What Remains: Wasteland

by Kris Norris

  Hunter took a step closer. “So why tell me you love me?”

  “I thought we were going to die. I didn’t want that to happen without you knowing how I felt. How my heart races and my head gets all fuzzy when I’m next to you. The way I can smell your scent on my clothes after spending the day with you, and how I want nothing more than to taste every inch of your skin.” She laughed, but it was flat. “Time. We always think we have more time. Then you wake up one morning and realize your second chances are gone. That you’ve simply run out. I never got a chance to tell Rhys or Billy what they meant to me before they were nothing more than a memory. That Rhys could make me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. That Billy had been a better friend than I’d ever hoped for. That…”

  She stopped, unable to finish.

  Footsteps echoed in the room before Hunter’s hand cupped her chin. He lifted it until she had no other choice but to look at him.

  He gave her a stunning smile. “That what?”

  She pursed her lips together, knowing her chin was quivering. “Kace was right. You brawny types aren’t too smart.” She took a step to her side when he moved in front of her.

  “I’m not clueless. I just wanted to hear you say it, especially with Rhys standing in the next room. He’s not gone anymore, Em. That changes things. Maybe—”

  “Maybe what? He’s not the type to share. None of you ever were.”

  Hunter sighed, brushing some of her loose strands back from her face. Worry churned in her gut, and she expected to see anger shape his features. But he simply smiled, looking as if he understood more than she’d ever expected.

  Emersyn pulled free, slowly putting some space between them. “I’m sorry. I wish things could be different. That we could go back in time and never let those that meant the most to us get away. That there was a way to make this work but…”

  She choked back a sob and darted past him, nearly colliding with Rhys as he walked into the room. He mumbled something she couldn’t make out, but it didn’t matter. All she wanted was to get as far away from that bunker and those men as possible.

  Rhys stared after Emersyn, watching her race down the corridor, her back stiff, tears falling to the floor. He’d had his suspicions as to why Hunter wanted some time alone with her, and seeing Em broken and lost only confirmed them.

  He growled, marching into the room and over to Hunter, invading the man’s personal space. Friend aside, if the jackass had hurt her…

  He nodded at the doorway. “Care to explain why Em just ran out of here crying? Or should I guess?”

  He’d expected Hunter to get defensive, but the man’s shoulders slumped as he limped over to the table, using it to brace some of his weight. Pain etched Hunter’s brow, and Rhys could see Emersyn’s remorse mirrored in Hunter’s eyes.

  The guy finally shifted and placed his ass against the table for balance. “Something happened earlier, and I thought it meant things would be different. Better.” He exhaled, the sound hollow and sad. “I’m pretty damn sure I just made them worse.”

  Rhys’ chest constricted around his next breath, and again he waited for a pang of jealousy to course through him. But as he stared at Hunter’s silhouette, he only felt sympathy for the man.

  He moved over to the chair Kace had used to stitch up Hunter’s wound and sat, crossing his legs at the ankles as he relaxed back. “Care to share?”

  Hunter chuckled. “That’s the crux of it right there, isn’t it? Share. Who’d have ever thought it’d come down to something so simple, yet so foreign.”

  Rhys frowned. “You’re not really making much sense. The crux of what?”

  “Love. It all comes down to whether or not three men can actually share a woman and not have it explode into a bloody competition. And I mean literally…bloody.”

  Rhys glanced at where Em had bolted from the room. What the hell had happened before they’d arrived? He nudged Hunter with his foot. “There something you want to get out in the open? Before there’s any chance of a misunderstanding?”

  Hunter looked at him. “We really are stupid compared to her, aren’t we?”

  “Most likely.”

  Hunter huffed. “When we were trying to find a way inside, I told Em to leave me. To make a run for it. I knew I was only slowing her down, and I couldn’t bear the thought of being the cause of her death. But as usual, she refused. When I pressed her for a reason, she told me she loved me. Just like that. No build up, no awkward half sentences as she tried to get the words out…just a simple admission. Like it was the most normal thing in the world to say.”

