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“Why don’t you text him and ask if it’s safe for us to come back?” I look between the two of them when neither of them answers. “You don’t think it’s Oz?” I choke out. My heart feels like it’s being ripped from my chest.
“Now, don’t put words in our mouths. We’re just being cautious. If it’s Oz, he’ll come find us. Until then, we stay exactly where we are.”
“But what if they need help?”
“That’s not our job, Salem,” Wilder says gently, tugging me to his chest. “I know it’s fucked-up. But you are our priority. We made a promise to Oz and Zig, and we intend to keep it.”
“They survived the fucking jungle, Salem. Do you honestly think there is anything that would keep them from coming home to you?” Crew questions.
“No. You’re right.”
“Of course I am.”
The sound of fast-approaching footsteps has me tensing, but not the guys. They shove me behind them and pull their guns.
And then I hear the sweetest words in the world. “Ophis. Stand Down.”
As soon as I hear Zig’s voice, I shove through Crew and Wilder and run toward him, jumping into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist and slam my mouth down over his.
“Man, I need to get laid.” I hear one of the guys mutter behind me before I pull back.
“Oz?”
“He’s fine. Everyone is.”
“What’s going on?” Wilder asks as he falls in beside us, and we all make our way back above ground. I would offer to walk, but I’m quite happy where I am.
“Not an attack and retrieve like we thought. It could have been, though. I’m grateful we got a chance to do a real-life run-through.”
“So, if it wasn’t the bad guys, who was it?” I ask as the bright light hits me, making me squint as we exit the tunnels and head back into the main house.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Zig tells me as he slides me to my feet.
I turn and survey the room, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Each of the guys seems okay, though a little tense, and the small figure sitting alone at the table is hunched over. I keep searching until my eyes land on Oz, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Then my brain kicks in, and my eyes fly back to the solitary figure.
“Who’s that?”
At my words, the individual lifts their head, and stunning navy-blue eyes collide with mine. I take a step forward before Zig grabs my wrist, halting my movement.
“Don’t get any closer, Salem. We don’t know who she is or who she works for.”
“I don’t work for anyone. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” the woman snaps, jumping up from her chair, her white hair falling over her shoulders.
Jagger moves closer to her, making her swallow before she lowers back down in her seat and drops her head once more. “I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. But did I listen to myself? No. And now I’m going to die at the hands of a bunch of hot GI Joes.”
My lips twitch at her words. Jagger full-on grins.
“Can you tell us your name and what you’re doing here? I’m sure you won’t believe this, but nobody is going to kill you. These guys are just a tiny bit protective of me.”
She lifts her head and looks at me once more. She bites her lip. Her shoulders deflate as she looks around, as if needing an escape.
“My name is Astrid, and I’m here because I listened to a crazy man who clearly wants me dead.”
“Stop speaking in fucking riddles and tell us how you found Salem,” Slade snaps at her, making her recoil.
“Slade,” I reprimand him, seeing that she’s terrified. Her hands are shaking, and she looks like she’s seconds away from passing out.
“You said something about a crazy man. Does he have a name?”
