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“Because we risked a lot coming here, and there is a lot you need to know,” James says without so much as flinching. Micah flexes his jaw. I believe them, that they are not here to harm us, but I’m not the one they need to convince, and I will follow Micah blindly with however he chooses to handle this.

Micah lowers his bone weapon. “Fine… come forward. But where the fuck is Ollie? I swear, if you try anything…”

James walks toward him while my heart pounds out of my chest. The only thing between the first aid kit and James is me and my spear, and while I’m quite proficient at using it, I also know James would obliterate me.

“Ollie didn’t come, man.” James keeps focused on Micah, and I focus on James. He looked so boyish back when I sat with him after we crashed, but he doesn’t look that way anymore… He looks as if he’s aged five years, very much a man, now just like Micah.

Micah glances at me, a silent plea to stay alert and keep my wits about me. He knows I have a soft spot for James, but this island is changing everyone—desperation can kill the human spirit, killing any decent parts of it. None of us are immune, and every one of us are desperate.

Micah steps to Nathan, ignoring James right beside him, and hurls him to the ground with one solid push. James does nothing to stop it. Nathan asked for it when he pressed a spear into Micah’s throat. He needs his retribution.

“What the fuck, man?” Nathan cries out as Micah drives his knee into his chest.

“Thomas almost fucking died because of you,” Micah spits at him.

I stand alert, my adrenaline bursting at the seams. The last thing we need is for James to get involved. As strong as Micah is, I’m not sure he can take both of them.

“I’m sorry, man,” Nathan pleads. “I didn’t know. I didn’t do anything to Thomas. It wasn’t me who cut his palm.”

Micah grabs him by the collar. “Exactly. You didn’t do anything. And do you know what I had to fucking do yesterday because you decided not to do anything?” He shoves Nathan down into the snow, letting go of him. “What London and I had to do?” he corrects.

Nathan shakes his head, his eyes pleading to James, who, to my relief, stands back and watches, letting this play out. Micah cocks his head. “I’ll tell you. His cut got infected, as we couldn’t access the first aid kit in time. The tissue on his palm turned black, and the infection spread up his fingers and toward his wrist. London had to hold him down while I cut off his hand because of his severe fucking infection.” He turns and pushes Nathan again, who had just barely gotten back on his feet. “That was the consequence of you not having the fucking balls to stick up to Ezra. And so, I ask again, why should I trust you?”

Nathan runs his hands through his hair and says nothing for a few awkward seconds.

“I’m sorry that happened,” James says in a low voice.

Micah merely scoffs and dips his chin. “Yeah, well, not as sorry as Thomas is right now. He’s barely hanging on to his life.” He looks at James now, ignoring a trembling Nathan. “Where is my fucking brother? Is that how you found us?”

My insides explode at the mention of Maison.

Something flashes in James’ eye. “That’s exactly what we need to talk to you about, Micah. They are planning to attack you,” James says. “They convinced Maison to give up your location. That’s the only reason we know where you are right now. We came to warn you.”

Micah snaps his head up and drops his weapon to the side. His body slumps forward. “When?” he snarls, and the sound of his voice is nothing but pure venom. I approach him now, slowly. Something’s not right. Maison wouldn’t have voluntarily given up his brother’s location. He wouldn’t have turned on Micah like that.

Nigel had something to do with it.

Fuck.

We really need to get Maison away from them.

“I’m not sure when,” James admits. “I’m not exactly on this inside track with them. Especially since I let London leave a couple of nights ago. They just want the first aid kit back, man.” I wonder if James knows the true depths of what’s going on and how little this actually has to do with the first aid kit.

I walk up, standing next to Micah and placing my hand on his rigid back. He tenses and turns from me, walking over to the fire. Jade peeks her nose out to see what’s going on, and I wave for her to join us. Micah sits back, swiping his finger along the tip of the bone weapon. His mind is probably envisioning using it on one of them.

I get it… I was so close is sticking my spear into Nigel’s neck. The only reason I didn’t was because James had stopped me. I wonder if I should have just killed Nigel when I had the chance.

Micah won’t look at me, and I know exactly why. He’s quiet, contemplating, musing about all things Maison.

James and Nathan sit tentatively next to us as we gather around our small fire.

“So why are you here, then?” Micah asks. “Do you want to come live with us or something? Because I’m not exactly looking for more company.”

James shifts while his soft blond bangs hang over his face, his cute dimples more pronounced than ever. “No, we just want what’s fairly ours. A third of the food, and a knife, and maybe a few other supplies we can negotiate later. We’ll start over somewhere close, and I promise we will leave you alone. No offense, man, but your group of friends are pretty fucked up.”

This causes the tips of Micah’s lips to curl up, but he doesn’t look up from his weapon, his eyes distant.

“And what about Ollie?” I ask, grabbing the fish we had all but abandoned and start smoking it over the fire.