  Rhys glanced away, still waiting for the searing rage to hit him. “If you ask me, she’s been in love with you for some time now.”

  Hunter chuckled again. “That’s just the point. It’s not just me she’s in love with.”

  “Come again?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Rhys. Don’t you see it? Look back over the past couple of years. The way she hung around, even when she didn’t have to. How she went out of her way to be there for us and not just on missions. Can you even remember a time she wasn’t there to give you a smile when you needed it the most? To help you pick up the pieces and somehow make them all fit again?” He shook his head. “I sure as hell can’t.”

  Rhys reran the past few years in his mind, seeing the memories from a new perspective. Reexamining events he’d taken for granted, or just never noticed. Pieces started shifting, reassembling in a way he’d never considered before, painting a picture that took him by surprise.

  He lifted his gaze to Hunter. “Damn. How the hell didn’t we see it before? I mean…shit. I saw the way she looked at Billy, at you, but…I never put it together. Never saw myself in the equation.”

  “That’s the issue. She’s been sending us messages ever since the damn world went for shit…maybe even before that. We just never picked up on them. Then you left, and Billy died…”

  Rhys hung his head. “I fucked up.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, we both did.” He kicked at Rhys’ foot. “She’s convinced we can’t share. That we’re simply incapable of it. You agree?”

  Rhys stood, pacing across the room. “Honestly? I don’t know. Part of me wanted to leave because I’d been crazy about the girl forever, and I knew traditional couples were long gone. But seeing the two of you together. Is it wrong that it doesn’t piss me off the way I think it should? That in actuality, it just makes me feel…”

  “Relieved?”

  Rhys spun around. “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “You’re not the only one battling with this. If you’d asked me to consider the possibility a few years ago, I would have kicked you in the mouth. But now…I just want to know she’s okay. That if something happens to me…”

  “I’d have your back. That she’d never be alone.”

  Hunter nodded, sinking down onto the chair. “It doesn’t make sense. She’s right. We aren’t the type who like to share.”

  Rhys sighed. “Times change. Guess we have to change, too. Or maybe it’s finally finding someone who means more to you than your own needs. Whose happiness, security, is worth more than your pride.” He punched Hunter in the arm. “I already consider you family. You know I’d die for you.”

  “Ditto, buddy.”

  “Then why is it so hard to believe we could put our love for Em above everything else? If I’m going to have to stare at another guy’s face across my morning cup of coffee, it might as well be yours.”

  Hunter laughed, punching him back. “Right. But that still leaves us with a problem.”

  Rhys raised his brow.

  “The third guy. We all agreed on at least three to a unit, and with Billy gone…”

  Rhys cursed, stalking back across the floor to slam his hand on the wall. “Fuck. I’d forgotten all about that. Not sure I could man up with a stranger…not even for Em.”

  Footsteps clicked along the tile floor in the corridor a second before Kace rounded the doorway. The man
stomped into the room, anger making his steps louder than usual. He glanced at Rhys then headed straight for Hunter, stopping closer than he should, though, Rhys had to admit. In a straight up fight, Kace could probably kick both their asses.

  His brother glared at the two of them as he motioned toward the door. “I realize I’m not part of this little brotherhood of yours. That I haven’t bled for you or put my life on the line to save yours. But I’m pretty damn sure Emersyn has. That she’s earned your respect. So maybe you can explain to me why she’s in the sleeping chamber, curled up in the fetal position looking as if she wished a zombie would saunter on in and take a chomp out of her.” He took a step closer, nearly knocking Hunter in the chest. “What the hell did you say to her?”

  Hunter took to his feet, looking as if he didn’t care that he was lucky to be conscious or that Kace had two inches on him and a good ten pounds. Rhys lunged forward, stepping between the men before a rift developed no amount of mediation would close.

