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Justin chuckled. “Once you get to know me, Carly, you’ll find I have everything planned out.” He went out into the hallway and grabbed one of the bags that contained his gear. He opened up the front pocket and withdrew a map. A route had been highlighted, cutting across Canada and through the US, a bumpy line, but almost perfectly diagonal. She saw the first part of the journey took them north to Haines and then to Skagway. From there, they took the only highway east, through the mountains, into Canada.
“But the ferry isn’t running.”
“I know how to operate a boat.”
“Is there anything you don’t know how to do?” she asked, a hint of a sour note in her voice.
“I can’t play the piano, and I can’t dance.”
Carly tilted her head. “Did they teach you all this stuff in the army?”
Justin’s eyes were guarded. “Some of it, yes.”
She traced her finger over the long line. “What if I refuse to go?”
“I can’t leave you here to die, Carly.”
Die? She gave him a startled look, but he didn’t back off and admit to exaggeration or soften the comment with a shrug or smile. Instead, he looked straight into her eyes, and his steady gaze told her he wasn’t trying to scare her or embellish. He saw it as an inevitable consequence if she were left there on her own, not as a possibility.
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes any longer. “Because you knew my dad?”
“No, not just because of the promise I made when I joined The Unit, but because I fancy myself to be a decent fucking human being. One way or another, I’m going to have to convince you, but I hope to hell it doesn’t take very long.”
“What about Sam?”
“What about him? He’s a wolf. They’re tough, and they’re built to run for hours without tiring.”
She was thankful he wasn’t going to try to insist she leave him behind.
“Listen to me, Carly, I know you don’t know me very well yet, but you’ll find I’m a person who keeps my promises. And I promise you I will do my best to keep you safe, warm, and fed. I’m your best shot at survival.” He tugged up the sleeve of his T-shirt and showed her the symbol tattooed there, the same symbol that was on her father’s ring. “This once meant something. It meant enough that I had it permanently etched into my skin because it’s a part of me. It wasn’t just a military unit. It was a code of honor. I may be the last man standing, but I swear to Christ I’m not going to let that code die, too.”
And gazing into his eyes, Carly believed him. She might have very little experience of the world, but she knew sincerity when she saw it. He truly cared about what happened to her, for whatever reason. Her doubts and fears warred with her instincts, which told her Justin was what he presented himself to be. He was a nice guy with a mischievous sense of humor and a strong sense of honor and duty. Her father had told her to trust no one, but he had also told her about the symbol and what it meant to the men who wore it.
“I’m scared,” Carly said. She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment at the admission, but she felt like he deserved her honesty.
“I am, too. None of this is going to be easy, but I’d put our chances at reaching Florida higher than most.”
“That doesn’t sound too encouraging.”
Justin was quiet for a long moment. “Do you want me to be honest or comforting?”
Carly blinked when tears stung her eyes again. He already thought she was stupid. She didn’t want to add whiny to the list. “Just for a little while, can you be optimistic?”
He took her hand in his own. “Sure, honey. I understand.”
The first thing Justin wanted to do was find a wagon and a pair of bicycles. Carly directed him to the bicycle shop, which was not far from the bridge, and he returned on a bike, towing a trailer with another bike stowed inside. The wagon was the size of a queen-size bed, with a metal mesh floor and waist-high sides of tubular metal rails. It was surprisingly light when she tried to lift it.
He’d also brought them helmets. Both of them were blue, and she wondered if he’d intentionally selected a matching set or if there weren’t many options.
“We don’t know the road conditions we’ll encounter. We could go around a curve and... well, I don’t want to risk a head injury.”
Carly tried hers on and found it was a perfect fit. She turned and saw Justin grinning at her.
“What?”
“I’ve never seen anyone who actually looked cute in one of those before.”
Cute. He thought she was cute. Carly blushed and pulled the helmet off.
