“For the time we can use it,” Nick said as I stomped away back to the window. I sat down heavily and pressed my face down into my palms.
I let out a long breath. My fingertips felt numb as I rested the gun against the wall next to me.
I didn’t have to turn around to know that Nick’s eyes were on me, but I pretended that it wasn’t happening. If I turned, he’d see exactly how upset I was, and I didn’t want him to know.
I had been sure that I could do what needed to be done, but I hadn’t been able to do anything. All I’d done was stand there and watch as Tom practically robbed us in front of me.
A soft sigh escaped from between my lips. I could feel the warm liquid starting to fill the corner of my eye, and the feeling of it caused rage to bubble up inside of my veins.
I leaned forward, reaching for the gun. There was still time to do something about it. What? I didn’t know. But there had to be something.
I’d force him to leave. He could stay out in the barn for all I cared. Tom needed to get out of my grandma’s house.
Before my fingertips touched the gun, I heard something against the window. It took a moment, but I recognized the pitter-patters tapping against the windowpane. My heartbeat quickened to match the pace of the falling rain.
I pulled the curtain back and touched the glass as I smiled. My lips curled upward more and more as my grin grew at the rain pouring down out of the gray clouds.
A gift.
A miracle.
Whatever it was, it meant Tom could leave soon. And I couldn’t wait for that moment.
Chapter 26
It had been at least twenty-four hours since the rain started. I wanted to send Tom and his family away. Sure, I felt a little bad about sending Milo out there, but they’d be okay. It was just rain.
It wasn’t like it was hailing, or the wind was blowing hard. There wasn’t even lightning. Just a slow, steady rain. So, what if they got a little wet?
Bronx and Nick both reminded me that they’d be gone soon enough. It wouldn’t rain forever. Although I was tempted to point them to a time not that long ago that it had rained for a long time, I opted not to. Instead, I wanted to try to remain positive.
We were all sitting around in the living room. I was holding my book and listening to the beautiful rain.
Bronx was next to me, and every once in a while, he’d look over at me. He’d stare for a moment and then turn away, so I didn’t see his smile.
He could see just how happy I was about Tom leaving. If only it could happen sooner.
It was hard to know exactly what time of day it was when the sky was always dark gray. But it had been sometime mid-afternoon when the guest room door opened.
I listened to the footsteps hoping to hear three sets ready to depart. But only Tom stepped out.
He folded his hands in front of his stomach and looked around the room. “Good, you’re all here. I wanted to talk to you all about something.”
“There isn’t anything to talk about,” I said, almost singing the words, as I shook my head slowly side to side. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.
“Look, Gwen, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I’d like to apologize for that,” Tom said.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. “Apologize all you want. I will never accept it.”
“I’d like to make an offer,” Tom said turning to Nick.
“What kind of offer?” Nick asked crossing his leg widely over the other.
“I’d like for us to make an alliance,” Tom said. “I know you all think I’m the bad guy but there are people out there that will do far worse than I can even imagine. We need to stick together so that we can increase our chances of survival.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like the plea of someone that doesn’t want to find their own way.”
“Why should we all make things harder for ourselves?” Tom said.
“Why should we join forces? So, you can have us kidnap others so that you can rebuild your army?” I blew out a puff of air. “No thanks. I don’t want any part of an alliance with you.”
“Please, at least give it some thought,” Tom begged. “If you send us out there, you practically sentencing my family and me to death. Is that what you want?”
I swallowed hard. “It’s not what I want for them.”
“Those guys out there,” Tom pointed at the window, “they aren’t going to be kind to my wife or my kid. Or any of you for that matter. We need to stick together. It’s our only chance to survive this.”
“Tell me about the others,” Nick demanded.
“He’s trying to trick you. Manipulate you. I saw the others. The only reason they hated Tom was because he sent them away,” I said.
Tom nodded. “It’s true that I sent them away. But I didn’t send them away because they hated me. I sent them away because they were evil.”
“Evil? In what way?” Nick asked.
I threw my hands into the air frustrated he was even listening to Tom and his made-up stories.
“It was two men that started the problems. They were brothers,” Tom said. “At night they’d rape the women and torture the men. It went on a long while before people started to talk. Days, maybe weeks before I even heard about it. But by then the brothers had managed to collect a number of followers.”
“Why would they do that?” Blair asked.
Tom chuckled. “Because like I said they were pure evil. The only thing they cared about was themselves. They’d steal supplies. They even punished a few people by withholding water.”
Tom lowered his head, but I couldn’t help but think it was all an act.
“When I found out I sent them away. They tried to kill me, but my men were prepared.” Tom looked at his hands. “I should have had them killed then, but I didn’t. I sent them away with the promise to never return. But they kept returning.”
“I’m tired of this story,” I said tossing my book to the side. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”
“Just give it some thought,” Tom said. “Please.”
Nick shook his head. “We’re going to have to decline.”
