“Come on,” Jamie said placing his hand on my shoulder.
I nodded and turned toward my room. The steps we took were slow and careful… nearly soundless.
When we were in my room, I was about to sit on my bed when I stopped. I was afraid that sitting on the spring mattress would echo through the entire neighborhood.
I couldn’t do anything but stand there in my wet clothes shivering. Jamie placed his arm around my shoulder and my body tensed. I was sure he’d noticed, but he didn’t let go.
“It’s going to be okay, Gwen,” Jamie said softly in my ear. “They won’t find us. Even if they do, we have the advantage in the darkness. We see them coming.”
“We still only have knives.”
The tears that started to leak out of the corners of my eyes were so warm it felt as though they were burning my cheeks. It felt like everything was crumbling down around me. Maybe it would have been better to have died with the rest of the world.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Jamie said, squeezing me tighter.
“You won’t be able to stop them,” I said stepping away from him. I didn’t want to hear his words. I lowered my voice softer than a whisper. “We need to be quiet. You should go.”
Jamie shook his head. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Go, Jamie,” I said, my tone steady even though my lip quivered. “Leave.”
He’d looked as though I’d punched him in the stomach, but he held up both hands. His eyes were glued to me as he backed out of my room. I could tell he was hoping I’d change my mind and ask him to stay.
Jamie didn’t close the door behind him, but he walked out of view. The tears wouldn’t stop, not even after I curled up on the floor and pressed my face into the pillow I’d pulled off of my bed.
Even though it was silent, I couldn’t stop imagining the men storming into my apartment and coming into my bedroom. They looked down at me and all I could see with the big round circles filled with darkness where their eyes should have been.
I pulled my legs tight to my chest, hoping my tears would warm my wet, cold, shivering body. I was lost. It didn’t feel like there was anything left I could do.
I just wanted everything to end. The sooner they came, the sooner it would be over.
There was a soft knock at the door, and a small gasp escaped from between my lips. A small part of me wondered if the men would be standing there, but then I realized they wouldn’t knock.
I turned my head slightly and saw Bronx’s shadow in my doorway. His hand dropped down from the door frame and fell heavily to his side.
He took a step into my room, both hands that had been clenched into tight fists, relaxed. “They’re gone.”
Twenty-Three
He knelt down on the ground next to me and let out a breath. I couldn’t move, or maybe I just didn’t have the energy to move.
“They left about ten minutes ago. It seemed as though they checked out a few more buildings before walking back through the yard. I think they gave up,” Bronx said.
“Maybe for the night,” I said, my voice lacking emotion.
Bronx reached out and lightly brushed away the icy tear that started to roll down my cheek. I could feel him staring at me through the darkness.
“Everything is going to be okay,” Bronx said softly.
“I’m really getting sick of hearing that. Things are already so far from okay it’s not even funny,” I muttered.
Bronx sighed. “Okay, you’re right. But we’ll figure this out. We’ll get them back.”
“If they’re even still alive.” It was my turn to sigh. “Maybe we should just go. I’d rather drown in the flood water than get shot in the head by one of those guys.”
Bronx didn’t say anything. He was probably trying to come up with a way to convince me that finding them was what we needed to do. If that was the case, he was struggling to find the words… not that there were any.
I shivered, and he touched my hand. “You’re freezing.”
“I fell into the water, remember?” My tone even annoyed me.
“We should probably get you changed,” Bronx said getting to his feet. “Where can I find something for you to change into?”
I didn’t answer. It was frustrating that I wanted him to leave me alone, but at the same time, I couldn’t be alone.
“Let’s see,” he said peering at my dresser through the darkness. He pulled the t-shirt I had set down on the top of earlier and looked at it. “How about this?”
“Sure,” I said without looking.
“Okay, well then, let’s get you out of that soaking wet shirt,” Bronx said, with a chuckle. “That sounds like a really bad pickup line, but trust me, I can barely see you in the dark.”
I pushed myself up, but my body felt like it was made of ice. My bones were frozen stiff.
“It’s fine,” I said, my fingers stiff and shaky as I tried to grab the hem of my shirt. My arms were practically useless.
“Let me help,” Bronx said moving behind me. He placed his hands on my arms and guided them over my head. I couldn’t stop shivering as he pulled my wet shirt over my body and quickly replaced it with the dry one he’d found.
He pulled the blanket off of my bed and wrapped it around my shoulders easing me back to the floor.
“Why aren’t you on the bed?” he asked as he moved down to my feet.
“It’s too noisy,” I said as he pulled off my shoes. “I should probably keep those on in case we need to run.”
“Do you have a dry pair?” Bronx’s hand slid up my leg and over my thigh.
His hand felt like a hot coal moving over my frozen body. He popped the button of my pants with ease and wiggled them down my legs.
“In the closet,” I said wrapping myself tighter in the blanket. “I’ll worry about it later.”
“I’d rather you had some just in case,” Bronx said.
“How about pants first?”
