Edge of Brotherhood (Love on the Edge Book 6) Read online

  “It’s beautiful,” Rain said, her voice almost breathless as she looked upon what I’d been describing for months.

  I squeezed her hand, pulling her toward my chest despite the two of us being covered in sweat, and kissed her once again. Didn’t matter that we tasted like salt and heat and jungle. I loved her fresh out of a shower just as much as I loved her on an expedition a week in. And there was no one I’d rather share this with. “And you say I never take you anywhere,” I said, nudging her.

  Rain playfully smacked my chest. “I never said such a thing!”

  I winked, withdrawing my arm from around her so I didn’t add any more heat to her already hot body. Glancing at the sky, I clapped my hands together. “Who’s up for a little peek before the sun sets?” We had at least two hours before we had to return to make camp. The flattened area that hugged the water was the safest place to be, with a vine and tree wall at our backs, a mountain to our right, and a lake to our fronts.

  “Are we swimming?” Wade cocked an eyebrow at me before looking at Connell. “We’re not all Aquaman, you know?”

  I pointed to the small patch of marsh that connected to the bank closer to the base of the mountain that hugged the city. “We can carefully cross that. We have to get back here in time to make camp, though. We need light for that. So we have an hour to explore. And on this run, we stick together, yeah?” I raised my left wrist and set the timer on my watch for one hour as they all nodded their agreement. “Follow me,” I said, moving past them to the marsh.

  I kept my steps light as possible, forcing the images of another unstable bridge-like structure in Israel from my mind. Harrison, and his death from that same bridge that haunted my dreams, was never far from my thoughts, but I didn’t want to go there now. Besides, this was a different country, different treasure, different situation altogether. I had no business thinking of that dark day right now.

  “How far did you get last time?” Dash asked from his self-appointed position right behind Rain. I actually liked the fact that the knight in him instinctively wanted to protect the lone girl on the crew. Two sets of eyes on her was better than just mine, but if she caught wind that we were looking after her, she’d flip. The woman was stronger than anyone on this team, but I would never stop worrying about her. I would’ve done exactly what Connell did with the wandering spider if Rain had been in Wade’s position. Not that the dudes were in love, but it was a risk Connell had taken. I’m just grateful it worked out.

  “I only got a quick glance at the interior,” I finally answered Dash after I’d stepped onto the first available stone. I pulled myself up onto the walkway that led to the stairs and instantly turned to help Rain up. She was already halfway there and ignored my hand. I glanced back over my shoulder. “I was low on supplies. Had rationed it out where if I started the trek back that day, I’d have just enough to get me to a tribe I know who would put me up for the night. And that was if I didn’t run into trouble—which is almost a guarantee out here. Luckily, I made it, but just before my supplies were gone. They replenished me enough to get me back to Cusco. I hadn’t had a helicopter at my disposal on that trip, so it was a much longer hike.”

  “Good call on securing the chopper this go around,” Wade said, wagging his finger at me.

  I nodded. “I didn’t want the task of keeping all of you alive on a trek that long through the rainforest.” I smirked. “We’ve only been at it about six hours and you nearly died,” I teased. “Could you imagine if I had you out there”—I pointed toward the dense jungle—“for fourteen days?”

  Wade’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “Like I said, man. Good call.”

  We reached the one entry point I’d found, and I ran my hands along the smooth stonework as I carefully stepped inside. “It’s incredible,” I said, my voice soft but loud enough for the rest of the team to hear. “They were expert masons, and built structures like these to last. No mortar, just smoothed stone that stacked on top of each other perfectly.”

  “Like a giant puzzle?” Wade said from the tail of our line.

  “Sure,” I said. “But one that was able to withstand the elements for ages.” I turned around, eyeing them. “Don’t touch anything, okay? I don’t know what kind of theft deterrents they installed, and since this was likely used as their main structure for storing wealth . . .” I shrugged. The massive site was already ten-times the size of average Inca ruins. Another reason why I believed this was the lost city, and that they may have fortified it more than the structures used for regular, daily life.

