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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“At some point on the struggle to gain solid ground, Nevaeh was gashed by a thorn. A branch. She said nothing. Baptiste was so sick, she didn’t want to make more trouble. I noticed she was limping, so I asked about it. She showed me the wound, red, infected, swelling. I injected her with antibiotics from my pack, then from hers.”

“What did Hammer do?”

“He watched. He watched as her wound turned septic. He refused to give up his antibiotics for Nevaeh. He allowed her to die in agony.”

“You despise him.”

“Oh, yes.” Adam’s eyes became slits of molten hatred. “It wasn’t until we—he and I—had made our way at last to the village where I knew we could be rescued that I realized the demon I had brought on our journey.”

Elle held her breath. “What happened?”

“He pulled his phone out of his backpack and started transmitting the photos and videos he’d taken on the trip.”

38

ADAM’S VOICE GREW HOARSE with fury. “While I was fighting for our lives, he was filming. That phone... I could have used it to transmit a rescue signal to a satellite. I could’ve saved Nevaeh and Baptiste.”

Elle had read the accounts of what had happened next, and there were many of those: Big John Hammer’s and Adam’s and the witnesses’ and the people who claimed to be witnesses, and the opinions of people who talked to someone who claimed to be a witness. She believed only Adam, but she asked because he wanted to tell her. “What did you do?”

“I picked him up over my head—adrenaline surge—walked to the end of the dock and threw him into the Amazon River.”

“Good for you.”

“He lost his phone. Whatever photos and videos you saw came from his phone before the dunking. At least there is that.”

“Good for you,” she repeated. What else was there to say?

“Like a river monster, he charged out of the water, all froth and self-important vengeance. He didn’t believe I could best him. He thought the first time was a fluke. He’s a big man. Fit. A fighter. But he learned to fight for money, fame, glory. I learned to fight to survive—and I was livid. I picked him up and threw him back into the river, and this time, every camera and phone in the vicinity was focused on us. I made a fool of him, and the whole world saw it.” Adam sighed wearily. “I’m proud to say he’s hated me ever since.”

She had no doubt that even if Hammer killed Adam, Adam would always be proud of the damage he’d done to the fighter’s reputation.