Page 30 of Explorer's Revenge
“She was there, and now she’s not. Therefore, she is gone,” Aiy scoffs as he gestures at the spot. “You did tell her to be gone by dawn, and it’s past dawn.”
I bite back my smile at his sass as Wilder’s eyes narrow in anger. “How the fuck did she get past us? Fuck, she’s trying to beat us to the city.” He leaps from his hammock and starts packing up. “No breakfast. We need to move now. We have to catch up to her.”
“Wilder,” Logan whines. “I need breakfast. I’m a growing boy.”
“Then you should have gotten up when your girlfriend left,” Wilder snaps as he shoves things into his bag.
“Wait, girlfriend . . . Do you think she would?” Logan asks hopefully, and he doesn’t have time to duck before the bag smacks him back into the ground.
“Get ready now!” Wilder shouts.
That gets us moving, and I spare the forest another look, wondering just how far of a head start Maeve Carter got.
Wilder won’t even let us take a break. He’s pissed as hell that she managed to sneak past us without us knowing—something none of us can do. Wilder is like an eagle. Aiyaret and I once tried to sneak out in Thailand to go for food at three in the morning, and the man was waiting at the door like he knew. Nothing gets past him . . . apart from Maeve Carter, apparently.
“You know, I still think this anger you have toward her is undercut with sexual tension,” I comment idly as I walk at his side. He hacks at the bushes, his expression tight, but that’s never stopped me before. I usually leave it to Rick or Logan to tease him, but it’s just too much fun today.
“The only tension between Carter and me is how long I can hold out before I kill the stubborn woman,” Wilder mutters.
“Or fuck her,” Rick adds helpfully.
“I’m betting fuck,” Logan says.
I turn to them. “Want to bet?”
“Whatchya offering?” they ask in unison.
“My limited edition, signedAlice in Borderland.” That gets their attention, and they nod rapidly as I look at Wilder. “Don’t let those idiots win. I love that comic.”
“I’ll get in on that.” We turn at Aiy’s voice, and he blinks. “It’s obvious Wilder wants to sleep with her. He keeps denying it and pretending he hates her because it’s easier.”
“I do not,” Wilder sputters as he gapes at us. “I just think she’s annoying, stubborn, and a know-it-all who thinks she’s better than everyone?—”
“With the most perfect body,” Logan adds.
“And sass that makes me hard,” Rick joins in.
“I hate you all,” Wilder mutters as he focuses on cutting the trees away. Five minutes later, he looks back at us. “I don’t want to fuck her.”
“Sure you don’t,” I agree as I hang back to walk at Aiyaret’s side. He looks tired, maybe from more nightmares, so I keep pace with him, adjusting my strides so he doesn’t try to go too fast to keep up.
“I like Maeve,” he remarks randomly. “If she finds it before us, I wouldn’t be mad.”
“No?” I ask curiously. “Even after all our hard work?”
“She’s worked just as hard, maybe harder. We have a team, and she’s by herself. I think she deserves to find it.” He must feel my gaze because he lifts his head and smiles at me. “I’m not saying we invite her to join the team or anything, but people who work hard deserve their wins. We should celebrate that with her, not act against her. There is enough of the world for all of us to explore. Why does it have to be a competition?”
“Because that’s who we are,” Logan scoffs. “Besides, try telling Maeve Carter you don’t want to compete with her. The woman thrives on a challenge. She doesn’t want to be treated lesser because she’s a woman. She wants to win fair and square, which means pushing as hard as we can to beat her.”
“Fuck, when did you get so smart?” I ask as I tug Aiyaret out of the path of a fallen log he didn’t see. He nods in thanks, and we keep walking until Wilder finally lets us have a break.
Sitting in the dirt, I rip open one of the pouches and hand it to Aiy, and then I give him his bottle. The smile he gives me isblinding, and I’m happy just watching him eat. I was so proud of him last night for talking to Maeve, but I know it cost him.
When he’s done, he hands over the pouch, and I finish it off with his water. “Don’t you need more?” he asks.
“I’m fine. You needed it more.” I shrug as I pack my bag and lean back. I rest my head on my arms as I close my eyes for a moment. The heat is oppressive, making me a sweaty mess, but none of us care, and Aiy definitely doesn’t seem to mind as he leans into my side, resting his head on my shoulder.
“She can’t be that much farther ahead,” Wilder grouses, and I open one eye to see him looking at us. He must notice our fatigue because despite the impending loss, he leans back against a tree. “Get some rest. I’ll stay awake.”
