Page 151 of Mountain Men Heroes
“Ivy,” Damon pulled her to the side. “Please. Do this for me. Reaper is right about one thing. I owe his family a favor from a long time ago. His brother saved my life once when the traffickers would have liked to use me for hunting sport. Will you help?”
Ivy absorbed the fraction of history between the two she’d wondered about from her first night. She straightened her shoulders and stared out over the hurt.
“Damon, I don't want to be the one that can't save a mother, a son, a daughter from the horrors of reality. I can’t.”
Darkness clung to them and she caught a glimpse of the disappointment he tried to hide as he turned to Reaper. “It’s okay, angel. I understand.”
From in front of her one of the men collapsed. Shit.
Her heart raced.
“Wait,” she threw her hand out and caught Damon’s arm as she spoke to Reaper. “I need ten minutes to gather supplies and then Damon can take me to your place.”
“Fair enough. I trust you, friend.”
Ivy almost snorted. Reaper offered his hand and she clasped it.
“Hurry. Please,” Reaper pleaded and it didn't sound like the word passed his lips often. She gave a faint smile in return and turned on her heel, already shoving the bar door open and calling out for Damon to help.
“I need bags. Anything that can carry alcohol, clean towels, fishing line and anything I can make a hook out of.” Damon fished out a bag from under the bar and started filling it with everything she ticked off.
“Reaper, what kind of medicines or herbs, maybe healing ointments do you have?” This far off the grid everyone had something in their house given the nearest hospital was hours away. A local doctor's office only had so much.
“Anything you may need will be there. I made sure of it before winter set in.”
Man of few words. No wonder he and Damon got along. “Good.”
Between her and Damon they cut the time she needed down to five and the last item to go in the bag were several bottles of whiskey in case they ran out of alcohol for disinfectant. She took a quick restock of what she had and sighed heavily. They’d have to make due.
The bell over the front door rang out and all three turned to see Drake join the fun with Esmeralda hot on his heels along with Remy and Ethan.
“I’ll see you there.” Reaper excused himself and within seconds slipped out the back door as the Savage family moved in from the front.
“Smelled trouble in the air. What the hell is going on?”
“The traffickers. My past came back and bit Reaper and his family big time. We’re going to help,” Damon stated flatly.
She moved to the bar and clutched the bag Damon prepared and tossed it beside hers at the back door.
“Call dad. Tell him to check in on the other families on the outskirts of the Ridge. Reaper’s family might not be the only ones they attacked.”
Damon clasped Drake’s hand. “We’re headed out that way now to see if we can help.”
“Read you loud and clear.”
Ivy pulled on as much gear as she could while Damon piled on another scarf around her neck and slipped on a thicker pair of gloves over the ones she already had on. He went back for another hat when she threw up her hands. “Anything else and I won’t be able to move. Is all this necessary?”
“It is if you’re human.”
He pulled on blizzard gear next.
Sixty seconds later the lights of Savage Ridge faded to tiny dots as they sped away. Swirls of snow slapped against the windshield as darkness swallowed them whole.
“We can get halfway there before we have to take the snowmobiles. Suddenly she became very grateful for all the layers of winter clothes he bundled her in.
She sighed. Some damn Christmas. She started out her trip here running away from responsibilities when all she did was find more.
Several hours later Ivy was bone tired. So much blood.