cops had a tow company on speed dial, the kind that deal with big rigs when they get into trouble. They loaded the chopper onto a flatbed, and she was on the road to Calgary before we were on our way to the hotel.” Erin laughed. “I bet Marcus told you that the chopper was safe before he told you about us.”

“Don't be stupid.” Becki slapped her leg lightly. “He was worried. We all were.”

“I know, I'm just kidding. It was pretty scary. Scarier than any rescue I've done, and we've had some wild ones.”

“Another reason for a bit of a break,” Becki said.

“I thought the rule was get right back on the horse?” Erin let her gratitude show. “We'll be fine. And hey, I proved I'm still up on my emergency chopper manoeuvres.”

Becki gave her a high five. “You are classy, and talented, and I'm glad you're home safe.”

“Me, too.”

“Becki, where are the buns?” Marcus shouted from the doorway.

“My favourite ones are in your pants,” Becki called back, rising to her feet and winking at Erin as laughter poured in the door along with the cold air. “One second, I'll get them.”

Erin relaxed where she was, sipping her beer while she stared out the window at the guys congregating around the grill.

Extra time off. She wasn't sure what they would do with it.

Her stay with Tim at Matt's had been—she hated to be cheesy and say
magical
, but it certainly hadn't been real life. Maybe that was why she'd been so willing to let Tim take control.

I let him take control because that's what I wanted.

And there it was again. That edge of honesty that cut into her fear. There really was no going back. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. Either she confirmed what she'd said to Tim before about enjoying what he'd arranged, or she needed to call this relationship off and let them both move on.

Only confirming that she wanted more of what they'd shared on the island also meant they had to have a serious discussion, and soon. Their past wasn't going to vanish without a trace, and the longer she held off discussing it, the harder it got.

Tim caught her eye and straightened. All his attention focused tightly on her. Watching, assessing. Like he did during sex. Like he did all the time. The cheeky wink he tossed her did nothing to answer her dilemma, except . . . it was such a purely instinctive Tim move, she had to smile in response.

Maybe that was her answer. Things with Tim would move forward, and they'd see what came next. What came naturally.

And at the end of it all, she hoped she still had herself as well as him.

* * *

It was crowded around the grill, but Tim didn't mind. He was in his glory. Erin hadn't been far off in her tease about him getting maximum mileage out of sharing their adventure.

Their time with the group was also a great distraction from having to make the next set of plans. He knew what he wanted, but first he needed confirmation from Erin for the go-ahead.

Getting the catch-up time with the team was important, but he was itching for the next step.

“You had far more luck than you should have,” Anders pointed out, a murmur of agreement rippling through the group as Tim, along with Matt's enthusiastic additions, finished their story.

“Luck was a big part of it.” Matt pointed in the window. “Luck and that lady. When I heard the propellers stall I thought we were going to plummet straight down and be gone in one huge explosive fireball.”

“Erin's the best.” Tripp leaned on the wall, one arm around his boyfriend. “Although I can't imagine autorotation becoming a popular method of transportation.”

“Better than the spinning thing she had us doing a minute earlier.” Matt shuddered. “God, I need another drink just thinking about it.”

Tim slapped him on the shoulder. “You did great. Most people react like Red. You only whimpered for your mommy.”

“Ass,” Matt replied without rancor.

Marcus laughed. “I'm glad everything worked out.”

“Not everything.” Tim didn't want to dwell on it, but he was still wondering. “I wish I could figure out what those guys were doing in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't drugs, but it was obviously something important enough they felt the need to kill a man and kidnap us to get off the mountain before the authorities arrived—it makes no sense.”

“Did the police pick up the guys at the cabin?” Tripp asked.

Tim shook his head. “Got a call this morning from our contact. The police made it to the cabin before morning, but the men were already gone. Must have had a car in one of the outbuildings. Good thing we got Red arrested—it's probably the only thing keeping him safe right now.”

Tripp frowned. “You and Erin aren't in any danger, are you?”

“Nah,” Tim reassured him. “There's no reason for them to want to see us again. They're probably thankful they don't have to deal with us.”

“I don't even want to think what
dealing with us
might have meant,” Matt said.

Tim patted him on the back. “We're safe. End of story.”

“And it's a good end,” Marcus affirmed. “Matt, if you need a hand while you're here, I'm yours. I can drive you to Calgary if that's where you're flying home from.”

“I'll let you know if I need anything,” Matt promised. “Oh, that reminds me.”

He passed something to Marcus.

Marcus then glanced down, confusion drifting across his face. “Your business card. Thanks.”

Matt pointed to the corner. “That's my assistant's direct line. Call her, and we'll see what we can set up in terms of a donation or two to the team.”

“Hang on.” Marcus shook his head. “No, I mean I feel bad enough—”

“I'll warn you now, arguing with Matt about money is a losing cause,” Tim cut in. “Just say thank you, and call the man's assistant on Monday.”

“And if you don't, I'll call for you.” David tipped his head to Matt. “I'll speak for my brother, who's too busy sticking his foot in his mouth. Your offer is not necessary, but donations are very much appreciated. Government funding only goes so far, so thank you.”

“Agreed. And since I know personally how important it is to have search and rescue on hand, I'm always on the lookout for places to support.” Matt tossed Tim a dirty look. “Someone should have mentioned sooner he was with a new team.”

Tim shrugged. “You need mysteries in your life.”

“Alisha and Devon are on Skype,” Becki interrupted from the doorway. “Tim, come in. They're waiting to talk to you and Erin. The rest of you, everything else is laid out on the counter, if Marcus has finished sacrificing the first burgers.”

Marcus grinned sheepishly. “You're never going to let me live down burning those steaks, are you?”

Becki passed Tim a smile on her way to drape her arms around her lover's neck. Marcus slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to kiss her passionately in spite of the crowd stepping around them on their way back into the house.

Tim watched for a moment before heading inside, hungry for that kind of relationship. Longing for the connection he saw in the people right around them, and the urgency to get to that stage with Erin grew.

All through the visit with Alisha and Devon, all through the meal, he pondered his dilemma. Wanting to push harder, make the moves.