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CHAPTER TWENTY
Haina
“So what are we going to do with the sailboat?” I asked, a tightening in my chest making it difficult to pull in a full breath the farther we got away from our temporary, albeit cozy, little home. I didn’t like leaving the sailboat. What if we woke up in the morning and it was at the bottom of the bay?
“When the tide is high, we’ll have less clearance between the dock and the water, and that will allow us to roll it up onto its side so we can look at the damage,” Jorik said. “But the tide is too low for us to try it now, and it’s fucking nighttime. We just need to cross our fingers it doesn’t sink between now and sunrise.
I pouted and craned my head around to take in our boat, floating still and lonely on the glass-calm water.
“No generator at this place,” Jorik went on. “And it’s not safe to build a fire, so we’ll have to huddle together to keep warm.” He squeezed my shoulder from where he was sitting behind me. “You okay with that, Angel?”
I glanced at him and smiled. “You know I am, Big Man.”
Zane made a noise, but I didn’t bother to even look at him. I just waited for Rix to tie us up to the dock, then I climbed out of the dinghy and let Jorik load up my arms so I could take supplies to the cabin.
They were definitely right. This log house was significantly smaller than the last one, and whoever owned it or stayed here had a real affinity for mounted animal heads as decoration. On just one wall alone there were three deer heads, one elk, and what looked like a beaver. And it didn’t matter where in the place I moved, their eyes followed me.
A dusty bearskin rug with the head still on and teeth still in the mouth lay in front of the cold fireplace, and a stuffed raccoon stood on its hind legs beside a faded green velvet armchair next to the window.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Rix murmured as we unloaded our supplies and Jorik struck a match to light some of the candles we brought with us from the other cabin. “I keep expecting one of these animal heads to start talking or something.”
“Yeah, me, too,” I said, picking up the raccoon and turning it around so it faced out the window and not at me, judging me for my life choices and all the people I killed tonight. “It’s kill or be killed,” I muttered into its ear. “I’d think you’d understand that, coming from the animal world. Besides, they weren’t good people.”
But the raccoon’s vacant yet judging eyes only mocked me from the reflection in the window. I quickly found a dust-covered blanket draped across the back of the chair and tossed it over the bandit’s face.
“Looks like there is only one bedroom,” Rix said.
“Same as the boat.” I glanced into the tiny bedroom, which was neatly kept with a red and black checkered bedspread on the bed.
The whole place smelled cold and slightly musty. Just like the other cabin, it probably hadn’t been visited or inhabited in years.
“Well, we have several hours before sunrise, so get some sleep, everyone,” Zane said, opening drawers in the kitchen to see what was inside.
“I’m not tired,” I said, just as a yawn tugged my mouth open wide.
“Sure you’re not, Kitten,” he said, casting one slate-gray eye at me even though he was still looking down in the drawers. I glared back at him. “There’s mouse shit in all these drawers, so don’t touch the utensils and knives unless you wash them thoroughly first. Best to boil them, actually.”
Rix, Jorik, and I nodded.
“I’m going to go do a perimeter sweep,” Zane said, snatching a pair of goggles off the counter and slinging a gun on his back.
“I’ll come, too,” I said, tired of Zane treating me like I was less than an equal on this team.
“You stay here, Kitten. I can tell you’re tired.” Zane glanced at Rix and lifted his chin. “Let’s go.”
At that very moment, I really wished they had genetically modified me enough that I could shoot laser beams out of my eyes at will because I would have so liked for my glower to pack more of a punch and maybe sever off a few of Zane’s fingers or singe his eyebrows.
I approached Rix as he finished arming himself. “Be careful, Handsome. Come back to me in one piece, okay? Don’t go picking a fight with an army of squirrels.” Pressing my palm to the center of his chest, I lifted up onto my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was meant to be chaste and quick, but Rix growled, wrapped both arms around me and claiming my mouth, wedging his tongue inside and vowing to return to me without saying a single word.
When he released me, my head was light, my pulse pounded and my mouth tasted like mint leaves. Cool and refreshing.
Zane was glaring at me hard enough I truly believed that laser beams were about to shoot out of his eyes.
“Be back before you know it, Cat. And we all know I’d slay an army of squirrels. Even if they had me outnumbered a hundred to one,” Rix said with a cheesy grin while chewing on the leaves that he must have stashed under his tongue while we kissed. “And expect more ofthatwhen I return.”
I grinned like a fool at him and nodded. “I definitely will.”
“Let’s fucking go, already,” Zane grumbled.
