Page 43 of Sloth
A small part of her didn’t want to scare him away.
A bigger part wished he’d accept the mating bond, and that they’d work out their problems. Discounting the fact she felt more energized than ever before, her mind was still in love with him. After last night in the elevator, her body was too. She couldn’t relinquish the memory of his kiss, or the feel of his tongue on her skin. Hot, demanding, needy. God, the way his bare torso felt—hard as rock yet smooth as satin. She’d been so ready for him, and she still stood by her claim—she forgave him.
Except, maybe he’d been right, and it was she who needed forgiveness.
There was credence to his claim. She’d checked last night. He had been pulled away on an urgent mission—military flight records confirmed it. And it was entirely possible he’d left a message with Sara. She was exactly the type to not pass it on out of spite.
“Sloan?” Parker asked, snapping her out of her daze.
“I’m sorry?”
“What’s the ETA?”
“About eight hours.”
Parker scanned their surroundings. They were in a clearing, a few pine trees overhead. In the distance, Sloan could hear running water. She checked her GPS map. “There’s a creek nearby.”
“Perfect.” Tony scrubbed his face. “I’m ready for a night cap.”
“Let’s stop here,” Parker said, dumping his rucksack. “We’ll get going a few hours before dawn.”
Max dropped his pack. “I’ll go set up a perimeter.”
“No need,” Parker added. “We can sense people coming a mile away.”
Out of breath, Max put his hands on his hips. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ll only sense someone with pride, right? So what if they’re not feeling very prideful?”
Parker arched a brow. “Between the three of us, we’ll sense an intruder. Trust me.”
“Well.” Max retrieved a torch and pistol from his pack. “If it’s all the same to you, I’m checking anyway.”
“Suit yourself.” Tony already tasted the contents of a new canteen, and from the way he winced, Sloan was sure it was alcohol. “Although, in my opinion, you need to learn how to relax.”
While Parker and Tony made themselves comfortable with some refreshments, Max disappeared into the surrounding darkness. Nervous, Sloan stared in the direction he’d gone for long minutes, fighting the urge to go after him. Crickets chirped. After a while, she realized she couldn’t sense him empathically. He became like a ghost. The man also held zero sloth. She’d bet he fell asleep and woke like the dead. No mooching or lazing about, just straight to sleep, then up the instant he woke. The man would be hard to live with. Did he even play video games anymore?
Flinching, she caught herself. Did she just imagine living with him? Had she made that leap already? Of course she had. She was in love with him. This revelation set her up for so much future pain.
Shaking her head, she set about creating a soft spot for herself to lie down, then propped up against her rucksack. She inspected the map while eating a protein bar. The site wasn’t far off. Half a day’s walk. They should get there by mid-morning, but with the black-site drones her app picked up, arriving during daylight wasn’t a good move. Using a jamming signal to shut down the machines would warn their enemy of her arrival. She could try hacking the control frequency, but it might take too long.
Sloan got up, dusted her hands off and walked over to her brothers, now sharing Tony’s flask.
She gestured with her device. “We either have to keep walking through the night to get there before the morning, or take a longer rest. We’ll be spotted otherwise.”
“Give me a look.” Parker took her device, and she wanted to wring his neck. Her word was never good enough with Parker. He scrutinized the tablet. “You’re right. Do you think Max can handle it?”
“He’s special forces,” Sloan pointed out. He’d once told her about a mission that had him hidden in a hole, unable to move or sleep, gunfire shooting overhead, for three days straight.
“We’ll get going in a few then.”
“I’ll go find him.” She stepped away, cheeks heating. She had no idea where to look. Hesitating, she turned back to her brothers for help. “Um…”
“North-East,” Tony mumbled while snoozing languidly against his rucksack. “Must be glutonizing something—probably eating a protein bar.”
Right. Sloan packed away her device and headed off in the direction Tony suggested.
After floundering in the dark for a few minutes, her new ability sensed a gliding melancholy that could only come from him. She found him sitting on a log in a clearing, shrewd eyes watching the starry night sky beyond. The crickets chirped louder there, and the night birds called. The earth, still warm from the sun’s rays, provided an aura of warmth against the cooler breeze wafting the scent of pine down the mountain.
Unlike Parker or Tony, Max wasn’t relaxing. His muscles were taut as he leaned his elbows on his knees, tendons in jaw flexing as he ate something.
