Marie Higgins

by Amazon Sunset

  Gently, he ran the pad of his thumb over the two dents. Her skin was smooth, soft, and warm. She shivered and then rubbed her arms.

  “Are you cold?” he asked.

  “Not really. I’m shivering because I believe I might be in shock. I shall be fine soon enough.”

  Guilt came over him again, and he frowned. “Forgive me, Katrina.”

  Her gaze jumped to his. “For what?”

  “For pushing you away. I shouldn’t have been so…uncaring. It’s really hard for me to express my feelings. I honestly don’t want to cause you any pain.”

  Another tear slid down her cheek. “Thank you for saying that. It really hurts to think you loathe my touch that much.” A few more tears joined the other. “I’m not making physical contact with you on purpose, I just—”

  “Yes, I know.” He cut her off. “I’m just that way. It’s a problem I have, and it’s one I’ll have to learn to overcome.”

  “Really? You don’t like being touched?”

  “No.”

  “Not even by your family?”

  His heart grew cold once again. That was an entirely different topic, for sure. “Not even by my family, but especially not by women.”

  “It’s not just me, but all women?”

  Felix nodded. “Pretty much, yes.” He wasn’t about to tell her it was just all wealthy women.

  He rolled the stocking up her leg, enjoying the warmth from her skin. Inwardly, he scolded himself for feeling this way. She was just a woman—just a normal woman. One that would surely break his heart because she couldn’t love him the way he’d always wanted. She was just like those other wealthy socialites who couldn’t look past his status in life. Although he now had a title, that didn’t change the person he was. If a woman couldn’t love him for himself, then they had no right being in his life.

  Eva Crowley—the first woman he’d ever given his heart to—had taught him one of the best lessons a young man of eighteen years could learn. It was an experience Felix would never forget.

  “I’ll let you finish putting on your boot.” He stood.

  She reached down and began tying up the laces.

  “Can you stand? Do you think you’ll be able to walk?” he asked.

  “I’m sure I can now.”

  She stood, but her legs wobbled. Quickly, he reached out and grasped her arms to keep her steady. “Perhaps we ought to rest a little before continuing.”

  Nodding, she plopped back down on the stump. “That’s probably the best right now.”

  “Stay here and I will scope out the area to see where we can all sit and relax for a while. It’s probably about time to eat anyway.”

  “Yes, I do feel hungry.” She placed her hand on her belly.

  He looked over his shoulder just as his men came toward them. He gestured with his hand. “Carlos, you come with me and we’ll find someplace where we can rest and eat. Everyone else stay here with Miss Landon.”

  Felix and Carlos left the others. Felix knew he had to be more diligent in protecting Katrina for the remainder of this journey and stop fretting over the way she made him feel. But no matter how often he told himself his feelings didn’t matter, the more he realized they did. Nevertheless, he would deliver her safe and sound to her father in the next two days, collect his payment, and return to Macapá to pack his belongings so he could leave for England.

  “How is Miss Landon?” Carlos asked after they’d walked a few minutes.

  “She will be fine. The snake’s bite did not break the skin.”

  “That is very fortunate.”

  “We all just need to be more alert and remember she is not used to our way of life.”

  Carlos chuckled and shook his head. “She is a different woman, I must admit. I see strength inside her most women do not have. I believe she will surprise us all.”

  Looking at his friend, Felix arched his eyebrow. “She is still a pampered, wealthy woman no matter how much strength you think she has.” He looked straight ahead. “In a couple of days, we will deliver her to her father. Then we can wash our hands of the matter.”

  Felix was ready now to wash his hands of the matter. Since Eva Crowley had twisted his heart so badly, and then stomped it to pieces, he had not allowed himself to fall in love again. Or trust anyone. Women of means always wanted more. They were never satisfied.

  Perhaps that was why he’d enjoyed being in Macapá and traveling through the Amazon jungles. It was rare to meet a wealthy woman out here. The plain, ordinary women in this country were easier to understand. That was the kind of life he wanted—uncomplicated. Hence, the very reason he was reluctant to return to England. But duty called, and he must go, if only to please his grandmother.