“Then it’s our funeral. And yours too,” Tom said pointing his finger aggressively in our direction.
“You should go back to your room. Pack up your things. The second this rain stops, you’ll be on your way,” Nick said, and I drew in a deep breath. His words sounded like music to my ears.
Tom opened his mouth. His shoulders rose nearly to his ears before dropping. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he turned to leave the room.
It wasn’t long after that we could hear Nina and Milo crying through the door. Tom had told them the news.
“Maybe we should reconsider,” Blair said. “For Milo.”
“We can’t. We can’t ever trust Tom.”
“Gwen’s right,” Nick said. “It’s just too big of a risk to keep him around you. Any of us.”
I watched Nick and Blair as they stared into each other's eyes. It was there, and I wished it wouldn’t have been. Whatever was between them wasn’t just a casual thing… Nick had actually had feelings for her.
I’d thought she was infatuated and he was just keeping himself entertained. At some point, it had turned into something else.
“Okay,” Blair said chewing her cheek. “It’s just that he’s so sweet, and Nina has been great. I hate to send them away.”
“I understand,” Nick said. “But we don’t have a choice. It’s his father’s fault, not ours. If the situation were reversed, he would have sent us off a long time ago. He would do whatever to protect his family. We’ve already done more than we should have.”
I nodded along with Nick’s words.
“So, we agree to stick to the plan?” Nick asked.
Bronx and I both nodded at the same time, and after a short hesitation, Blair nodded too.
“All right then. I’ll send them on their way in the morning.” Nick ran his fingers thro
ugh his hair, his eyes popping up to lock with Blair’s when he finished. “I’d prefer if you guys all stay upstairs.”
“I don’t think you should be done here alone,” I said. Bronx’s head was bobbing up and down.
“It’ll be fine,” Nick said waving off our concern. “He won’t do anything in front of the boy.”
I snorted. “We won’t do anything in front of Milo… that doesn’t mean he won’t.”
“Well, I don’t think he will,” Nick said. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Maybe it’s not a risk we’re willing to take,” I said.
“Nick, we can’t let anything happen to you either,” Blair said, her eyes turning a bit glassy.
“They’re right,” Bronx said. “We can’t let you do that.”
Nick shook his head. He wanted to argue. He wanted to make sure we stayed upstairs, but he could tell it was a losing battle.
“Whatever,” Nick said throwing his hands into the air. “Come down at first light. We’ll do it together.”
Chapter 27
Nick took the first watch. He wanted to have a little rest before it was time to kick Tom out just in case something went wrong. He’d take the first shift and then get a little rest before morning.
Blair had gone to bed early, so she was already sleeping when Bronx and I went upstairs. I closed the bedroom door and walked over to the window.
My fingertips glided down the cool glass as I looked at the beaded-up drops of rain. I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen anything so beautiful. The dotted pattern on the window was almost hypnotizing.
Once Tom and his family were gone, I’d be able to relax. Even though I’d probably still have the nightmares, overall, I was sure I’d sleep better. Sure, the world had still fallen apart, and we had to worry about the next attack, but not having Tom here would make things easier.
Tom was a constant reminder of Jamie. It wasn’t that I minded thinking about him, but I hated thinking of the loss. The grief. It was too much. If I wanted to survive, I needed to carry as little baggage as possible.
I’d never forget Jamie or Danny either, but I knew that I couldn’t hold on to them the same way I held onto my mother. If I kept holding onto my grief, eventually it would pull me down, and I’d sink.
Bronx stepped up behind me, and I instantly felt his warmth. “A few more hours and he’ll be gone.”
My head bobbed up and down.
“Then you can put this all behind you,” Bronx said.
“What if he’s telling the truth?” I asked. “I saw the other men. They really exist. They are actually the ones that shot Jamie.”
“He’s the one that took you away from me, not them,” Bronx said. “Those men hate Tom, they don’t hate us. Hell, who knows if they are even still alive.”
I turned away from the window and looked into Bronx’s eyes. My eyes squinted as I tried to peer deeper into them in the darkness. There was something in them, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what I was seeing.
“No matter, even if what he’s saying is true, we can’t pick one evil over the other, right?” Bronx asked.
“Yeah, no, you’re right,” I said touching my bottom lip with my fingertip. “I wouldn’t ever want to take his offer, it’s just that, well, he seemed to be afraid.”
Bronx placed his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “It’s his problem,” he said shaking his head. “Not ours.”
Bronx’s hand slid down my arm until he was holding my hand. He lowered his head and looked at our hands.
He drew in a breath and blinked before spinning me around. He placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me toward the bed.
“We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Time for you to get some rest,” Bronx said.
“Aww, come on,” I said puffing out my lower lip. “I’m too excited to sleep.
“Well, you’re just going to have to try,” Bronx said as he pushed down on my shoulders until I was sitting on the bed. My eyes were level with his stomach. “Go on, get some rest.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
His eyes locked with mine and he swallowed hard. Bronx shifted his eyes away. “I wish.”
