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“I wasn’t trying to,” Donnie retorted, but his tactic was obvious. Did he really think he was that clever?
Knox took note the man was trying to insult him as a maneuver to get his power back.
“Good,” Knox said, calm as you please.
“Good,” Donnie parroted as he stomped out of the hut.
Knox should probably follow but he was too amused by Donnie trying to trigger him by throwing his father up in his face. No, dear old dad didn’t have that kind of power over Knox’s temper any longer. He’d worked that out years ago, realizing anger was a mental prison and his dad won if Knox couldn’t let it go.
He was way too stubborn and competitive to allow that to happen. The effects of the punishments still crept up on him. Like in the water. Those were the stuff of nightmares. Those were more difficult to shake.
Did those stop him from being able to open up to Amy?
8
“Knock, knock.”
The sound of Donnie’s voice was the equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard to Amy. A spark of hope Knox would be right behind him turned her dread around.
“Come in,” Lorna said with a glance toward Amy.
He peeked in before entering. His gaze immediately flew to Amy. “Do you mind?”
Amy checked with Lorna, who nodded.
“I’ll leave you two alone to talk,” Amy said, thinking Lorna was making the wrong choice by hearing Donnie out. But it wasn’t her business and, besides, she wanted to check on Knox.
Basic necessities like a bath, toothbrush, and clean clothes worked wonders for her mental state and she was feeling half-human again.
“Hey,” she said into the hut where Knox and Donnie had been ushered, not wanting to surprise Knox by walking in.
“Hold on a sec,” he said, sounding caught off guard.
A few seconds later, one of the bare-chested women she’d seen watching him earlier walked out. Face down, she didn’t make eye contact with Amy as she passed by.
“Never mind,” Amy said. Her chest squeezed so hard she could scarcely push out the words. Was this the reason Knox knew the villagers were here? He’d had—what?—a fling with one of the women? Of course, he did. He was gorgeous by any culture’s definition. “I’ll catch you later.” She hated hearing the frog in her own throat but the situation had caught her off guard and she didn’t do well with surprises. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks, causing them to flame. She’d believed there might be a spark between her and Knox that could turn into something. What? A relationship?
Amy almost laughed out loud. She turned to leave and, hopefully, disappear long enough that Knox couldn’t get a good read on her. A firm hand touched her on the shoulder. She ducked out of Knox’s reach.
“Don’t take off, Amy,” he said.
Too late. If she turned around now, she mightactually die of embarrassment. If she tried to speak, her throat might close up. So, she ran off so he wouldn’t see the moisture gathering in her eyes or suffer the humiliation of being rejected. As kids, it had stung. As adults with real and deep feelings, it might shatter her.
The fact Knox didn’t follow told her everything she needed to know about his relationship with the woman. Her imagination ran wild, seeing the two of them shacked up in one of those huts. Was that the reason the elder gentleman had separated men and women? He knew Knox had a relationship with one of the locals?
Amy didn’t run too far before she hit the edge of the trees. There was no way she would risk going out there into the jungle alone again. Not without protection. It was a miracle she’d survived with Donnie when they’d been stranded.
So, she sat down like a kindergartener during circle time, legs crossed at the ankles. She made certain no one could see her unless they ventured around this hut. Because she didn’t want to be found right now. Her emotions were on a runaway train and she wanted, no needed, to find a way to stop them.
Knives stabbed the center of her chest, making it next to impossible to do something as simple asbreathe. Amy put her head between her knees in crash-test mode to stop from vomiting.
“Everything okay?” Lorna asked, concern in her voice.
Amy glanced up. “What are you doing out here?”
“I saw you running and wanted to check on you,” Lorna said.
“Shouldn’t you be inside the hut with Donnie?” Amy was thoroughly confused.
