by Zoe Forward
“She likes to cook.”
After searching through the cabinets, he retrieved plates and silverware. They ate in silence. Even though he was starving, he barely tasted what he put in his mouth.
“Water?” she asked.
He nodded and watched her luscious body as she padded to the refrigerator and back. His gaze met hers as she glanced over her shoulder. Caught staring at her ass.
She smiled. “I hope that look’s the promise of more.”
“You can handle it?”
“That was…” She handed him water, sat, and bit into the apple pie. “Mmm. Almost as amazing as this pie. Oh my God, I have to get her recipe.”
“I can’t believe I’m beaten by pie.”
Her eyebrows shot upward. She waved her fork at the pie. “Try it.”
One bite. “This is good. Really good. But not as good as being deep inside you.”
Her cheeks bloomed with color as she dug in for another piece of pie. She rotated the map on the table. “This looks scary.” She tapped on the area where the river widened and the drawing indicated rapids.
“We’ll figure out a plan.” He smiled. “So…I think we might have about a half hour more…”
“I’ve never done anything against a wall.”
“Let’s see what we can do about that.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jen turned right as Nikolai dipped his hand into the river and splashed her. Cold water hit her face. She shrieked and laughed. A crocodile slipped into the river on the opposite shore.
“Louder,” he ordered and shot a bit of water at her again.
She squealed when the water hit her again.
“That’s it.” He nodded toward Shannon, who ran their way while struggling to get the video camera working.
Nikolai shook out his wet hair and pretended to bathe his naked torso. Her mouth went dry watching water droplets course over his muscles. She shook herself out of her fantasy of licking off the water. Was every woman in America having the same reaction? No wonder he was great for TV.
What they’d done last night had been crazy. Wild. She could still feel his kisses on her mouth, his tongue on her skin, and his body thrusting inside hers.
She feared he might have touched her on a deeper level, which was why she had to get her mind straight. Short-term only. They had last night. And maybe a few more nights. But that was it.
Shoving those few hours with him into the far recesses of her mind, she washed her face. She thought of him in the covert agent world. Of being alone. Of his girlfriend being killed.
He’d given her the best night of her life. And she’d given him…oh, no.
Her chest hurt thinking about him. All her gushing over him meant she might be in love with him.
No. Not possible. This was simple hero worship or sexual awe. The man was amazingly good at sex. She wouldn’t be so foolish as to fall for him. She could only truly love her destined guy…maybe it could be Nikolai.
“You okay over there, Angel?” he yelled.
She whirled away to hide her internal panic. Tugging the see-through shirt over her head and down over the damp wetsuit proved to be tougher than anticipated. She sat on a fallen tree trunk and pulled her water shoes over her now-muddy feet, wiggling her toes. The swim slippers were top-grade crap, probably made in some third-world country by underpaid workers. She’d be lucky if they didn’t self-destruct today. “I’ve got a hole in one of these shoes.”
He slung his shirt over a shoulder and knelt by her to look at the shoe. “Not much we can do. Maybe we need to swim.” He stared at the river in a moment of speculation, which was pure acting.
She bit her lip against a giggle in response. They’d decided their only way to make it to the river crossing point in time today was to ride the river downstream. Dangerous rapids, crocodiles, and who knew what other slithery creatures awaited. It didn’t sound like fun. They’d also decided there was no way, if they tried to cross at the designated area, they’d make it. The show had chosen a spot where the current was guaranteed to be fast and the rapids dangerous. They hoped to ride the river and “accidentally” end up on the other side. They couldn’t be penalized for that, at least they hoped. If someone wanted to boat them across only to swim back, then so be it. It was a gamble.
Shannon danced around them with the camera throwing you-better-not looks.
He cut a few similar-sized vines and tied them together. “You better hope my ropes hold. I pretty much sucked at knots in Boy Scouts.”
