Page 50 of Explorer’s Revenge

“What does that have to do with anything?” she whispers. “I love that you both finally stopped being dumb and got together. Would you abandon me just because I like Wilder? Or Rick? Or Logan? Or even Way?”

“No,” he answers without hesitation. “I’d be happy that someone I love likes the other person I love.”

“Well then . . .” She grins. “That’s your answer.”

He stares at her for a moment. “I don’t know if I could ever be with a woman after what my mother did.

” He doesn’t speak about his past ever, so the fact that he’s mentioning it to her tells me just how deeply Aiy trusts Maeve.

“She hurt me, Maeve, a lot. She touched me . . . let others touch me. It ruined me, but I’d like to try letting you in.

I know you’d never hurt me. I trust you.

I love Way a lot, I can’t live without him, but I’m starting to think I don’t want to live without you either. ”

Holy shit.

Aiyaret has more bravery than all of us combined, and I’m so fucking happy he’s being truthful with himself and giving himself a chance at being happy when he always thought he didn’t deserve it.

“Then you don’t have to,” she replies. “I’m sorry for what you went through. You never have to speak of it, and you never have to touch me if you don’t want to. How about you initiate anything, okay? If you want to touch me, then go for it, and I won’t touch you at all.”

“No,” he protests. “I like it when you do, when you hold my hand or lean into me. It’s . . . comforting. It makes me feel strong, like I’m someone who could protect you.”

“Okay then, we’ll figure it out,” she vows. “Don’t worry, alright? We have all the time in the world.”

“Okay.” He looks at Way. “You’re not mad at me?”

“For what?” Way asks. “For being honest? For finally allowing yourself to be happy? I love you so much that all I want is for you to be happy. I don’t care how you make that happen as long as I’m a part of it.”

Way moves closer, and they hold Aiyaret between them. I glance away, giving them their privacy, until Maeve joins me at my side. Despite how soft she just was, her face is cold, furious, and when she speaks quietly, her tone is dangerous.

“Aiyaret’s mother,” she begins. “Is she still alive?”

I glance back to see Aiy talking to Way, not paying attention to us. “He doesn’t speak about her, but we found out her name and looked ourselves. She died a few years ago from an illness.”

“Too fucking quick,” she snaps.

“What? Were you going to kill her?” I raise an eyebrow in amusement.

When she looks at me, her face is completely devoid of emotion, and it scares me. “I’ve been to the most remote places in the world and met some of the deadliest people. If you think I couldn’t kill someone and get away with it, you’re wrong.” She turns and walks away, leaving me gawking after her.

I’m both turned on and afraid.

I remind myself never to piss her off again as I shake my head and turn to keep watch, giving Aiyaret and Way a few minutes to recover before I make us move.

It’s quiet for a moment after that, and I focus on scanning the brush until there’s a rustle. Frowning, I climb to my feet, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from.

There’s a scream, and I whirl around just in time to see Rick being dragged back into the jungle, his arm and legs kicking before he disappears into the foliage, dragged away.

“Stay here!” I yell as I dive after him and come face-to-face with that creature.

It spins with a familiar hiss. Rick is lying on his side behind it where it dropped him. He isn’t moving, and for a second, my heart stops as I stare at my silent, motionless brother.

I hear the others seconds behind me, and a gun fires close by, hitting the creature, who snarls, showing off rows of bloody teeth, and my heart stops.

“Get Rick!” Carter yells as she fires, hitting the creature’s side and grabbing its attention. The croc lowers its head like it’s going to charge, so she keeps moving back, pulling it away from Rick to give us the room we need.

I hesitate, hating that she’s making herself a target again, but my brother isn’t moving. I have to trust her to handle this. I run toward him, dropping to my knees when I get to his side. Blood coats his back, but I can’t tell where it’s coming from, and he’s too still.

“Brother,” I whisper, my heart beating so hard in my chest I can’t breathe. I hesitate to touch him, my hands lingering above him before I turn him onto his back.

He groans, his eyes fluttering open. There’s a cut across his head and blood covering his side, but his eyes open and his lips move. I lean in to hear what he says, and I almost cry.

“Women like scars, right?” he rasps.

I sag in relief and drag him into my arms, holding him tightly.

“You’re going to be okay. Let’s get up.” I help him to his feet as swiftly as I can, and he hangs onto my side.

He’s pale and bleeding, but he’s alive, and that’s all that matters for now.

We need to get away before Carter runs out of ammo.

“Aiy, help me with Rick!” I yell when he just stands there, wide-eyed. Aiy rushes toward me, turning us so we can head into the jungle.

“Logan!” Maeve’s terrified scream makes me whip around in time to see Logan dive at Carter, knocking her out of the way of that thing, but instead of getting her, it gets him.

Its mouth clamps down on his leg, dragging him off her as he screams, clawing at the dirt as he’s hauled away. Maeve climbs to her feet and starts firing at its face as I race toward Logan, picking up a stick as I go.

Adrenaline pumps through me as his scream grows louder.

Leaping onto its back, I stab the stick into its head with all the strength I possess.

It shakes from side to side, jarring Logan in its mouth as he howls, before I hit a sensitive spot that causes it to let him go.

Maeve drags Logan away, and they fall into the dirt, him lying across her.

His eyes are open, but he’s bleeding from his leg, and he looks pale.

It jerks suddenly, and I’m thrown from its back.

Rolling across the dirt, I smack into Way, who’s coming over to help, knocking him back.

That thing turns and focuses on Maeve and Logan again, and she pushes him aside, kneeling in front of him as she reloads.

It gets closer and closer as I scramble to my feet.

Finally, she lifts her arm and fires as it roars and spins, hitting her with its tail and knocking her into a tree. Her gun is gone.

Logan yells for her, and when it advances on her again, he’s the closest.

“Logan, no!” I bellow, but it’s too late. He throws himself into its path to protect Maeve, who’s slowly sitting up, shaking her bleeding head. Wrapping himself around its mouth, he tries to hold it shut, yelling the entire time.

“The gun!” I yell at Way as I rush over. He hurries to find it as Aiyaret protects Rick. The croc jerks its head, and Logan flies off, rolling across the ground until he’s by Maeve, but that thing keeps advancing, even when Way finds the rifle.

“Wilder!” he yells as he tosses it to me.

Catching it midair, I spin, ready to fire, but freeze.

Its jaw is open to swallow Maeve, but Logan presses his feet to the top and bottom of its mouth. When it snaps its maw shut, it catches his leg, and the agony-filled scream that leaves his mouth will haunt me for the rest of my life. He drops to the ground, screaming, and I fire.

I keep firing as it chomps, tossing something in his mouth, and I realize it’s Logan’s leg.

Horror makes my stomach roil as Maeve scrambles to staunch the bleeding, but I don’t have time to check on them. I keep firing, and it snarls before diving into the jungle, racing away from us.

I keep the gun up, my arms shaking, but when it doesn’t return, I glance back.

Logan is still screaming and writhing on the ground, and Way is with Maeve, both covering his right thigh, his leg missing just past the knee.

His leg is fucking gone.

Oh God.