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“No. You drink that. Oz and I will share.”
“I’m smaller than you. I don’t need as much,” I argue, but he won’t take it from my hand.
“Drink it,” he orders. I look at Oz, but he shakes his head. I won’t get any help from him. With a sigh, I slowly sip the rest, waiting for them to tell me they want the rest, but they never do.
When I finish, I hand the bottle back to Oz, which he takes along with Zig’s. With a wink, he disappears outside.
I look at Zig, a smile tipping the edges of his mouth. “What do you say we go dance in the rain?”
I smile so widely that it hurts my face. I scramble to the foot of the bed and shove my feet into my shoes. I don’t bother with anything else. My T-shirt that I slipped back on last night is enough. I’m on my feet waiting for Zig as he chuckles over my excitement.
When he’s ready, he holds out his hand for me, which I eagerly take and let him lead me to the edge of the plane. He jumps down first and turns, waiting for me with his arms open, ready to catch me. I take a deep breath and jump, knowing he will. He does, holding me tightly to his chest as he carries me down the fallen tree to the ground. He sets me down and steps away to check on the baskets we have scattered around.
The rain picks up, falling faster, the noise louder than I think I’ve ever heard. It soaks my T-shirt in seconds and plasters my hair to my face. I tip my head back, open my mouth, and stick my tongue out.
Water beats down on my skin as I twirl. Hands on my hips have me opening my eyes. Zig looks down at me as Oz presses against my back, and we move as one to an invisible beat. I blink back tears of relief. The time for crying is over. We’ve been granted a reprieve, and I, for one, intend to use it like the gift it is.
Freedom has never tasted so sweet.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Oz
We fall into a pattern as the days bleed into each other, and before we know it, a month has passed. A month of nothing but rain and fucking.
The rain that we had so desperately prayed for had answered with a vengeance. Its relentlessness has limited what else we could do. Hunting became harder, and being cooped up in the plane was starting to grate on us all. On the plus side, we had an abundance of mangos and had found some berries that, after testing, turned out to taste like plums.
We ate and drank what we wanted, when we wanted. But the weight was starting to fall off of all of us. It was worse for Salem since she was underweight to begin with.
“I think we should explore a little today. If we wait for the rain to stop, we could be waiting for months. I still think we should try to find a secondary water source, just in case.” I finish tying off Salem’s braid before tapping her ass.
“The rain will make it treacherous. It’s safer to stay,” Zig states, but I can see he’s about ready to climb the walls himself.
“Maybe. But if the rain stops again, we should be prepared. If we all went, we could hunt on the way and collect eggs if we can find any.”
He nods before looking at Salem. “What do you think?”
She looks at him with surprise, like she didn’t think her opinion would matter. I have to fight to stop my hands from fisting. I hate that she’s been treated so badly by everyone she’s encountered that someone being nice is still a shock to her.
She recovers quickly. “Let’s go. I think being stuck in here all day is messing with my head a little. I know it’s not the same, but after being cooped up in a cell—”
“You need to feel free,” I finish for her.
“Yeah. The only time I feel even close to that lately is at night when we’re, you know, together.”
I grin as the pink spreads across her cheeks. I’m a sucker for a blusher. I haven’t met many in my lifetime. Most of the women we encounter are pretty brazen. “Pretty girl, making you come is my favorite thing to do.” I lean over and press a kiss to the spot behind her ear that makes her shiver. “But I think we all need a little air and a change of scenery.”
“Okay, fine,” Zig concedes as he watches the two of us. “Get ready. I’ll get a couple of packs out for us. Salem, wear my tactical belt,” Zig tells her as she nods and stands.
Once we’re good to go, I lower Salem to Zig and take point. I take us north and clear the path.
We walk in silence for a while, Salem sandwiched between the two of us. It’s a little denser on this side, so it’s slow-going. When I hear acaw, caw,I stop and look up and see three yellow birds circling above us.
Salem crashes into my back, her hands grabbing a hold of me to stop herself from slipping. I point up and sense, rather than see, Zig move. I turn to look at him and see that he has his gun out. So far, he has stuck to knives, worried about the guns drawing attention. But the birds are too high for that, and we need the meat.
I pull my own gun out and wait for Zig’s signal. When he makes a chirping noise, I fire just as he does. The birds scatter as the noise blasts through the jungle, but one of us must have gotten a lucky shot in. One of the birds spins in the air before free-falling to the ground.
“I’ll grab it.” Zig puts his gun back in its holster and heads off to grab the fallen bird.