Did Lithuanians even do Scouts? He probably knew how to tie knots before he could walk. “What are you doing? I need to know the plan.” She was such a bad actor.
His eyes narrowed, and she sensed he was trying to warn her. She wanted to throw up her hands and scream, I’m not an actress.
He said, “I figure we’re a day behind and the only way to catch up is to use the river.”
“The river?” she squeaked, and swung her gaze to the river. Okay, maybe too melodramatic. Calm down. “Aren’t there dangerous things in the river? Like big snakes?” She squinted to where the crocodile had been moments ago. Where’d it gone?
“Maybe crocodiles. Sure on the snakes. Don’t pee in the water. I seem to remember something about a parasite that takes advantage of that.”
“Are you messing with me?” Now she wasn’t acting.
“Not really.” He granted her an apologetic smile.
“I’m not sure about this…seriously. I saw a pretty big crocodile go in right across the river.” She pointed to where it’d been. “Maybe we don’t make it to the next meeting. Maybe this is how far we were meant to go.” She glanced around, noticing too much wildlife. A huge centipede marched by. A green snake slithered off a branch that swung out over the river as the clouds darkened. Birds squawked and flew overhead.
He touched her chin, drawing her to meet his gaze. “We’re going to make it.” Light, spitting rain started.
“Do you mean make it to the meeting? Or we’ll live past today?”
“Both.”
Her gaze dropped to his lips, remembering where they’d been hours ago.
“Angel, you keep giving me that look and I’ll duck behind a tree with you. I’ll have you naked in about three seconds. It’s been like seventy-two hours since I’ve—”
“Stop.” Her face heated. But she rolled her eyes. “You’re insatiable.”
He pulled her body into his. “With you. Always.” His lips landed on hers.
A low groan escaped her. It dissolved against his lips. She curled her fingers into his chest hair, wanting a full-fledged openmouthed, tongue-thrusting kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth and tangled with hers, granting her wish.
Abruptly they broke apart and gazed into each other’s eyes. Their rapid breaths mingled with the roar of the river. Care for the show no longer existed.
He stepped away to tug on and button his shirt. In a smooth motion he slung on his backpack. Then he helped her thread her arms through her own pack.
“Here we go.”
“What?” She blinked around, unsteady and still dazed.
He lashed them together with a vine. “Hope that holds. If it breaks and we get separated, swim to shore and wait for me. I’ll find you.”
She nodded, but real fear made her stomach quiver. “Don’t leave me.” The whine in the words was only partially acting.
Shannon moved into her line of sight and scowled at both of them.
“I won’t leave you,” he said.
They waded into the river. Cool water soaked to her skin, a shocking contrast to the hot, muggy air. They dodged a few slimy branches to push out into the center of the river, where she couldn’t touch bottom.
The river’s current grabbed them and rushed them downstream. They moved so fast that she no longer detected the musty smell of damp jungle detritus. The murky dark water hid the secrets in its depths.
“We’re well out of camera range now. I expect a helicopter or bo
at any second.” Nikolai paused and looked up at the sky. “At the rate we’re going, I say we ride the water for…”
“Didn’t you figure five to eight minutes and then we get out before the rapids?”
A boat whizzed into position next to them with an unfamiliar cameraman filming.
“Something just nibbled on my leg.” Truly terrified, she clutched at his hand.
He yelled over the noise of the river, “Don’t freak out.”
“Ow! Something is biting my ankle.”
Nikolai squinted upstream. “Just a bit longer. Kick your feet to avoid the biting.”
“Kick my feet? Don’t be an ass. There’s something trying to eat my heel.”
“Hang on tight.” The suck-it-up-and-deal expression on his face pissed her off. “Crap, the rapids. Already? That was fast.” He grabbed her and pushed away from a rock to avoid a collision.
They struggled to avoid more rocks. The camera boat stopped pacing them and pulled ashore. Bad sign.
A helicopter whirred overhead.