  Rhys palmed Kace’s chest, giving his brother a firm shove. “Easy, little brother. While I applaud you standing up for Emersyn, this isn’t the time or the place. And despite the fact you’re pretty damn deadly up close, Hunter’s a bit too close to the edge. He’d more than give you a beating, even with one leg stitched together. Do you really want that?”

  Kace scowled. “I can take a beating. Not so sure he’s up for the one I’ll give him in return.”

  Hunter cocked his head, standing his ground for several moments before grinning. “Probably not. My head’s already spinning, and my thigh burns like a son of a bitch.” He eased back, once again sinking into the chair. “And for the record, I didn’t say anything to Em. She’s the one who stormed out of here in the middle of the discussion. She’s not exactly the kind of girl who listens to reason. She’s convinced there’s no viable solution to our problem.”

  Kace raised a brow. “And what problem is that? That she’s in love with you?” He paused, allowing his gaze to swing to Rhys. “Or that she’s actually in love with both of you?”

  Hunter’s mouth gaped open. “How the hell do you know that?”

  Kace snorted. “Please. There was so much sexual tension in this room I could have charged the damn battery from it. Times have changed. You two would be lucky to snag a lady that fine under normal circumstances, let alone in the middle of a fucking wasteland. If I were you, I’d stop worrying about who’s in the lead and find a way to make it work…before she does something drastic.” He nodded at Hunter. “From the look on her face, you’re not the only one on the edge.”

  Hunter groaned, resting his forehead on steepled fingers. “It’s more complicated than that. If we’re going to live at the compound, there’re rules. Ones that seemed more than viable when we first voted on them. Only now…shit.”

  Kace frowned, glancing at Rhys. “But I thought you said there were multiple partner units at this place.”

  “There are.”

  “Then what’s the problem? The two of you and her…problem solved.”

  Hunter rolled his eyes. “The groupings are a minimum of three to every woman. Look. I don’t know why more men seemed to survive this outbreak than women…maybe it’s because we’re more ruthless, or maybe it’s because women are too damn selfless. Always sacrificing themselves to save those they love. Whatever the reason, there’s damn few of them. And in order to avoid death matches over available partners, we all agreed three or more to a family. Hell, at the time, it didn’t matter. None of us had considered the possibility we’d ever want to shack up. But now…”

  Kace nodded. “But now you’ve got a chance with Emersyn, and you’re a man short.”

  Rhys looked at his brother, a sly grin curving his lips. He moved beside Hunter, hitting the other man in the shoulder. “Maybe it’s not as much of a problem as we think it is.” He motioned to Kace. “You’re attracted to Em, aren’t you?”

  Kace took a step back, crossing his arms on his chest. “I’ve only known the woman for an hour, and in that time I’ve managed to give her a concussion before she knocked me on my ass.”

  Rhys shook his head. “True. But that doesn’t change the fact you’ve already developed feelings for her.” He copied Kace’s stance. “Please. It’s written all over your face. In the way you’ve gotten all defensive. The real reason you came in here spitting fire. You care about her.”

  “You’ve been talking about Hunter and Emersyn nonstop for the past eight months. It’s only natural I feel some kind of connection toward them.”

  Hunter laughed, pushing to his feet. “Nice try, buddy, but Rhys is right. You’re smitten with the little minx.”

  Kace clenched his jaw. “She’s pretty. I’ll admit that.”

  “Pretty?” Hunter tapped Rhys in the shoulder. “The woman’s fucking beautiful. But that’s not what really grabs you by the balls and won’t let go, is it?”

  Kace glanced from Hunter over to Rhys and back again. His shoulders relaxed slightly as his gaze swung toward the door. “Do you know how many times a woman has seen my intelligence as a positive? I’ll tell you. Never. Not once. In fact, it’s usually the reason they run screaming from my bed. They tell me it’s intimidating and that they don’t want me always looking at them as if they’re stupid. Which, in and of itself, is stupid. If I wanted to date myself, I wouldn’t be with them.”

