Chapter 13
Abort Mission
Olivia
Rhys leads the way along the river bank back to Alex and Theo, Harlow and Bean hot on my heels.
The guys have already started a fire and have their freshly washed clothes hanging in various trees close by to dry. Theo and Alex sit next to the fire, steaming pots of food already in hand while two other pots sit in front of them, close to the flames. They both look up as we approach.
“You good?” Theo asks, his eyes running over me as if assessing me for injuries.
I nod. “Yeah, now that I’m clean. You’re looking better.” And he does. He doesn’t look as dead on his feet, his eyes are no longer red-rimmed and he probably smells a hell of a lot better, too.
He smirks. “Are you saying I looked awful before?” he teases, his grey eyes dancing with amusement.
I return his smile. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
His jaw drops and he gasps with mock horror. “How dare you!” He presses a hand to his chest. “You don’t have to be so cruel, princess.”
“I do if you keep calling me that.” I hang my wet clothes over the fire like the guys have, not caring that my clothes will smell like smoke.
Alex chuckles next to him. “Keep giving him hell, Ollie. God knows the guy deserves it.”
“What the fuck? Is this ‘gang up on Theo day’ or something? I’d have thought almost dying would have made you people nicer to me.” He huffs like a toddler that got told he couldn’t have chocolate before dinner as his eyes shine with mirth.
“We can’t be nice to you after your almost death, otherwise you’ll be throwing yourself at danger left and right,” Alex says before pointing toward the two pots sitting next to the fire. “I made you both something to eat. It’s nothing fancy, just some re-hydrated chilli.”
I pause and gaze down at Alex in confusion. “You made me food?”
He nods. “Figured you’d want something hot to eat after diving into that freezing river.”
Well shit. I shake my head. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that. I have my own supplies, and I don’t want to eat into yours.” Even if my supplies are dwindling fast. Something I’m going to need to figure out soon.
He waves me off. “It’s fine. We brought more than enough and don’t think I haven’t noticed how low your rations are getting.” He points to the pot again. “Now, sit. Eat,” he orders, his commanding voice sounding similar to Rhys’s.
I want to argue, but three sets of eyes stare back at me, all wearing the same stern expression. Reluctantly, I take the pot while trying not to show just how weird and unsure I feel.
No one has ever made me food—at least no man has—and I don’t know whether I like how it makes me feel.
Okay, I like the warm and fuzzy feeling that blooms in my chest, but I shouldn’t be having that reaction, right?
Not around these three men, not when I’m trying to keep my distance from them.
Maybe if I don’t examine it and just ignore it, it’ll go away, right?
Yeah, right. Because that’s worked so well in the past.
Echoes of heartbreak slam into my chest and I try not to show it on my face as I struggle to breathe. You’d think after over a year, I’d have got over what Gale did to me, but that shit really fucked me up. So much so that a simple gesture is enough to send me into a tailspin.
Holy fuck. Get your shit together, Ollie. It’s just food, I tell myself as I dig into the food, humming at just how good it tastes.
“Who made this?” I ask around a mouthful.
Alex clears his throat. “I did.”
Well shit. The giant can cook. Who knew? “It’s amazing.”
“Oh, thanks,” he mumbles around a spoonful of chilli and it takes me a moment to realise that the guy is blushing. “It’s nothing that special or hard to make.” He shrugs and ducks his head to hide his pink cheeks.
My lips twitch, but I suppress a smile. If it’d been Theo, I’d have teased him mercilessly, but I don’t want to do that to Alex.
Even though he’s the biggest guy out of them, he seems to be the most sensitive of the group.
I don’t want to push his boundaries when I don’t know him all that well.
Last thing I need is to have two of the three guys pissed at me.
“Well, I still appreciate it.”
“What about you, princess? Do you cook or are you useless like me and have someone else doing it?” Theo asks as he sets his empty pot on the ground in front of him.
“I can cook when I need to,” I say, keeping my answer vague.
Alex lean forward and eyes at me with interest. “Do you enjoy it? It’d be nice to have someone else around that doesn’t hate it.”
I stifle a grimace. This is getting too personal. I don’t need to know about their hobbies or how domesticated they are. Just like they don’t need to know that about me.
I shrug and focus my attention on my food. “I’m indifferent to it.”
Alex frowns and drops his shoulders in disappointment as Theo flashes me a knowing look.
No one tries to restart the conversation, much to my relief, and I finish my food in silence.
After cleaning the pot, I fill it with water and wait for it to boil.
The guys do the same and by the time our clothes are dry, we’re ready to hit the road.
“Remember what I said,” Rhys warns as he pushes past me while I finish packing my bag.
“It’s been less than two hours. I haven’t forgotten,” I say with a roll of my eyes as I hike the bag onto my back.
His jaw clenches and I can tell that he wants to say more, but doesn’t.
Instead, he stalks away to pack his own bag while muttering something under his breath.
I can’t help but smirk. I get under his skin as much as he does mine.
Good, the ungrateful asshole deserves it after getting mad at me for saving his life.
I feed Harlow some scraps and let her eat while I tack up and ready Bean for the next leg of the journey. By the time the guys finish packing, I’m mounted and ready to go.
“We have about three hours of sunlight, so two and a half hours of walking and I expect to cover five miles in that time with one water break halfway,” Rhys says, taking charge like he always does.
“Then we’ll need to find a suitable place to spend the night.
Keep alert. I don’t want to run into a horde like that again. ”
I stifle a shudder as I think back to watching that horde pour out from under the bridge and toward us. Or how they surrounded Theo and Rhys to the point they had no escape and were seconds from death. I’m going to have nightmares about that for a while.
