One that Skye did not heed.
“Fuck you. I’ll say and do whatever the hell I want.” Her voice rose shrilly. “I’m done with the fear, the uncertainty, the chaos.” She turned from him. “I’m done with all of it. I’ll get my hands on that portal and end it, once and for all.”
Skye shot a look of loathing at him. “And I don’t need a fucking arrogant jaguar to accomplish my endgame.”
Jagger grabbed her arms, even as he felt his own skin begin to burn. For a second the air around him shimmered and he had to fight like hell to hold his animal inside.
Skye Knightly pressed every single button he had going. Hell, she fucking smashed them.
“No? Seems to me you and your kind have been out here screwing the pooch for months. Christ, you couldn’t even avoid getting caught by the jaguars. What makes you think you have what it takes to find this so-called portal?”
“That’s low, even for you. The only reason the DaCostas were able to get their filthy paws on me was because—” Skye stopped abruptly and Jagger paused, feeling an edge of unease surpass the anger that he felt. She was holding something back. It was in the way her eyes darkened just before she looked away.
“Don’t stop now.”
Her body was tense. She was obviously hurt, tired, and God knows, he was getting sick of the constant battle between the two of them.
He felt his own anger deflate and let her go, pushing her away. “Actually, fuck it. I don’t care.”
“They attacke
d at dusk,” she said quietly and he stopped. “Like the cowards that they are, they attacked when I was at my weakest.” Skye snorted and shook her head. “Even then it took three of the bastards to bring me in.”
He watched closely as her golden skin flushed dark and her eyes shadowed before she looked away. Her delicate throat contracted as she swallowed, but when she turned back anger was quite evident in her face.
Her mouth was closed tightly and she shrugged her shoulders. He could tell there was some sort of internal struggle going on.
“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked harshly.
“I can’t …”
“You can’t what? Look, I don’t have the time or patience for these games.”
Jagger was beginning to think he was better off distancing himself from the blonde. He needed to get this mission done and get away from her. Because the truth was, he did care. A little too much for his liking.
And he’d learned the hard way that it was a road he didn’t want to travel on. Someone always got hurt.
Her face went blank. “Whatever,” she muttered under her breath.
He watched as Skye gathered up her satchel and the extra supply bag. It was obvious she was going to leave but he made no attempt to stop her. His anger was a slow burn that left his gut roiling.
He was torn. On one hand the need to protect was nearly overwhelming, but the desire to protect his sanity, his soul was pretty high on his agenda. He’d let the little bird fly the coop for the night and deal with her in the morning.
It took too much energy to fight and he needed sleep badly.
He turned away from her and rotated his head in an effort to relieve some of the tension that scraped along the edge of his shoulders and down his spine. God, what he wouldn’t give for a refreshing swim.
Still ignoring the blonde he grabbed food from his own supply bag and was about to relax when the merest of whispers tingled down his back.
Jagger whirled around, nostrils flaring, as a scent drifted up his nasal passages, one that he’d not expected to run across out in the Belizean jungle.
He immediately crossed to Skye, his hand snaking out to stop her cold.
“Be still,” he whispered hoarsely.
Her head whipped up but his hand was over her mouth before she could speak. Skye began to struggle and it was all he could do to keep her restrained in his arms. When she bit his hand, he clamped down on the curse that lay trapped in his throat and applied pressure, his arms brutally strong.
Eventually she ceased her struggles, although Jagger was pretty sure it was more to do with the fact that she’d not eaten or rested properly in days.