Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Bo, Coach, Riggs, and Rose.
I got to my feet with half a mind to kiss the ground just for being flat, and I jogged toward the men.
You made it, son. You made it.
I choked up.
Bo looked like he was torn between smiling and worrying to death, and he took off too. He ran for me.
I couldn’t walk another step. I slowed down and planted my hands on my thighs, and I just panted and gasped like a madman.
“Lie down, pup. You did it.”
I sniffled and shook my head. “I wanna collapse in the shower. If I… If I lie down now, I ain’t comin’ up.”
He chuckled and squeezed me to him, essentially holding me up. “Fair enough. Let’s get you inside right now, then.” He pressed a kiss to my temple, which I was sure he regretted already. “Oh, you smell amazing, baby.”
I choked out a laugh and wiped my cheek with my arm.
My legs were jelly, so I had to walk slowly.
“I fucking did it,” I whimpered.
“You sure did, Operator Quinn.”
Just like that, my back straightened, and I flashed my gaze to meet his.
Operator Quinn.
He smiled and touched my muddy cheek. “I’m so goddamn proud of you.”
Operator Quinn.
“I’m an operator now,” I croaked.
“Yup.” The smile reached his eyes, and it was fucking gorgeous. “You ready for a medical in the shower? I’mma search you for rashes and botfly larvae.”
I shuddered, grossed out already. “You’ll find plenty of rashes, but I think I’ve evaded botflies.”
“That’s good. You’ll still need a thorough check, though.” He smiled as we walked past the others.
“Welcome back, Operator Quinn,” Danny said with a smirk. “I’ve texted your uncles already.”
I mustered a tired grin. “Thank you, sir.”
Bo let them know he’d give me an exam inside, and we continued into the courtyard.
“Do you need the medic kit?” Riggs asked.
“I’ll grab another one inside,” Bo responded. “Save that one for Tanner and Shawn.”
Okay, now I had to know. “Who made it back so far?”
“Just you and Miguel,” he answered. Holy crap, so I was in second place? “He stumbled out of the jungle before lunch a few hours ago. He managed to fracture his leg during a fall on day twelve, so Hyatt came up and flew him outta here shortly before you showed up. We don’t exactly have an X-ray machine up here.”
Wow. Day twelve. Miguel had finished in first place after spending the last couple of days with a messed-up leg. Talk about impressive.
“He’s gonna make a badass operator,” I commented.
“Definitely.” He cupped my elbow and assisted me up the steps. “So will you.”
I exhaled unsteadily, suddenly in too much pain to revel in compliments. Sweet Jesus, my legs were done. With the adrenaline having faded, I had nothing but Bo holding me up.
“No dropouts?” I gritted out.
“Ah. Well. Unfortunately. Two of them—which we can talk about after you’ve rested.”
Aw, man. But it couldn’t be Tanner or Shawn. They were on their way up.
“Not Gabriella, right?”
Bo sighed and smiled ruefully. “Zander and Maxine.”
Oh. That sucked.
“I caved for about an hour or so on day six,” I admitted. “I was so ready to go home.”
He hummed, ushering me straight to the shower room. “So did I back in the day. Thinkin’ about quitting is normal.”
I guessed so.
I sniffled. “Then I pissed on a beetle to drown it, but it survived.”
Bo coughed around a laugh and stared at me incredulously.
Maybe it made me a smidge defensive. “Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “I never wanna see another plant in my life, much less those goddamn insects. They have zero respect for personal space.”
He rumbled a laugh that echoed in the shower room, and he hugged me to him again. “Zero respect for personal space when you’re in their territory? The fuckin’ nerve of those little shits.”
Whatever.
I wasn’t in the mood for Team Bug.
“Let’s get you naked, operator.” He grabbed my backpack first and tossed it in the corner. “You might wanna sit down too. You’re a little loopy-lookin’.”
Pfft. “I’m not loopy.”
He smirked and quirked a brow. “You haven’t even noticed that my exam’s already begun.”
Wait, what?
“Huh?”
He approached me again and started undoing my belt. “I checked your pulse and temp already. I watched how you walked in order to rule out strains and fractures. I made sure you talked so I could get a sense of your mental state.”
I just stared at him.
He smiled and kissed me on the nose. “Get naked,” he repeated. “I’ll go grab a medic kit for those rashes. Then I’ll want a play-by-play of every living thing you encountered.”
Um, all right.
I scratched the side of my head. Perhaps I was a little out of it.
“Baby, wake up.”
Nuh-uh.
Not a chance.
I shook my head and rolled over, burying my face in Bo’s pillow. “Go’way.”
He chuckled and kissed my neck. “I need an hour of your time, and then you can sleep through the night in my arms where you belong.” The bastard smacked my ass. “It’s dinner—and our traditionally informal ceremony.”