He blew out a sharp breath between his lips. “Right. Where can I find a dry pair of those?”
“On the chair.”
Bronx reached over and pulled the wrinkled up knit pants off of the chair near the dresser. I could feel his eyes on me as he slipped my feet inside the warm fabric.
“I got it,” I said pulling away from him slightly.
In the darkness, I could see him raising both palms up in the air as he inched back.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “Was just trying to help.”
“I know, and I appreciate it,” I said putting my head back down on the pillow. “Thanks to you I can feel my fingers again.”
“Of course, anything else I can do? I could stumble my way into the kitchen and find you something to eat,” Bronx said looking over his shoulder. “Might help warm you up.”
I shook my head even though he probably couldn’t see the movement in the darkness. “No, thanks, I’m good.”
“You sure? It’s no trouble.”
“Yeah, I’m not even a little hungry.”
“Okay,” he said moving closer to my head. “I’ll let you get some rest then.”
I wanted to laugh, but I figured I’d been rude enough for the day. It wasn’t like I was going to be getting any sleep and even if I did, it wouldn’t even come close to being restful.
“Sure,” I said.
Bronx leaned over and kissed the top of my head. He hesitated for a moment before getting to his feet.
“I’ll let you know if anything changes out there,” Bronx said.
“Thanks.”
“If you need anything, just let me know,” Bronx said turning to leave the room before waiting for a response. He hadn’t even given me the chance to tell him I could take care of myself.
Maybe he didn’t think I could.
Maybe he was right.
I hadn’t managed my life well before the attack, and it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that I wouldn’t be able to manage it after either. But that didn’t mean I
was just going to sit back and let everyone go out of their way to take care of me. I was starting to wonder if some of the things going through my mind, were the same things that had crossed Maggie’s mind as she’d laid on the floor staring at the wall.
Then again, maybe what had gone through her mind had been completely different. For all I’d known, she’d managed her life perfectly right up until the attack.
Even though my body had warmed significantly, I shivered. I didn’t want to be alone.
With my blanket wrapped around me, I made my way into the living room. Jamie was on the sofa, but his bright eyes cut through the darkness. Bronx was sitting near the window with his back to the wall. His eyes were closed, but I could tell by each breath he took that he was still awake.
“You okay?” Jamie asked peering at me through the blackness.
“Yes,” I said my voice soft and raspy. “Didn’t want to be alone.”
“Don’t blame you,” Jamie said.
I laid down on the floor in the same spot my brother had claimed as his own. My eyes focused on the ceiling watching for glints of light that might pierce through the window and stab the walls.
The rain had slowed to a soft barely audible drizzle. In the distance, I could occasionally hear a soft rumble. It sounded like the storm was finally leaving which would hopefully mean that the flooding would soon recede. Not that we could wait for that to happen because I’m sure Nick and the others were living on borrowed time.
“We can try again tomorrow night,” Bronx said, his voice floating through the air like smoke.
“What if they try again tomorrow?” Jamie said the exact same thing I was thinking.
“What if we set up a light in another apartment?” Bronx asked.
Jamie blew out a puff of air. “That won’t work for long. They’ll know we’re in here somewhere.”
“What if it’s enough to distract them long enough that we can find where they’re hiding our friends?” Bronx asked.
“Seems too risky,” Jamie said.
There was a long pause. When neither of them spoke, I’d assumed they’d run out of ideas.
“Maybe they won’t bother to check here again. If they did, that would suggest that they're suspicious,” I said. “We could watch and see if they go out again tomorrow night.”
“Or maybe I should go out on my own,” Bronx said. “Hmm, yeah, I could look for them on my own, follow them.”
“No,” I said sitting up slightly. I wanted to look at him to see if he was serious.
Bronx hugged his knees to his chest. “It could be the best chance we have to find them.”
“We can’t lose you too,” I said swallowing hard.
“You won’t lose me. It’s riskier for all of us to go. If it’s just me—”
“No,” I said sharply. “Just no.”
Jamie shifted around. “Maybe it’s not a terrible idea.”
I turned my neck so fast I thought I gave myself whiplash. Jamie probably couldn’t see me glaring at him, but I was.
“I know I can do it without being seen. Gwen,” Bronx said getting to his feet, “this could be our only shot.”
My head was shaking so rapidly I could feel my brain moving around in my skull. If I would have had any tears left, they would have been running down my cheeks. I fought off the sourness that was bubbling up in my stomach.
“You can’t do this,” I said my voice scratching the back of my throat.
“It’ll be fine,” Bronx said avoiding my eyes. “I’ll be back before morning.”
He glanced out the window before pulling on his shoes. They were still so wet they squished when he slipped his foot inside.
I walked over to him and placed my hand on his bicep. He looked down at my hand, holding his gaze for a moment before shifting his eyes to meet mine.
“Bronx,” I whispered shaking my head. I wondered if he could see the fear in my eyes.
If he could, he ignored it. He stepped away from me and over to the counter, taking the flashlight in hand.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Bronx said over his shoulder.
