Page 38 of Knox's Mission

“Be serious,” she said to him, resisting the urge to give him a playful slap on the arm.

“Fine,” he quipped. “But that sounds boring.”

“You know what doesn’t sound boring?” she asked under her breath. Then said, “Not having your heart stomped on.”

If he heard those words, he didn’t react to them.

The three of them filed outside of the hut after Amy secured her camera. The woman from yesterday stood behind another bare-chested woman. Seriously? Couldn’t these ladies put on a shirt?

Amy almost laughed. She was losing it. Literally, losing it.

No, they couldn’t get dressed because she was in their territory, not the other way around. Modern ideas hadn’t reached this village.

Without warning, the woman ran up to Knox and threw her arms around his waist. He looked momentarily put off, but then comforted her. Amy should probably be upset but it looked like he was being kind and not pining after the woman. In fact, there was something about his expression that she couldn’t pinpoint.

He’d opened up a little last night before closing the door again this morning. Would he tell her the story behind this scene if she asked?

Ifshe lived long enough.

Hug over, Knox practically had to peel the woman’s arms off him. She immediately turned and ran toward her friend. In a surprise move, she detoured at the last minute to hug Amy.Whoa. Now she was even more confused.

Knox turned away like he couldn’t watch. Was he getting emotional about the exchange? Amy might not understand but the villager was struggling and Amy didn’t have it in her heart to be mean to someone who was clearly emotional, so she returned the hug. The villager would be considered pretty by most standards. She was maybe Amy’s age or thereabouts. She had jet-black hair that ran halfway down her back, her neck covered in beaded necklaces.

Those dark almond eyes studied Amy for a long moment before she disappeared into a nearby hut, followed by her friend.

Amy made a mental note to ask Knox what just happened. Was his former lover saying goodbye to him? Acknowledging Amy was his current girlfriend? Was that the reason she’d been crying in his hut the other day? Had he rejected her? Told her that a relationship wasn’t going to happen?

And why was Amy in the middle?

“That was weird,” Lorna whispered.

“Try standing in my shoes,” Amy said under her breath as Knox joined them. She shot him a look that he acknowledged with a slight nod. Did that meanhe would explain later? She hoped so because she was still trying to figure out what had just happened. There was no way, in her mind at least, that Knox would have told the woman he was in a relationship with Amy.

Did he not want to own up to the fact he was letting her down?

“Let’s go,” he said, and his voice was gruff from emotion.

“Will you?—”

“Tell you later,” he said through clenched teeth.

If Knox said he would explain, she believed him.

Lorna clung to Amy’s arm as they followed him away from the gathering. Several tribe members waved to Knox on his way across the village. He was well known here.

A wave of dread washed over Amy at the thought of leaving the relative comfort of the village. This seemed like a good time to remind herself there was no other way to get home but through the jungle. They’d made it this far. Luck?

Maybe.

But she was a fighter too. And that counted for something. She’d survived being abandoned by Donnie and she’d saved Knox’s life in the water along with Lorna’s. Reminding herself she’d been a badass helped her believe she might make it out ofthis jungle alive. Especially when she factored in Knox’s help.

Machete out, Knox led them back into the thick green vines. Amy walked with Lorna practically plastered to her back again. At least they’d gotten some real rest and food in them for the journey.

Knox avoided the water for hours this time as he methodically cut through twisting vines with leaves larger than her face. When he stopped, she heard the rush of it nearby.

“Let’s break to refuel and hydrate,” he said. She noted that he kept his distance from tree trunks and vines. It was too easy for snakes and spiders to lurk inside.

Amy managed to get a little breathing room from Lorna, who walked toward the rushing sound. She’d been quiet. Was she lost without Donnie?

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