Page 125 of Enthrall Shadows
There’d be no romantic reunion. No sparking of passion between me and the woman I’d once sworn to protect.
She had destroyed me.
I’d been tortured beyond recognition, twice in my life. I wasn’t about to self-inflict the same kind of pain.
No more drama.
No going back.
I continued to navigate us effortlessly down the river.
We flowed beneath the low hanging arches of a wide mangrove tunnel, branches strewn over our heads like nature’s cathedral, crickets accompanying us with their vibrant mating song.
Occasional ripples appeared on the surface of the water.
Lotte took it all in.
I watched her closely, beguiled by her serenity, her rosy face framed by short hair as she leaned back in the boat, trying to endure the sticky heat. Now and again she would catch my eye, her face lighting up to show her enchantment with every passing second.
The canopy of plants stretching over our heads eventually cleared as the river widened.
“I forgot to ask,” said Lotte. “Who is watching Dex?”
“Shay,” I said. “He takes him running. Nothing changes much in his routine.”
“I can watch him.” She brightened. “If you ever need a dog sitter.”
“I’ll take you up on that.”
Her expression turned dark. Following her line of sight, I saw what had changed her mood.
A wooden dock.
“This is it,” I said.
Slowly, I guided the boat towards it and then killed the engine.
“Back there,” said Lotte, “that guy called Reese a protestor.”
She was only mentioning this now, probably waiting for the right time. My episode had kept her cautious around me. I’d have to earn back her trust.
“That drone wasn’t his,” she added.
“They’re expecting us.”
I turned and looked at an opening in the trees that led inland, camouflaged by towering trees.
“Stay here,” I said.
“We should go together.”
I shook my head. “If something happens to me, find your way back.” I pointed to the rucksack. “A copy of the map is in there.”
She sat up. “No, Henry. We should stay together.”
“This is how it’s done.” One of us had to set off on reconnaissance to make sure the way was safe. That someone had to be me. “If I’m not back in twenty minutes, leave.”
She gasped. “What if they have guns?”
