Page 49

“Mya, we need to keep moving.”
“But…”
“Now!”
To my surprise, I heard her choke back a sob. We didn’t have time for this.
Every part of me just wanted to drag her behind me, ignoring her emotional breakdown.
I was her husband, not her master, something within me said. She needed compassion, not more orders.
Against my better judgment, I pulled her to me and hugged her tight. She was shaking.
“Mya, we’re going to get through this,” I whispered against her hair, the smell of her fruity shampoo having a calming effect on me. “I just need you to trust me. You’re tough, Mya. A survivor. So, let’s just focus on that…surviving. Can you do that for me? I mean for fuck’s sake, you already almost shot me.”
She let out a startled chuckle. “I missed.” Her voice was soft as she leaned her cheek against my chest.
“You were still brave enough to try to scare me off.” I pulled away, wishing there was time for more to be said. But now wasn’t the time for confessions and emotions. “Let’s go.”
In the darkness, I couldn’t see her face. I wanted to look her in the eyes to reassure her, but all I could do was hope that she trusted me enough.
I felt her hand stroke down my arm, and then she grabbed my hand. “Okay, lead the way. Let’s just hope we don’t die here. There are probably spiders everywhere…”
The smile that spread across my face caught me by surprise. We were trying not to die, and all I could think of was how funny it would be to see Mya lose her shit over a spider.
In silence, we continued carefully in the dark toward what I hoped was the cave. It had been years since I’d walked through this tunnel. The natural cave had been connected to mining tunnels when I explored in the past.
I knew that this area was known for its natural resources. There were mines all over the coastline as well.
As I kid, I hadn’t cared that mines were dangerous. I had viewed the mines as a place for looking for lost treasure.
Never one to be afraid of the dark, I’d embraced the mines as a playground. I would get lost in them for hours. And at the end of my mom’s life, they had become my refuge…untilhehad come for me. Until Dad had taken me under his wing and killed my humanity.
Suddenly, light streamed into the tunnel. We both approached the light cautiously.
“Stay here.”
I slunk forward and ran my fingers over the rotted wood of the doors that closed off the tunnel. They had been newer when I first explored this area. Now, they felt fat with moisture, soft and squishy under my hands.
I was scared the frame that held the entrance doors would fall in, but I figured that would allow us to crawl through them.
I tried to open the doors but they wedged when they were only open a crack. I shoved and pushed until I was able to make a gap that we could both fit through.
I slipped through the space I had made, and grabbed Mya’s hand. We stepped out into the moonlight.
“Oh!” Mya exclaimed, looking around at the cave.
I smiled for a moment, enjoying her wonder.
The moonlight pouring into the cave glittered on the greenish, blue water and caught hints of sparkle in the cave walls. It looked more like a movie set than a real place.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” I asked her.
She twirled slowly and nodded.
“Come on. Time to go,” I said to her regretfully, offering her my hand.
“Where are we going to go?” she asked me, looking worried.