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Jagger froze. The voice was familiar. As was the arrogance and hostility.
He slid forward, intent on righting his body, when a fist slammed into the side of his cheek, sending shards of pain across his face.
“What the—” Jagger managed to get out before he was cut off.
“Next time you’ll think twice before attacking the cavalry, asshole.”
With great effort, Jagger held his anger in check and turned to the man who stood facing him.
The warrior’s body looked as if carved from granite, every single muscle seeming enhanced, honed, hard, and lean. The scars that crisscrossed his chest and rib cage were whitened next to the dark skin that stretched tight across his abs.
The face, nearly feral, couldn’t hide the handsome features, nor the cold blackness that rested in the eyes. The once neatly trimmed hair was long, unkempt, and when he smiled, Jagger could sense only the merest slip of humanity within.
It seemed he needed to look no further.
Nico had found him.
The small modicum of relief Jagger felt was tempered by the blast of anger that washed over him. His cheek fucking killed him, and the impotent need to act, to do something with the electric energy that rode him, had him clenching and unclenching his hands so strongly that his forearms ached.
Jagger took a second, controlled his temper, and ran his hand along his jawline.
“Heard you were still a jungle hermit.”
Nico laughed harshly and began to pace in a circle as if the thought of standing still was too much to bear. He stopped suddenly. “Beggars, my friend, beggars …”
Jagger hated to admit it, but the warrior was right. He had no choice. Nico was about all he had at the moment.
“I need to find the Mayan healer you told me about years ago. She still around?”
“For the female?” Nico laughed softly, his teeth a slash of white in his deeply tanned face.
Jagger growled a warning and took a step toward Nico.
“You will not touch her.”
“I have no desire to. She stinks of demon.” The tall warrior’s eyes narrowed. “The only reason I’m here is because Jaxon called in a favor.” He spit into the ground. “Trust me. I don’t give a flying fuck what happens out there, so long as it stays out of my jungle.” His voice deepened and an unholy light lit his eyes from behind, emphasizing the glittering darkness within them. “And right now it’s crawling with every kind of scum you can imagine.”
“Yeah, well, my life hasn’t been puppies and rainbows either,” Jagger snarled. “This shit that’s gonna hit the fan is about as bad as it gets. But right now Skye is priority number one.”
Nico regarded him in silence. “What’s priority number two?”
Jagger hesitated, suddenly not so sure trusting the warrior was a smart move. The ex-PATU soldier had spent the last several years out in the jungle, with no human contact except the occasional visit from his older brother, Jaxon, and the few times Jagger had seen him, they’d not been exactly friendly.
Many thought he was crazy, and after what he’d been through there had to be some merit to it. But did Jagger honestly think Nico would betray the warrior brotherhood? Betray his history with Jaxon?
In the end, loyalty to their common ancestry won over. “You ever hear of something called the Cave of the Sun?”
Nico’s eyes narrowed. He stared long and hard at Jagger, his body tense. “That’s what this is about?”
Jagger nodded, his mouth set into a grim line.
“I’ll take you to the healer,” Nico replied, a tic playing along the side of his cheek. “Then we’ll go to the cave. But I’ll warn you.”
Jagger paused, eyebrows raised.
“You won’t like what’s there.”
Jagger snorted. “I figured as much.”
