Page 118 of Totally Wrecked
Damn straight girl, damn straight.
DAISY
I’m more exhausted than I think I’ve ever been, and I must have fallen asleep by the fire, because next thing I know Gray is carrying me to the shelter. Usually I sleep with Key, a little way from the guys, but tonight Gray lays me down in the middle of their sleeping area.
“Keyara?” I ask while yawning.
“Out like a light,” smiles Rex. “And the other person…”
“He who shall not be named?”
“Exactly.Thatscumbag is tied to the tree, going nowhere. If we are lucky, there will be a mystery herd of animals that come to eat him in the night.”
“That would be handy,” I say, snuggling down between Leander and Gray. Killian lies down, spooning around Gray. “Come lie down, Rex.”
Our cuddle puddle does not feel complete without him. He hovers over us for a minute, then sinks into the ground next to Leander. In the darkness, I feel him reach across Leander’s back and touch my arm.
“I won’t let anything else happen to you, Daisy,” he whispers.
“None of us will,” agrees Leander. “We love you.”
“I love you all too, goodnight.”
???
“He’s gone.”
“Rex, wake up, he’s gone.”
I open my eyes to see Killian standing over us. Rex is already getting to his feet. There is a blue light, showing me it’s dawn. Gray and Leander stir as well.
“Fuck,” Killian and Rex stride out of the tent.
“Did I just hear Killian say that Harvey is gone?” asks Leander.
“Yeah,” Gray says as he pulls on his shirt. “Come on.”
Leander leans over and kisses me. “Don’t worry, babe. We got this.”
Sitting up, my shoulders tighten with tension. Where will he go? Just be on his own on the island somewhere? I understand why he ran; the guys were not going to go gentle on him. He must be scared stiff.
Why am I feeling sympathy for him?
Because he did such a good job convincing me that I was to blame for his assault. Somehow, it’s wormed into my subconscious that I still must be at fault.
I was guilty of lying to him about my identity, so in a way, being punished is something I deserve.
But not like that.
Not like that at all.
Stepping out of the tent, I hear a shout far off in the distance. Killian is by the fire, starting breakfast, so I ask him what’s going on.
“The others are doing a sweep of the area, looking for Harvey. Not a thorough search, yet. Just a look. We’ll eat breakfast together, then plan what we need to do.”
That sounds sensible. “Can you escort me and Key to the pool? I don’t think we should go alone into the jungle.”
He stands up immediately, pulling the pan to one side of the fire. “Damn right, we already decided that you girls need to have one of us with you at all times.”
