Page 73 of Explorer's Revenge
“We’ve survived this long,” Way says. “What’s a few more hours?”
“What happened?” I ask quietly.
“The water swept us away,” Wilder replies. “When I woke up, we were in a cave. The last thing I remember was being washed away. The cave saved our lives, but it also trapped us. The flood water was so high, we would have had to swim out, but that thing found us and waited outside. We could hear helicopters every now and again, but we couldn’t get out to signal them. They finally stopped coming, and I realized we needed to move or we were going to die there. We distracted it and managed to get out, and you saw the rest.”
I chuckle. “Ballsy.”
“Ajax? Your dad?” Aiyaret asks.
“Both are okay. It was my dad who realized something was wrong and set all of this in motion. Ajax flew him out here with a team to find me, trusting him. I don’t remember much, since my body apparently shut down. I almost died, but I was very lucky.It took a week before I opened my eyes and saw my dad. When I learned they hadn’t found you, I knew I had to come back. It was hard convincing my dad, but he caused a distraction so I could get out of the hospital.”
“You broke out of the hospital to rescue us?” Rick gapes. “That’s so fucking hot.”
“Well, someone has to save your damsel asses,” I tease. “I knew if I came, Ajax would have no choice but to get some teams out here. Besides, I couldn’t waste any more time. What if something happened?” I cut off when we hear a roar.
We stay silent, our steps speeding up. We walk for hours before finding shelter on a small hill with trees for shade. Unloading my pack, I pass out rations and water, and they eagerly dive in. I wonder how long it’s been since they have eaten and drunk anything. It makes me uneasy, but I only need to get them to the beach and then out of here.
It’s then I notice Wilder holding his arm oddly, so I pull out my first-aid kit and crouch in front of him. “Let me see.”
“I’m fine,” he says around a mouthful, but I narrow my eyes.
“Now,” I order sharply, and he grumbles but undoes his shirt and shows me his shoulder. There is some type of bandage wrapped around it, but it’s soaked with blood. I carefully unpeel it. He doesn’t make a noise, even though it has to hurt. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t dare meet them, instead focusing on his wound.
When it’s revealed, I gasp. There are teeth marks all around his shoulder, and it’s a bleeding mess. “What happened?” I ask softly as I pull out what I need.
“I tried to get us out, but the croc wanted to play chew toy with my arm,” he says as I clean the wound and redress it. “Thanks.”
“You’re lucky. You could have lost it,” I murmur.
“I guess we have something in common now.” His eyes drop to my leg, and I smile as I stand, shaking out the aches before sitting against a tree as they rest. I needed to put some space between us.
I was so fucking worried, and now that they are here, everything feels right again. I never thought I’d see them again, and I told myself if I did, I wouldn’t hold anything back, but looking into Wilder’s dark, hungry eyes is unnerving, so I keep mine on the jungle instead.
No one speaks for a little while, and I start to relax.
“Why did you come back?” Aiyaret asks softly, and my eyes move to him. He’s sitting with Way leaning into him. I raise my eyebrows as I look at their joined hands, and he actually blushes. Chuckling to myself, I stretch out my legs as my bad one twinges.
“Why did you risk your life and come back here?” Wilder presses as he climbs to his feet. Whatever happiness he felt upon seeing me morphs to anger, and it makes my hackles rise. So much for gratitude. “You were saved. I kept my promise?—”
“But broke the one about us getting out of here together,” I snap before calming down. “I came back for you, you idiot, because I care about you all.”
Logan sighs. “We could have been dead.”
“I know that too, but I couldn’t just lie there and wonder about you for the rest of my life. No matter what it cost, I had to find you,” I argue, growing angry myself.
“Dammit, Carter, why?” Wilder yells.
“Because I care about you!” I shout back. “You think I could live with myself if I left you here? You never left me. You said we would do this together, didn’t you? So yes, I came back, and I would do it again. I’m just sorry it took me this long to return. I’m so sorry I was late?—”
My words end in a gasp as Wilder covers the distance between us and presses his lips to mine. I stare, wide-eyed, intohis dark gaze. His eyes burn with desire and something infinitely more dangerous as he pulls back and lets me breathe.
“You stupid, beautiful woman,” he whispers. “Don’t you ever risk your life like that again, not for us.”
When I don’t respond, he wraps his hand around my throat and drags me forward until I fall into his chest, then his lips come down on mine again in a brutal, swift kiss. “Promise me. Promise me you won’t risk your life for us again.”
“I won’t make that promise,” I answer shortly. “You’d do the same for me.”
“So sure, Carter?” he mutters, our old rivalry raising its head, but there’s no heat, just teasing.
