Free Breaking Down Sydney (Sydney West #2) by Brittney Coon

place while he’s still alive.”
    “It’s fine. Just a warning would’ve been nice.” I wandered to the deer’s head, studying it. “I swear if I get up in the middle of the night for some water and see this, I’ll have a heart attack. How close is the nearest hospital?”
    She snickered. “About fifteen miles through the mountains, so I hope you can hang in there.”
    A sigh escaped from my lips. “Just lovely.”
    Amelia gave me a hug. “It will grow on you. Plus, we each have a hot boy to look at.”
    I nodded. “True, at least we have that.”
    “Just don’t bump uglies when I’m still awake. I don’t want that playing in my head.”
    I fanned myself with a hand. “Can’t make any promises when Jason and I are alone together.”
    She gestured with her hands. “Animals, I swear!”
    A laugh bubbled out of me. “Jealous?”
    She giggled. “Some of us don’t need to have sex all the time. I’m happy simply sleeping next to him.” She nudged my shoulder with hers. “But to each their own, girl.”
    “I do love sex. It’s my favorite sport besides surfing.”
    I looked around the cabin, missing the warm walls of my beach house with my surfboard hanging on the wall. The woods were good too. We could hike and…enjoy each other’s company, I guess. I wasn’t enough of an outdoorsy girl to know much about anything. I enjoyed the city too much and rarely went up north to enjoy the planet’s natural treasures.
    Hunter and Jason returned with the bags, bringing me back to reality.
    “We’re in the last room on the right!” she shouted to Hunter, following him.
    Jason nodded me along. I followed him to the first room on the left. It was decorated in reds and blacks, but thankfully there were no dead animals to watch over me as I slept.
    “What do you think of our mini-vacation so far, Syd?” Jason asked, dropping the bags by the bed.
    I gave him a long look. Did he truly love the woods or was he questioning me to know how I felt before revealing he wasn’t too in love with the environment either? The ocean was another world compared to a bunch of trees and all the things that hid within them.
    “It’s something. Doesn’t beat campfires on the beach, but it should be fun.”
    He nodded, looking out our window to the dirt path leading through the thick brush. “I agree. I don’t mind being surrounded by nature. Went to the Red Oaks a lot in California as a kid with my family, but I’m a beach bum myself.”
    I batted my eyelashes and gave him an evil smile. “You truly are the one for me, Jason.”
    He laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks, Syd.”
    After we all settled into our rooms, we barbecued some chicken for dinner. We spent the night drinking cheap wine and playing card games, mostly making up our own rules as we went along.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
     
    In the morning, Amelia used a blow horn to wake us up. If it wasn’t for Jason holding me back, I was going to strangle her for the vicious way of waking me from a sound slumber.
    We went for a hike in the woods. Amelia and Hunter were pros, putting a few yards between them and Jason and me. I didn’t mind. Amelia was like a drill sergeant. There was no need for that when you were trying to enjoy nature’s beauty.
    “Come here,” Jason whispered into the shell of my ear. Before I could answer, he was pulling me off the trail.
    “You know the trail is here for a reason. If we get lost, it’s on you.”
    He tugged on my earlobe with his teeth. He said, “Will you stop? We’re not going far.”
    The wind blew lightly through the trees and birds were singing. Internal flames ate away at my body. I gave into Jason and let him take me to the unknown.
    He stopped in front of a fat pine tree. I gave him a curious look as he circled its trunk and brushed his hand along its bark.
    “Should I leave the two of you alone?” I joked.
    Jason smirked at me before pulling out a pocket knife. I felt my