Page 75 of Bound By Water
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know much. I’ve heard him on the phone a couple of times, talking about those with marks. When Trent searched the files, he specifically started with the one labeled marks.”
My mind feels like it’s going to explode with everything he’s unloading on me. In the end, it doesn’t matter though. I refuse to let him go alone. If I did, I’d feel like a coward for the rest of my life. I thrust a hand through my hair.
His hands, smelling of dirt and water—our elements, reach up and cup my face. “I don’t want to live in this world without you. Stay here. Wait for me.”
“Fine,” I tell him, but unlike Oliver, he accepts the word without suspicion. His shoulders relax and he smiles. Thinking fast, I make a list of what I’ll need. “I need to go by Oliver’s office to grab my hair tie. Meet you in your room later? You won’t leave without saying goodbye, right?”
He presses his lips to mine over and over. “I won’t. I promise. Before I leave, I need to talk to Lance. I owe him.”
“His girlfriend’s name is Dani,” I tell him. “She’s nice but a little fierce. I wouldn’t go to their room. Maybe the cafeteria?”
He laughs but agrees. “Whatever you think. Come on.” Tugging on my hand, he heads to the compound.
I take one last look at the little stream and follow.
Parting at the bench, I head to Oliver’s office. There’s a team of soldiers in there when I arrive, but the minute they see me, all talking stops. Oliver steps outside and closes the door.
He frowns. “What happened? Did you fall?”
Puzzled, I stare at him. “What?”
“There’s dirt on your face,” he informs me, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket. “Here.” Leaning close, he wipes my cheeks and under my jawline. The subtle mix of soap and cologne drifts toward me. I hold absolutely still as his head dips toward mine, then exhale when he moves away. “There. I got most of it, but you may want to wash up.”
His eyes catch mine, and the blue in the center darkens. He clears his throat. “Did you want to practice?” He looks at his watch. “I can carve out some time.”
I shake my head. “You’re busy. I came to get my go bag. You said I could have it?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Why now?”
Good thing I’ve already thought about this, or his stare would make me stumble. “The captives. I’d feel safer if I had my bag. With the burners. Just in case.” He says nothing, just continues to stare at me. “Look. You’re leaving. If I don’t get it from you now, I might forget.” I deliberately play into his guilt, which makes me kind of nauseous.
“Wait here,” he tells me, heading inside and closing the door behind him. Minutes later, he steps out with my bag in hand. “Here you go.” Instead of giving it to me, he holds it above my hand, and I bite my lip, hoping he won’t ask any questions. “I’m still working on a plan for you. Somewhere you’ll be safe. Please don’t do anything rash.” His hand clasps mine for several long seconds before he finally releases the bag.
Well, now I really feel like shit. “I’m not. Thank you.” I’m not giving up on him. Honestly, I hope we’ll make it back in time for him to get us somewhere safe.
He studies me for a second longer, as if reluctant to let me leave, then opens the door. “If you need anything else or want to practice, come find me.”
Jax sticks his head out of the crowd in the room and winks at me. Oliver glares at him and shuts the door.
Another idea pops into my head. I run to my room and check the bag. The cash is still there. So are the burners, which I plug in to charge. I sling the go bag on my back, grab my tablet, and walk out of the building, staring down at the lit screen the entire way. If I don’t have something to look at, I’ll look nervous and anyone monitoring the cameras will notice my odd behavior. Outside, I keep walking until I get to the range.
All the handguns and ammo are stored in the locker next to the range. The big guns are stored elsewhere. I open the locker and pull out a gun and two boxes of ammo. I don’t know if River can shoot, but I’ll feel a hell of a lot better if we have some protection with us. Stuffing them in the go bag, I sling it back on my shoulders and return to my room.
Once I get there, I stash the phones in the bag along with my toothbrush and a few necessities, then complete one last task. Finally ready, I leave my room and go to the cafeteria to grab snacks. Bananas, muffins, waters, and some other small stuff. Then I head to River’s room. When he opens the door, there’s a defeated look on his face.
“Didn’t go well, did it?” I ask softly. I didn’t think it would, but I admire the fact that he faced him.
“Lance was the most powerful, so they kept him alive for their experiments, but Raven killed the others,” he drawls in a heavy voice. “I don’t deserve his forgiveness.”
“None of us deserve any of this,” I state with a frown. “Not even that douchebag Trent and his horrid friend, Tommy. But this world is brutal, and it’s only going to get worse. Today, Phoenix took their first strike at Raven. Tomorrow, it will be an all-out war.”
He lifts his head, and a spark returns to his green eyes. “Thank you. I sure as hell don’t deserve you, but I’m never giving you up.” His gaze drifts to the backpack on my back, and he starts shaking his head back and forth. “You’re not going.”
I step forward, pushing him inside. “Shh. If you refuse to take me with you, I’ll sound the alarm. I mean it, River. I’m going. What will happen if you get to their facility and your mom and sister are in the same shape as those captives today? You can’t carry them both out of there.”
He continues to shake his head. “I’m resourceful. I’ll figure something out. Besides, my sister is incredibly powerful. She’ll help me.”
Ignoring him, I open the bag. “Guns, ammo, cash, burners. Can you think of anything else we need? Grab your toothbrush and other necessities.”
