by Dawn, M. K.
People turned their heads to stare. “Keep your voice down. You know the rules.”
Her nostrils flared. “Screw the rules. Angie is family, and if there is something going on that I should know about—”
“Then she’ll tell you.” Sloan stood to leave, not at all hungry.
Britney followed close behind but kept quiet until they were alone in the hall. “Please, Sloan. If something’s wrong…”
“Why do you always assume the worst?”
“Look at us!” Britney threw her hands in the air. “We’re livin’ in a fuckin’ prison! There are monsters everywhere. People that we love keep dyin’. What do you want me to do? Think happy thoughts? Pretend everythin’ is sunshine and rainbows? Well, I can’t!”
Sloan didn’t know what to say. She’d seen Britney upset before but never like this. “I’m sorry. It’s...Angie’s pregnant.”
Britney gasped. “What? How?”
Sloan cocked her head. “Is that rhetorical?”
“You know what I mean!” Britney snapped. “How could she be so stu—” She caught herself. “Sorry, that’s...I’m just...I can’t imagine.”
“It’s not like she planned this.” Sloan took her sister’s hand. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Scary but not bad.”
Tears streamed down Britney’s cheeks as she gasped for air. “This is all too much. I’m scared all the time. How am I supposed to live like this when all I want to do is curl up and die?”
“I know.” Sloan pulled her into a hug. “But you can’t give up. Your kids need you. We all do.”
Her tears come harder. “What if I can’t? What if I’m not strong enough?”
“You are.” Sloan brushed the hair from Britney’s face. “Don’t let the fear win, Brit. Promise me you’ll keep fighting.” When she didn’t answer, Sloan pressed. “Promise me.”
Britney nodded against Sloan’s shoulder. “I promise.”
“Good. Should we go find the children? I’m surprised they weren’t at dinner.”
Britney moved out of Sloan’s embrace and wiped her face with the palms of her hands. “They’re with Maria. The chef, who Maria is dating, put together a picnic dinner for them to take back to our cell block. They were going to take showers and play games.”
It surprised Sloan that Britney had agreed to let them out of her sight for so long. “That's a nice little break for you.”
Britney snuffled a little. “Not really. It’s almost more stressful when I’m not with them.”
“Come on.” Sloan looped her arm in the crook of Britney’s elbow. “Let’s go check on them.”
“Okay.” Britney laid her head on Sloan’s shoulder as they made their way to the cell block. But before they entered, she stopped and faced her sister. “Thank you for tellin’ me about Angie. I know how difficult that is for you...to break your Hippocratic oath and all. It means a lot.”
As difficult as it was to admit to herself, it hadn’t really bothered Sloan as much as she thought it should. Before the world fell, she would have never done such a thing. “You’re welcome. I’m sure Angie won’t mind, but maybe don’t say anything in case she’s keeping it quiet? I wouldn’t want to break her trust.”
“I won’t say a thing. Promise.” Britney jerked her head to the right. “Do you hear that?”
The low rumbled of a vehicle reverberated off the surrounding trees. “A truck?”
Britney perked up. “Do you think they’re back?”
“Perhaps.” Headlights broke through the trees, followed by the Humvee. Relief washed over Sloan. “It’s them. I’ll let the board know.”
Britney took a step closer and squinted. “Weren’t there three vehicles?”
“There were.” Though now she only saw two.
“Shit.” Britney clasped her chest. “You don’t think…”
Sloan moved to Britney’s side. “Don’t jump to conclusions. They could have had trouble with the other truck. Ran out of gas. These things happen more often than not. But they have U-Haul trailers hooked to the back of both vehicles. That’s a good sign.”
“If you say so.”
They stood there and watched as the vehicles approached the gate.
“I thought you were going to get the other board members?” Britney asked.
She was, but now a small ounce of fear had trickled inside her and she needed to see that Archer and Axel were both okay. “Give me a moment.”
“It’s okay to be scared, you know. We all are. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”
For a second, Sloan felt like the younger sister she was. “Thank you.”
The Humvee pulled past the gates and parked. Axel emerged from the driver’s door while Archer exited the opposite side.
Draped in darkness, Sloan couldn’t be certain, but it appeared as if Archer was limping. It wasn’t until he moved in front of the headlights that Sloan caught a glimpse of his injuries.
“Wow, Archer looks bad.”
Sloan ignored Britney and took off sprinting across the lawn.
Archer held out his arms. “Hey! We’re back.”
She slowed and approached him cautiously, taking time to examine his face. “What happened? You look awful.”
“Nice to see you too, babe.”
To their right, Britney threw herself in Axel’s arms.
Archer snorted. “Why don’t I get greeted like that?”
“Axel didn’t come back injured.” Sloan moved behind him. “Where else are you hurt? How did this happen? Your forehead needs stitches.”
“Take it easy, Slash. I’m all right.” Archer wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close with a grimace.
“Obviously.” Sloan gave him a small kiss to appease him before she ordered him to the infirmary. “You need an examination. Are there any others injured?”
Axel and Archer chanced a quick glance at one another, probably hoping the women would not see.
No such luck.
