That was close, they ran past them and Sky heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh, God, what brought me here?" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I was going to ask you that question! What stupid person travels all the way from New York to see a stranger here?!" Gage said angrily.

"You must think me an idiot, I kinda deserve it but I would appreciate it if you don't say it to my face" Sky hates being degraded.

"Wow, you are more worried about your dignity than the fact that you are fucking gonna die if I want you to"

Sky perceived the mockery his words carried and chose to ignore it before she puts herself in more danger.

The fact that he's one of them made her trust him less.

"Where are we going from here?" She inquired.

"It's a good thing you have common sense, follow me" He laughed at her and walked deep into the forest.

"We should be finding a way out and not going deeper into the woods!" Sky complained wondering what he's up to.

"If you're ready to die, don't follow me. You think Tyrant will give up if he doesn't find us? It's not about finding us but what he will do to us if he does!"

"My leg still hurts and I can't go deeper than this, who knows, wild animals might be lurking around"

She halted at once and expected him to stop too but he kept walking farther away as if he didn't hear her talk.

"I can imagine how your face will look like when a lion pounces on you" he laughed heartily.

Sky ran after him immediately in fear of the unknown, she might not trust him but she knows that he knows this place better than her and her safety lies in his palms.

"She's even afraid, who could imagine a bragging brat like you would consider my farce a fact"

"Who's afraid? I am just following you because I don't know my way around this goddamn dirty place!" Her pride topped up.

"A dirty place you came to see a stranger, Miss America" Gage mocked and her lips became sealed.

This guy is going to make jest of her for as long as she keeps talking, she had better not upset him for safety reasons.

"I should have taken my shoes, gosh!" She complained after some while.

"Some ladies are naturally foolish" Gage snorted.

"I hope you are not referring to me, giraffe?" She picked on his slim neck.

"She's falling for the cute guy already, thanks for reminding me that am very good looking" He returned.

"I would rather kiss an ass than love someone like you, who knows if you have strength at all to even..." she shrugged.

"Fuck someone like you?" He completed for her.

"I...I wasn't going to say that!" She denied as colors rose to her cheeks and she threw her face away when he stopped to look at her.

"You had better not tempt me because if my mind goes there, you are already too revealing for easy ravishing" he eyed her half-naked body.

"And I was beginning to think he's saving me, just tell me you want me for yourself alone" she scuffed and made to walk past him.

Sky regretted pushing their discussion to that direction, how can he say such words easily as if it means nothing at all?

He caught her arm, "Follow me, I said" he raised a brow, "I'm generous enough to offer you my shoe and look forward to getting a payment"

He removed his canvas and stuffed it into each of her hands, he walked away from her before he does something to worsen the situation.

"And please, keep it in mind that Tyrant and his men are still looking for us" He kept walking and forced himself not to look at her.

He just voiced out what has been going through his mind ever since he saw her coming into the clubhouse with who she thinks is Jose.

He felt pity for her and didn't want to get involved but he can't sit back and watch a girl he had dreamt of all his life to be destroyed right before his eyes.

Tyrant made it easier for him when he entrusted him with a gun and he had to grab the opportunity, maybe he's no different from them.

Yes, because he has always wanted her and here she is, God actually brought her his way through Tyrant.

"Aren't you gonna wait for me? Your shoes are freaking big and needs to be tightly tied up!" She groaned.

"Just stay there and invite a wild animal or draw your captors attention!" He whined.

And sure enough, she ran towards him with one of the shoes still hanging on her shoulder.

"I can't believe this is happening to me" She lamented and started crying again as she followed him.

"You better start believing and walk fast to avoid making a good meal to a wild animal out here"

"Can you please stop talking about those freaky looking brothers of yours!"

"You are lucky my freaky looking brothers are in a good mood today, they must've not detected a fresh blood" he emphasized.

"I hate you!" She said hitting his head with the shoe.

"Gosh, that was painful! Did I do you wrong by giving you my shoes and walking barefoot like an animal" he complained.

"Of course, you are an animal. A vampire at that!" It's her turn to laugh at the look on his face.

"I will soon suck your blood" He made scary faces at her and she almost took to her heels thinking he's about to shift to be a vampire.

"Don't play like that, you look damn scary with all those tattered beards" She distanced herself from him as they walked.

"Lagging exposes you to more danger, Miss?" He said and pushed her to walk closely with him.

"Please, where exactly are we heading to?" She questioned weakly holding his shirt for support so she won't slump.

"We are almost there, don't worry, I won't hurt you. I was only joking, okay?" He said more seriously and took the shoe away from her.

He helped her wear it and held her hand as they sauntered to a clearer part of the forest.

"Is that a desert?" She asked curiously.

"There's a sea and a hut there, that's where I lived before I met the others, no one knows here and it's safe for now"

He said as they got a closer look and the sea stood in front of them, surprisingly clean.

A hut stood by the left side.

"Strange, how can you alone live here, your jokes are always expensive" She said in disbelief.

"I understand you won't be able to believe that, anyway, you can feel more at ease here because no one will find us here for the mean time" he said.

"What is your name?" She asked looking at the guy that just risked his life for her.

"Sapphire Sullivan, ma homies call me SKY! But I was foolish enough to fly all the way from New York City to a goddamn Badland to meet a stranger!" He ridiculed.

"Sorry, your name isn't all that important especially when you are nothing but a jerk!"

She walked away hurriedly from him and went to get a better look at the sea.

She will be fine again, she will and by then, she will get back at him.

"The sea is deep, don't get inside except you want to feed the sharks with your delicate skin" He called after her.

He added when she didn't say anything;

"Half of Badlands is covered by water and that's why it's sometimes very hard for people to get in and get the bad guys because they all know how to swim"

"Some people are afraid of setting their foot here unlike some foolish ones that come here to get slaughtered" he snorted.

She glared at him and wished he's close enough for her to punch his gulls out.

"What do you care, giraffe?"

"I don't want to be tagged a bad animal, Dummy!"

He went into the hut to see if anything or anyone has invaded it for the two months he has been away.

"Just pray I don't survive this because I love vengeance!"

"Keep your voice down, Tyrant and a group of angry troops are searching for you, clearly! If you keep ranting, we are doomed!"

"Who cares?!"

"I don't, but you sure do" he laughed in mockery.