“Please don’t go,” I begged. I walked over to him and stood behind him, following him as he walked to the door. “Let’s talk about this.”
He looked out of the peephole, but surely he couldn’t see anything. His fingers wrapped around the doorknob.
“There isn’t anything to talk about.” Bronx turned to the side. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Bronx! No!” I said doing my best to keep my voice down. My fingers dug into the thick muscle of his arm.
Bronx opened the door and pulled away from me, stepping out into the hallway. He disappeared into the darkness.
Twenty-Four
I took a step after him, but Jamie pulled me back into the apartment. He closed and locked the door before I could do anything… not that I knew what to do.
“It’s going to be okay,” Jamie said softly. “If anyone can do this, it’s Bronx.”
“Oh please,” I groaned. “You’re just happy he’s out there and not you.”
His jaw dropped down, stunned at my words. “Is that what you think of me?”
I couldn’t respond. It wasn’t Jamie’s fault that Bronx was out there, he was just the closest target.
I walked over to the window and peered out of the small opening between the window frame and the curtain. Jamie stepped up to the other side of the window
“I would go out there if I had to,” Jamie said after a long moment. There was still no sign of Bronx.
“I’m sorry,” I said my voice below a whisper. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“But you meant it.”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “I didn’t mean it. You don’t see me out there, and it’s my brother.”
Several minutes passed. I could hear Jamie’s soft breathing as I looked out the window searching for any signs of Bronx.
“Hey,” I said lightly touching Jamie’s arm and letting my hand fall back at my side.
“Yeah?”
“I really am sorry for saying that. It was awful, and I didn’t mean it.” I bit my lip when he didn’t say anything. “I hope you can forgive me.”
Jamie turned slightly and flashed me a half-grin. “Already have.”
I smiled back, but it wasn’t much of a smile. Not because I didn’t mean it, but because I was worried sick and it was the best I could manage.
My words had already done their damage. Jamie may have said he’d forgiven me, but I could tell what I’d said had still stung him.
“Where is he?” I muttered. It was odd that we hadn’t seen him by now. He had to have made his way through the first floor and out the window… unless of course there had been some kind of hold up.
There hadn’t been any ripples from movement or glints of light from his flashlight in the water.
“He’s stealthy,” Jamie said.
“Or something happened.”
“If something would have happened, we would have seen something by now.” Jamie placed his hand on the wall. “It’s a good sign that we can’t see him.”
I shook my head. “Why?”
“Because if we can’t see him neither can they.”
Over what felt like hours, Jamie and I took turns staring out the window. Not once had either of us seen any sign of Bronx or anyone else for that matter.
My stomach was in knots with worry. What if something happened? What if he wouldn’t come back? What if we lost all of them and it was only Jamie and I left?
The questions repeated in my head. Even when I was lying on the floor, squeezing my eyes shut, the questions didn’t stop looping through my mind.
“You should try to get some rest,” Jamie said, his voice cutting through the silence so sharply I jumped. “We don’t know what tomorrow will hold.”
“I don’t think I can sleep.” I swallowed hard. “At least not until he’s back.”
“Oh,” Jamie said
. “I see.”
I couldn’t see his expression through the darkness, but he sounded… hurt.
“It’s just that I’m worried,” I said sitting and hugging my legs to my chest. “Just as I would be if it were you out there.”
“But not Nick? Blair?” Jamie cleared his throat. “Or Maggie?”
I looked down at my sock covered feet. I never did get my spare shoes.
“With Nick it’s complicated, and I don’t really know Blair or Maggie.” I shook my head as I finished my sentence. “Of course, that doesn’t mean I want anything to happen to them.”
“Seems to me you didn’t really know Bronx all that well either,” Jamie said.
I opened my mouth but snapped it shut. He was right. I hadn’t known him that much better than the others. Maybe I’d spent a little more time with him than Blair or Maggie, but not all that much.
There had been a connection with Bronx. I didn’t really know how to explain it. I wasn’t even sure if I understood it.
“I guess not,” I said with a shrug. “It’s just stressful. Maybe it’s all just getting to me.”
I opened my mouth although I wasn’t sure what I was going to say but luckily a soft tap on the door stopped my thoughts. Jamie and I locked eyes for a moment before he soundlessly moved across the floor.
He looked out of the peephole and looked at me over his shoulder. A smile curled up at the ends of his lips.
“He’s back,” Jamie said as he twisted the doorknob.
Twenty-Five
Bronx stood near the door soaking wet. Droplets of water fell from the peaks of his drenched hair down onto the floor.
There was a touch of light on the walls from the sun that was just starting to rise. Bronx shivered, and looked up, meeting my eyes.
“I found them,” Bronx said his voice hard.
“You did?” I said, my voice scratching my throat like sandpaper.
“I think so,” Bronx said checking the lock on the door before kicking off his shoes. He shivered again before pulling off his shirt revealing his hard six-pack. “But it’s not going to be easy to get to them.”
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 13