Page 72 of Tabitha

It’s one thing to follow orders and kill in battle, but most of my kills are done in cold blood.

I’m not ready for River to look at me differently.

To see disappointment or disgust in his eyes.

I want the dream that he offered, a chance to get to know them better, and that future won’t happen if the guys discover the things I’ve done.

So I have to play nice with the evil people.

For now, at least.

We head down the mountain, doubling back over our own path, when a large crack of timber echoes through the treetops. A whoosh of air fills the stillness, then a branch springs toward the sky, and a high-pitched, terrified scream shatters the unnatural quiet.

“Whoop!” River flashes me a bright smile, then scrambles down the mountainside.

I follow at a slower pace, cleaning out the snares and dismantling them. By the time I catch up with River, I have three rabbits tied to my belt.

River is standing below a tree that has a man dangling upside down by his ankle. He’s trying to take a selfie, but the man is squirming too much for him to get a shot.

“How am I supposed to get a good picture if you keep squirming?” River yells up at the man, the young kid no more than twenty-five.

“Get me down from here, you fucking psycho,” the snotty kid yells down at River, thrashing as he tries to cut himself free. When that doesn’t work, he slashes wildly at River. The kid is red in the face, a nasty bruise already decorating his jaw where he smacked into the tree.

I’m surprised he didn’t try to shoot River outright.

That’s when I notice a gun lying on the ground near the base of the tree. He must have lost his grip on the weapon when he went flying.

A thump comes from farther down the path, then more screams follow. I spin to see a log rolling down the hillside, crushing anything in its way, before it slams into a tree and splinters into a million pieces.

River switches from being almost giddy to homicidal in a second flat. “He sent people after you.”

I curse and grab his arm before he can charge down the mountain. “Actually, I don’t think Banks ordered them to do anything but watch.”

Which is annoying as fuck, because it means Banks is still playing by the rules and I can’t kill his men in a tragic hiking mishap.

“I’ll cut this one down while you go gather the others. We bring them back alive.”

River doesn’t look any happier with the news, but he nods and does as he’s told.

I cut down the guy, watching dispassionately when he curses and lands on his head. While he’s dazed, I quickly tie him up, confiscate his weapons, then haul him to his feet. When he struggles, I give him a little shove. “Move, or I’ll help you take a shortcut down the mountain, understand?”

He averts his eyes, holding completely still, then mutters mulishly under his breath, “You’re just as crazy as the other one.”

I snort and roll my eyes. “Says the man who joined a militia and follows orders from a bunch of dangerous mercenaries.”

I’m halfway back to River when the sounds of fighting reach my ears, and my heart jolts in alarm. Despite knowing River can take care of himself, urgency pounds through my veins, and I struggle with the need to get to him as soon as possible.

The gun is in my hands without thought, and I glance at my prisoner, then curse. Without hesitation, I crack him over the back of his skull, not even waiting for his body to drop before I charge down the mountain. I half fall, half skid down the steep decline, using the trees to slow my descent, bouncing off them like a damn ball in a pinball machine.

I relax slightly when I see River standing in the middle of a group of men, holding his own against them. A fierce grin curls his lips as he faces off against our pursuers. Four to one. I lower the gun, willing to let him have his fun, when one of them suddenly points a pistol at the back of his head.

Before I can even raise my own weapon, a shot rings out, and I swear my heart explodes in my chest. I wait for River to fall, but the shooter crumbles to the ground instead. River whirls just as three more blasts ring out and the men around him drop dead.

I twist in the direction of the shots and catch movement almost directly across from me.

I slowly rise to my feet, a sharp ring echoing in my ears when recognition slams into me. My gun drops uselessly to my side, and my lips go numb. “Dad?”

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