Because that’s just what I need; more reasons to struggle to sleep at night.
“Alright, let’s move out.” Rhys strides off and we follow, the mood a little more sombre than it was when we set out this morning.
After hours of walking, we find a place to stay for the night; a small cottage that sits on the side of the motorway.
My panic has lingered in the back of my mind all day, just waiting for my guard to lower before pouncing.
As I set up my little sleeping area, I know tonight is going to be rough.
Harlow knows too, because she sticks to me like glue.
Because of that, I barely speak a word to keep my mind focused on not freaking the fuck out in front of the guys.
After eating dinner, Theo scowls and grumbles something to Alex, who’s wearing the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen. I glance between them in with a furrowed brow as I stroke Harlow’s head. What’s that all about?
My confusion deepens when Theo pulls out what looks like a small guitar from his pack and turns to Alex. “Alright, mate, what’s the song going to be?” he asks with a sigh.
Alex’s grin turns downright wicked as he stares at his friend. “How about we start with Let It Go?”
Theo gives the giant a long suffering look before adjusting the small guitar in his hands and beginning the song.
“Don’t forget to sing,” Alex says, his eyes lit up with glee.
Even Rhys looks amused as he watches from the other side of the room. His muscular form leans back against the brick wall, his arms resting on his bent knees while his rifle lies beside him. It’s the most relaxed I’ve seen him.
Theo glares at Alex but does as he’s told, singing the lyrics to Let It Go.
My jaw drops as his deep, husky voice fills the room and echoes almost hauntingly off the walls.
Holy fuck, can this guy sing. I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s not that.
What else do these men have hidden up their sleeves?
Nope. Got to keep your distance, remember?
I sit and enjoy Theo’s voice while trying to convince myself that this means nothing. They’re just acquaintances that are helping me get my brother back. That’s all.
The song ends and Alex immediately requests another song; another Disney song, much to Theo’s annoyance. But he doesn’t protest, no matter how miserable he looks as he plays the new song. With that one over, another Disney song is requested.
“Is that all you’re going to ask for? Disney songs?” I ask before he starts the third song.
“Yes,” Alex says, shooting Theo a smug smile. “That’s all he’s going to play for the next week.”
Theo groans and hangs his head. “Stupid fucking bet,” he mumbles, before adjusting his grip on his instrument.
I cock an eyebrow. “Bet? What bet?” I glance between the men. Rhys looks as intrigued as I do, so he wasn’t in on whatever these two idiots cooked up.
Alex grins at Theo. “Should I tell her, or are you going to?”
Theo sighs and shakes his head. “We made a bet over who was the most stubborn out of you two.” He flicks his eyes between me and Rhys. “And I lost.”
I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at them. “I feel like I should be insulted. Who bet what?”
“I bet that by the end of the day, you’d have ignored three of Rhys’s orders. Alex bet the opposite.”
“Really?” Rhys says with a heavy sigh. “You thought someone could out stubborn me?”
My gaze snaps to Rhys. “Is that a challenge?”
He cocks an eyebrow as something sparks in his liquid honey eyes. “Do you want it to be?”
Well shit. When he’s looking at me like that, I kind of want it to be, even though I know this is a terrible idea. My eyes narrow. “Are you sure you’re ready for me?”
A wicked smirk spreads across his lips, highlighting the sinful nature of his lips. This man is far too good looking for his own good, the scars only adding to his allure. “Princess, I’m more than ready for you.”
Fire sparks in my blood and heat pools between my legs. Is… is this flirting? Am I seriously flirting with the most infuriating man I’ve ever met? Shit. Abort mission.
I open my mouth to backtrack, but the challenge shining in his eyes stops me.
My stubbornness rises to the surface. Fuck, I can’t allow him to think he has me beat.
His ego will inflate too big and he’ll be insufferable to be around for the rest of this journey.
Plus, I may be many things, but I’m no coward.
“We’ll see about that,” I say, holding his gaze. “And I told you to stop calling me princess. Do it again and you won’t like the consequences.”
Rhys just smiles wider. “Bring it, princess.”
“Sure thing, buttercup,” I retort.
“Buttercup?” Rhys sputters, but I ignore him, instead turning my attention back to the other two men. They’re glancing between Rhys and me, amusement and surprise on their faces.
“Things are never boring with you around, huh, princess?” Theo says, mirth dancing in his silver eyes.
I smirk at him. “I don’t intend them to be.”
Theo chuckles and shakes his head.
“How come he gets to call you princess?” Rhys says, his voice sounding suspiciously close to a whine. “I’m the one who called you it first.”
“Well, you see, sweet cheeks, he’s not a massive prick like you are.”
“Sweet cheeks? What the fuck?”
“Don’t like it? Hmm, I’ll keep trying then.” I shoot him a sickly sweet innocent smile. And that’s when it dawns on him what my payback is going to be.
“I swear to God, if you keeping calling me by these ridiculous names…” He tapers off as he tries and fails to think of something to threaten me with, which only makes the whole thing funnier.
He growls in frustration. “Fine. You keep up with those and I’ll keep calling you princess.
” He crosses his arms over his chest, his face contorted with annoyance, but there’s a sparkle in his eyes that tells me he’s enjoying this.
“Come on, I requested a song and I expect you to uphold your end of the bet,” Alex says, changing the subject.
We all settle back and relax as Theo begins the next song.
Fuck. This is so dangerous, but I can’t help but enjoy their company.
As I curl up in my sleeping bag with Harlow cuddled up next to me, I feel just that bit safer with them here.
Even though I know this will spell disaster for my heart when they leave. Because they will leave, everyone does.
And I know I might not survive it this time.