Then There Was You

by Heather Thurmeier

  She paused, examining the area for a moment before exhaling with a sigh. “You’re right. It’s the perfect breeding ground in there. I should know better.” When she looked at him again, there was a new kind of mischievousness in her eyes. “I bet everyone else has been thinking like you and steered clear of the place. It could still be loaded with supplies.”

  “It’s possible there’s some supplies, yes, but is the risk of the virus worth finding out?”

  “Is the risk of wiping with poison ivy worth the risk of peeing in the bushes just to get a little privacy? Toilet paper would be such a luxury. What if there are a few rolls of it waiting to be scooped up? There’s bound to be vending machines in there, too. A prepper doesn’t leave a supply source untapped.”

  “A smart prepper wouldn’t go into a potentially dangerous situation for something as stupid as toilet paper!” Dane banged his hand on the steering wheel, frustration starting to get the better of him. His patience with Sara and her half-cocked ideas wavered. “It’s not like we’re on a road trip and can pull over for coffee and donuts at every rest stop we come across. Don’t you understand?”

  Sara bit the inside of her lip, obviously trying to keep calm. “It’s my family out there we’re trying to find, so yeah, life is a little serious.”

  “Thank you for reminding me yet again. I know it’s your family, not mine. I get it.” Dane reached for her arm, but she pulled away before he got a good grip on her. “I’m only suggesting it would be a good idea to take an extra few seconds to think about all possible scenarios of a situation before rushing into something unknown. This isn’t a game.”

  “How dare you insinuate this is some kind of a game to me? A road trip! I want to find my family more than you will ever understand, so don’t think for one second I’m not trying to make good decisions.”

  “Then don’t go in there!” he shouted, unable to contain his annoyance any longer.

  “What if there are supplies?” she countered. “And last time I checked, the tank wasn’t going to fill itself with gas.”

  “Chances are, none of these cars have gas anyway. If you want to get to your family, then let’s keep going.” He sighed. Negotiating with Sara felt like negotiating with terrorists. She was so stubborn, half the time it wasn’t worth the fight. But in this case, he wasn’t going to bend, and if he had to use her family as leverage, he would.

  She bit her lip and peered out toward the rest stop as if weighing her options. He hoped she’d just concede and give him this one. “Fine. But I’m not happy about leaving behind a potential jackpot of supplies.”

  When she rolled her eyes at him, he couldn’t help but laugh, both at her tenacity and at his winning this one little battle.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sara watched out the window as the trees flew by. The shadows on the ground grew longer, the sunlight turning everything a glowing shade of amber. She hadn’t spoken to Dane since he’d put his foot down about not going into the rest stop. She hadn’t had anything else to say. Since she’d had a little time to cool down and think, she knew he was right, but that didn’t mean she wanted to admit it to him any time soon.

  The truck shuddered. Sara grabbed the door and the seat as panic shot through her. “What the hell?” Silent treatment or not, she needed answers before anxiety set in.

  “Shit.” Dane slammed his palm onto the steering wheel. “Come on. Come on. A little farther.”

  The truck rolled to a stop, and he put it in park. Not that it mattered, since it wasn’t going anywhere.

  “What’s wrong? What happened?” she asked.

  “We’ve been running on fumes for a while, and the tank is empty.” He turned the key in the ignition, but didn’t remove them. He slumped against his seat and looked up at the interior of the truck as if it might hold some answer to the mystery of how to get more gas. She already knew the answer.

  Either they found a vehicle to siphon gas from, or they were walking from here. There were no other options.

  An hour or so earlier, they’d pulled off the main highway, where they’d been driving in the ditch, and onto a less-traveled side road that would take them east toward the Hudson River. They’d been able to drive on pavement again, which had been great for the stability of the truck and offered less risk to the tires. But the less-crowded road also meant fewer potential stranded vehicles to scavenge gas from.

  Sara couldn’t see a single vehicle on this section of road. In other situations, she might have been filled with relief.

  “Is there any left in the gas cans?” she asked.

  “Nope. I used it all.”

  “If we’d stopped in the rest area, you could’ve looked for gas while I looked for supplies.” Sara tried to keep the accusation out of her voice but without success.

  Dane must have heard it because his eyes narrowed as he responded. “I doubt I would’ve been able to siphon any tanks when I’m sure I would’ve been saving your ass from another bad decision.”

  “Well, now we’re out of gas and stuck in the middle of nowhere, so maybe you’re not great at making important decisions either, are you?”

  “You’re saying that trying to keep you safe and away from a hot zone of germs a bad decision? Fuck me.” Dane groaned and hopped out of the truck, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Sara assumed if times had been different, the door would have been slammed something fierce. Thankfully, he had enough sense not to make more noise than he had to, even if he was mad at her.

  She looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. She did appreciate him looking out for her. Had she gone in without thinking it through, she could have ended up infected. But it didn’t dispel her anger at him for the things he’d said. He still shouldn’t have called her choices stupid.