“What happened?” Britney asked. “The other truck? Where is it?”
Axel hung his head. “Come on, babe. I tell you on the way. I miss the kids.”
“Okay.” Britney laced her fingers in his, and they left holding hands.
Sloan turned her attention back to Archer. “What happened out there?”
“It’s a long story.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “Tell you on the way to the infirmity?”
“You’re not going to fight me on this?”
Archer slung an arm over her shoulder. “Would I have won?”
“No.”
“That’s what I thought. And I’m too tired, in too much pain to argue.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. Archer never complained about pain. “Come on. I have just what you need.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “No argument here.”
***
“Almost done.” Sloan checked Archer’s face for any signs of pain but saw none. “How are you feeling?”
Archer closed his eyes with a sigh. “Much better. These pills are amazing.”
“Yes, well, don’t get used to them. We have very few on hand and only give them to patients in dire need of some relief.”
“Like me.” Archer ran a hand up the front of Sloan’s thigh. “You know what other part of me needs some relief?”
Heat pooled in Sloan’s core, wreaking havoc on her senses. She needed to keep her head if she was going to finish up closing his wound. “Archer, please remove your hand. I’m trying to work.”
“And you look so sexy doing it.”
Sloan finished the suture with a surgical knot and snapped off her gloves. “All done. Let me clean up and we’ll head back to our room.”
“Or.” Archer swung his legs over the side and sat up. “We could say here tonight.”
“Why would we stay here?” She tossed the used supplies in the trash bin and washed her hands. When she went to turn around, she jumped back, startled at Archer’s close proximity. �
�What are you doing?”
He answered with a long, sensual kiss that left her breathless.
“How long has it been since we’ve been alone?” he whispered in her ear.
The heat of his breath on her neck made it difficult to think. “Um, I’m not sure.”
“Two months,” he ran his hands along her hips and dug his fingers into the flesh of her backside “one week,” then pulled her pelvis into the bulge pressing against his pants, “four days.”
She released a small moan, her body in desperate need of some sexual release. But the doctor in her was a practical one and knew her patient needed rest. “I’m not sure this is a good idea considering your condition.”
He squatted just enough to rub his erection along the lowest part of her abdomen. The close proximity of their nether regions caused Sloan to arch her back in response.
Archer left a trail of kisses down her neck, stopping at the line of her scooped-neck shirt. “You want this as much as I do.”
She did, very much so. Still, something inside her pulled back. “I’m not sure this is the place.”
He lifted his head, and their eyes met. “Slash? We don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just thought…”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Her eyes swept over his face. “You’re just,” emotions overwhelmed her, “all the bruises and cuts and scrapes. You could have died and I would have never seen you again.”
Archer cupped her cheek. “I’m fine, Slash. Really, I am. Well, besides the very painful hard-on I have going right now. You wouldn’t happen to know a doctor who could help with that?”
Sloan couldn’t help but laugh. He always knew how to make light of a situation. “You really feel up to this? You’re not just saying that because you’re aroused?”
“Oh, I’m horny as hell.” Archer slid his hands under her shirt and up her ribcage, lifting her sports bra and seizing her breasts. His thumbs skimmed her nipples, teasing them until they were hard. “What about you, Slash?”
She had no words to respond. The needs of her body outweighed any logical thoughts she might have. So instead of speaking, she raised her hands over her head and allowed Archer to remove her top and bra.
His lips found her nipples, followed by his tongue. After going so long without sex, it wouldn’t take much to push both of them over the edge.
“Couch,” she managed as his mouth brought her closer and closer to orgasm.
As he guided them across the room, Sloan worked on Archer’s clothing. By the time they reached the couch, both were naked.
Archer sat first, followed by Sloan who straddled his waist and eased herself down on his rigid length. The penetration was almost too much to bear, but she held back, wanting to relish in the moment.
Their bodies worked together flawlessly, hips rocking back and forth in the most intoxicating of ways. At some point, their lips found each other with deep, sensual kisses that only intensified their love-making.
Archer’s fingers dug into her flesh, and with one last thrust, they reached climax. Her back arched as she continued to glide along his manhood, not sated after months of going without.
With a small chuckle, Archer laid her on her back and grinned. “Guess I started this.”
Sloan squirmed as he kissed her just below her breasts. “I offered to let you rest.”
“Oh, I will…later. Much, much,” he emphasized each with a kiss, “later.”
***
“Well, well,” Axel approached with a smirk. “Where have you two been all night?”
Sloan had never been shy about sex. It was human nature, after all. Still, she felt heat creep along her cheeks as Britney gave her husband a hard elbow to the ribs.
“Leave Sloan alone.”
Molly laughed. “That rhymes, Mommy.”
Britney patted her daughter on the head. “Go see if Uncle Archer needs any help.”
Archer poked his head from around the back of the Humvee. “Maybe if you guys were here earlier, you know, at the crack of dawn like us.”
Sloan too was surprised that they hadn’t arrived earlier seeing how anxious Britney was to leave. “We should be ready to go soon. There wasn’t much to pack.”
