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Her eyebrows shoot up. “Are you blaming me? I can’t possibly have expected a resort-sanctioned excursion to go so badly.”

“No, of course not.” Even I can hear that I sound insincere.

Sophia glances around, taking a deep breath. “There’s no cover other than the tree. Plenty of visibility, but the grasses are high, and—” She breaks off abruptly, and I frown, looking at her curiously.

“Another thing Kane taught you?” Much like her response last night, her assessment seems too professional for who she says she is.

Sophia shrugs, just a little too casually for my taste. “Maybe I’ve watched too many action movies.”

She’s being purposefully evasive, and we both know it. But now isn’t the time to press the issue.

“Stay close to me,” I tell her, taking her arm and moving her closer to the side of the Jeep. “If anything happens, do exactly as I say.”

She jerks her arm free, glaring up at me. “I can take care of myself.”

“I doubt it.” My fingers curl into my palm, itching for a weapon. I feel too exposed, too vulnerable, and I don’t like relying on one strange man to protect both me and my wife.

I might not have wanted to marry Sophia, and she might be driving me a little more insane every day, but that doesn’t mean that I’d allow anything to happen to her.

She looks like she wants to argue, but a sudden sound in the distance causes her to snap her mouth shut instead—a low, rumbling roar that raises the hair on the back of my neck.

Omari’s hand immediately moves to his rifle. “Lion,” he murmurs. “Not too close, but stay vigilant.”

Sophia’s eyes widen slightly, but mine narrow as I watch her. She should be afraid—and to a less practiced eye, she might appear to be. But to me—someone who has seen real fear and terror, who hascausedit, she looks like someone pretending to be afraid.

What I see is a heightened awareness; the attitude of someone who is accustomed to danger.

Before I can ponder the situation any further, there’s a sudden movement in the tall grass—about fifty yards away. I see a flash of tawny fur, and then the swish of a tail.

Sophia gasps softly next to me, and this time I think it might be genuine.

“Omari,” I murmur as calmly as I can, not wanting to give off a sense of alarm. “On our left.”

The guide turns, his body tensing as he spots the lion—a young male, I’d guess from the looks of him, his mane not yetfully developed. He's watching us with lazy curiosity, but I can imagine that could change quickly.

"Stay very still," Omari instructs, raising his rifle slightly. "Do not run. Running triggers their chase instinct."

“I hadn’t planned to,” I murmur dryly. Next to me, I can feel Sophia tensing.

"If he charges," Omari continues, "I will fire a warning shot. The noise usually scares them away. But be ready to climb the tree if necessary."

I eye the tree dubiously. “Is that possible?”

“There are low branches on the other side,” Omari says, not taking his eyes off the lion. “It won’t be easy, it’s but possible. Send Mrs. Abramov up first.”

My jaw clenches. I didn’t need him to tell me that, but this isn’t the time to argue. From where the lion is crouching, I see him stretch, then begin to pace, moving in a wide circle around where we’re standing.

I have the sense that he’s sizing us up, determining whether or not we’re worth his time.

I’ve never been so eager to be dismissed out of hand.

“He’s not hunting,” Sophia whispers. “He’d be crouching, not pacing, if he were. He just wants to make sure we’re not dangerous.”

I glance at her, surprised. Omari gives her an approving nod. “Mrs. Abramov is correct,” he says quietly. “He’s curious, not actively hunting us. But we should still be cautious. He could be dangerous all the same.”

The minutes tick by, long and tense, as the standoff continues. The lion watches us, and we watch him.

Then, with a dismissive flick of his tail, the lion turns and melts back into the tall grass, apparently deciding that we’re not enough of a threat to merit any more of his time.