Page 246 of Silver Elite

“I’m the guest. And I will not share with you.”

“I wouldn’t even suggest it,” I grumble. But it’s fine. My child-sized bed, as he would phrase it, isn’t actually that bad. I sleep curled up in a ball, anyway.

“Okay, then I’ll head to bed. What do you say? Let’s try to get a good seven hours to shore up our energy for the journey?”

“Sounds good. I’m going to stay out here a little while longer.”

Wary, he appraises our surroundings. “Are those red cougars going to creep into the clearing at night and try to rip our throats out?”

“They might.” I’m not going to sugarcoat this experience for him. “But as long as we keep the fire going, most predators should stay away. They don’t like the smoke. And if that fails, that’s why you sleep with a rifle.”

“Good night, Darlington. We’ll regroup in the morning. Or night. I don’t have any concept of time in here.”

I’m grinning as I watch him disappear into the hut. The moment he’s gone, the excitement flutters in my stomach like birds taking flight.

I get to talk to Jim now.

His energy signature is no longer in my head, his voice gone, his body full of bullet holes, but here, right now…I get to talk to him again.

I fish the envelope out, smoothing out the creases. With a steadying breath, I break the seal and unfold the letter, my fingertips grazing the delicate paper. For a moment, the words blur before my eyes, a jumble of emotions swirling inside my chest.

I press my lips together to contain the joy. His handwriting alone is enough to trigger a big, silly smile. I feel like a kid again. I draw my knees up and hold the letter out in front of me.

Wren,

If you’re reading this, then I’m probably dead. Because if I were alive, I’d be there with you right now and I damn well wouldn’t let you read this letter.

A laugh tickles my throat. He’s an asshole even in written form.

But if you are reading this, I need you to pay attention, little bird. There are some things you need to know.

My smile fades.

The more I read, the weaker my pulse gets. I draw another deep breath, but the oxygen barely reaches my lungs. My mind stumbles over the words. I’m forced to read it a second time in order to make sure I’m seeing it properly.

Why is he telling me this?

The clearing is quiet save for the crackles of the fire and the soft whisper of the wind. My lips tremble as I glance toward the hut where Xavier sleeps. My fingers tremble. Everything trembles.

Sharp, shaky pants escape my throat as I slowly close my fist around Jim’s letter, crushing it into a tight ball.

And then I toss it into the fire.

Chapter 55

It takes two days to reach the other side. Forty-eight hours in which we bicker and hiss at each other. In which we talk about Cross and how much I already miss him. In which we talk about Tyler, and Xavier admits that while he cared about her, he wasn’t in love with her. In fact, he reveals he’s never been in love before. Not with any of the men or women he’s dated in the past. He confesses that when it comes to sex, he rarely, if ever, considers the consequences of his actions.

I learn more about Xavier Ford than I ever wanted to know, and by the time we see it, the light penetrating the mist about a hundred yards away, it feels like we’re old friends.

“We did it, Darlington,” he crows.

Both of us forget that a horned bear could still burst out of the brush and eat us alive. We take off jogging, our destination in our sights, and when we emerge from the darkness, what we find beyond it is…incredible.

The mountain valley unfolds like a tranquil oasis in front of us, bathed in the pale glow of the morning sun. A crystal-clear river winds its way through the landscape. In the distance, jagged peaks loom above us. Only a few of them are snowcapped, but that doesn’tmake them any less majestic. The grass shouldn’t be this lush and green at this time of year, yet it is. The sky is cloudless. It’s glorious.

“Let me make contact,” I say, and waste no time opening a path to Adrienne.

“I’m here.”

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