“Go ahead and sit on that rock. I’ll look around and see if I can find a place to refill our canteens.”
I nod my assent gratefully. We found canteens in the bunker and Max filled them up with some of the bottled water. I still wasn’t crazy about drinking from them. I had always heard plastic bottles are bad, and if the contents heat up too much, it can be dangerous to your health. I’m so tired and thirsty at this point though; I overlook that nagging thought in the back of my mind.
“I’ll be back in ten minutes tops, Tess. Don’t you dare leave!” Max, orders in his wounded bear, growling voice.
“I won’t, we’re just starting to have fun together, Grouchy Smurf,” I joke.
“I’m going to tan your hide,” he grumbles walking off.
“You promise?”
He doesn’t answer, and I watch him until he disappears. Then I let my real emotions show. I don’t want Max to see how upset I am at the actual thought of him leaving me. I’m not ready. I want more time with him.
The thought of not having any more time with him is cutting out my heart, minute by minute, and I think, by the time it’s all said and done, I may not survive. I hear some sticks break behind me and smile.
“Miss me already, Max? That’s my secret plan you know. I figure if I get you addicted to me, you won’t be able to let me go.
“Don’t worry puta, I don’t plan on letting you go until I get my fill.”
I freeze as I hear that voice behind me. I know that voice. It appears at least one of the Hernandez brothers has found us. I can’t make myself turn around to see which one. All I can do is pray that Max hurries back and saves the day.
14
Max
I have no idea what I’m going to do with Tess. Each minute that I spend in her company only serves to make me fall a little further under her spell. Somehow she even makes trekking through the swamplands of Florida enjoyable. I find a small stream and fill up our canteens.
I’ve got everything we need in my backpack. I’m not about to let Tess carry anything. If this situation were different, if I could make her mine, I’d spoil her. I’d make sure every need she ever had was fulfilled. Tess needs to be spoiled.
I replay her story in my mind. Ward of the state. She glossed over it but having been one of those myself, I know the hell she faced. Or, I imagine she did. She’s a beautiful person, so maybe she got lucky and found one of those rare foster homes that actually care about the child. Somehow, I think if that were true she wouldn’t be crumbling under student loans and other debts. I need to talk to Marcum about that. Marcum runs the Steel Vipers and is a scary looking man, but a good one. His name actually is Marc, but we called him Marcum, pronounced like Mark’em because if you crossed him the wrong way he’d mark you somehow, to make sure you never forgot it.
I’m almost back to the place where I left Tess when I hear her cry. My first instinct is to charge forward; I’m afraid she’s found one of Florida’s deadly creatures while I’ve been gone. We’ve been really lucky, so far, to avoid most of those. I stop when I hear voices. Hernandez and Dweeb, his flunky. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that asshole would show up. I should have guarded Tess better.
Hernandez has his hands on Tess—touching her. Touching what is mine. I may not be in any shape to claim her, but it doesn’t change the facts. He’s got his hand on her face, holding her tightly, and if he bruises her, I will cut off his hands.
“It appears Maxwell used you and decided to leave you afterwards. Decided to scrape you off after you let him between your legs, did he? Tell me, did you like having prison dick in your uptight little snatch?”
Hernandez questions her, his face right up against Tess’s. Maybe before I die, I’ll take another soul into hell with me. What’s one more black spot on my soul?
Then what does my girl do?
“Fuck you!” she says, spitting in his face. Is it possible to be proud of someone and want to spank their ass for putting themselves in danger at the same time? I am definitely there.
Hernandez backhands her hard across the face. Tess’s head jerks back. From where I’m standing, I have a good view of her. When she recovers, I can see the skin on her cheek is red from his hand. Dweeb, and I have no idea of his real name, I never cared enough to know, is standing to the side of them. So he’ll be target number one. I have the Glock I took earlier at the prison, wedged between my back and my belt, on my pants. It was wet from Tess’s little swimming adventure, but I dried it out, and the ammo was fine, so it should still work.