Page 35 of Controlled Chaos

Chapter 19

“I’m going to be sick.”Porter lunged for a nearby tree. Upchuck sounds followed as he heaved whatever breakfast he’d had in his stomach.

“That came on fast,” I said as I took the backpack from his arm and dug inside to see what our supplies looked like. I took out a bottle of water, opened it, and handed it to him before I rubbed his back. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed him to follow me. Maybe there was actually a reason this place was off limits and it had nothing to do with dead girls. Maybe there it was filled with poison ivy or something else we couldn’t see.

He took a swig of water and used the inside of his shirt to swipe at his mouth. “I don’t know what’s come over me.”

“We should get you back.” I slung the backpack over my shoulder.

“No. I’ll be all right. We’ve come this far,” he said, rising to stand. He looked even greener around the gills as he stood with his hand on the tree as if he were about to lose his balance. He stepped toward me and went down to his knees, grabbing his stomach in horrible pain.

“Oh God, Porter,” I said, dropping to my knees to look at him. I placed my hand on his forehead, expecting a fever or something to explain the onslaught of this stomach-flu.

Nothing.

“I’ll be all right, but we should head back, just in case.” His voice sounded filled with pain. My worry escalated as my stomach clenched tight.

I helped him to his feet, offering to let him use me as a crutch. I met his apologetic gaze when he rested his arm around my shoulder. I think it pained him more that he needed my help. We made it back to the fence, and just as I was wondering how I was going to get him over, he stood up straighter as if the pain had passed and he was all right again. The color was starting to return to his cheeks. “You starting to feel better?”

He held on to the fence to hold himself upright. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Maybe you were allergic to something in the forest,” I offered as I climbed the fence.

He glanced back over his shoulder as if searching for the root cause. “I don’t know. I felt like if I took another step that I wouldn’t be able to breathe.”

“We can come back later. We’ve got time. You need to get some rest, and we can try again tomorrow. Can you make it over the fence?”

He followed me and almost fell coming down on the other side. I slipped behind the wheel and stashed the backpack by his legs when he climbed into the passenger seat.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“For what?” he asked.

“If your stomach wasn’t upset before, it will be after I try to drive through the forest. Grab something to hold on to and point the way.”

“Just follow the beach and you’ll see it off in the distance,” he said before grabbing the frame of the vehicle.

Taking the route of the beach, instead of taking the detour to the hangar, took less time to get back to the compound than it had getting to the fence. Not only that, but it was a much smoother ride instead of jostling over holes and downed trees.

When I entered to the compound, no one even glanced our way as I drove through the area and parked the cart in front of our bungalow. I helped him out and opened the door to our place. With my hand on his back, I could feel the bulge of the gun beneath his shirt. It wasn’t until I closed the door that I slid it from his waistband and stuffed it into the empty breadbox on the kitchen counter.

Porter eased down onto the sofa.

“Our super-spy skills could use some work,” I said, trying to make light of the situation and ease his embarrassment. I took a seat on the coffee table across from him.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he repeated as if it bothered him that he couldn’t control getting sick.

“As your future wife, I should have probably asked if you have any allergies I need to know about.” I gave him a soft smile hoping this wasn’t the beginning of a man-flu. I knew all about those. When my brothers turned sick with symptoms of just the common cold, they acted like they were dying. That was until my other brother figured out his healing abilities. It was times like this, that I wished Dexter was around.

“None. I don’t even get sinus infections or the flu. I’m hardly ever sick.”

“No worries. I’ll run to the dining hall and see if I can’t find you some crackers and something easier on your stomach to drink.”

“I should go with you because of the proximity.” Concern registered in his caramel eyes, making them darker.

I stood up not caring what the lack of proximity could do. If I came back to find a girl in the room, I’d kick her ass out. “It will be fine. I’ll only be gone ten minutes or so. Just let me grab you a washcloth for your head, and then I’ll go.”

I walked into the bedroom and paused. All of my clothes had grown legs and returned and were folded on my bed. The note I’d given the girl in the dining hall was sitting on top. It was lying open with the words,Thank you, scrolled across the page, along with another sentence that sent chills down my spine.

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