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As he walked toward the door of the hut, Diego, Alton, Decker and Terrence all stood to the side to let hi, and Rio walked by hi had ht to ive it all the same Not hat he loved had been sacrificed for what Browning loved and valued

Noning would live with the consequences As would Rio

Silently, Terrence, Decker, Diego and Alton followed Rio fro ith stepped into the sunlight and then waited for Terrence to catch up

"See if there is a boat that will take us back I want the journey to be as sh trek through the jungle the e came"

An older man, his skin worn and leathery froy, torn pants and a dirty T-shirt He was arded Rio somberly

"I have a boat"

"My woreat need," Rio said in a quiet voice "I’ll pay you well for the use of your boat"

The old man shook his head and then stepped forward He placed his palm down over Grace’s forehead and murmured a quiet incantation Then he stepped away and motioned for Rio to follow

"T, you’re with me," Rio said To the others he said, "Meet us back at the house I want the periuided with poles, though there were other motorboats pulled up on shore Rio stepped carefully into the boat, keeping his weight in the center as he gently eased doith Grace held tightly in his arestured for a young boy to co swiftly to the back

The oldthe poles and pulling the boat into the current They kept close to shore, in the shalloater, polesswiftly

"How is she?" Terrence asked in a low voice

Rio stared down at Grace’s still face She was unh air for him to even notice the rise of her chest "I don’t know She wasn’t strong enough for this, Terrence I could kill Browning for this She’s already been through so much How could he ask her to do hed and looked away The bigRio knew him too well to be fooled

"Say whatever it is that’s on your rimly

Terrence looked back "There’s no doubt what he did rong I’ve gotten attached to this little lady She’s strong She’s a fighter I like her style Part of ’s miserable ass into a paste and feed him to the crocs"

"And the other part?"

"Understood why he did what he did"

Rio nodded "That’s fair If it were only that, I could overlook it But he betrayed the teaainst us He chose dishonor over unity That I can’t forgive"

"Yeah, I don’t disagree I guess I just get why he did it"

"I let him live," Rio said simply "He’s free to make his life with his woain"

"That’s fair," Terrence said "So as you"

Rio’s lip curled into a snarl "I wanted to kill hi her and for oneher doubt o with him if he told her to I told her to do it And now she has to believe I fed her to the wolves He’s lucky that e because I wanted to shed his blood"

"She wouldn’t have believed that," Terrence said in a quiet voice "No matter what line of bullshit he fed her, once she war, em"s there, she knew you would have never sent her to do that"

Rio returned his gaze to Grace and then leaned down to press his lips to her forehead "I hope you’re right, T"

As soon as the boat neared the dock in the alcove off the river that led to Rio’s coot close enough and then juainst the dock with his pole so the others could get off

Terrence went first and reached down to collect Grace from Rio Rio then hauled himself out of the boat and stopped beside the old man

"Thank you I appreciate your help"

The old ave her back to reat May the Great One be with her on her journey"

"She’s not going anywhere," Rio snarled

The oldmoment and then flashed a toothless smile "No, I don’t suppose she will"

He hopped down into the boat, and he and the boy maneuvered back into the e upriver

Rio strode toward Terrence, aited on the dock on the bank of the alcove, Grace still in his arms Rio took her carefully from Terrence and cradled her close He tucked his chin over her dark hair and began the cli to the first security gate

Fifteen minutes later, Rio stepped inside his house, so away He was home This here he felt the safest He had Grace back where she belonged Now he had to ain