  Sara climbed out of the truck and eased her door closed. She glanced around, looking for Dane, but didn’t see him anywhere. Wherever he’d wandered off to, he was on his own for the time being. She guessed he’d gone somewhere to the left of the road since she hadn’t seen him cross in front of or behind the truck, so she strode off to the right side. Just past the tree line, she found a safe spot to relieve herself after the long afternoon of traveling.

  When she finished, she unclipped a bag of supplies from the bed of the truck so she could find them something to eat and drink. Her shoulders wilted a little as she took in the amount of supplies they’d accumulated. In the real world it would be nothing, but in their new normal, it was everything they possessed.

  They couldn’t carry it all with them in their backpacks and their arms. Without gas, the truck and their bounty were useless.

  Sara tossed the pack up onto the front seat then climbed up after it. Dane already sat in the truck. He didn’t glance her way as she settled herself on the seat, sitting sideways and leaning against the door for a change of pace. Rummaging through the bag, she found a bottle of red sports drink, two cookies, a small bag of almonds, and a few sticks of beef jerky.

  “Want something?” she asked, placing the various food items on the bench seat between them.

  Dane turned, his gaze traveling down the length of her body, pausing on her breasts before making its way down to her lap. He grabbed a beef jerky and a cookie then looked her in the eyes. “You.”

  Her mouth went dry as she tried to swallow her food, but the intensity of his gaze on her body made the task damn near impossible. This sudden heat he gave off was a complete one-eighty from the cold shoulder he’d been giving her before.

  “Does that mean you’re not still mad at me?” she asked.

  Dane took a bite, chewed, and swallowed before answering her; all the while, his gaze never left hers. She didn’t know if the heat would set her panties on fire or make her run away in fear, but his intensity did something to her.

  “No. I’m still pissed. But that doesn’t mean I don’t also want to bury myself inside you. Just because you can tick me off like no one else doesn’t mean I stop caring about you
. I get pissed off because I’m trying my best to keep you safe when it seems you keep putting yourself in danger.”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “The whole world is dangerous. To not put myself in danger would be to hide in a hole for the rest of my life.”

  “Yes, and the bunker made the perfect hole. Yet here we are, in a stalled-out truck, trying to survive disease, desolation, and crappy beef jerky long enough to make it to a destination where we don’t even know if there will be anyone waiting for us or not.” He sighed and looked as if he wanted to say more but struggled to find the words. “Sometimes it all gets to be too much. The unknown. The danger. The complete collapse of the world we once knew. Sometimes I want to hold on to what I have and never let it go, and that’s you.”

  Sara crawled across the seat and into his lap, her dinner forgotten. “I’m not going anywhere you’re not going.” She kissed him, savoring every second of his lips on hers.

  “Promise me,” he said against her mouth. “Promise me you’ll always carry your gun and your knife. Promise me you won’t go into any situations that have the potential to be life altering without at least pausing long enough to think about the possible outcome. Promise me you won’t leave me like everyone else has because I’m not sure I could live through it.”

  “I promise,” she said, slipping her hands under the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. She tossed it to the floor of the truck then settled herself deeper in his lap. His desire for her pressed against her center, making her burn for his touch. She laid her palms on his chest, loving the way his naked skin looked in the sunset’s amber light. Every time she saw him naked, she was amazed at how beyond gorgeous he was. “Promise me no matter what stupid mistakes I make along the way, you’ll still come with me to the bookstore to find my family. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to face the truth without you by my side.”

  Dane added her shirt to the growing pile of clothes on the floor. Her bra followed a moment later. The sunlight in the windshield warmed her skin while the cool air inside the truck kissed her nipples, hardening them into peaks. Dane brushed his thumb against one, and a little moan escaped her lips.

  “I promise, I will do whatever it takes to get to the bookstore.” He dipped his head and sucked her cold nipple into his hot mouth. She arched into him, holding his head in place. His tongue lapped at her tight bud, sending rivers of lava to her belly. When he bit down gently, nipping her sensitive skin, she thought she might lose herself completely.

  Dane twisted to the side, taking her with him. He pushed the remains of their dinner onto their clothes, food the last thing on either of their minds. The truck’s bench seat chilled her, and she shrieked a little as Dane lay on top of her, pressing her into it.

  His mouth found hers, hot and eager. Their tongues collided, dancing together. Then before she’d had her fill, he left her mouth and placed kisses down the column of her throat. He paused to pay tribute to her other breast, and she begged for more. He obliged by kissing a path down her torso until he reached the waistband of her pants.

  In an instant, she lay naked before him, one foot dangling to the floor while he propped the other leg against the back of the seat. Dane shimmied out of his own jeans, pausing long enough to retrieve a condom from his pocket.

  Then he moved between her legs, rubbing his thumb in small circles in a spot that had her writhing on the bench. When she thought she might be pushed over the edge, he stopped and sheathed himself before plunging into her heat. He grabbed her hips, pulling her to him while he thrust deep. He filled her so completely in body and in mind she lost herself to the overwhelming sensations. She never wanted this moment with him to end. Never wanted to face another day without him. Never wanted to know what tomorrow would bring if it didn’t include him.

  As he pushed himself deep inside, she thrust against him, savoring their bodies joining together so fully. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted—no, needed—to be in control of this moment.