  “I expected a bunch of rooms,” Dash said, and I scanned the open layout. “Like in some of your other videos.”

  I nodded. “There are chambers here, but large open spaces are a theme among their architecture. Though, if this really is the City of Gold, this structure will break from the norm of what we’ve seen from them before.”

  “Why?” Connell asked, eyeing the wall we hugged as we walked.

  “Because it was made specifically to protect their wealth,” I said. And I hoped that I was right. Hoped that there was a plethora of gold and jewels and artifacts. Everything the legends ever touched on.

  We continued walking, examining the intact carvings on the walls—sharp zig-zag lines bursting around a square, human-like head with a face in the middle. The Inca Sun God had a variety of depictions but it was easy to identify the decoration as it was carved in equally spaced sections along the wall.

  “No offense to any ancient ghosts hanging around here,” Wade said, “but isn’t piling all your gold in one spot like asking to get robbed?”

  “They didn’t have a choice,” I said, slowing our pace. “They were fleeing from Spanish conquerors. And though it is speculation, the legends suggest they secured all their valuables in a secluded location that wouldn’t be happened upon by the Spaniards.”

  “That makes more sense,” Wade said. “The walls aren’t gold, though.” He cocked an eyebrow at the wall next to us and I laughed.

  “Legends, bro,” I said.

  “I tried to google it on the plane,” he said. “There are so many different names revolving around it—City of Z, El Dorado, Atlantis—it goes on and on.”

  “There are several different theories, all with their own spin.” I placed my hand over another carving of the Sun God. “The evidence we find here could put some of the myths to rest, but the stories handed down for generations is why people have continued to search for this place. It’s why so many good people, archeologist and explorers alike, have lost their lives in pursuit of the truth behind the legend.”

  The timer on my watch blared like a warning alarm, and we all jumped, shocked out of the ancient past. I wanted to keep exploring, but I wasn’t about to take risks on this site. Not here. The odds were already stacked against us.

  We made it back to the bank of the lake and after another hour, each tent had been set up, secured, and we settled around a large fire Rain had got going. Night claimed the sun, the stars piercing the black like pinpricks in velvet. The jungle was louder at night, and the sound was constant. Insects and local wildlife sung together in one big, chaotic symphony that could almost sound beautiful if it wasn’t a reminder of all the things that could kill you if you forgot for a second where you were.

  Rain rubbed the back of my neck. “Hey,” she said. “You’ve got that look again.”

  I glanced across at Dash, Connell, and Wade sitting on a massive tree root that stretched away from the vine wall we’d come through.

  “You worried?” she asked when I hadn’t said anything.

  Dash stopped with his PowerBar halfway to his mouth, eyes on me. Connell slowed his chewing, but Wade went on scarfing it down like he hadn’t heard her.

  “What are we worried about?” Dash asked, resting the bar on his thigh.

  “Besides the obvious?” I turned to Rain. “You know I can’t help it.”

  She smoothed the crease between my brow and I sighed, closing my eyes. When I open
ed them again, I turned my attention back to the guys. “I see the danger first. See every possible scenario before it happens. It’s second nature to me. Rain”—I motioned to her—“and my other crew are used to it. Work with me a little longer and you’ll become accustomed to my hunt before you’re hunted nature.” Of course they didn’t know the reasoning behind my behavior—what I’d gone through with Rain’s father when I was eighteen—but I didn’t want to share the darkest day of my life with them right now.

  Rain squeezed my arm. “It’s why you’ve survived so much,” she said. “And one of the many reasons why I love you, Compass.”

  “You call him that, a lot,” Wade said. “Even on the show. Where did it come from?”

  I swallowed hard. Knot and those on my regular crew knew Rain and our history and were used to how we were around each other. Couldn’t help but wonder if the guys were already sick of it. Too bad if they were. If their wives had the experience Rain had, they could’ve brought them along. And even though I’d tried to get her to stay behind, I knew we were stronger together. Years apart had proven that, as well as every moment after our reunion. Survival wasn’t even an issue on expeditions with her. I lived for her. Nothing could change that.