  “Look.” Carlo pointed to a spot in the jungle not far ahead. “We could stop there long enough to rest and eat.”

  They reached the place and Felix scoured the ground thoroughly until he was assured no harm would come to them. “Indeed, this is where we shall stop. Start preparing a fire and I will collect the others and return.”

  Felix headed back at a hurried pace. The quicker they could get here and eat, the quicker they could start back on their journey. And especially, the faster he could deliver Katrina to her father and stop having these insane—and most confusing—emotions fluttering inside his chest.

  * * * *

  Katrina sipped her canteen as her gaze flitted around Felix’s six other men. Most of them dressed like Carlos, wearing a shirt, trousers, and boots, but two of them were dressed more like Indians. They wore no shirts. At least they wore breeches and some semblance of shoes. These two men were the ones with longer hair. They also didn’t speak very much, and when they did, it was a language she had never heard before. Yet, they seemed to understand Felix and Carlos just fine.

  “Are you all right, Miss Landon?” The man she’d heard called Alexio spoke to her.

  “Thank you for your concern. I’m feeling better.” She smiled at the middle-aged man with bushy eyebrows.

  His gaze sparkled as his grin widened, displaying only a few teeth. He turned and spoke to the others in the odd language. Personally, she thought it was rude for them not to include her in their conversation.

  She corked her canteen and stuffed it in her pack. A rumble went through her belly, and she looked back at the trail Felix and Carlos had taken not too long ago, wishing they would soon return. Her stomach was going to start nipping at her backbone for nutrition if she didn’t eat soon.

  Alexio said something to the others, making them laugh. Since all eyes were turned toward her, she assumed she was the reason for their humor. Alexio scratched his arm before rolling up his sleeves and continued some interesting—and entertaining—tale for the other men.

  Something different on his dark-skinned arm drew her attention. Leaning forward, she peered closer, but tried not to be conspicuous. The whiter markings on his arm looked like scars. They were in the shape of…teeth!

  She gasped and jerked back. Alexio turned his head and looked at her with wide eyes.

  “What is wrong, Miss Landon?” he asked in broken English.

  “Uh…well, I noticed those scars on your arm.”

  His attention dropped to his arm as he brought it closer for her inspection. “These?”

  “Yes. They look like teeth marks.”

  “Oh, it was nothing, Miss Landon. I was just captured by the Turri Indians and they tried to eat me. I escaped with only a few wounds.”

  “What?” she cried out, appalled at the mere thought. “They tried to eat you?”

  A grin stretched across his face. “Yes. Did you not know the Turri are cannibals?”

  She’d never heard of the tribe before. Her stomach lurched, and if she had anything in her stomach right now, she’d definitely lose it. She slapped a hand to her mouth anyway—just in case something was in there. She couldn’t even fathom…she didn’t want to image that.

  “Not to worry, Miss Landon,” Alexio continued, “the Turri
Indians live farther into the jungle. They will not go out of their way to capture and eat us.”

  Never in her life had she thought of fainting, but her body certainly felt like it now. Perhaps it was because she was so hungry. But just imagining what the Turri Indians were going to have for lunch… Her stomach lurched again.

  “Wh—what do these Indians look like?” she asked with a quivering voice.

  “It is easy to spot their warriors. They have a large rod-shaped bone sticking straight down from their bottom lip.”

  “Why in heavens name would they put a bone in their lip?”

  Alexio shrugged. “It is what their ancestors did. They are following tradition.”

  The other men in the group tried to hide smiles behind their hands, but the twinkle in their eyes let her know they were laughing at her. They were either laughing at her reaction to the Turri Indians, or because she was about ready to faint. No doubt the color in her face had vanished as well.

  A rustle up ahead had them all stopping and turning in that direction. Within seconds, Felix strode into view. When his gaze met hers, his eyes widened and he quickened his step until he was in front of her.

