Page 23 of Wild Card (The Trident Trilogy 3)

She shook her head. “Mack, if we’re going to die together, please at least call me Nejra.”

“We’re not going to die,” Mack said, brushing some of the dust off his sleeves. “They know where we are. My team will get us when it’s safe. It might take a few hours though.”

“A few hours,” Nejra said, sighing. “What should we do with that time?”

“I’m not sure there’s much we can do. Maybe take a nap.”

“How can you sleep when that just happened?” She stood up and walked across the small room.

“I’m used to it,” Mack said, laughing slightly. “I can sleep pretty much anywhere.”

“I thought we were going to die,” she said, leaning against a wall. “I think I’m going to die most days. Ever since the war started—and my parents died—it’s all I can think about sometimes. How do you get used to it?”

“I’m not sure you get used to it.” Mack took his rifle from around his body and laid it next to him. “It’s just more of an acceptance that it might happen.”

Nejra shook her head silently. “Since the war started, all I can think about is that I’m going to die before I’ve even had a chance to experience life. I’m almost desperate to do things before it’s too late.”

“You’re going to live a long life,” Mack said. “Don’t be in a hurry to experience things. Most of it is overrated anyway.”

“So are you saying you are not very good at sex?” she said, looking boldly at him.

“What?” Mack jerked his head back, laughing. “How did we get there?”

“Frankly, it’s one of the things I want to experience before I die.” Nejra held eye contact with Mack, but her voice shook slightly. “You said we have time now.”

“Wow. No,” Mack said, trying to suppress a laugh. “We’re not having desperation sex in this dirty building.”

“I did not mean I was settling for you out of desperation. I find you very appealing,” she said, pulling her shoulders back a bit. “And you can wipe that smirk off your face. There is nothing wrong with my saying that. Women are allowed to have desires, too.”

“I, uh, yeah, I completely agree.”

She took a small, hesitant step toward him. “So how do we go about this? Should I remove my clothes?”

“No!” Mack said, putting his hands up. “You are not having sex for the first time in this awful place. It’s not happening like that.”

“You don’t desire me then? I have misread your intentions.” She turned quickly away from him and walked back to the opposite side of the room.

“That’s not what I said. At all.” Mack laid his head against the wall. “This is just not the right time. Believe me.”

“I don’t wish to talk about it anymore.” Nejra leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. As she took a deep breath, her body started to shiver. The chilly night air had started seeping through the cracks in the ceiling. She wrapped her arms around her body to try to block the cold.

“Come over here,” Mack said softly.

She opened her eyes slightly to see him motioning her over to where he was sitting.

She looked at him suspiciously. “I thought you said you didn’t want to have sex with me.”

Mack smiled, shaking his head. “Again, that’s not what I said. What I said is that this is not how you want your first time to be. You’re way too special for that.”

Nejra registered a slight smile, but her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out Mack’s intentions.

Mack patted the ground next to him. “Come here,” he said, more insistently. “Nejra, you’re freezing. Please come over here.”

She walked over slowly and sat down next to him. He draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against his chest. Her body was tense and guarded at first, but as the warmth of Mack’s body started transferring to her, she slowly let her body melt into his.

“You’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he whispered into her hair. “Just close your eyes and try to get some sleep.”

As her shallow breathing began to sync with the slow, steady rising and falling of his chest, she drifted off into the deepest sleep she had in years.

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