“Good timing.” Caz eyed the helicopter. “Knox, Gabe, and Audrey need a ride to town, and I need to go with to patch them up.”

“She sure can’t walk out. She’s not only half-frozen, but did you see her ankle, Caz?” Bull glanced at Hawk. “You can take the prisoners, too.”

“No, I’ll only haul Caz and the injured. Can’t take anyone else,” Hawk said. “I’m low on gas.”

As Caz started examining her ankle, Audrey winced. Somehow, this pain was one pain too many. Her hands closed into fists. Ow, ow, ow.

Gabe knelt and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulder before asking Hawk, “Low on gas? Were you waiting out the storm in the air?”

“Nah, the clouds were thinning when I got here. Problem was the other chopper wanted to land.” Hawk’s lips twisted into a malevolent smile. “After I dive-bombed him a few times, he changed his mind.”

Bull’s laugh roared out across the clearing. “Only you think a knife fight means chopper blades.”

“Caz might carry more blades, but mine are bigger.” The pilot’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Audrey leaned her head against Gabe’s chest. She hurt, oh God, how she hurt, and none of that mattered. Gabe was alive, his heartbeat slow and strong under her ear.

“Is Lillian all right?” she whispered, tilting her head back to look at him.

“Yeah, she is.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips. “You should have heard her cursing.”

Audrey laughed. She’d been present when a blackberry vine had raked down Lillian’s arm. The poor vine probably withered away from shame by the time the Englishwoman had finished describing its parentage.

Caz tugged at Audrey’s shoe, and her laugh stopped abruptly as pain stabbed into her ankle.

“Sorry, chica. Let’s forget getting your footwear off.” Caz wrapped a stretch bandage around the outside of her boot. “Keep it on until we reach the clinic.”

“I like that plan.” Her words came out through clenched teeth, and Gabe’s arm drew tighter around her.

“Crap.” Chevy stood beside Caz, staring at Audrey. “You look like…like bad.”

“Man, that isn’t the way to charm a woman.” Bull winked at Audrey.

Looking worried, Chevy shook his head. “Our sweetheart librarian doesn’t worry me. It’s the mayor. When I picked up the reinforcements, the Brit said she’d gut me with a dirty fish knife if I didn’t bring her girl back safe and sound.”

Tucker joined them. His assessing gaze took in Audrey’s bloody jeans, her bruised face. Anger and worry narrowed his eyes before he looked at Gabe as if for reassurance.

“She’ll be all right,” Gabe said.

“The asshole who took her…” Tucker’s voice was tight. “Before you take him back, I wanna chat with—”