Page 22 of Knox's Mission

Donnie seemed to know better than to agree with his girlfriend after the stunt he’d pulled.

Amy craned her neck around enough to glare at Lorna.When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Lorna shrank against Donnie. As much as Amy couldn’t imagine needing anyone else to that degree, Knox’s explanation of what real love looked like seemed better all the time. Strange though, because he wasn’t the kind of person who she expected to contemplate the subject. Then again, he’d always been tightlipped about his thoughts, his life.

All she knew for certain was that his dad was a selfish prick who drank too much and passed out on the sofa most nights. As tight as money had been after Amy’s father’s death, her mom always made room for Knox at the dinner table. Was that the only reason he had food?

“Grab onto my pack with both hands, stay close, and keep your eyes on the back of my head,” Knox advised.

Amy immediately obliged before Knox led them into the water. She stared at the murky water, looking for danger. She wasn’t sure what to look for aside from the tarantulas. A fin? Were there sharks in these waters? Waist deep, Amy searched for any topic to focus on besides the water or what might be lurking beneath.

Sex. No. Although it was bound to pop into her thoughts this close to Knox. Even dirty and smelling like the jungle, the man was hot. How on earth did he manage to pull that off?

So, no sex.

Correction, not no sex ever. Just no sex right now.

Her brain was traveling down a road that didn’t need to be visited right now.

However, it was distracting her. So, mission accomplished there.

What else could she think about?

Food. No. Thinking about food only made her hungrier. They’d either depleted the food supply or were close and Knox felt the need to ration what was left in case they got lost.

No thinking about dwindling food supplies or getting lost. Those topics sent her stress levels soaring and, frankly, were depressing.

Christmas. Christmas was a safe topic. Amy loved Christmas. The whole holiday season was magical. Gifts were one thing. After her father died, money had been tight but her mother managed to keep the house until Amy graduated high school, keep food on the table, and find a way to ensure presents were under the tree every year.

Looking back, she wondered if tight funds had anything to do with the reason Garrett went into the military rather than go to college. He’d never talkedabout it growing up. Knox, on the other hand, had made it clear he was signing up the minute he could. He wanted to get away from his father without taking any of his money.

When she was younger, she didn’t understand his stance in the same way it resonated with her now. Knox and his father were always at odds. She had no idea where his mother was or how she played into the equation. Was she still alive? Because she never visited. Did he talk to her? Because he never once mentioned her.

Something brushed against Amy’s leg. She sucked in a breath. Panic gripped her. She squeezed the pack so hard her hands hurt and her knuckles turned white.

“You’re okay,” Knox soothed. “Just underbrush.”

“You felt it too?”

He nodded.

Amy released the breath she’d been holding. Too late. Her mind already shifted to focusing on the water that had risen to above her waist.

“We’re still going the wrong way,” Donnie huffed from behind.

“Feel free to break off at any time,” Knox shot back. “But in the meantime, I need you to keep your trap closed.”

Nothing looked familiar as Amy glanced around. Then again, she’d traveled to the Flooded Forest atnight. Monkey calls filled the air. Amy’s heart nearly stopped beating. Were they crossing a tribe’s hunting spot? A common area for drug drops? Or something more sinister? It would be so easy to make a dead body disappear in the jungle without a trace.

Icy fingers gripped her spine, sending cold chills through her nervous system. Making it out of this jungle alive seemed like beating impossible odds. All her hopes were riding on Knox but could he stop a snake from striking? A spider from biting? His mosquito spray worked miracles against those blood suckers but there wasn’t a spray to protect against everything, least of all losing her heart twice to the same man. There might be a spark in his eyes when he looked at her but was it enough to act on? Or would he simply disappear again when—or if—they made it out of here alive?

Knox’sfirst priority was keeping the group calm. He’d chosen the water route to avoid areas with questionable local tribes or mercenaries. Out here in the river, they had a chance. On land, probably not so much. At the very least, they would be split up. His dark side didn’t mind breaking away from Donnie and Lorna. But he wouldn’t abandon them no matter how inconvenient it was to travel with four instead oftwo. Two made them nimble. Four started getting in the way, slowing progress. Opinions were one of the reasons. Everyone had one. Donnie wasn’t shy about his dissent.

When Knox really thought about it, the man was lucky to be alive. No two ways about it.

Having Amy close kept his stress levels at a more even tone. She calmed his nerves in ways he hadn’t known since he was a kid.

I got this, Garrett. I’ll get her to safety.

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