The terrified shouts and painful cries from Suzette kept Katrina frozen with fear. The same chilling sound she'd heard in her premonition. Katrina saw no face in her vision, just raised red welts on someone's dark skin, and of course, the unforgettable screech of their cry.

Men rushed past her, following Felix, as they charged toward the other woman. Manuel stood near his wife with a torch, trying to set fire to something. Between Felix and three other men, they were able to pull Suzette away from the bank of water toward drier land.

I'd been at that section of water. Fear pierced through Katrina again.

Katrina gingerly approached Suzette. Red welts—the same as in Katrina's vision—covered the woman's arms and face. Her nose and lips appeared larger than normal.

As the men lay her on the ground, Manuel rushed to his wife and cautiously began to remove her clothes. Murmurs grew from the other men, and the words fire ants were heard. Katrina sucked in a quick breath, watching as each layer of clothes was removed, and in the process, more red welts were revealed on Suzette's arms and legs.

Katrina's stomach leapt and she placed a hand over her mouth to keep from losing what little food she'd eaten today. That could have been me!

Suzette's sobs were unlike anything Katrina had ever heard, and she felt helpless just standing and watching. She didn't want to get too close, because the men were still finding ants hidden in Suzette's clothes. Once the insects were freed, the men torched the ants to kill them.

Shivering, Katrina rubbed her hands up and down her arms, grateful that hadn't happened to her.

Another man with a medical handbag knelt beside Suzette. Katrina uttered a prayer of relief that Felix had brought a physician with them on the trek. The man's skin was darker than the others, and a few gray strands streaked his black hair, but his body was just as robust as the rest.

"We must leave this area immediately," Felix said to the doctor. "But is she well enough to travel?"

Worried lines creased the man's face as he shook his head. "We should not move her, but I agree, we cannot stay here, either. Have the others quickly make a stretcher to carry her on."

Before Felix could issue orders, his men were already searching the area for branches or anything useful to make the stretcher. The doctor smeared cream on Suzette's welts, making her cry out again.

Katrina stepped beside Felix and touched his shoulder. His head swung around, and he locked gazes with her. His expression was filled with concern, and her stomach twisted tighter.

"What can I do to help?"

He motioned his head toward his crew scurrying around and scavenging the area. "Help them carry the branches. You will be more use to them than to Suzette right now."

"All right, I will." Katrina glanced at Suzette one last time. The pain written on her expression brought tears to Katrina's eyes. Silently, she said another prayer that Suzette would not become any worse and the doctor could heal her quickly.

In less than twenty minutes, a makeshift stretcher was fashioned, and Manuel gently laid his wife upon it. Moaning in pain, tears slid from the corner of Suzette's eyes. Once again, Katrina felt an overwhelming helplessness sweep through her, and she wished she could do more to assist her new friend.

Why hadn't she done anything about the forewarning she'd seen? Katrina should have left Felix's side and gone in search of... Frowning, she shook her head. She hadn't seen enough in her vision to stop it from happening.

As they resumed their hike, the group moved slower than before. The men carrying the stretcher took careful steps, but Suzette still bounced causing her to cry out.

Because Katrina had nobody to walk with, she decided to stay close to Felix. Hopefully, he wouldn't be in a foul disposition—although with what happened to Suzette, Katrina would certainly understand if he was. When she reached his side, he was mumbling. As she listened closer, he kept repeating the phrase shouldn't have happened in between other disjointed words. For the first few moments, he didn't notice her, so she kept quiet and eavesdropped.

While she was concentrating on deciphering his mumblings, her toe hit a rock and she stumbled. To keep from falling to her knees, she grasped his arm. His attention jerked toward her, eyes wide with question.

"Forgive me," she said hesitantly, composing herself. "I tripped over a rock."

He nodded, but didn't say anything.

It surprised her that he didn't make any comment. "Mr. Knightly, are you all right?" she asked.

Taking a deep breath, he scratched his cheek. "I'm just confused."

"About what?"

He peeked back at Suzette before returning his attention to Katrina. "The fire ants. I have been in this part of the jungle so many times I've lost count. Not once in all these years have I seen the ants at that particular stream. If I had known they were there, I wouldn't have stopped."

Confusion swept through her and she shook her head. "Then why were the ants there this time?"

He shrugged. "I wish I knew."

"How very odd."

"Indeed, it is."

"What are you going to do about Suzette?"

A gush of air whooshed out of his mouth. "She really needs to rest. I will find a spot shortly for us to make camp."

She nodded, relieved they'd be stopping for Suzette, and Katrina would also be able to rest her tired limbs. "That is probably very wise, but...what about tomorrow? Will she be well enough to travel then?"

He sneaked another glance back at Suzette before meeting Katrina's gaze. "I fear she won't recover that fast. Fire ants are known for swarming over their prey quickly, and by the look of her welts, I'd say the insects covered most of her body."

"Yes, it does appear that way," she muttered as her stomach lurched from remembering Suzette's awful screams, and the terror that had raced through Katrina while she'd watched.

"However," he continued, "I think we may have to make a detour in our journey. The town of Manaus is only about three hours west of here. There are people who will care for Suzette better than we could." His frown deepened. "I hope you don't mind going a few hours out of our way. It puts us behind schedule, but this cannot be helped."

"I agree." Ignoring his previous warning, she touched his forearm. "I don't mind at all. Suzette's health is more important."

His footsteps faltered, and his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She waited for him to say something, but he just continued to stare as he walked. Suddenly, a low-hanging branch struck his face. He flinched and quickly pulled away from her, slapping the branch away with his hand. The leaves were probably soft, but she was certain the wood was not. She tried her hardest not to laugh at his blunder. That'll teach him to watch where he's going.

Felix didn't say anything about the tree as they continued to tread side by side. He didn't meet her eyes, and she wondered if he was a little embarrassed. After all, he was the guide and was supposed to know better than to take his attention off the path.

They hiked a little farther in silence. During this time, she couldn't stop her gaze from roaming over his physique. He really was a ruggedly handsome man, even if he infuriated her constantly. The humidity coated his body with moisture. With his dark hair damp, there was a slight wave to the length. The beige shirt he wore was also wet with his sweat. She enjoyed watching him run his fingers through his hair when he was deep in thought. She especially liked it when his intense gaze held a hint of interest.

Men had courted her a few times over the past years, but she'd never found any man that she'd liked well enough to be her husband. It didn't matter if she'd been raised in a tavern and had a working mother who did her best to provide shelter and food, Katrina had always wanted more than what the customers at the pub offered. Now as she gazed upon Mr. Knightly, she realized he was the kind of man she'd been dreaming about most of her life.

However, she could do without his sour disposition. She could also do without his commanding authority.

"Miss Landon, might I inquire as to why you are staring at me?" he asked without turning to look her way.

Embarrassment flushed through her, making her cheeks burn. "I—I—" She quickly cleared her throat. "What makes you think I'm staring at you?"

A light chuckle bubbled up from his throat. "Do you not think I know when a woman is watching me?"

She didn't believe her cheeks could feel any hotter, but they did. "Well, forgive me. I assure you it won't happen again."

This time he turned and met her gaze. His lips twitched as if he tried not to grin.

"If you say so, Miss Landon."

Oh, that arrogant rogue! She wanted to slap him across the face for being so cocksure of himself...and for being so blasted handsome. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep her eyes off him. With a man as strikingly good looking as Felix Knightly, how could any woman keep her focus on anything else?