Page 112 of Her Mercenary

And waited.

And waited.

Nerves bubbled up, quickly turning into panic.

Something had happened. Something bad. I needed to get back there.

I searched the truck for any kind of weapon but came up short.

Fuck it, I thought, gripping the door handle. I’ll fight with my fists.

As I was pulling the door handle, Roman emerged from the trees, cradling the boy in his arms. Maisie was at his side.

I jumped out of the truck, tears filling my eyes.

Maisie ran into my arms and began sobbing. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Squeezing her tightly, I looked at Roman, at the boy in his arms. Marcus was pale, his lips a bluish gray. He needed immediate medical attention.

My eyes met Roman’s. He dipped his chin, confirming this thought. We needed to get him to a hospital—now.

“Get in, get in, quickly,” I whispered, ushering Maisie inside the cab while Roman carefully laid Marcus in the back seat.

Once the children were secure, Roman slid into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine, and hit the gas.

“Are we out?” Maisie asked from the back seat, her voice trembling. “Are we safe?”

Roman and I glanced at each other but said nothing, knowing we weren’t out of the woods yet.

55

SAM

We were silent in the truck, waiting on pins and needles to breach this godforsaken jungle and have a clear shot to the airport.

“What is that?” Maisie asked, peering from the back seat.

Frowning, I leaned forward, studying the black smoke rolling up from the trees in the distance. “That’s not fog.”

“No. It’s a fire,” Roman said, his voice suddenly low and uneasy.

“Fire? Like a forest fire?”

He shook his head. “No. Not trees, something with chemicals—you can tell by the color of the smoke.”

My pulse picked up, an instinct stirring. “Is there a way around it?”

“No. There’s only one road to and from the lodge. This fire is on purpose.”

Shit.

“What are you going to do?”

“Get through it.” Roman glanced over his shoulder. “Maisie, get yourself and your brother down into the floorboard. Cover your heads and get as small as possible.”

“I’ll get back with them,” I said, unbuckling my belt.

I climbed over the seat, dropped to my knees, and folded myself over the children, providing a shield for whatever might come our way.

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