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That mosquito just won’t quit it. “Look, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference if we knew about your alliance.

I mean, we could have strategized around it, sure.

Changed our plan. And we probably would have used Alastair effectively, if we’d known.

Maybe stopped him from taking every advantage we have, claiming our home as his, and making it so that everyone from here to Alabama is going to live with Sinners’ boots on their neck.

Maybe we wouldn’t have to worry about slowly getting bled dry by tithes we can’t pay to people who don’t even deserve the dirt off my shoe.

But there’s no use speculating now. It’s done with. We’re alive.”

Eden turns dead white.

Finally, stiffly, she whispers, “That isn’t all on me.”

Slap .

Another mosquito corpse hits the ground as I get the asshole, but two more take its place. They won’t leave me alone, just biting and buzzing and pestering. They’re getting under my damn skin, and I can’t escape them.

God, her face.

I am an asshole. This is exactly why I shouldn’t be talking to her right now.

There’s too much panic closing in around my chest. No, her not talking to me isn’t the reason for all of this. Or not the only reason, anyway. A whole set of dominos crashed into each other to get us here, starting all the way back when we decided to let Sam go free.

It’s just that this situation is too big—and with Dom MIA, I don’t know how we’re going to fix it. I don’t know if we can .

How do we stop an empire from forming?

How do we stop ourselves from being at the bottom of it?

I rub the back of my neck, swallowing hard. “You’re right. You’re right, it’s not.”

She doesn’t say anything as she watches me swat two more of the flying bastards.

Finally, I edge out around her. “We’re just fine, Eden. I promise. Don’t you worry about a thing. Eat something, okay?”

“Beau.”

There’s a scold in her voice I don’t particularly feel like hearing. Not while I’m hungry and being eaten alive by every mosquito in the forest. That’s why I’m cranky. If that’s what I’m feeling.

I need to leave before I say something I regret.

I turn right into Dom’s chest. “Ah.”

His eyes are summer storms, amber lightning behind rain clouds. But he’s not looking at me. “You’re not eating your rations?”

Eden flushes a dark pink, and her determination staggers under his gaze. “I—I haven’t been hungry.”

My mouth closes, and guilt swirls in the sick hollows of my stomach. Does she really have a whole week of food left? How many meals is that? I could eat a horse, and I’ve licked up every crumb I had.

I eye Dom. His empty hands. I try not to let the disappointment show. “You, ah, didn’t catch anything?”

The corners of his mouth flatten, and it is no wonder at all that he didn’t catch anything. I’d swim in the opposite direction too at that sorry face.

“Eat your food, Eden,” he orders quietly.

He pushes past us, right as she whispers, “Yes, sir.”

The words fall off her lips like a promise.

Dom pauses as if struck, and from beside the fire, I see Jasper’s head lift to glance between them. But I can only stare at her. At all the shattered hues in her eyes, and the apologies tucked between them.

She’s bleeding for him.

Dom’s head cants, like he wants to turn back . . . but he doesn’t. “I’m taking first watch.”

I clear my throat, looking between them. “Katherine had first watch, Dom. Dom?—”

He doesn’t stop, and I blow out a frustrated sigh, trying to mentally rearrange the schedule as Eden’s eyes press painfully closed.

It all makes my stomach hurt. Whatever my problems with Dom and this mess over Eden, I still love him. We’ve been friends for too many years for a few bitter months to ruin it. And in all the long, long years of being by his side, I’ve never seen him hurt like he’s hurting now.

Eden’s throat cords delicately, and she takes a long breath before her chin lifts again. I’ve seen her do it a dozen times this week already. I wonder if she’s let herself fall apart yet. I wonder if she needs to.

I can’t help myself.

“You haven’t talked to him? Not since...” I let the words die.

Not since he realized she went behind his back, ignored his orders, undermined his authority, lied about it to everyone , befriended and romanced him, and then paved the way for his humiliating defeat at Alastair’s hands.

Not since she betrayed him.

Eden looks away. “I don’t think Dom wants to talk to me right now.”

At her quiet words, my stomach hollows out further. I’m empty of everything that usually fills me.

“I’ll fix him,” I promise. I’ll figure out what to say to him. How to say it. But something has to give. This is bigger than any fight.

Eden wraps her arms around herself. “Be gentle with him, Beau. Please. He needs you.”

“He needs you, too,” I find myself saying, and she stares at me.

I don’t blame her. I made it damn clear I didn’t want Dom ruining their relationship. I was so sure he’d break her sweet heart.

Instead, she broke his.

I meet her eyes, and it comes easier when I add, “Don’t abandon him now, darlin’. You need to make it right. We both do.”

With a last look, I start walking toward the others.

I need to fix tonight’s schedule and leave a message for the cameras so Jayk knows we’ll arrive tomorrow.

We need to think about how we can help Red Zone and all the kids there who are now so much worse off because of us.

We need to think about how we’re going to pay whatever price Alastair is going to ask from us when we’re just about as bad off as we can be.

All the things Dom usually handles and hasn’t even asked about.

It’s wrong. Bad in a kind of way I don’t know what to do about. No matter how things go to hell, no matter how many cities burn or who we lose, Dom always has a plan.

I don’t know what our world looks like where he doesn’t.

As I pass Lucky, he crosses his arms over his chest and gives me the same shitty, unimpressed look he’s been giving me since we left Cyanide.

I know he eavesdropped on every last word.

Jasper may be looking back at the fire like it contains the world’s secrets, but he’s no better. They’re as nosy as each other.

Lucky’s sour expression makes me slow. “ What ?”

The night’s too hot for a fire. This close to it, sweat starts trickling down my spine. The mosquitos are hovering around the flames, gathering in swarms.

Lucky’s eyes track over me with something real close to disgust.

“You better pull your head out of your ass sometime soon or you’re going to lose her.” He kicks off the tree, and mutters, “You’re acting like a shit.”

Slap .

I watch him walk off, watch him tug her into the hug I couldn’t give her, and I scowl as I turn toward our group.

This will be fine. It will all be fine. I’m sure I’ll get over it.

Eventually.