  Kace shuffled his feet. “This is crazy. Em’s in love with you guys, not me. She doesn’t even know me. Besides, it’s pretty damn obvious she had a thing for that other guy you lost. I’m not sure I can fill those kind of shoes, or that she’d even want me to.”

  Rhys shrugged. “Maybe we should let Em decide. Unless the very concept insults you.”

  Kace’s features sharpened, and Rhys wasn’t certain which way the man was leaning. The kid brother he’d grown up with had been awkward and quiet, his intelligence isolating him in a way Rhys had never truly understood. But this wasn’t the same geeky boy he’d had to save from bullies on more than one occasion. Kace’s eight years away had changed him. The man standing before Rhys beamed with self-confidence, not to mention the fact Kace had learned how to handle himself, better than Rhys had ever anticipated. Kace was every bit as lethal as Rhys himself. Kace just didn’t advertise the fact.

  Hunter cleared this throat. “Well? Are you opposed to the idea? Because unless we’re all in agreement, Emersyn will never even consider it. Besides, like Rhys, there’re few men I’d be willing to share the woman I love with. Rhys is one of them.”

  “Not sure that bodes well where I’m concerned, considering I’m his little brother.”

  “On the contrary. If he thinks you’re worthy of Em’s love, then I trust his intuition. Besides, might not hurt having someone with your obvious talents in the group. We tend to need patching up on a fairly regular basis.”

  Kace scowled. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” He released a long breath, shaking his head as he toed the floor. “And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. Emersyn…she’s…”

  Rhys gave his brother a slap on the shoulder. “Yeah. All that and more.” He turned to Hunter. “Then it’s settled. Em knows we’re planning to be here at least another week. I suggest we take that time to regain her trust and show her that her initial instincts were right. Then, it’ll be up to her whether she wants to take the risk or not.”

  “But what if she isn’t attracted to me?” Kace sighed. “I’m not like you guys.”

  “Which might be exactly what the vixen needs. Someone to help keep her grounded. Remind her there’s always hope.” Rhys winked at Kace. “Besides, if you ask me, she’s already halfway there.” He pointed to the door. “Now can we finally get that damn cup of coffee?”

  Hunter smiled, limping out of the room behind a bewildered Kace. Rhys glanced around the lab, rerunning the conversation in his head, praying he hadn’t just bitten off more than he could chew, but knowing he’d damn we
ll choke on it before going back on his word. He’d let Em down once already. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

  Chapter Six

  “What do you mean you’re going topside?” Emersyn brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her only elastic band had broken two days ago, and she’d been wearing her hair down ever since. Though she had to admit, it felt good to run her fingers through the long mass, even if the boys continually made her want to pull it out. “I thought we agreed we’d stay put until Kace was ready…or we ran out of supplies.”

  Rhys leaned against the far wall, gazing at her with the same odd expression the other two men had. All three of them had been watching her for the past few days, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. They’d been overly attentive, making it feel as if they had some hidden agenda and she was the odd man out.

  Rhys gave her a smile. “There’s something wrong with the solar panels. There’s barely enough juice to run the lights, and I’ve got warning alerts for all sections. I think a couple must have knocked loose. Since we’ll be here for another few days, we need to see what’s wrong and fix it before the damn sun sets or we’ll be stuck until sunrise tomorrow. If you think this place is dismal now, try living down here in complete blackness.”

  “Fine.” She grabbed her vest off the back of the chair and slipped it on, checking her supplies before zipping it shut. Then she began braiding her hair. Relaxing or not, it’d get in the way if she had to react to a changing situation.

  Rhys frowned and pushed off the wall, walking over to her. “What are you doing?”

  She glanced around, wondering why all the men were staring at her with the same bewildered expression. “What the hell does it look like I’m doing? I’m getting ready. Who knows if that damn fence is still intact. There could be twenty Gray wandering around up there. You might just as well ring the dinner bell the moment you step outside.”