  “We grew up together,” she answered him. “Compass was my tween way of giving him a nickname and poking fun at him at the same time. It kind of just stuck.” She flashed me a look and suddenly I was scrambling for excuses to go to bed early. We would be quiet. I’d make sure of it. But I would run my hands over her body and taste her salt-kissed skin. I craved it more than a bottle of water right now.

  “Nice,” Wade said around another massive bite of PowerBar. “Funny how much better this thing tastes after a day of hiking through the jungle.”

  “Don’t forget almost getting eaten by a spider on crack,” Connell said and I raised my eyebrows at the joke. He was such a strong silent type I was shocked every time he opened his mouth.

  Wade flipped him off.

  “Just wait until a few days in,” I said and pointed to the last bite of his bar as he popped it into his mouth. “It’ll taste like fucking gold.”

  A laugh wrapped around the fire and something settled in my gut. Slowly, a comradery was forming between us. One that I desperately needed to happen for this expedition—and this special work.

  “Blake hates these,” Dash said, finishing his. “She’d rather catch a boar and cook herself a burger.” A wistful look covered his eyes and I recognized the emotion behind them. He missed her already.

  Glancing at Rain, I rubbed the small of her back, thanking God I was lucky enough to have her by my side as we traveled the world over. “She’d likely have to fight a jaguar for it.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at me. “She’d win. You don’t know Blake. Nothing comes between her and a meal.”

  “Sadie too,” Connell said, after taking a drink from his bottle. “The woman is more terrifying than this place when she’s hangry.” He shook his head. “I rarely let us get to that point.”

  Rain rolled her eyes at the guys playful deets about their girls. Almost as if on purpose, we all turned our gazes to Wade, as if expecting him to divulge something deeper than the jokes he had quickly become known for.

  He swallowed the cheek full of bar, his eyes darting over the group. “What?” He raised his hands. “You want me to talk about the one who got away? Tell you how it drove me crazy that she’d refused to eat breakfast food unless the moon was out?” He wadded up his empty wrapper and secured it in the pack he had resting next to his knees. “Wait,” he said, rapidly digging through the largest pocket in the pack. After a few moments, he snapped his fingers, returning focus to us. “Damn. I forgot to bring marshmallows.” He sighed. “Sorry, ladies, the romantic story swapping will have to wait until we’re stateside again.” He took a long gulp of water and, for a moment, it looked like he really was somewhere else, thinking about someone else, the jokes barely covering the true pain I could see behind his eyes. “You’re all invited to my loft for a sleepover when we get back. Then we’ll have time to gossip without worrying about king-spider or jaguars coming after us in our sleep.”

  “Fair enough,” Connell said and slapped Wade on the back. “I’ll even let you braid my hair.”

  Wade laughed so hard water came through his nose. Two jokes from the silent Aquaman? Could this expedition get any better? We were already on site without much incident, and we were ahead of schedule for the bro-bonding necessary to survive the jungle.

  It had to all be downhill from here.

  “I think it’s going well,” Rain said as I zipped up our tent for the night.

  “So far,” I agreed, though I couldn’t silence the voice of worry in the back of my head. It was ever-present in areas like this—highly dangerous ones—and when I had to worry about more than just myself. It was something I wasn’t sure any amount of time would allow me to get used to it.

  “Compass,” Rain said, her tone hushed. The light from the still-burning fire outside gave our tent a faint orange glow, but I could feel her more than I could see her. “You need to relax.”

  “Who says I’m not?” I crawled to the edge of the tent where our sleeping bags were rolled out.

  “I do,” she said. “Tension is vibrating off you like you’re wound tight.” She reached for me, her hands smoothing over my chest as I plopped down on my back next to her.