  “What is wrong?” he asked, sweeping his fingers across her cheek. “You’re quite pale.”

  Of course she was! The mere idea of another human eating her… Inwardly, she cringed. “I shall be all right. I’m just hungry.”

  “Can you walk now?”

  “Yes.” She stood. “I’m feeling much better.”

  The first couple of steps, she wobbled and didn’t dare put all of her weight on her bruised foot, but when she realized the pain had disappeared, she was more confident to walk on it.

  “Do you need to hang onto my arm?” he asked, putting forth his limb for her to take.

  “No, I shall make it on my own.” Although it was kind of him to offer, she feared touching him again would cause him the same reaction as earlier. She was not ready for that kind of rejection again.

  Strange how he could be so cold one minute and steamy the next, then within seconds, he was back to being cold. That explained the way he’d been around her since they met. Infuriating man!

  It didn’t take long before the group reached the rest area. Carlos had a fire started and was already cooking something over it. She inhaled deeply, but nothing smelled familiar. However, the round looking red and deep purple objects inside the pot appeared to be some kind of bean. Her stomach grumbled, eager for the food.

  Felix shrugged off his pack and dug inside it. When he pulled out his raincoat, Katrina’s heart sank. It’s going to rain…again? But when he laid it on the ground and gestured for her to sit, her heart jumped up to her throat. How very considerate of him to do that for her. She offered him a sweet smile and sat on the ground covering.

  “I hope you enjoy nuts and seeds,” he said, pulling out another pouch from his pack. “These are grown here in the jungle, and they are delicious.” He knelt beside her and poured some dark brown nuts in her hand.

  “Thank you, Mr. Knightly. What are they called?”

  “Brazil nuts. They are grown on large trees. The nuts come in clusters that look similar to a coconut. Inside the pod are the nuts.” He nodded toward her hand. “Try one.”

  She took a nibble of one, and her mouth watered for more. “Umm, they are really very good.” Glancing over her shoulder, she pointed to Carlos. “What is he cooking? It smells wonderful.” She returned her gaze to Felix. “In a way, it looks like beans.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not beans. He’s cooking a fruit called bacaba.”

  “Cooking a fruit? How odd.”

  “This kind of fruit is best as a juice, which is why it needs to be cooked. Trust me, you’ll enjoy every last drop.”

  As she ate the nuts, she noticed the men harvesting armfuls of other fruits from some of the trees. She was given a banana, papaya, and mango. As hard as she tried to eat lady-like, she found herself devouring them. Soon Carlos brought her a drink of the bacaba fruit, and Felix had been correct. She enjoyed every last drop.

  As her stomach filled, she gained more strength, yet at the same time, her eyelids became heavy. She feared if they didn’t start walking now she would fall asleep.

  Thankfully, watching Felix chat with his friends became intriguing. He was certainly a leader, which was clear by the way the others looked up to him. Felix could speak the other language well.

  He was a mystery to her, and deep down inside, she wanted to unravel the real Felix Knightly and get to know him better. She knew he was from England, but he acted as if he belonged right here in the jungle with these other men. Then other times she noticed he was so proper, he could have fit right in with the upper class. He could have told her he was a duke, and she would believe it.

  So what circumstances brought him here? Obviously, he was raised in an aristocratic home that taught him how to be a gentleman. And if he were raised in such a way, why would he be satisfied to live here?

  Before too long, the men started gathering up their things in preparation to start walking again. Grudgingly, she stood and rolled up Felix’s raincoat and handed it to him.

  “Are you refreshed now?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you ready to continue our journey?”

  “Of course.” She smiled, although it was weak.

  She tried to put on a happy face and a good attitude as she joined the men. In the back of her mind, she worried about those Turri Indians. What if they were captured? Could Felix save her—save them all from being eaten?

