Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
I shuddered. “But they’re lizards.”
“Just stay by me. You’ll probably see worse before we get there.”
“Snakes?”
“Or gators, though they don’t usually come up this far from the shore.”
I glanced around, sure one was going to run at me from the undergrowth. “What do I do if I see an alligator?”
“Just walk on past them,” Ambrose said. “Most of them will only eat you if I tell them to.”
I looked at Lorenzo, hoping he’d tell me none of this was true.
He shrugged. “I told you he was crazy. He doesn’t control all the alligators though. He just wishes he did. They really aren’t interested in bothering us, so you should calmly walk on past if you see an alligator. Never run in front of a predator.”
“Ambrose, I heard you have a pet alligator,” Alina said.
“I do, but we won’t see him today. When this is all done, I’ll introduce you.”
“That’s okay,” Niko said. “I really don’t need you to do that.”
“You might come to like it out here more than you think.”
Niko shuddered. “I doubt that.”
“It’s peaceful.”
A bird shrieked loudly, making me jump, and something rattled in the trees near us. This was the opposite of peaceful.
“How much further is the safe house?” Lorenzo asked. I was thankful, because I wanted to know, but I was sure it would sound like I was complaining.
“It’s right around the corner up here.”
The path took a sharp turn, and like Ambrose said, once we passed it, I could see the safe house. I was braced for a rudimentary cabin. I’d prayed for running water and at least some kind of fan, but the structure in front of us was surprisingly modern.
“This actually looks nice,” Alina said.
“Of course it does. Remington insisted I have it built to city-people standards. There’s solar power for lights and AC units, and it’s even got a real toilet and a stove.”
“Wow. It sounds luxurious,” Lorenzo said, sarcasm clear in his voice.
Ambrose glared at him. “You could stay in my old place.”
He shook his head, and I could only imagine how primitive that must be. “No, thanks. This is great.”
We followed Ambrose inside, and he showed us two tiny bedrooms, the bathroom—thank God for actual plumbing, though I had no idea how he’d managed that so far from civilization.
“This is so cool,” Alina said, eyes wide.
“Did you help build it?” she asked Landry.
He nodded.
“This is impressive.”
For the first time since we’d met, Landry smiled. He was looking at Alina like she walked on water. That was interesting.
“The kitchen has plenty of supplies for a few days. Landry has a tent out back, where it’s hardest to detect anyone approaching.”
I glanced toward the back of the house. “How would someone get through there?”
“It’s not easy, but Landry or I could do it.”
Damn. These men really were frighteningly skilled.
“I’ll be back in forty-eight hours, hopefully to lead you out. Call me if you need me before that.”
We said goodbye. Landry went to take up his post, and Ambrose vanished down the path faster than I’d thought possible.
26
LORENZO
Once Ambrose had left, Alina checked out both of the small bedrooms. “So which one do you two want?” she asked.
Nikolai glanced at me, and I braced myself for his reaction. ‘‘I’m going to sleep out here on the couch, so I’ll be able to guard the front door more effectively.” It was true I’d be both more alert and better positioned if someone approached the cabin, but the real reason was because I couldn’t sleep with Nikolai again, knowing I was going to have to send him away. The few times I’d spent more than a night with anyone, I’d never had trouble letting them go, but the thought of being parted from Nikolai had my stomach in a knot.
Nikolai looked shocked, but he covered it quickly. “Oh… um… okay.”
Alina looked from one of us to the other. “I’ll take this room.” She pointed to the door she was closest to. It’s smaller, so if you change your mind…”
“I won’t,” I said. “I need to be out here.”
The look of pain in Niko’s eyes almost made me relent. He took a shaky breath and then picked up the backpack Remington had brought for him. “I guess I’ll be in here.” He stepped into the larger bedroom and shut the door firmly behind himself.
Alina glared at me. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“What I have to do.”
She shook her head as she walked toward me, then whisper yelled, “If you hurt him, I will cut your fucking dick off.”
I stared at her, stunned. I shouldn’t have been surprised at her fierceness. She’d escaped her father, gotten into my house, and stood her ground against Remington and the rest of us.
I kept my voice low. “I’m trying not to hurt him.”
“By ignoring him after you’ve…” She waved her hands around as if that would somehow indicate all the things I’d experienced with Niko.