  I let out a sigh. I could never keep anything from Rain, not that I had tried to since she’d become mine again. “I’m fine. It’s just the newness of the crew, and this place. I feel stretched thin, and we’ve just begun. I wish I could make sure nothing happens to any of you.”

  “You are not responsible—”

  “I am.” I cut her off. “We don’t have to go around this track again, Raindrop. I am. It doesn’t matter how capable they are. If one of them is hurt on my watch, it’s on me.”

  “They’ll be fine.” She propped herself up on her elbow to look down at me. “They’re good guys. All of them. And this is going to be the best Easton Wells show yet.”

  I lightly pinched her side. “Don’t mock me.”

  She pressed back against my chest. “How dare you say that!” she teased and straddled me. My hands instantly flew to her hips, rubbing my thumbs in circles underneath the bottom of her thin shirt. “I would never mock you. I’m being serious. Look where we are, Easton. It’s like you couldn’t resist topping King Solomon’s keep. Can’t you enjoy the results of years of hard work and determination?” She leaned back slightly, wiggling on top of me, and suddenly I could feel nothing but her . . . and a full-on want.

  “It’s a little hard enjoying anything outside of you right this second,” I growled.

  She sighed, having realized exactly what she was doing to me, and rolled her hips. Maybe it was her plan all along, but I was perfectly distracted. Running her fingers along where my hands held her hips, she jerked them away and fell against my chest, pinning my hands above my head.

  “Are you with me?” she asked, her voice breathless as she continued to grind above me.

  “Can’t you feel that I am?” I pushed upward, showing her just how hard and with her I was.

  “Good.” She teased my lips with her tongue. “Because you have to get out of your head or you will worry yourself into ruining this trip.”

  I hissed as she let go of one of my hands and plunged her fingers down my shorts, gripping me. “Mmm,” she moaned against my mouth and I attempted to flip us over, but she stopped my motions with a tightening of her thighs against my hips. “I’m in control here,” she said, and it shot heat straight to my dick.

  In an agonizingly slow motion, she pulled her shirt and bra off, flinging them to the side, and for half a second I prayed the glow from the fire wasn’t offering any of the guys who may be outside their tents a silhouette show.

  Then she pulled off my shorts and boxers and covered me with her mouth, and I completely forgot . . . everything. Where we were, w
ho was with us, what could happen. Nothing existed outside of the warmth of her mouth, the swirl of her tongue around my cock, or the way she moaned around me.

  “Fuck, Rain,” I hissed and she pulled back, crawling up my body until she’d situated herself just over my tip. When had she taken the rest of her clothes off? Fuck, I don’t care.

  “You might want to keep it down,” she whispered in my ear as she teased me with her warmth. “You know this tent doesn’t have walls.”

  I grabbed at her lower back, moving her to sink on top of me, but again, she stopped my attempts.

  She shook her head, re-pinning my hands above my head, and stopped moving her hips against me. “Do I need to get rope to tie you up? Or can I trust you to keep your hands where I tell you?”

  Holy hell, when she spoke like that it was only a matter of time before I came entirely too soon. I sucked in a deep breath, growling at her as I nodded. “You can trust me.”

  “Good,” she said. “Keep them up here.” She pointed to where she had my hands pinned, and I intertwined my fingers because I didn’t trust myself not to touch her. “Now,” she said, planting kisses down my abs, over my v-lines, until she’d reached my cock again. “Like I said, tonight, I’m in control. You don’t give the orders here, or have the responsibility here, I do. Understood?”

  I smirked and arched my head back when she took me in her mouth again. Fuck. I had to gnash my teeth together to keep from groaning. Rain knew me inside and out. Knew what turned me on, knew how to get me to the edge even faster, and knew when I needed to get the fuck out of my head. She understood the pressure I carried during the day and was going out of her way to relieve it tonight.

  I. Fucking. Love. This. Woman.

  A low groan rumbled in my chest when she pumped me and sucked at the same time, and just as I felt I couldn’t take another second of the torture, she crawled back up my body and sank over me.