Thank God he’d put several hundred yards between him and the plane.

Brynn clutched at Jim’s arm as the shot echoed its way to the plane.

“That was a gunshot.”

“Yeah, but who shot at who?” Ryan muttered.

“Besand shot,” Jim stated. “Alex and Thomas won’t shoot unless they can empty their magazines into the prick.”

Brynn took two steps for the door and Jim grabbed at her shoulder, holding her gaze with his serious eyes. “No one’s going out there. Not till Alex comes back.”

But what if he doesn’t come back?

Brynn felt the heat wash out of her face and her shoulders sag. She collapsed into one of the chairs. Ryan put an arm around her shoulders. Thomas was out there. He’d help if Alex were in trouble. Alex was consumed with his need to find Besand. He plainly wanted revenge for the death of his brother and all those other victims. Besand had dragged Alex down a graphic path of reliving his killings. Before he’d give up a victim, first he made

Alex listen as he replayed the event. Alex hadn’t told her any specific details—she hadn’t wanted to hear them. But she’d seen the shift on Alex’s face as his humanity disappeared when he talked of Besand’s victims.

Her gaze met Jim’s. His lips were pressed in a grim line.

How can he just sit here after that gunshot?

She was ready to jump out of her skin.

Jim knew what happened when you took someone’s life. He was a trained sniper. The best shot in four counties. For all the times he’d been called on for his expertise, only twice had he fired his gun and killed suspects as they threatened their hostages. One child hostage’s throat had been slit a split second before Jim fired. The girl had been saved, but Brynn knew Jim had suffered nightmares for a long time afterward. Dreams where he hit the girl or his shot made the suspect slice deeper.

The glory from the media didn’t help. They highlighted each event and dragged it out for days in the newspapers. Each time Jim had spent months in counseling and considered different lines of work. But he was a cop through and through. He couldn’t walk away. He knew his shooting skill was a gift for helping others, and he’d learned to deal with his demons. Brynn knew Alex fought his own type of demons. But if Alex were forced to kill Besand, would that wipe them out? Or just add more?

Her mind locked on a question. Has Alex killed before?

Deep inside, she knew the answer was yes.

It showed in the shadows in his eyes. The knowledge of taking another life and the emotional torture afterward. He knew exactly what hell he’d face if he were forced to kill Besand, and he would still do it. She rubbed her upper arms with both hands and paced the short aisle between the seats.

Damn it, Alex. Are you OK?

She heard Tyrone stir and mutter and she turned to look back at him, seeing Liam had already responded. Liam’s voice soothed as he talked to his brother. Jim joined the two men, as always, checking on those in his charge. Once Tyrone and Liam had entered the plane they’d fallen under Jim’s umbrella of supervision; they’d became part of his responsibility.

Tyrone’s head injury was beyond her care. His head hurt like hell, and he couldn’t stand to be jostled or hear loud noises. He needed a specialist and probably a CAT scan. Brynn ran her hands through her hair, swearing at her uselessness. All she could do was give him ibuprofen and she was nearly out.

Liam had contusions everywhere and had brushed off her offers to examine him.

At each offer he’d snap at her, “I’m fine. I know I’m fine. I don’t need you to look.” Then he’d turn his attention back to his brother.

She’d backed off.

Surprisingly, Liam had hated Alex on sight. It was almost like Alex had marked her and Liam could smell it.

She snorted. The two men were like dogs. Carefully circling each other, both alpha, neither willing to back down.

She had to set Liam straight. Apparently, kicking him out of her house hadn’t been enough of a message for him. In his mind, she still belonged to him. But trapped in half a plane in the middle of a snowstorm with seven people wasn’t the time to break up with someone. Again.

Besides, Liam already knew. He had to know. He just didn’t want to admit it. Months of sleeping on the couch had to tell him something. Her refusals to set wedding dates or even exchange rings had to tell him something.

Or is he really that dense?

No. He simply ignored it. He ignored everything she’d told him about how she felt. Maybe he thought she’d change her mind if he didn’t pressure her.

She sat in one of the seats and leaned her head back. Waiting and waiting. It was all she’d done for almost two days. It’d been nearly forty-eight hours since Ryan had spotted the plane. Twenty-four hours since Jim and Thomas had left to hike out.

Seventy-two hours since Alex had entered her life. And turned her heart and brain upside down.

Is Alex all right? She fought down the need to tear out the door and find him. Jim was sitting on the floor by Tyrone with his head in his hands. If she was stressed, Jim was beyond measure. She strained her ears to hear beyond the plane, but today the woods were silent. No wind, no ice pellets. Simply deliciously soft snowfall.

Alex hadn’t changed how she’d felt about Liam. Her feelings for Liam had disintegrated before she’d met Alex. She had been surprised and rather embarrassed how quickly and compellingly she’d responded to another man. A warm flush crawled up her neck as she thought of his gray gaze.