“Steve?” I called out to him weakly. “Where have you been?”
“I’m not sure.” His eyes looked blank, there was a manic expression on his face, and his shirt was ripped.
“Did you hear the gunshot? Are you okay?” I took a step toward him, but Jakob grabbed me and pulled me back.
“I heard a loud noise.” Steve nodded. “I was worried about the two of you. That noise gave me the energy to get up and start walking again.”
“Where have you been?” I frowned and looked at Jakob. His eyes were narrowed, and I could see his chest heaving.
“I got lost in the jungle.” He offered me a smile. “I wanted to surprise you both with breakfast yesterday, but my leg made it hard for me to get around. So I sat down and took a nap.” He paused. “Then I felt something hit me hard, and I blacked out. When I came to, I was disoriented and lost.”
“What hit you?” I stared straight ahead, not wanting to see Jakob’s face.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head and reached out to grab my arm. “Sorry. I hope you don’t mind my holding on to you for support.”
“No, of course not.” I held my arm out to him.
“Thank you. I was so thankful when I found you both.” He looked up at Jakob then. “I would hate to think what would have happened if I hadn’t.”
“I hate to think what will happen now that you have.” Jakob’s voice was low, and he walked over to our makeshift water bowls and grabbed a branch we’d found the previous day and handed it to me. “Take this, Bianca.” He pushed it into my hand.
“Okay.” I nodded.
“The battle has only just begun,” he muttered under his breath. “You might need it.”
“What are you doing?” Jakob’s voice was loud and angry as Steve hobbled toward us. His eyes narrowed and I could feel his heart beating fast next to me. “What game are you playing?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve’s eyes were wide as he stopped in front of us. “Right now, I’d love something to eat. Do you have anything?”
“You should have gotten some fruit in the jungle,” Jakob responded coldly.
“We can try fishing again.” I squeezed Jakob’s arm. “Maybe we’ll catch some more.”
“I guess.” He sighed. “If you want some.” I nodded, and we walked toward the ocean.
“So what are we going to do with the fish? Make sushi?” Steve hobbled along behind us as we walked, and I felt him poke me in the back.
“You good with knives?” Jakob looked back at him.
“Maybe as good as you are with a rock,” Steve shot back, and silence filled the air. I slowed my pace down slightly and waited for him to catch up.
“Are you okay?” I whispered to Steve as he walked next to me.
“He tried to kill me.” His eyes looked scared. “He left me for dead.”
“What? When?” I frowned. “Why did you come back if he tried to kill you?” My eyes widened.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he whispered hurriedly. “I know why you’re here, Bianca. I know the—”
“What’s going on?” Jakob stopped in front of us, and he stared at me. I stared at the gash on his face and wondered if he had really tried to kill Steve. And if he had, why? What did Steve know that I didn’t?
“I was just asking Bianca if she minded my holding on to her arm as I walked. My leg is playing up a bit.”
“I don’t mind.” I smiled weakly and offered Steve my arm while I avoided Jakob’s intense gaze.
“Are you okay, Bianca?” Jakob gave me a look of concern, and I nodded uncertainly. I wanted to tell him what Steve had said. I wanted to hear his response, but I was scared. What if Steve had been telling the truth? Would he try to kill both of us, then?
“We’ll have to start another fire.” Jakob stared at me thoughtfully. “You think you can go and fish by yourself?” He stood there and nodded toward the ocean. “Then we can grill the fish right away.”
“What about the bones?” Steve questioned.
“Bones won’t kill you.”
“But you wish they would, don’t you,” Steve mumbled under his breath, and my breath caught. Something had definitely changed since the last time we’d all been together. The two men weren’t even pretending to like each other now.
“Bianca, come with me. I need your help gathering wood.” Jakob waved me over to him.
“Be careful, Bianca,” Steve whispered. “I know about your mother. I know about David.”
“What?” I gasped as I looked back at him.
“Be careful,” he mouthed as Jakob grabbed my arm. “You can’t trust him,” he whispered into my ear as I walked away.
“Let’s go.” Jakob pulled me along with him, and I shook him off me.
“Don’t touch me! What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t touch him, Bianca.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I didn’t touch him.” His eyes bored into mine. “I’m telling you I don’t know where he went, and I don’t know why he came back.”
“You tried to kill him.”
“He told you that?” His eyes narrowed.
“Yes.” I nodded. “He told me he knows David as well.”