Page 67 of I Will Mend You

My body is encased in strong arms that carry me through the darkness. Each step aggravates the pain that pounds through my skull. The world returns to me in a slow, painful haze, punctuated by heavy, frantic breaths, and the whip of branches against my back.

I crack open an eye to find my face pressed into the white expanse of Grunt’s chest.

“Finally,” Xero mutters.

When I try to move my head, the hand cradling the back of my skull presses harder. What the hell is happening?

“All I can see is what you see, but it looks like Grunt killed that man so he can be the one to return you to Delta,” Xero says.

He’s right. I’m not naïve enough to believe Grunt saved me for his own redemption. I need to break free. Every muscle in mybody struggles against his hold, but he simply adjusts his grip, pressing me into a wall of muscle.

“Grunt,” I say out loud. “Let go of me.”

“Stay quiet,” he says. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

I stiffen. “Why?”

“It’s just like you said. They’re setting me up to take the fall for your death. I’ll be fucked if I let that happen.”

Some of the tightness around my chest loosens at the prospect of having an ally.

“Don’t trust him,” Xero snarls.

A temporary ally, whose motives are dubious. I relax in his hold, trying to focus on staying conscious. My eyes sting, my nose streams, my throat itches, and each inhale is labored and shallow.

Grunt continues through the foliage, his pace never wavering.

“Where are we going?” I wheeze.

“Remember that old school bus?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “That’s how we’re going to escape.”

“I thought this was an island,” I ask.

Male shouts pierce the air, cutting short our conversation. Footsteps echo through the undergrowth, seeming to grow near with each passing second. The anxiety in their voices is palpable. They know that at least one of their friends is dead.

“Three incapacitated or dead. One defected, leaving five men plus Dolly,” Xero says.

My brows pinch. I could have sworn she and Delta left for some kind of event, but it’s better to overestimate the threat than to be overconfident.

“Hang on and be quiet,” Grunt whispers into his mask, breaking my train of thought.

I give him a tense nod. He readjusts his grip around my body and creeps through the dense growth, still managing to crack twigs underfoot.

Sunlight shines through the canopy, warming my skin. I blink through streaming eyes, trying to see where we’re going, but everything is a blur of greens and grays.

When he stops abruptly, I startle.

“What’s happening?” I whisper.

“We’re at the edge of the courtyard,” he replies, his hot breath falling across my cheek. “We need to cross it to get to the bus.”

Xero strokes my hair. “Stay small. That courtyard is a sniper’s paradise. If Delta and the others plan on shooting, you’re going to be the smaller target.”

Shuddering at the prospect of being shot at, I dip my head and tuck my legs closer into Grunt’s body. I also grip the front of Grunt’s shirt. Xero might sound ruthless, but he’s right.

“Good girl,” Xero says.

Grunt’s heart thrashes against my side, reflecting my own rising anxiety. He shifts me in his hold once more before whispering, “Ready?”