Page 36 of Haze of Obedience

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He snorts. "Deal."

She leaves, and we watch her until she is inside the tent.

I point to the fire. "I think those pancakes are burnt."

While Ryker and Hunter make pancakes, I check the traps I set the day before. There are several rats in them, and I take them back to camp.

Zoe comes out of the tent while I'm skinning them. "What is that?"

"Jungle rat."

"Seriously? You went looking for that?"

"It has a high concentration of protein."

She scrunches her face. "That's disgusting."

"Don't knock it until you try it. I can make anything taste good."

"Okay, Country Boy."

I clench my jaw.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks.

"No reason. Go talk to the girls about shoes or something."

She glares. "Shoes?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Sequin dresses or shoes. Whatever excites you."

Hurt crosses her face.

Why are you being a jerk?

She's calling you country boy. You are one. Deal with it.

Before I can apologize, she holds her hand up to me. "Whatever." She spins and walks away.

I focus on the rat, and Hunter storms past me and goes into the woods. I glance at the tent but don't see Vanessa.

Great. Andre's going to flip if Hunter doesn't get back here before he does.

I remove the seasoning I always take with me, sprinkle it on the pieces of meat, and poke a stick through the center of them.

Everyone crowds around the fire, eating pancakes. The women aren't huge fans of my rat, but they underestimate the importance of eating protein. At any time during a mission, something can go wrong. The guys all know this, but if you aren't trained how we are, you probably wouldn't think about it.

"That looks disgusting," Zoe spouts.

"It's a great protein. Even divas need protein."

Zoe rolls her eyes. "I'm not eating that."

And stubborn diva is back.

"But what is it?" Vanessa asks.

"Jungle rat," Ryker says.

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