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“You okay?” Lucy came up alongside me and handed me a granola bar. The wrapper was dry, which meant the backpack had shielded the contents inside from being soaked.
“Are you okay?” I asked after taking a bite, a bit famished from all the save-my-life cardio that’d taken place.
Lucy focused on Jack and Carter walking side by side ahead of us. From the sounds of it, they were going over a plan of action for our next steps. “You told him before you jumped, didn’t you?” she asked me a few seconds later. “The truth?”
Jack’s strong back muscles flexed at her words. He’d overheard her. But he kept walking and talking, giving nothing else away, and Carter either didn’t hear or didn’t care.
“I told him a little bit,” I whispered. “I didn’t want to stay out in the open too long, but he needed to know.”
“Don’t trip.” At Jack’s order, I faced forward and found him looking back at us.
We weren’t on a designated trail, and the ground was littered with obstacles. Good call on the focusing part. I nodded at him, then he returned his attention toward Carter again.
I clocked Oliver and Mason behind us, both armed, keeping a bit of distance between themselves and us.
But now, our greatest threat seemed to be bugs. I couldn’t even continue talking to my sister if I didn’t want to risk swallowing a mouthful of them. I was fine with silence, though. I could use some time to think.
After about an hour of walking without being attacked by a person or animal, Jack abruptly stopped and lifted a fist into the air, ordering us to hold positions.
“Is that an abandoned house? Kind of creepy,” Lucy spoke up first, and I took in the sight of the three-story structure.
Nature had reclaimed the house, taking possession of the old building. It appeared to be missing half its roof, and I had my doubts as to whether going inside would be any safer than staying out in the open for the bad guys to find us.
“We’ll check it out. Clear each room. This could be a good place for us to hide out for now. As long as it won’t collapse on us,” Oliver said, then he turned to Mason. “You want to stay with them?”
“Sure.” Mason nodded, then motioned for us to hang off to the side of the building. Jack shot me a quick look, as if conflicted by the idea of leaving me alone.
“I’m fine,” I mouthed, assuming he needed some reassurance that I wouldn’t fall, faint, or hell, bolt. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Jack gave me another hesitant look, then snatched a pistol he’d had tucked at the back of his shorts. He checked the clip, mag thingy, or whatever it was called, and frowned at what he found.
“Not enough bullets?” I whispered my thoughts out loud.
“Just two,” he answered, his lips still turned down.
“Hopefully, two more than you’ll need,” Lucy said, and I wasn’t sure if that was a joke from her.
Mason handed Jack something, and I assumed it was the thing that held the bullets. For a wanted woman, I sucked at knowing about firearms, even if I did use one to kill a man eleven years ago. Less of a lucky shot and more like impossible to miss with him inches away from the gun.
“You sure you’re okay?” Jack asked, focus squarely on me. Carter and Oliver had already gone inside the house that I’d swear just moaned in protest at them for entering.
I did my best to conceal the shiver that ran up my spine, feeling like I was in an R.L. Stine Goosebumps novel. But based on the quirk of Jack’s brows drawing together and his lips falling back into that frown he kept sporting, he noticed my fear.
“My sister is a badass,” Lucy said, coming up alongside me and hooking her arm with mine, “but she doesn’t like scary movies, haunted houses, or creepy carnival rides.”
I glanced at her from over my shoulder and rolled my eyes. “Thanks for that.”
“I’ll go. You stay.” Mason opened his palm, and Jack wordlessly handed him the gun.
“I’m not a fan of any of those things either,” Mya said, coming my way to stand near Jack as Gwen joined us as well. “But I’d rather be somewhere enclosed while we wait for Gray and Jesse to catch up with us. I’m assuming it’ll just be them, and Camila’s other teammates will hang back at the lodge with eyes on her.”
“We’re in good hands, don’t worry,” Gwen added.
I wasn’t used to being the one others had to calm down, but despite them not knowing I was innocent of killing a Fed, they were still being kind to me. It was . . . nice, to say the least.
I peeked over at Jack and watched him drag one of those “good hands” along his jawline while shooting me a pensive look.
“So, about the thing.” I swallowed, unsure if it was the best moment to clear the air with Jack’s female teammates or not, but I’d prefer they not think I was some cold-hearted killer.
