Page 30 of Bound to the Bounty Hunter

She met my gaze steadily. “Yes.”

The simple word was all I needed to hear. I leaned in, unable to resist pressing a quick, fierce kiss to her lips. When I pulled back, Samira’s cheeks were flushed.

“Let’s go,” I growled, before I could lose myself in her again.

We waded into the frigid water. I kept a firm grip on Samira’s waist as we fought against the current. Halfway across, her foot slipped on a mossy rock. I caught her before she could fall, pulling her flush against my body. We stood there, chests heaving and the rush of the river drowning out everything else.

Samira’s hands gripped my shoulders, her eyes wide. I felt the urge to claim her mouth, to lose myself in her warmth. But this wasn’t the time or place. With effort, I set her back on her feet and we continued our crossing.

On the far bank, we paused to catch our breath. Samira wrung water from her hair, and the graceful movement of her hands mesmerized me. She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow.

“See something you like?” she teased.

I growled low in my throat. “You know I do.”

Her breath hitched, and electricity cracked between us. But then a distant rumble shook the cavern, reminding us of our precarious situation.

“We should keep moving,” Samira said, her voice husky.

I nodded, forcing myself to focus. We continued through the winding tunnels, the path gradually sloping upward. My nose twitched, catching the faint scent of fresh air.

“We’re close to the surface,” I said.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, we twisted through a narrow passage and saw daylight filtering through a narrow crevice. I went first, squeezing through the opening and then helping Samira.

We emerged into a landscape utterly transformed from the lush jungle we’d left behind. Jagged cracks split the earth, and entire hillsides had collapsed. The devastation was staggering.

“The earthquake must have been even worse than we thought,” Samira murmured, surveying the scene.

I nodded grimly. “It’ll make travel more difficult, but it might work to our advantage. Anyone else looking for the outpost will have a harder time as well.”

We picked our way carefully across the broken terrain. I remained on high alert, wary of unstable ground and potential threats.

After hours of grueling travel, we reached the crest of the final ridge.

The outpost lay before us, a sprawling complex of twisted metal and crumbling concrete. Entire sections had collapsed, and strange, oily smoke rose from several points. It was a far cry from the pristine research facility Samira had hoped for.

“Oh no,” Samira whispered, her face falling.

I squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. We’ve come too far to give up now.”

SAMIRA

Istared at the ruins of the research outpost, my heart sinking. A gasp escaped my lips as I took in the devastation. Twisted metal and shattered concrete littered the ground. The main building had partially collapsed, its roof caved in and walls crumbling.

Arkon’s hand settled on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. “We’ll find what we need,” he said.

I nodded, swallowing hard. We had to. I didn’t have another plan.

We approached the complex carefully, skirting around unstable areas. Debris crunched under our feet as we picked our way through the wreckage. A fallen beam blocked our path. Arkon effortlessly lifted it aside, then offered me his hand. I took it, allowing him to help me over the obstacle.

We entered through a partially collapsed doorway. Arkon went first, clearing a path and checking for dangers. I followed close behind, nervously eyeing the creaking structure above us.

We navigated through damaged corridors and rooms. My spirits lifted as I recognized familiar lab equipment among the rubble. Not everything was destroyed.

“Stay alert,” Arkon warned, his senses on high alert. “We don’t know what else might be in here.”

I nodded, moving deeper into the complex. When we reached the main lab area, I rushed to check the key equipment. Most was damaged, but some looked salvageable.

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