He looks scared, too, but he’s holding it together. He’s stronger than me.
“Lara, look at me.”
I meet his eyes.
“We’re going to get out of this.”
“Are we?” I whisper, and even that’s shaky.
“Yeah, we are, but you need to stay with me. You can’t shut down now, you can’t close in on yourself. I need you, and you have to be strong. Can you do that for me?”
I nod.
He glances at something over my head, then leans in and whispers, “You were right, he’s got one hell of a setup going on in these trees. We’re going to climb them, and he’s going to see us doing that, but at least we might have a chance of throwing him off our scent.”
“When are we going to do that?” I whisper back.
“This afternoon. But first, we’re going to make weapons. I need your help with that, so you have to get up and get yourself in the right frame of mind for me, okay?”
“I don’t think I can,” I whimper.
“Lara,” he growls, his voice firm. “I will be hard if I have to, if it makes you move your ass. You need to get the fuck up, do you hear me?”
I start to cry. He’s right. I know he is, but it’s hard to find the strength he needs from me. I haven’t been that girl in a while. And this situation is beyond every horror I’ve ever imagined. I feel myself crumbling.
“Up,” he orders, standing. “Get up.”
Is doing any of this worth it? “Noah,” I sob.
“Get up,” he bellows.
I get up.
Somehow I push to my feet and walk toward him. He takes my shoulders, shaking me softly. “You gotta find your strength. I know it’s in there. Find it. You have to find it or you’re going to die before tomorrow is over.”
I make a terrified sound in my throat.
“Find it, Lara.”
Find it.
Find it.
I have to find it.
“I’ll find it,” I say, meeting his eyes. “For you, for me. I’ll find it, Noah.”
He cups my jaw and then, without warning, he brings his lips down over mine. It takes me by surprise and for a few seconds I just stand there, legs trembling, body unable to move. Then I kiss him back. I give it all I’ve got. His strength pours into me, lifting me high, taking me to the level I need to get through this. Our tongues clash, our bodies press together, and our lips move like we never spent a single day apart.
With a groan, he pulls me closer, hand on my lower back. Our bodies fit together, big and small, strong and fragile. He lifts me up enough that my feet dangle just off the ground. I wrap my arms around his neck and give him everything I’ve got to give, because the reality is I might never know what it’s like to kiss Noah again.
He pulls back after a few seconds and stares down at me, running his thumb over my swollen bottom lip. “We’ve got this.”
“We’ve got this,” I repeat.
Then he turns his head to the cameras in the trees. “You’ll crash and burn, fucker. You can be sure of that.”
I hope whoever is behind those cameras is squirming right now knowing that Noah and I are in this together.
Noah lets me go and when my feet touch the ground, I feel stronger, like maybe with this man beside me I can get through this.
“What do I need to do?” I ask.
“Go and find the thickest branches you can, the sharpest rocks, anything you think can be used as a weapon. We’ll carry it on us so it can’t be too big.”
I nod and turn, disappearing down the rugged path. I venture off for a moment or two and realize very quickly that Noah is right. The path is rough, but off to the sides is a mess. There’s no getting through the thick stands of trees covered in dense layers of vines. The trees do space out in some places, and we might be able to use those places to hide, but we wouldn’t be a safe distance from the path.
I push branches out of the way, looking for sharp objects. I manage to come up with a few thick branches that have snapped off and a few lethal-looking rocks. I carry as much as I can back to the little camp we set up. Noah is sitting on a fallen log, using a rock to carve a stick. He’s made a sharp end that looks like it would easily glide through someone. I take another piece of wood and a rock, then I sit beside him and start doing the same.
By the afternoon we have three spears, two knives, and five sharp rocks that not even I would want to mess with. My fingers are raw from carving and I have splinters, but I feel a little safer now. These weapons might not do much against a killer, but they leave us with a whole lot more than nothing.
“We’re going to wash our clothes today, fill more coconuts and put them in the trees, then eat as much as we can and drink as much as we can before climbing them ourselves. I don’t know how this is going to go tomorrow, but I do know we might not get much chance to stop for water. We need to be prepared.”
I nod, stomach twisting with that well-known fear again.
“Let’s go find the stream.”
I stand and we carry our weapons through the forest to the stream. Noah places them down by a log and I do the same, then I turn and watch as he takes his shirt and pulls it off, leaving his bare torso on display. My heart hammers, and I wonder for a small moment how the hell I can be looking at him and be feeling attraction when we’re in this situation. I guess knowing you could die makes your priorities crystal clear.
My eyes move down Noah’s hard body as he shuffles out of his jeans. My heart lodges in my throat as his boxers go next. I can’t breathe. He’s so beautiful. So perfect. Everything I ever wanted. Strong and dangerous, yet so gentle when he needs to be. His powerful body is sleek and muscled, and I can’t tear my eyes away as I move into the stream. No shame. Nothing to fear. He’s so strong and so damned incredible. Why did I waste so much time? Why did I let him go?
I move to the stream, trying to calm my pounding heart. I put my back to him and remove my shirt, leaving my bra on. I shuffle out of my jeans next, leaving my panties. Then I lean down and run them through the stream, rubbing them over the smooth rocks to clean them up as best I can. I don’t notice Noah coming up behind me until a finger moves down my spine.
