Caroline’s head ached and she pressed her fingers to her temples, slowly drawing small circles to try and relieve some of the throbbing. The cloying humidity of the jungle stuck to her skin, and the heat seemed to suck all the freshness out of the air. Her strength faltered, and she felt her shoulders droop. The burst of energy from the shot Dr. Winters had administered would eventually fade, but Caroline had hoped it would last longer than this.
At least her skin didn’t feel like it was crawling anymore, but the sounds bombarding her brain made it hard to focus on anything else.
She wanted Reaper to touch her again. For whatever reason, probably the fact that she’d gone so long without human contact, he soothed her.
But no matter how strong that longing was, she was also afraid of him, especially in his current state. He’d be more likely to snap at her than soothe her. And after what he’d done for her, she didn’t want to pester him.
Reaper heaved out a great sigh and, as if reading her mind, extended his hand. She only hesitated a second before winding her fingers through his, bloodstains and all. Immediately, the world around them seemed to quiet. And Caroline became aware of every one of his callouses rubbing against her palm. He had the hands of a man who worked hard, strong hands that took care of those weaker than himself.
“I guess we make quite a pair don’t we?”
His lips fell into a slight frown. “How so?”
Caroline gestured to her clothing, or lack thereof, and his wound. “Not exactly geared out for a long trek through the jungle.”
“There’s a city five clicks west of here. That’s where we’re headed.”
“What is a click?”
“It’s 1,000 meters.”
Caroline gaped, her fatigue doubling down. “5,000 meters? That’s really far. Can you make it that far?”
At his current rate of blood loss, he’d surely pass out before then. And what would she do when that happened? She didn’t know anything about medical stuff, and the jungle wasn’t exactly a sterile environment. What if he got an infection? Or worse, what if the smell of his blood attracted predators? Images of lions pouncing for their throats flashed through her mind. Caroline gulped, silently cursing the man who had taken her.
Reaper stiffened, her question obviously offending his manly sensibilities. “Of course I can make it that far. Do you think this is the first time I’ve been shot in battle?”
“I’m guessing the answer is no,” she said.
“That is correct. But if we don’t get a move on, we won’t have to worry about making it to the city before nightfall. The general’s men will find us long before we make it there.”
Caroline’s gut tightened. “I can’t go back.”
“Then if you’re through questioning my abilities, do you think we could get a move on?”
From the way he studied her, like she was some kind of puzzle he couldn’t figure out, she knew his question hadn’t been the least bit sarcastic. Dear Lord, this man really didn’t have any experience with civilians, and it was quickly becoming apparent he didn’t have any experience with women either. “Please. I can keep up. Let’s go.”
She could do this. She could walk through this jungle to some city she’d never heard of before while they were being tracked by ruthless killers. Piece of cake. Reaper obviously wasn’t that worried about it. He moved quickly, not even looking over his shoulder to see if they were being followed. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t looking anywhere but straight ahead.
It was like he was concentrating all of his focus and energy on getting them to their destination. But whenever a huge leaf or limb blocked their path, he protected her from being scratched or hit. His movements were swift, almost second nature.
She was beginning to see now though why her father had only sent one man. Reaper had done the work of an entire army. Maybe her father had known that he’d need stealth as opposed to firepower.
“Is it really just you by yourself?”
Reaper didn’t pause in his stride, which outstretched her by probably a foot and left her high-stepping to keep up.
“Yes.”
“How did you know where to find me? Did my father tell you?”
“No.”
“Are you usually this talkative?”
“No.”
Getting information out of him was like trying to pull out a tooth that wasn’t loose. Part of her wished she had someone else to talk to, someone who’d engage in the conversation. She couldn’t wait to talk to her friends and tell them everything. Celine would definitely let her cry on her shoulder, and Kate? Kate would tell her to suck it up. Caroline hadn’t been able to spend a ton of time with them, but they were dedicated and loyal. They were the ones who’d helped her escape before she was forced to marry the general. It was the last time she’d seen Kate. Celine had been kept with her in that god-awful hut in the desert. But they’d eventually taken her away too. But what had happened to her then? What if she’d been kept in the same compound all along? Were they even now subjecting her to the same slow torture they’d inflicted on Caroline? The thought made her nauseous.