“We have our bag.” Britney dropped a small duffle at Blake’s feet. “Take that to Uncle Archer, sweetie.”
He huffed a little but did as he was told.
Sloan watched her nephew storm off. “Is he okay?”
“He doesn’t want to leave.”
“Really?” Sloan had thought just two days ago she overheard him talking with Molly and Tyler about how excited he was to see the beach. “What’s changed?”
Britney cocked her head to the right. “They did?”
Sloan followed her line of sight and saw Angie, Dr. Williams, and Tyler approaching. “Oh.”
“Hey.” Angie moved closer to Dr. Williams. “Do I even need to say it?”
“You’re staying.” Sloan smiled at Dr. Williams. “Congratulations.”
He tipped his head then pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Thank you. We’re over the moon thrilled by this little miracle.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.” Sloan looked to Tyler. “Are you staying?”
He grabbed on to Angie’s hand. “Yes. The baby’s going to need a big brother.”
Blake came stomping back. “Then I’m staying, too.”
Over the past few years, Britney’s children had grown rather fond of Angie. And Tyler, Carson’s best friend, was like a big brother to them.
“You can’t stay, Blake.” Molly tugged on her brother’s shirt. “We have to go with Mom and Dad.”
Blake furrowed his brow. “This isn’t fair. We’re family and family should stay together.”
Britney crouched next to her son. “Angie and Tyler and now Dr. Williams and baby will always be our family, no matter where they are. Remember when Auntie Sloan lived far away? She was still your aunt.”
“Yeah, but then we had phones and tablets. We could just call her. But we won’t be able to do that with Angie.” He sniffed back tears. “What if we don’t ever see her again?”
“No siree,” Angie knelt before him. “We do not think that way. One day, we’ll all see each other again. Might not be soon, but one day, you’ll see. Now you go and take care of your mama and sister, ya hear? They need you.”
Blake nodded.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.” He threw his arms around Angie’s neck.
Angie hugged him tightly. “I’m gonna miss you, too. Molly, come get in on all this.”
Molly didn’t need to be told twice. She launched herself at Angie and formed a group hug.
For the first time, Sloan wondered if they were making the right decision, splitting up. But when Kat showed up and memories of what Archer had told her last night about how she was willing to leave him behind, she remembered why leaving was for the best.
“Looks like y’all are all packed up.” She peeked into the back. It was the first time Sloan ever heard her speak outdoors. “Y’all seem to be short on supplies, though.”
Axel crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
“No.” The corner of Kat’s mouth lifted into a half smile as she waved an arm in the air. Ten men headed toward them, all with bags in hand. “We thought since without your help, we wouldn’t have gotten any of our latest supplies, that some of it should go with you.”
Britney moved next to Axel. “You’re giving us supplies?”
Kat raised an eyebrow. “You sound surprised?”
Sloan went to stop Britney from speaking any further on the matter but she wasn’t fast enough.
“Very.” Britney watched, eyes wide as the men put everything in the back. “Most people wouldn’t do that.”
“Like I’ve been trying to tell ya, we’re not like most people.” Kat leaned against the side of the Humvee. “I also had them pack ya some dried meat.”
Britney choked b
ack tears. “Oh, my God, I could hug you. Thank you so much.”
Kat chuckled and turned to Archer, hand extended. “Just want to make sure there are no hard feelings. Leavin’ ya was nothing personal. Glad it all worked out in the end.”
When did four people dead equate to working out in the end?
Archer shook her hand. “We do what we have to do to survive.” And he left it at that.
Sam and Maria arrived a few minutes later to see everyone off.
Maria cried while Sam seemed like he had more pressing matters to attend to. At the farm, Sloan hadn’t really known Sam. Maria trained under her to learn basic medical treatments. She did well and should probably let someone know. Dr. Williams could use the help. Sloan would make sure to mention it before they departed.
With a final wave goodbye, Maria and Sam left.
Angie and Tyler made one last round, hugging and kissing everyone a final time. Tears fell and they lingered outside the Humvee longer than expected.
Finally, they settled into the Humvee, the kids, Sloan, and Britney in the back, Axel driving, and Archer in the passenger seat.
The gates were opened, and the guards waved them through.
Axel paused at the tree line. “Are we sure about this? It’s not too late to go back.”
“No.” Britney hugged her children close. “No going back. We keep moving forward.”
Chapter eleven
Axel
“We need to find a place to stop for a few nights,” Britney whispered over the seat. “The kids can’t take much more of this.”
Axel glanced back at his sleeping children in the rearview mirror. They’d spent the last ten hours in the Humvee, only stopping a couple of times for bathroom breaks. The kids hadn’t complained much, but they had been getting restless before falling asleep.
Archer took a quick peek at the dashboard. “We’re going to need fuel, too. Not sure how that’s going to work.”
They’d been lucky living on the farm. They rarely left and when they did, hadn’t gone far. But now crossing several states, diesel was something they all knew would be an issue. It wasn’t that it was hard to find, the problem was how much it had deteriorated. Sure, a car could run on it but it could also cause a lot of damage to the engine. But what choice did they have? It was either risk it or find another mode of transportation.