The vine binding them together stretched and snapped. Nikolai yelled, but between the struggle to keep her head above water and the noise of the river, she couldn’t hear him. The current tossed her around, and she bumped against rocks, bruising her legs. She kicked and swam toward the shore, but the backpack’s weight pulled her down. All she could focus on was breathing. Her head whacked a rock while her body was thrown like a pinball down the river.
The backpack had to go, and fast. Grabbing the straps, she yanked them down, and it finally came off only to float away. The river flattened out, although it was still pretty rocky. Her vision doubled, went normal, then doubled again. Breathing through the pain, she kicked in the direction of the far shore. She scanned the area, blinking her eyes to clear her sight. No sign of Nikolai.
No gently inclined beach shoreline greeted her. Slippery, algae-infested rocks and mud dotted the riverbank. The current propelled her farther down the river. She grabbed at grass and branches, which gave way. Oh God. Another desperate grab at the slick, muddy shore failed. The river swept her downstream again, her speed increasing. The rocks tripled in number and size.
Have to get out. Now.
She wedged herself between a branch and the riverbank. Her fingers clawed into the mud. A well-positioned yet slimy rock allowed her to push out of the water onto land. All fear of animal dangers paled in comparison to her head pain and terror of encountering more heavy rapids. She settled onto a flat rock near the river’s edge and pulled her legs into her chest to rest her head. Rain pelted her from above. She wiped the mud off her hands onto the too-tight pants and picked at the dirt under her nails.
At least the ambient temperature remained warm. Gingerly touching her forehead, she found a quarter-sized lump. Pulling her hand away, she saw fresh blood on her fingers, which the rain washed away. Great. A bleeding head injury. What next? Her stomach roiled, and she really hoped she didn’t have a concussion.
She tugged off the muddied, shredded remains of her see-through shirt and pressed it to her forehead.
Where’s Nikolai? Peering through the driving rain, she didn’t see him on the river or shoreline. Screaming his name seemed like a waste of energy since she could barely hear herself think over the noise of the rapids and rain. At least no camera danced in front of her right now.
Cradling her head, she waited. She really needed him. Needed his steady presence, his take-charge attitude. His strength. Please don’t let him be dead, she silently prayed to the gods.
Within minutes a helicopter zoomed overhead again. They must be desperate to fly during the gusty storm. A rainsuit-clad woman was lowered on a rope, which bounced wildly in the wind. Ten feet from the ground she let go, landing on her ass in the mud with a wet plop. The woman hugged a plastic-wrapped camera. Shannon was back.
Shannon lowered her hood and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She raised the video camera onto her shoulder, but then stopped. “What happened to your head?”
“Hit it on a rock.”
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. Hurts a bit. Where’s Nick?” Jen asked.
“Damn it, Jen. That’s it. I’m turning on the camera. Please complain about your head. Then we get a doctor in and you off this show.”
“Where is he?”
“They didn’t tell me. I’ve got to film you or I’ll get reassigned. Try not to talk to me while we’re filming. If you’re feeling dizzy or in need of a doctor, tell me on camera.” Her gaze conveyed apology at the need to film Jen’s angst.
“You’re here. That means he’s probably not dead.”
Shannon shook her head in a worried I don’t know. Shannon pointed at her head and signaled a come on to encourage her to complain while filming.
Instead, Jen peered through the rain at the river.
Logic told her Nick lived and wasn’t fatally injured. If so, they’d be raising her off the shore via that helicopter rather than lowering Shannon down. That small assurance calmed her.
Should she stay put like he’d said? What if he was hurt? Hopefully, he wouldn’t end up on the opposite side of the river. She rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled by the thought of being across the river from him.
Her internal magic hummed, and she rocked back and forth. She wanted to cast a spell to draw him to her or maybe even a protective spell for all of them, even though her magic didn’t work well on him. But she couldn’t cast a spell on camera.
