Page 47 of Uncharted

I frowned. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means exactly what I said.”

“I know what you said, but a tech company? What the hell could they want out here? Nothing good, I can tell you that. Like, fucking hell, we’re having a corporate leech wearing a scientist suit come to figure out if they want to put some factory or fuck knows what that’s going to ruin the goddam⁠—”

I stopped when I heard a burst of laughter coming from somewhere on the other side of the medical building, and I scowled. Jake had been where I had thought he was, and apparently I was loud enough to be heard by him. Loud enough, in fact, for the science building door to open, and Mika to peer out, looking torn between being confused and wondering if he should be alarmed.

“Sorry,” I called to my brother, wishing I could see Jake so I could flip him off. “Nothing’s wrong…no emergency. Go back to making out.”

My brother gave me the bird before closing the door, but if he thought for a moment, I didn’t see that his shirt was sitting awkwardly on his shoulders and his hair was ruffled. I wasn’t close enough to see imprints on his face to show he’d fallen asleep at his desk again, but I bet sleep was the last thing on his mind.

“Come on,” I muttered to Colin as I stomped off, fuming because it was absolute bullshit. There was only one reason a company would send a government-approved ‘scientist’ to a relatively untouched piece of nature, and it was to destroy it. I would sooner burn the Exile House down and ship Leon and his spawn off to some far-flung corner of the world than let him come here and try ruining the place.

I found Jake sitting in a clearing a few yards beyond the science building. He had apparently found a folding camping chair because he was sitting in it, his cast-covered arm on the armrest, his other arm behind his head as he leaned back. The bruises were an ugly yellow color with hints of darkness left, and his stitches were due to come out from his legs, arms, chest and at some point the staples would have to be removed from the ugly wound on his head that was surrounded by bare skin from where they’d shaved him.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked with a frown.

He blinked at me. “Relaxin’?”

“Seriously?”

“What? Y’all said rest, and I’m resting. Can’t I do it outside?”

“You do it by telling someone where you’re going,” Colin said, appearing behind me, and I watched Jake’s eyes go wide.

“You snitched?” he asked, sounding horrified.

“He came looking for me after he couldn’t find you,” I explained. “I’m the only reason there’s not a search party out for you so Colin can beat your ass.”

“Oh,” Jake said sheepishly. “I swear, I’ve been right here. Relaxin’, not doin’ anythin’ I’m not supposed to be doin’, swear.”

“Accent is getting thicker,” Colin said, stepping forward. “And you’re way too insistent on being innocent. And would you look at that?”

I sighed when Colin bent down and plucked a couple of empty beer bottles out of the grass and held them aloft, the brown glass twinkling in the sunlight. “The thing you’re not supposed to be drinking while you’re on painkillers and antibiotics.”

“I’m almost done with the antibiotics,” Jake complained, and I sighed at the whining, almost childish note in his voice. God, he was going to pout so hard after this. “And the painkillers shouldn’t even be called that. They’re like…Tylenol with a lil extra thrown in, don’t even count.”

“They count because I say they count,” Colin scowled. “If you can’t behave yourself, I’m going to make sure beer is not allowed on the property until you’re completely healed.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Jake, the guys would murder you on the spot, and then smuggle in beer and keep it from you.”

“And you,” Jake said with a pout. “They think you’d sneak me some.”

I probably would, in all honesty, but he didn’t need to know that. “Like hell, I’ll drink the beer away from you because I’m not the one who’s not listening to orders.”

“I just wanted some sunlight and a couple of beers,” Jake said, and I wasn’t going to admit it in front of Colin, but the sad boy act was working on me. Probably because I knew he was genuinely upset and was just enjoying himself, but really, the puppy dog eyes looked way too good on him.

“Jesus,” Colin muttered, turning to look at me and shake his head. “Look, I know he’s looking like a wounded fawn right now, but try not to let him completely off the hook, alright?”

“Who said I was going to let him off the hook at all?” I wondered.

“Mhmm,” Colin hummed. “He’s got mud on his legs, so get back to the clinic and get him cleaned up. I’m not doing it because he won’t want me to.”

So that meant I was probably going to have to touch Jake and wipe him down later. It wasn’t as if he could do a whole lot of bending with his ribs the way they were, and he had one good arm working for him.

“Right,” I said, hoping I wasn’t giving away the sense of apprehension curdling in my gut. “I can do that.”

“Can’t relax outside, can’t drink some weak-ass beer,” Jake muttered. “Next you’ll be tellin’ me I can’t jerk off or get laid.”