  “Stop,” she whispered. “I want to move.”

  “Why, darlin’? This feels so good.”

  Sara pushed against him until he stopped then motioned for him to get up and sit on the seat again. He did what she wanted, leaning away while the rest of him stood at attention. She straddled his lap, hovering over him long enough to kiss him. Her hands tangled in his short hair, demanding more from him.

  Without breaking their kiss, she lowered herself inch-by-inch onto his hardened length, until he filled her as deep as she could take him. She gasped against his mouth as he thrust into her, deeper, harder than before.

  Sara bit his lip and scratched her nails down his shoulders and chest. Dane gripped her hips in his large hands and pulled her down on top of him, but she fought him. This was her time to be in control, and she wouldn’t allow Dane to take over.

  “No, let me,” she said, almost a question more than a directive. Dane was stronger than her and could easy take what he wanted. But if he let her, she could give him so much more.

  Grabbing his wrists, she held them against the seat and away from her body. As she began to move, Dane groaned. His expression showed passion burned inside him, and she could tell it took all of his willpower to play along with her. She picked up her pace to please him.

  As her body came apart, shattering in a burst of energy and endorphins, Dane called out his release and pulled her flush against his chest. Their bodies heaved together as they tried to catch their breath.

  “Promise me you will always love me,” she whispered in his ear, tears clouding her vision. She’d known for a long time she loved Dane, but the day’s events made the depth of her love clear.

  “I promise if you promise,” he said, his breathing still fast and heavy against her neck.

  Sara wanted to say “I promise,” but the words caught in her throat. Instead of words to answer him, she kissed him, sweetly, tenderly, and as if they had all the time in the world to simply be together.

  Chapter Twenty

  Dane woke to screaming. Not just any screaming—Sara screaming his name in a blood-curdling, ear-piercing wail kind of way.

  “Sara!” he yelled, not knowing why she would scream when they both knew making so much noise would draw unwanted attention. She screamed again, but this time the sound came out muffled, as if she held a pillow over her face.

  He shot up to sitting and twisted in the direction of the scream. Before his eyes even focused, he shoved his feet into his shoes and jumped from the truck, cursing. He’d taken the time to strap on his gun but hadn’t bothered to put on his damn shoes when he’d gotten into the rest of his clothes last night before falling asleep. If he had, he’d be seconds faster getting to Sara. Those seconds could mean the difference between life and death in this world.

  He landed hard on the pavement, his body not yet awake enough to spring from the vehicle like a cheetah from a jungle branch. His palms burned from scraping the blacktop, but he didn’t care. Finding his feet, he sprinted off in the direction where he’d seen movement disappearing into the woods. Sara’s voice called to him again, this time from beyond the tree line.

  “Fight, Sara, fight!” Dane yelled. He didn’t know what else to say. Was fighting even the right answer? He had no idea what she was up against. Who had taken Sara? Why? Where?

  Nothing made sense. One minute he’d been asleep with Sara spooned against his chest on the truck’s bench seat, and the next she was gone.

  Dane pulled a small pistol from his ankle holster and aimed into the trees. For a second, he even considered firing a shot or two and hoping for the best. But knowing he could just as likely hit Sara as he could her captor stopped him.

  As he passed the first tree and entered the darkness of the forest, he was tackled from the side, landing hard on the ground. Multiple punches pummeled his side, taking Dane’s breath away. He struggled to draw air into his lungs while fighting off the fist still beating him.

  He managed to free one arm and swung blindly, hoping to conn
ect with any part of his assailant. The crunch of his knuckles hitting something hard told him he’d likely hit a jaw or nose. The fist pounding him stopped for a moment, giving him an opportunity to squirm out from underneath the heavy man. Staggering to his feet, Dane tried to get his bearings again. Which way had Sara been taken? He moved in the direction he thought was right, but fell as a large hand wrapped around his ankle. He put his hands out to catch himself, but his balance shifted. Twisting in the air, he landed hard, his head falling to the side.

  Pain shot through his skull. His teeth rattled. With the taste of pennies on his tongue, the world went black.

  ***

  Sara struggled against the hands holding her. Her body ached with exertion from the long fight through the woods. She still had no idea who’d taken her from the truck, or why. But regardless of the reason, this situation was bad. Very bad.

  “Let me go!” she yelled with another burst of energy. “Why are you taking me?”

  “Simple. Supplies. You’ve got them, and we want them. If you didn’t want us to find your stash, then you shouldn’t have rumbled into our territory last night.”

  “Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you left the supplies you wanted on the truck.”

  These guys weren’t just dangerous. They were stupid. There were three of them—one either side of her holding her arms and one in front, leading the way, but to where?

  “Don’t you worry. The others will make sure to take care of your boyfriend and bring us the truck.”

  “Good luck. Dane will kill you before he lets you take me away, and the truck is out of gas, so you’re screwed no matter how you look at it.” Sara pulled herself as straight as she could, trying to appear more confident than she felt. She stumbled as her foot caught on a hidden branch beneath the underbrush. Her arms yanked in their sockets as the men held tight.