Page 12 of Secrets in the Deep

When Emily shifted her weight, Ryan’s gaze lowered to her leg. Was it still hurting? He’d assumed she’d pulled a muscle after the chase scene through the woods. Maybe fell on it wrong. Was it still hurting four days later?

“Wildlife,” Zac said. “This isn’t New York. Montana has bears and moose and the occasional mountain lion.”

“I think we all know to run,” the director scoffed.

Ryan’s gaze shifted to the idiot. “Neverrun. That makes you prey.”

Ryan felt Emily’s eyes on him before he shifted his attention back to her. Their gazes met. A few visible breaths lifted her chest before she swallowed and looked back at the dirt.

“You all have radios,” Zac continued. “Channel three is for general crew. One is an emergency. If you get hurt or lost, you switch to one immediately.”

This time, the director blew out an exaggerated breath.

“You got a problem?” Ryan asked.

Roscoe straightened. “Yeah, actually, we have a scene to shoot in an hour. We have actual work to do.”

“And what happens when someone gets hurt and it screws up your filming schedule?”

“We’re shooting a movie, not stepping into a ring.”

“This forest will swallow your city ass whole. You understand?”

“It’s a controlled set,” the director countered.

“It’s a forest. Control is limited.”

There was a stretch of silence before the guy huffed again. “Fine. Just finish the lecture.”

Zac talked about emergency meeting points and discussed the river and weather. Every so often, Ryan added something, but Zac pretty much ran the show. The director rolled his eyes at least half a dozen more times, a bored expression on his face. Preston spent most of his time talking to the short redhead beside him, the same one who’d been in Bloom this morning with him and Emily.

And every so often, Ryan felt Emily look at him. Her gaze was hot on his skin, and every time, he itched to look back. Meet her eyes. Feel that connection.

“Are we finally done?” This time it was Melanie, Emily’s mother, who called out. “We have a schedule to keep. Mydaughterhas a schedule to keep.”

Ryan didn’t miss the small eye roll from Emily.

That was new. The Emily he rememberedneverwould have disrespected her mother.

“We’re done,” Zac said, his smile tight now. Even he, a man who had the patience of a saint, had been pushed to his limit by these people.

The director threw up his hands. “Finally. Let’s go, team.”

Ryan watched as Emily took three steps, only to be cut off by the short redhead.

No limp. Because she was hiding it? Or was she actually okay?

“Watch out, two o’clock,” Zac said under his breath.

Ryan internally groaned at the sight of Melanie Prior marching toward him.

Great. Just what his bad fucking mood needed.

She stopped in front of him. “Ryan, I wasn’t expecting to see you in Deep River.”

“Life’s full of surprises.”

“Can we talk in private?”