Mike’s tensionratcheted up once they left the coastline behind and cut back into the middle of the island. Through here, the trees were thicker, the shadows deeper, and the hiding places more abundant. Henevershould have chanced bringing her through here. Let her hate him for trying to get her off the island before finding her sister, at least she would be alive to hate him.
Mollie frowned at Mike’s back as the anger he exuded increased with every step. She didn’t know what had him so worked up, but when she tried to tug her hand free of his, he gripped it tighter.
“What is wrong?” she whispered.
Mike didn’t sense anyone nearby, but that didn’t mean something wasn’t hunting them. “We should have stayed closer to the shore.”
“We have to look for Aida.”
“We should go back to the shore. I’ll find a way to get you off this island, and then I’ll come back for her.”
“No.”
“Mollie—”
“I’m not leaving until I know what happened to my sister. You can run, but I won’t.”
Mike strove to restrain his temper as he surveyed the woods again. “I’m not running. But you must understand there is a good chance your sister is dead and risking your life to find her is pointless. Iwillcome back for her, Jack, and Doug after I get you somewhere safe. There is no safe place on this island.”
Fury coiled through her. She realized there was a good chance Aida was dead, but she wasn’t giving up until she knew for sure. She didn’t need Mike treating her like some idiotic, fragile person who didn’t understand reality and would break easily until then. She’d withstood more than most in her short life, and she wouldnotbreak.
“Yeah, right,” she retorted. “We leave this island, and you’ll never come back.”
Mike’s eyes were red when they returned to her. She’d seen that color come over them before, but she’dneverseen it directed at her. She almost backed away from him, but when it came to her sister, she wouldn’t back away from anyone—not even a pissed-off, easily two-hundred-fifty-pound vampire.
“I gave you my word I would help find your sister, and I’m going to keep it,” he growled through gritted teeth.
The idea she thought so little of him didn’t sit well with him, but he had told her that her sister was most likely dead. She probably wasn’t in the mood to think much of him right now.
“I have friends on this island too,” he reminded her. “I would never leave them behind.”
“Then why don’t you go search for your friends, and I’ll find Aida.”
“What?” he demanded, sure he’d heard her wrong.
“I absolve you of your word. I don’t know why you’ve been looking after me, but you don’t have to anymore. You don’t owe me anything.” She didn’t want to separate from him, but Aida came first. “Go, find your friends, and I’ll find my sister.”
Mike stared at her like she’d just told him to put on fairy wings and prance around naked. Mollie crossed her arms over her chest and gazed around the woods. She didn’t kid herself into thinking her chances of surviving alone were good, but she’d rather be alone than leave Aida behind.
“That’snevergoing to happen,” Mike vowed.
“And why not? You’ve more than paid any debt you think you might have for me getting you out of your cage, and you don’t owe me anything because we had sex. I’m sure you’ve had sex with other women and walked away from them; it’s fine, I understand.”
“I amnotleaving you alone or walking away from you.”
“Mike—”
“No!” he interjected. “Get that idea out of your head,rightnow! Your father left you; I won’t.”
She recoiled as if he’d slapped her. He despised the wounded expression on her face and that he was the one to cause it, but her words had pushed him into a state of pissed off he’d never experienced before. Not only did she think so little of him, but even after last night, she would still walk away from him.
She’s not a vampire; she doesn’t feel the pull of the mating bond.The reminder did little to ease the turmoil churning inside him like lava in a volcano about to erupt.
Mollie didn’t know how to reply to him. She’d opened up to him, and now he was using her revelations against her. Howdarehe bring her father into this? “My father has nothing to do with this!” she spat.
“Doesn’t he?”
“No,” she hissed through her teeth, but she couldn’t help wondering if, perhaps, he did. Mike could break her heart, so was she trying to walk away from him before he walked away from her? She’d believed herself over what happened with her father, but she realized now, she wasn’t.
