Page 58 of The Oath

“Yeah. Just a little dizzy.” He nods his head and lets go of me before glancing around once more.

“I don’t recognize anything,” he says as Silas and Levi join him.

“Yeah, me either,” Silas agrees. They start talking and go over the last thing that they remember, but the last thing any of us remember is the prick before we pass out. There’s nothing after that.

“Fuck. Let’s walk and see what the hell is going on. Stay together,” Rylan says. We’re out in the trees, in the middle of nowhere, it seems. Silas grabs Angel and wraps his arm around her, leading her in the direction we’re all going while Levi and Becky follow.

I’m still a little dizzy from everything, but I manage to keep up. Eventually, we find a road and walk it for what seems like forever. No cars have gone by that we could ask for help. We haven’t seen anyone since opening our eyes. This is insane. Where the hell are we? What happened to us?

I tug my shirt up to cover my chest as best I can after those assholes ripped it to use the branding iron on me again.

The more we walk, the more I wonder if we’re going to find anything. Becky is crying, and all I can do is roll my eyes. I’m in no mood to listen to that shit after everything else that’s happened. When I can’t take anymore, I snap. I spin around and grab her around the neck.

“Can you stop? Just fucking stop!” I yell at her while shaking her a little. Rylan moves in quickly, prying my hands off her neck and pulling me back a step.

“Leave her alone,” he growls at me.

“Are you serious? I can’t handle hearing her crying, Rylan! Jesus! We’re out here together, and none of us are fucking crying,” I yell at him. He grabs my arm and yanks me away from everyone else before slamming me against a tree. My back burns where the bark cuts into my skin.

“Not everyone is as strong as you, Syn. Cut the girl some slack.”

“Are you on her side now?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? We’re all out here, there are no fucking sides, Syn!”

“Whatever. Get off me,” I shove at him, but it does no good. Ry pins me to the tree, wrapping his hand around my throat before lowering his face to mine.

“I’d like nothing more than to fuck you against this tree and make you pay for the way you’re acting, but now isn’t the time, Syn.” His eyes are lethal, and I know he means business. With a sigh, I nod my head, and Ry releases me. He leans down and drops a quick kiss on my lips before pulling me toward the others. I mumble an apology to Becky before we start walking again.

“You smell that?” Silas asks.

“Fire,” Rylan responds. “Keep the girls close,” he adds. He grabs my hand and tugs me into his side as we keep walking. It doesn’t take long before we see the fire dancing into the night sky, and as we round the corner, people are sitting around that fire. Rylan squeezes my hand tighter in his as we make our way over.

The people turn to face us when one man stands from the group. He looks between all of us and then back to Rylan since he’s at the front.

“You must be the Kings or what’s left of them anyway.”

“Who the hell are you?” Rylan asks, loosening his grip on my hand. I’m sure he’s ready to fight if need be.

“I’m Jameson. Hunter told me you’d be coming.”

“Hunter?” Ry questions him.

“Hunter. Your brother. Or half-brother, it seems.”

“How did he know where we’d be?” Rylan asks. The guy shrugs.

“He didn’t. I guess he was hoping you’d come this way. He gave us orders to take care of you until he gets here.” I don’t know how much I trust what’s being said, but I also don’t know Hunter that well, either.

“I’m Rylan,” Ry finally says, holding his hand out to the man. He takes it and shakes it as Ry introduces all of us. Jameson nods and leads us over to the fire. He tells a woman sitting there to take us girls to get some clothes on. Rylan grabs my hand, not letting me go anywhere.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will be.”

“Then let me go,” I tell him, nodding toward our hands. Reluctantly, he releases my hand, and I follow behind the woman with Becky and Angel. The woman leads us into a tent and then pulls out a bag. She rummages through it and passes us each a shirt to put on.

“Thanks.”

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