For Better or Hearse

Chapter Thirty-Three

T hey sneak out of the jungle like wildcats. Ash is on the prowl as she treks through the brush, sweaty and flushed and damp.

They swam for hours at the lagoon, and as late afternoon fell, they made love again. Reluctantly, they redressed and set off for the boat.

Nathaniel shoves a fallen tree branch out of their way. He lets Ash pass first, taking in the tropical backdrop of the island. A bright orange butterfly flitters in the air. Vines and flowers and lush vegetation make it a paradise. And still, Nathaniel has the best view in the world.

Ash.

From his position behind her, he has a prime view of her perky ass. She’s in her bathing suit, smiling, her long black hair dripping down her shoulders. In the dappled sunlight, she’s shivering.

“Truth,” Ash says, glancing over her shoulder at him.

“Give it to me.”

“Last meal. What would it be?”

He hurries to catch up. Grabs her hand. “You and a cloth napkin.”

Her kohl-lined eyes flash. A feline grin tips her lips. “Absolute carnage.”

He’s in a goddamn great mood. Waterfall sex, the beach, Ash. Nothing can beat this day with her. Except the next one after it.

“You?” he asks curiously, stroking a thumb over her knuckle.

“Mushroom and Swiss burger, rare. Fries. The sweetest, most mouth-puckering root beer. ”

“No hesitation. Savage.” He chuckles. “Why are we talking about food?”

“Because I’m hungry.” With a laugh, she skips over a rock. Her backpack bounces on her shoulders. “I shot up in anticipation of lunch. Brad was hyping it up so much I can already taste it.”

They wander down a path, this one bordering a rock wall. A few feet ahead of them is a cave. Spiderwebs and leaves cover the entrance.

Smirking, Ash shoves him. “Go in that cave. See what’s in there.”

“You first.”

Grinning, he grasps her wrist and pulls her toward him. She squeals, twists in his hold, then loops her arms around his neck and pulls him in for a vicious kiss. The light reflects the green in her eyes, the bright red of her lips.

It’s like illuminating every feeling he’s ever had.

Her.

She is mean and feral, and fuck it if he doesn’t love it.

Fuck if he doesn’t love her.

He almost said it earlier, on the bank of the waterfall. Buried inside her, all that dark hair wrapped around his fist. But it wasn’t the time.

Moments later, they’re on the beach. The heat of the sun sears.

“Ugh,” Ash grumbles, lowering her sunglasses and scowling. “Welcome back to the sauna.”

Nathaniel appraises her as she pulls her pack off. She’s covered in chill bumps. She needs a change of clothes and sunscreen.

“Nathaniel,” Ash says. “Why are there porn magazines in my pack?” She’s peering into her bag with a frown.

“What?” He takes it from her. Looks inside. Sighs. “Fucking Tate. You must have grabbed the wrong pack.”

Her head snaps up. She scans their surroundings. “Wait. Where the fuck is everyone?”

At the tremor in her voice, Nathaniel goes rigid. He follows her wide-eyed gaze, turning his attention back to the beach. His heart stops.

“Shit,” they say at the same time. The beach is empty. All that’s left are the grooves in the sand from the chairs and umbrellas.

Ash takes a step toward the ocean. “Where’s the boat?”

He drags a hand through his hair, gaze on the horizon.

“Oh my god. They left us.” Her wide eyes race to his face, her expression more panicked than he’s ever seen. “They fucking left us, Nathaniel.”

His stomach drops, but he forces himself to cling to logic. “They’ll be back. They’ll notice we’re missing.”

Hawklike, he scans the beach. Shields his eyes from the sun with a hand, mentally preparing in case they’re stuck overnight. They have three bottles of water. Two towels. And one Ash.

“We were the only tour of the day. This island is private.” Ash is on her knees, digging through the backpack. Her voice is strained. “What if they don’t notice? What if—”

“Don’t do that,” he orders. He lifts his phone high, then swears. No service.

“You don’t understand.” Her voice trembles. “My sugar, my granola bars, were in my pack.”

Fuck.

His head whips up even as his stomach plummets. “You have your insulin, right?”

She stands, nods. “I do, but…”

Swallowing, she trails off. He knows the but . But without sugar, it doesn’t matter.

“Tell me.” Her eyes are pleading. “Where am I on the fucked scale?”

“You’re not fucked.” He goes to her. Takes her in his arms. “In fact, you’re a long way from it.”

“Really?”

His chest aches. He can feel the waves of fear and hope radiating off her. “Here’s why we don’t worry. ”

“Why?”

“I have a granola bar in my pack.”

“You do?” Relief shines in her wet green eyes.

“I do. I had three. But Tate ate one on the way here. And so did Delaney.” Fuck, he’s an idiot. And so are his siblings. “So I have one. What was your last reading?”

“I was high when we went on the hike,” she says, digging her phone out of her back pocket. “But I didn’t give myself any insulin until a few minutes ago because I thought we were going to eat.” She swipes her phone against her sensor. They both stare at the reading. Eighty-two. It’s already lower than he’d like.

Even as his mind runs wild, Nathaniel forces himself to stay calm. For himself. For Ash. If he learned one thing working in the ER, it’s that life is never as simple as one thinks. Shit happens.

It’s a two-hour boat ride from Maui to the island. He calculates it. How long she has, how much sugar she has. Every second counts. Once his family notices they’re missing, they still have to get back here. And how long will it take before they notice? The boat was full, their bags were with them. Maybe at dinner tonight, but…

Fuck.

Nathaniel tears a hand through his hair.

If her blood sugar gets too low, she’ll go into hypoglycemic shock. Without treatment, without sugar, she could pass out. Or worse. Coma. Seizure. Death.

This is all his fucking fault. He took her on that goddamn hike.

Ash tears out of his arms and paces across the sand. “Oh god. This is a horror movie. We snuck off to fuck, and now we die.” Her lower lip trembles. “All I wanted was a fucking coconut on this trip.”

“There’s sugar in coconuts.” He strides over to a palm tree, gives the stalk a fierce shake. Above, the coconuts sway. “See? If we run out of granola bars, I’ll climb that tree and fight it for a coconut.” That gets him a laugh. Tears sparkle on her lashes. Her full lips try to pull into a smile .

“C’mere.” He dips down and grabs the towel. Wraps it around her trembling form. “I’ve got you, okay?” he says, coiling his arms around her.

She nods against his chest, her slender frame relaxing.

Nathaniel sweeps his mouth over her dark head, murmurs, “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He’s on autopilot. Emergency mode. All his focus on Ash. Getting her what she needs. Getting her safe.

Until he gets her back on that boat, he won’t relax.

Ash pulls back, her face determined. “What do we do?”

“We make a shelter,” he says. “We get out of the sun.”

Her brow furrows as she looks around. “Should we walk?”

“No.” The last thing she should do is use up what little energy she has. “We stay where we got left.”

She inhales a hard breath. Then she turns and wanders toward the water.

“What are you doing?” he asks around the boulder lodged in his throat.

She lifts a hand. “I get one good scream a year, and I’m going to use it to full max.”

He watches as she walks down to the surf, opens her mouth and lets out a full-throttle scream.

His heart hammers as he stares at her.

He can’t let her see.

How fucking scared he is.