Page 6 of Last Destination

And then there’d been the sight of Ambrose, jerking a cock much thicker than I’d imagined and spraying an impressive load I’d have taken in my mouth without a second’s hesitation. His blush told me he’d have let me pin him against that tree. The thought of taking his body with the same passion made my mouth water, which was dangerous, because I hadn’t a single drop to replace it.

“It is up here,” Madman called from several feet ahead. Jamie had taken up the rear next to Ambrose, who I’d sworn had uttered a mumbled threat every time the man stopped to take a breath. I enjoyed this no-nonsense side of him — where he channeled his bossy businessman persona toward someone who deserved the lashings.

For years, I’d considered the man a friend. He was instead an opportunist, and I was kicking myself I hadn’t seen it sooner. Whatever respect I’d held for Captain Jameson Adams was as absent as my virginity. The sight of him was an irritation, a dark part of me wished he’d died or stayed hidden, saving us from the knowledge of his sins.

The vodka that had soothed my anxiety and the dopamine of coming so hard I’d nearly blacked out had long dissipated. My hands had taken on a distinct tremor akin to the shake of a train car. I breathed through each tremble with clenched teeth, determined to survive with or without my dearest friend.

Marley needed me. Ambrose needed me. Failing them was not an option.

We came upon a true clearing ten paces wide, with an open tree canopy revealing a milky blue sky purpling at the edges. The ground was absent of mud, but thick with a jumbled network of tree roots, all the width of one of Maddox’s thighs. Pockets of mossy earth peeked between them, like little pods where we could sleep. It was also very private, the ferns and trunks so thickly gathered around the oblong space, it felt protected in a way the exposed riverbed had not.

Relief trickled down my spine in a warm wave. Hope was an illusion, but I’d allow myself the tiniest taste. The announcement we wouldn’t be rescued had been the grim confirmation I hadn’t wanted to believe. Now that “through the jungle” was our reality, I’d accept every wonderful gift sent our way with gratitude. A night’s stay in a sheltered nook was certainly a gift.

“Okay.” Marley pushed forward to stand in front of us. My heart swelled with pride as my baby girl stepped in to take charge and keep us safe. “We need a way to collect water. It’s already rained today, but we don’t want to miss the next downpour, especially since we’ll be able to catch water without a tree canopy.” She turned her attention to me. “How many bottles did you save?”

“All of them.” I dipped my head toward my bag. “A dozen, maybe a few more.”

“Good.” Marley’s gaze scanned the surrounding trees. “We’re going to need to set up a water filtration system. Tessa, do you still have that teeth whitening charcoal?”

Tessa’s eyes widened before she shook her head toward Madman. “It was in my backpack. He took it. Ask him.”

“I did not remove things,” Madman grunted, clenching his fist along the backpack strap in a territorial squeeze. He made no move to hand the bag back to her, or to Marley.

“Can you look for it?” Marley’s curious stare roamed over where his hands met the cloth. “Purple container, this big.” She made a gesture that suggested it was small — no bigger than a tin of hair paste. “I need it to filter bacteria.”

Madman handed her the tin and pulled the straps of the backpack back on, staking his claim on the teal and orange bag. It was odd, but most everything about the man was.

Marley’s smile met her eyes, the beautiful jungle green lit up with flickers of her own hope. “Your whitening powder might actually get us clean water to drink tonight.”

Tessa crinkled her brows in confusion, but she returned Marley’s smile, though it was tinged at the edges with grief. “I’m glad my vanity has value somewhere.”

Ambrose snorted, and I offered him my own grin before setting my sights back on Marley. “Okay, baby girl, tell us how we can help.”

“We’re going to build a four-stage filter. We’ll need sand and stones.” She unzipped my carry-on filled with plastic and handed us each a bottle. “Fill the bottle up with one material or the other. Please don’t go too far and don’t go alone. Madman, do you have the utility knife?”

The knife he’d thrown at Diaz — the one that had embedded into his flesh. Madman readily handed her the steel, much cleaner than I’d expected, although a few spots of burgundy remained on the hilt. She took it without hesitation, turning toward one of the widest trees I’d ever seen, at least eight feet around, and sliced into the bark in one smooth motion.

“I’ll have the system built by the time you get back.” She spoke into the tree as while cutting another groove into the wood. “But please hurry. I’m going to need to build a fire.”

Madman beckoned Ambrose and Jamie forward. “The river is this way. It will be the only place to find sand and stones.”

“In that case, fill up a few bottles with water, too.” She tossed a few more their way, the plastic crinkling obnoxiously against the dense tree roots at our feet.

Ambrose picked them up and carried two in each hand by the necks. “Wish we’d considered this an hour ago,” he muttered under his breath, but he followed behind Madman like a heeled puppy. I was learning our Californian was mostly bark and no bite. But how I wanted him to bite me.

Like these bloody fucking mosquitoes. Yelping as another tore a strip out of my flesh, I scrambled closer to the center of the clearing, away from the dense foliage where I was considered a feast.

“Nikki, can you gather some wood?” she called, still focused on her task. “Tessa, are you able to help him?”

A spark of scalding irritation flushed down my neck at her directive. Surely, I could be more useful than gathering wood when she’d given Madman and Ambrose the crucial task of collecting water? Were my skills not enough to warrant a better contribution? Another mosquito nipped at my neck at the same moment, and I snarled a curse into the innocent tree line.

“Bloody fuckers!”

Marley and Tessa’s heads snapped up, gazes meeting mine with cautious curiosity. The bellow had been a bit brutish, and the irritated heat mutated into the searing branding of shame. My captain’s request was more than reasonable. Without fire, we couldn’t sterilize the water — it was a critical component. I was being daft in the worst possible way.

“Terribly sorry,” I responded, swallowing my groan at my ridiculous outburst. “I’m just a bit … off.” Marley’s head dipped, her eyes softening with understanding I didn’t deserve. Forcing my lips into a sideways smile, I turned away from her, if only to get the smallest reprieve from my guilt.

Tessa was picking up errant branches from the perimeter, and I moved to join her, grateful for the abundance of dead material just beyond our fingertips.