  Off in the distance, in the midst of the chatter of monkeys and the chirping of birds, came the roar of a jungle cat through the air. Chills ran up her spine and fear froze her legs. Even Felix and the men stopped and listened.

  She focused more on Felix’s expression since he was her guide. He looked as startled as Katrina felt, which didn’t make her feel any better.

  “Felix?” she asked in a low voice as she slowly moved toward him. “What is going on?”

  He met her stare with worried azure eyes. “That was a jaguar.” He shook his head. “The jaguars are very dangerous, but we have all killed before, and we’ll do it again if necessary.”

  “Then what worries you?”

  “Those cats are not supposed to be in this section of the jungle. They usually live deeper.”

  “So why is the animal here?”

  “I don’t know.” He stepped closer to Katrina and withdrew his machete. “By the sound of his growl, I can tell he’s still far away, but we want to keep a wary eye out for anything peculiar.”

  When the group continued, they took softer, unhurried steps. Katrina stayed as close to Felix as she dared, and thankfully, he didn’t seem to mind this time.

  Her heartbeat knocked crazily against her ribs, and she feared the others could hear it as well. A few times she caught herself holding her breath, so she slowly released it and tried to keep quiet. She wasn’t the only one trying to be silent. Even the choir of monkeys and birds she’d heard earlier had hushed to almost nothing.

  This was not a good sign.

  Suddenly, the branches to the right of them started rustling, getting louder and louder. Standing in front of her, Felix shielded her with his body. She grabbed a handful of material from his shirt. All the men surrounded her in a circle, holding their knives and machetes as if ready to attack.

  Terror crawled inside of her, turning her blood to ice. The closer the noise got to them, the more she felt like screaming. Instead, she held her breath again.

  When the rustling stopped, she bit her bottom lip, hoping not to cry out in fear. But what exited the bushes was not an animal. Two very dark-skinned men came into view. Both were mostly naked except for flaps over their manly regions and bottoms. Both held spears and had black and red war-paint streaked across their cheeks and forehead.

  And both had bones sprouting from their lower lips.

  Chapter Nine

&n
bsp; Relief washed over Felix. He relaxed and lowered his machete. It wasn’t a jaguar after all. Although, the jungle cat was still out there somewhere, so he should still be on guard. Why else would they have heard it?

  Katrina whimpered as she buried her face in the middle of his back. The Turri Indians appeared fearsome, but these two warriors who had just walked through the bushes were his friends. Felix couldn’t pronounce their real names, so he called them—Bruno and Dado. Bruno was the bigger man. Not only was he taller, but he also had more muscles. Dado was Bruno’s frail father.

  “Greetings, my friends,” Felix called out in their language. He took a step toward them, but Katrina held on to his shirt to keep him from moving. He glanced over his shoulder at her. Tremors shook her body. “Miss Landon, what is wrong?”

  “Don’t go with them,” she answered with a tight voice. “If they eat you…who will stop them from eating me, too?”

  Although he tried not to laugh, his mouth twitched in a grin. He shouldn’t make light of her terror. After all, the Turri Indians were known for their cannibalism. Yet that was years and years ago. Felix doubted the newer generation feasted on humans.

  “Not to worry, my dear. These men are my friends.”

  She lifted her head and looked at him. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide. “Your friends?”

  “Yes.”

  “But—but they tried to eat Alexio. He has the scars on his arm to prove it.”

  This time, Felix couldn’t hold back the chuckle bubbling up from his throat. “No, my dear. A crocodile took a bite out of his arm. Why did you think…” He swung his gaze to Alexio who stood with a few other men. All of them covered their mouths as they tried to hide their laughs. Felix threw them a glare before quickly looking back at Katrina. “My dear Katrina, Alexio was not honest with you. The Turri Indians are our friends. They will certainly not eat us, I assure you.”

  Katrina straightened and took deep breaths. Felix could literally see anger rising inside of her because it showed on her face as the color seeped back into her skin. She turned her scowl on Alexio, marched to him, and slugged him hard in the arm.