I shiver.
“I forgot how beautiful you are.”
I swallow and close my eyes, my hands going still in the water.
“Fuck, Lara. You’re perfect.”
I stand and turn to him, facing a very wet, very naked chest. “Noah,” I whisper.
“I would never give that sicko the satisfaction of seeing me fucking you, but right now that’s exactly what I want to be doing. Fucking you.”
I tremble and meet his eyes. “Noah…”
“Do you remember how fuckin’ good it felt?”
I close my eyes. God. Yes. I remember.
I’ll never forget.
Noah’s lips trail down my stomach, kissing the dip near my pelvis before going lower, his mouth, so hot, sliding down near my sex. I squirm and his big hands close around my thighs, spreading them apart as his mouth moves lower, finding my aching clit. I gasp when his mouth closes over it, sucking deep, long, and hard. I arch, my hips slamming upward, pushing myself closer to his mouth. I want more. God. I want so much more.
“Noah,” I gasp. “Please.”
He flicks my clit with his tongue, driving me wild. I clutch the sheets, toes curling, legs shaking. I need him to fuck me, I need him to keep doing that, I wish he could do it all at once. God, I wish I could have every single thing he’s offering in one big hit. My skin prickles as his tongue devours me. He slides a finger down, slipping it between my legs and thrusting inside me. I gasp and cry out his name, pleasure shooting through my nerve endings. “Noah,” I scream, squirming, needing more, needing less, needing to come.
I need to come.
He fucks me with his fingers, sucks me with his mouth, and my wish is granted. I explode, crying out his name, arching my back. My lips part, my head falls backward, and I shudder until every las
t twitch of pleasure has been released from my body. Noah has already moved up my body, his big frame towering over mine. He takes my legs and positions them over his shoulders. My favorite position.
“Noah, fuck me,” I gasp. “Please.”
“I’m about to, baby.”
He takes hold of his cock, positioning it at my entrance, then he thrusts. He fills me in one movement, stretching me, filling me. I groan, a mixture of pleasure and pain. He fucks me slowly at first, sliding in and out. I stare up at him through lowered lashes, loving how he looks moving over me, loving how his muscles flex and pull, loving every single thing about him. His jaw is tight as he holds back, but I don’t want him to hold back.
“Fuck me like you mean it.”
“Dammit,” he growls.
Then he fucks me like he means it, thrusting his cock into me, slamming so hard the bed rocks. My legs stretch over his shoulders, my fingers claw the sheets, and I’m coming again before I know it. He keeps driving in and out of me, his powerful body driving his thrusts; our eyes meet and I whimper at how intense he looks right now, staring down at me like I’m the only thing he’ll ever want. I think I am. I hope I am.
“Goin’ to come, baby,” he growls.
“Yes,” I gasp. “Yes.”
His entire body goes tense and then he’s coming, mouth slightly opened, eyes hooded, body tense.
So fucking beautiful.
“I remember,” I whisper, cheeks burning as I let the memory slide from my mind. “I could never forget.”
Noah looks at me, so intense. I swallow.
He steps forward and cups my jaw, tilting my head back just enough so he can capture my lips with his again. I don’t even pretend I can’t feel his erection against my belly, hot and hard. I remember exactly how that feels, exactly how well he knows how to use it. I kiss him softly but deeply, taking as much of him as I can get.
He pulls back with a pained groan, pressing a hand against his erection. “I need to cool off or I won’t be able to stop.”
He turns and walks off, and my eyes drop to his perfect ass as he rounds the corner and heads behind the trees. God. I wish he wasn’t so damned beautiful. With one more lingering glance at where he was just standing, I turn back to the stream and finish washing up. I use the water to clean my body, to soothe my sore hands and fingers, then I find a sunny spot to put my clothes to dry.
I sit by the stream in my underwear after that and drink as much water as my stomach can hold. I study my surroundings. If we weren’t in the situation we are in, this could possibly be one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. The trees, the sound of birds overhead, the intense green of the forest, the streams—everything about it is utterly breathtaking.
“How’d you do?” Noah asks, appearing again with his boxers back on.
“I washed as best I could. You?”
“Yeah, same,” he says, meeting my eyes for a fleeting moment before hanging his clothes next to mine.
He sits down beside me and we both fall silent.
“What’re you thinking about?” I ask him.
“I’m thinking about how tomorrow is going to go. The not knowing gets to me.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“I don’t know what this fucker has planned, I don’t know the extent of it. Is he going to come at midnight, in the morning, in the evening? Does he have other traps up his sleeve? What has he planted in this forest? It’s all unknown and it terrifies me.”
That’s the first time I’ve heard real fear in his voice.
I reach over and take his hand, squeezing it. “Don’t give him what he wants, Noah. Don’t give him your fear.”
He doesn’t say anything, but he squeezes my hand to let me know he’s heard me.
Now I have to take my own advice.