The dull ache on the front part of her skull became a full-scale pulse-hammering throb. She examined her wadded shirt to gauge the level of bleeding. A fair bit. She pressed it tight again. Her mind flashed to the documentary she’d seen about the rain forest, and how predators could scent blood from far away. She needed to wash the blood away right now. With one foot poised to step off the rock, she froze. Coldness swamped her as if she’d been sweating and then entered a supercooled air-conditioned room.
Malevolence cloaked her in a fog. Vile magic surrounded them.
Cameras or not, she murmured a protection chant her mother taught her from an early age:
“Protect me with all your might,
Goddess gracious day and night.
Sink all evil into ground,
Trice around this circle’s bound.”
She circled her foot on the rock, creating an imaginary circular line. Her gaze shot to Shannon in warning. Shannon lowered the camera and looked around. “I feel it.”
A large crocodile crept from the bushes and circled the rock in a calculated move atypical for the creatures. One of its webbed feet reached out as if to step her way, but pulled back as if burned.
Her magic worked, but she kept chanting. And watching the croc. It wasn’t interested in Shannon. Only her. The way it studied her seemed too directed. Maybe ensorcelled?
She needed Nikolai. Now.
“It’s not right,” she said to Shannon.
Shannon put a finger to her lips and tracked the croc with the camera for a few seconds. Then clicked off the camera. “I detect a bad magic. I’m in a catch-22 here. To stay assigned to you, I’ve got to get this on camera or I’ll get pulled. I don’t know where Nick is or if he made it out of the river. If that thing moves to strike or even get close, you jump to your…just get away from here.”
The croc paused as if suddenly aware of Shannon.
“Back away,” Jen ordered. “Now.”
Shannon slowly backed up. She climbed an old tree with huge branches until she was several feet off the ground.
“If I jump to my other place what about you?” Jen yelled. None of the big witchy skills came until after the chosen witch in each line died. Shannon was first in line when Charlotte died, but she didn’t have the ability to jump dimensions yet, or have her mom’s elemental abilities. Other than aura reading and some coercive ability, Jen wasn’t sure what powers Shannon had in her arsenal.
Shannon yelled back, “I don’t know. I’ll figure out something. Maybe a
911 to the show’s help line. I’m filming again.” She raised the camera and nodded to indicate it was back on.
Jen forced herself to remain still, breathing in and out, desperate to be calm again. Pain still hammered the inside of her skull. She and the crocodile remained in a silent staredown for endless minutes. Its eyes blinked once, and it whacked its tail on the ground, then, to her relief, it backed into the bushes. But it wasn’t gone. She sensed its dark presence. If she took one step off the rock, it would attack. She wondered why it didn’t jump at her to force her off the rock.
How she wanted to close her eyes, a few moments of rest. But she didn’t dare.
“I’m not recording,” Shannon yelled. “How’s your head?”
Jen swiveled away from her river surveillance to meet Shannon’s gaze, which had her seeing double. She shrugged in response to Shannon. Magic hummed through her with a desperation to get Nikolai here, but she didn’t whisper the come-to-me spell on the tip of her tongue.
She put her hand up when Shannon started climbing down. “It’s not gone. It’s waiting in the bushes. Stay where you are.”
…
Nikolai braced himself against the river’s current on a rock a few yards from the shore. He studied the rapids for Jen. Son of a bitch, where was she?
Several long minutes had passed since they got separated while he bounced through white water. He’d halted his death-bound sweep toward the gigantic waterfall within a few hundred yards of going over. He formulated scenarios to extract her from the water should she float by, but none would work. He’d have to plunge over the falls with her and hope they didn’t die.
A mental scan for her came up with nothing. She was either too far away, unconscious, or dead. His stomach clenched.
She can’t be dead.
Riding the river had been a stupid decision.
With no sign of Jen, he concluded she might be upstream. He jerked his gaze left and then right, doubting his conclusion. Did he climb to the lower part of the falls to look first? Or backtrack upstream?
