Page 51 of The Truths that Deceive

Frantically, I glance around and veer right, then left and dart behind a tree.

Pressing my lips together, I try and stop the harshness of my breathing, the desperate need for lungsful of air. I want that soothing balm over the burn, but I make myself take shallow, silent breaths.

I wrap my fingers around the knife in my pocket, pulling it free. My palm’s slick with sweat, but I just tighten my grip on the handle, too scared to rub my hand dry.

Is someone out there? I close my eyes and strain to hear, see if I can pick out footsteps over the natural breaths and sounds of the jungle.

But there’s nothing.

Crap, maybe I imagined the word “run.” Maybe I conjured up the thought that someone’s following me.

Surely Smith would’ve grabbed me back at the mission if he wanted to come after me. If he was awake.

And then, all of a sudden… everything turns cold.

The men with the rifles.

They had them for a reason.

Farmers don’t carry weapons like that, and when Sofia and Rodriguez left earlier, I noticed that the chickens were locked in a coop and the goat left with the family. The men who stayed behind didn’t dress like farmers. They didn’t move like militia or men smuggling drugs. They were like men ready for something. Or someone. But who were they on the lookout for?

Shit.

Smith might be the least of all the evils out here.

He—

A hand slams over my mouth to stifle the scream and my eyes shoot open.

Oh. My. God.

Him.

Chapter 15

Smith

The fear in her eyes is beautiful.

It’s primal fear, that delicious, anticipatory vibration that startled prey puts out into the atmosphere, and I don’t yet know what she’ll do in response.

I tracked her the moment she stepped outside the mission. I was aware of her the moment she stood up from the bed. No, fuck no, I was aware of her the entire time, even when she woke from her drugged sleep.

“It’s a stupid mistake to make, thinking I’d sleep through you coming into my room.” I grin. “I caught you, fair and fucking square. The question is, what should I do with you?”

Her eyes narrow. The fear still thumps and pounds in her veins but with it, excitement and anger. They give the storm in her gaze a fierce electric current.

“You’re easy to track, Calista.”

And now I have her, just when she might have realized rushing out into the jungle at night was a stupid thing to do.

The blood that pounds through her veins warms her skin, gives her a vitality I want to sink my teeth into.

“Your safe word still holds,” I say. “It’s the only thing I’ll pay attention to.”

She’s vibrating like she’s going to run or do something. I slowly release my hand from her mouth, sliding my fingers down the front of her top, all the way down to her pussy. But I don’t explore, just let my hand gently graze. Like it’s by accident.

I want to see what she’s going to do.

---