My throat instantly turned dry, and it felt as though the oxygen had left the room. The way he had looked at me had made my heart race.
I knew I shouldn’t have been thinking about him in the way that I was. It was just that I couldn’t control how he made me feel.
Bronx drew in a deep breath. He leaned down and kissed me on the top of the head before turning away.
My body was absolutely still as I watched him walk away from me and over to the window. Even the small kiss on my head was enough to bring back the rush of emotions I’d felt the first time we’d kissed. It was the same heat. The same desire. And the same exhilarating surge of need.
When I was able to move again, I laid down on the bed. I looked up at the stain on the ceiling before turning my head to the side to look at him.
“Bronx?” I said, my voice cracking ever so slightly. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to say, but I knew that I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted to feel his warmth. Tonight, I wanted to feel safe.
“Yes?” Bronx said turning his head to the side showing only his profile.
“It’ll be a busy day for you too,” I said swallowing down the hard lump at the back of my throat. “You should get some rest too.”
At first, I thought he was going to argue. I thought he would tell me he needed to stay at the window, but he didn’t. He turned slowly and made his way closer.
It felt like my heart had skipped a beat when he lowered his head down to the pillow. He turned his head and looked into my eyes.
There was a part of me that wanted to feel his lips on mine. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as though there was a part of him that felt the same way.
Bronx looked up and the ceiling and stretched his arm out. I raised my head and tucked myself against him, resting my cheek against his chest.
He lightly touched my hair, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the tingling sensations that moved through my body all the way to my toes. It was crazy, but for a moment I felt… happy.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sleeping, but Bronx was gone. His side of the bed still felt warm underneath my palm, but that may have been my imagination.
I popped up in the bed when I heard a loud crash somewhere downstairs. The sounds of someone’s frantic shouting filled the air. Even though the voice was loud, I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
There was a weird noise in the air. It was fuzzy… crackly.
There was another thundering boom that felt as though it rattled the floor.
“Bronx?” I said swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
The room felt warmer than usual. Hell, I felt warmer than usual. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand feeling the little droplets of sweat that had gathered at my temple.
There was something in the air that tightened my lungs and pinched my nostrils. Was that smoke? Was someone cooking?
“Milo!” I heard Nina scream so loudly I thought the walls were going to cave in.
Oh, God.
Something was really wrong.
Something was going on downstairs.
I walked across the floor and reached out to twist the doorknob. My hand reflexively yanked when I felt the heat radiating through the metal.
It had been so hot it felt like I had rested my hand on top of the stove. What the hell was going on?
“Bronx?” I called out.
I touched the doorknob with my fingertip to check to make sure I’d really felt the heat. It didn’t take long for me to verify that if I held my finger there any longer, the metal would scald my flesh.
I ran to the window and looked down. The orange glow was so bright it illuminated the entire yard.
It took a few seconds, but the situation set in. I was trapped in my grandma’s bedroom as a fire raged around me.
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I tried to raise the window, but it wouldn’t budge. The window probably hadn’t been opened since my grandma had the air conditioner installed several years ago.
There was another loud noise from somewhere below. I didn’t know what was happening, but it sounded like the second floor was starting to fall down to the first.
“Bronx!” I shouted. “Nick!”
I waited, but I didn’t hear anything. Oh God, what if they weren’t okay?
I yanked the pillowcase off of one of the pillows and wrapped it around my hand. The doorknob was still hot even through the wrapped-up fabric.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by a massive cloud of gray smoke. My lungs tightened either from the smoke or from the fire that was crackling its way toward me. The flames were devouring the house.
“Blair!” I screamed hoping she wasn’t asleep in my old room. I covered my mouth and nose with my fabric covered had and dashed down the hall.
I didn’t make it more than five steps before the floorboard underneath me cracked, and my foot fell through. It was like the wood was clawing at me, to hold me in place.
“Blair!” I said again, but this time the word had turned into several sharp coughs. If she was in there, she didn’t answer. “Ouch.”
I pulled at my foot with both hands coaxing it out of the hole I’d just made. If I didn’t get back inside the bedroom, I was going to die from breathing in the thick smoke.
I took my first step and my ankle twisted at the pain. I fell to my knees and crawled my way desperately back toward the room.
When I was back inside, I slammed the door closed. I could see the smoke billowing up toward the ceiling.
I got back to my feet. My ankle was sore, and I was pretty sure I could feel blood soaking through my sock where the wood had scraped against my skin.
I pulled the blanket off of the bed and shoved as much of it as I could underneath the door. There was still too much smoke coming into the room, but I wasn’t sure from where… the vents? The cracks in the floor?
I went back to the window where I saw them staring up at me. They were shouting and gesturing at me. I was pretty sure they were trying to get me to open the window.
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 44