* * *
Late afternoon falls and I find renewed strength as we gather our weapons and some water, get our dried clothes back on, and search for a tree that’s easy to climb. I have to believe that we’re going to get through this. I have to be strong. I’m in this no matter what I do; being weak is only going to make things worse. For Noah’s sake, and my own, I have to dig deep and find something I’ve fought so hard to bury.
Bravery. Strength. Determination.
I have to be fearless.
Noah finds a tree with some low-lying branches and decides we’re going to use it to climb. Once we’re up, we’re going to move through the treetops as far as we can go; then we’ll try to get some rest and just wait. Wait for our lives to be taken into the hands of a man who’s capable of anything. We have to trust each other. Pray that we make it out. Pray for a miracle.
“You go up first. Take it easy, feel out the branches.”
I look up at the tall tree. I’m terrified of heights, but I’m even more terrified of staying on the ground. I reach for the first branch and use it to pull myself up. That wasn’t so hard. I continue on, listening for Noah below me. He calls out, “Don’t look down.” I wasn’t planning to. Branch by branch, we move higher and higher into the tree. I don’t know how high the cameras go, but I’d guess not high enough that he couldn’t reach them easily.
“That should be enough,” Noah calls when I get three-quarters of the way up the tree.
Then I make the mistake of looking down.
It’s a lot higher than it felt climbing up. I can’t see the ground, just the smaller trees below and their tops. My breath gets trapped in my lungs and all the blood drains from my face. “Look up, Lara,” Noah demands.
I can’t move.
Oh God. I can’t move.
“Lara!”
My legs start shaking, my hands tremble, and I don’t think I can hold on anymore. “Noah,” I cry out frantically. “Noah!”
“Hang on,” he says, climbing faster to reach me. “Don’t let go of that branch.”
I can’t hang on. My hands are losing their grip.
“Noah!” I scream.
He reaches me and wraps himself around me, putting his arms on either side of me and hanging on to the branch. “I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you fall.”
I’m shaking all over, my legs still threatening to collapse beneath me.
“You’re okay,” he says, his voice shaky, too. “You’re okay.”
“I d-d-d-don’t think I can do this.”
“You can.”
“I’m scared,” I whimper. “I am so tired of being scared.”
“Look up at me, baby.”
I look up at him.
“You’re okay. Say it.”
“I’m o-o-o-okay.”
“Again.”
“I’m okay.”
“Again, Lara.”
“I’m okay.”
“Good girl. I know it’s high, but the trees are big and they’re sturdy. Hang on and you’ll be fine, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Do not look down again. Keep your head high.”
I nod.
“We have to keep moving, baby.”
And we do just that.
They do not get to fuck with my game.
They do not get to kiss.
They do not get to plot against me. Together.
Anger rises in my chest as I run my fingers over the blade of my knife. I need to focus. I’ve got it all planned. They can’t escape. They can work together, but they can’t escape.
I imagine this blade driving deep into their bodies, sinking, ripping open their flesh.
I smile as I imagine the sound it’ll make. That squelching, bloody sound that makes my skin prickle with anticipation.
Maybe I’ll cut their tongues out, or their eyes.
I wonder how well they’ll do kissing and giving each other loving glances if they’re fucking blind and mute.
Yes.
Imagine that.
ELEVEN
I don’t look down again. I follow Noah through the treetops. I don’t know how many trees we move across, but for two solid hours we do just that
: climb and move. When the sun starts falling, Noah finds a secure tree with a big, thick branch for us to stop on. It’s thick enough that I can sit comfortably on it. Fall asleep, though? I doubt it. We can’t move through the dark, so now we spend the rest of our night sitting here, wondering what tomorrow is going to bring.
“You okay?” Noah asks, sitting in front of me, legs dangling off either side of the branch.
“Not really, but I don’t think I get much choice in that.”
He reaches out and takes my hand, running his thumbs over my palms. “I don’t know how, but we’re going to get out of here, and when we do I’m never letting you go again.”
“You’re not?”
“Not for a second.”
I smile at that thought. Does this mean we’re back together? I shake my head. Right now I need to focus on getting out of here, with both of us alive. The rest can wait.
“How do you think he’s going to hunt us?” I ask, my voice growing tight with anxiety.
“I don’t know. I’ve thought about it and figure he’d need some sort of transport, maybe something to make him move quicker. He won’t do it on foot—at least I don’t think he will. I think that’s why he’s cleared areas and created a rough path. He’d never be able to move through those trees without it.”
“So there is a chance we’ll hear him coming?”
“I hope so. It’ll give us time.”
I swallow. There goes that fear again.
“I know it’s hard. Trust me, I’m scared as fuck, too, but the reality is that we can’t get out of this. It doesn’t matter what we do. We have to fight. You have to be prepared for that.”
“I am, but it doesn’t mean I like it, Noah.”
“I get that, baby.”
“I’m not going to sleep tonight.”
“Me neither,” he admits.
“Can we just pretend for the next however many hours that we’re not in a tree in a forest being tracked by a killer and that we’re just Noah and Lara, hanging out?”
“Yeah, baby,” he says. “We can do that.”
He shifts around until he’s sitting behind me, back to the trunk, arms around me, both our legs hanging. He makes me feel secure like this. He makes me feel safe.