Page 64 of Serpent King's Revenge

“And to think it all started with a kidnapping,” she said, her eyes meeting mine.

I snorted.

I wouldn’t have hallucinated that.

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered.

She smiled. “I’ll never stop.”

“Good,” I laughed.

Because I didn’t actually want her to.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nathan

The morning sun hit me square in the face, and I blinked my eyes open. Abby was still in my arms, her breath slow and steady. Light crept across the floor where we lay tangled in a mess of blankets, the danger from last night now just a shadow.

Crazy, how we risked it all for this, but damn, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I dropped a kiss on the top of her head and she pulled herself closer, her body fitting against mine like she was made to be there. Every part of me screamed to stay like this, to feel her again…but time wasn't our friend.

"Morning," I whispered, even as my mind ticked off the reasons we needed to move. She hummed, her hand tracing lazy patterns on my chest, and it took everything in me not to give in. But we had to go; we weren't safe here, not by a long shot.

Pulling myself away from Abby felt like trying to tear roots out of the ground, but I managed it. I stood up, my muscles protesting, and grabbed our pack. Inside, there was the usual: a black t-shirt, neatly folded jeans, a leather jacket that still held the faint scent of safety and close calls, and sunglasses to hide the sleepless night from anyone who might be looking too close.

I dressed quick, the clothes familiar and comforting against my skin. The jacket creaked as I slid it on, and I found myself hoping it wouldn't be needed for more than just cutting the chill today.

Turning back to Abby, I saw her still curled in the blankets, dark hair a wild mess around her head. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. I gathered her things, folded them—the guard uniform she had been wearing, her underwear—and placed them on the table beside her. It was a quiet moment in a life that didn't have nearly enough of them.

"Hey," I said softly, nudging the clothes closer to her. "Time to get a move on."

Abby's eyes flickered open, a confused haze clouding them for just a heartbeat before her lips curved into a wide grin at the sight of me. I crouched down beside her, my fingers brushing through her tangled hair, smoothing it back from her face.

"Hi," I murmured and bent to press a soft kiss to her lips.

In an instant, her hands were on me, pulling at the hem of my T-shirt with a playful urgency. Her mouth met mine again, fiercer this time, and she whispered against my lips, "Can't we have one more quick round?"

I laughed low in my throat, the sound rumbling up from deep within. "You're something else, you know that?" My forehead came to rest against hers as I looked into her eyes. "But we gotta move. I'm gonna get you some food first."

Her pout was all for show, but it still tugged at something in my chest. I stood, my hand lingering on her cheek before pulling away to give her space to dress.

I watched Abby slip into the prison guard’s pants, quick and sharp, like she was gearing up for a fight. She caught my eye and shot me a grin that meant trouble, but we both knew playtime was over. I pulled out my burner phone and dialed the number Knuckles had scratched onto a scrap of paper.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was gruff, all business.

"Knuckles? It's Nathan."

"Got it," he said without any chitchat. "Look for the old gas station off Route 27. Go east from there, two miles, then a dirt path on your right. Can't miss it."

The line went dead before I could ask anything more.

It made sense.

The longer we talked, the more likely it was somebody would start listening.

"Let's roll," I told Abby as she laced up her boots.

We trekked back through the woods and found the bike, then we hit the road, the bike humming beneath us. The coastal route was empty, the sea to our left an endless stretch of grey, choppy waves. Clouds gathered overhead, and soon enough, rain started coming down, first just a drizzle, then a proper downpour.

---