by Angela White
Kyle picked them out subtly, eyes tracing the shape of the one who resembled Jennifer the most.
Jennifer turned slowly, counting how many of the females in his line of sight perked up, hoping to catch his attention. He could have one for every day of the week and none of them would gag in front of him, or fart, or belch, or scratch, or any of the other disgusting things she found herself doing while he was around.
Flustered, Jennifer snorted softly. “God, I’m a cow.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Why, Kyle?”
“Because I can.”
Getting angry, she put her hand on her hip. “Your enemy had me over and over, and I didn’t always fight. I was the slave of a killer, and I used it to my advantage. In two months, I’m having his kids! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?!”
She was on the edge of tears, and Kyle lifted a large hand to lightly brush away the first one to roll down her cheek. “All of those things make you a survivor Jenny, one of us.”
Kyle stepped back as the relief and confusion settled in. “Get to know me. Let me prove I’m one of the good guys.”
“What about my babies?” she demanded, not nearly as afraid now as she had been during these negotiations with Cesar. When she’d realized she was going to become a mother, everything had changed.
“You already know,” Kyle answered simply. “They’ll love me.”
“Why would you do this?”
Kyle’s eyes were glowing as he answered. “I get to right a terrible wrong. I get to be a father, something I’ve always wanted…and I get you.”
The words were possessive, powerful. Jennifer was shocked to be flattered instead of terrified.
Kyle got them moving again, aware of how many camp gossips were nearby, trying to eavesdrop.
Spotting Marc, Kyle took a chance. “Got time for coffee later, Marc?”
On his way to the first half of the level tests, Marc ran a quick glance over them and shook his head, tone curt. “No.”
Kyle didn’t need to ask what the problem was. Sighing in resignation, Kyle headed them for the animal area.
Also on his way to watch the tests, Charlie observed the short exchange in surprise. His dad wasn’t supporting Kyle?
“Have you figured it out yet?”
Kyle slowed them down. “What?”
Jennifer noticed the way his glance went over her stomach protectively, before resting on her face. “Why you want me.”
A muscle twitched in Kyle’s jaw. Unlike Cesar, Kyle kept himself clean-shaven. He showered every day and always came to her smelling good. He didn’t wear cologne–that amazing smell was natural.
“Yes.”
Jennifer swallowed. “Is it good? The reason?”
Kyle considered. “Yes and no.”
Sensing that she honestly seemed to need an answer, Kyle directed them toward the trees, where Eagles subtly came closer.
Kyle took her hand, slowly getting her used to his touch, the sound of him. “You’re my light, my way to remain good in a world that is smothering me with evil.”
Jennifer wasn’t expecting such a deep answer–she’d assumed it was sex. She stared at him. “You’re so different, even than the other guards.”
Kyle wasn’t sure how she meant that, but her next words cleared it up.
“It’s why I can trust you, I think. You don’t lie to me, even when it’s ugly or wrong.”
Kyle’s thoughts were blazing with secrets. “And I won’t. Just don’t ask me if you can’t take it.”
Jennifer agreed, smiling a bit. “Okay.”
Kyle was aware of the disapproval from those nearby, but he didn’t care.
“Thank you. For getting us out of there.”
Kyle’s heart eased a little more from the knot it had twisted into upon first finding her in that filthy semi. “It’s my honor.”
Sparks flew, reminding Kyle that despite his altruistic appearance, he really did want to be between her legs–more than anything.
He glanced at her in anguish. “I will leave you alone, Jenny. But not until you tell me to.”
A heavy sense of loss settled over her young shoulders, and she shivered. “I know. And I know they’ll keep you away if I want it, or even…banish you if I say you’re hurting me. The den mothers made sure I know.”
Kyle was firm. “I want you to tell them if I ever do.”
Jennifer snorted. “Like I’d do that after all you’ve done for me, for those kids!”
Kyle refused to allow her to sacrifice herself again, but also used the moment to judge if there might be any caring yet on her part. “I mean it, Jen. I’ve seen men change since the war. They get so wrapped up in what they want that they don’t care for other people’s needs. Treating you that way will get me killed.”
Jennifer was unable to resist, fingers going to his arm. “You won’t.”
She lowered her head, but not her hand. “I’ll think about it and try to figure out if it’s what I want, too.”
Kyle knew he should pull away, but her willing touch held him captive. They entered the Vet’s zoo arm-in-arm and smiling.
Jennifer’s memory of the healing was vague, blurred with long moments of pain and short instances of sleep. She knew she’d been burned–on the inside–and was grateful. She wouldn’t have any other kids, but these would live so long as she kept Kyle close. Angela’s demon said the mobster was the one man she could trust completely, though he didn’t think of himself that way.
Jennifer agreed. The more time she spent with Kyle, the more she realized what a good person he actually was.
“Do we report it?”
Zack denied the eager rookie. “Only if he does something wrong. Adrian thinks it’s a good match.”
“It is for her, but what is he getting out of it?”
Zack didn’t argue the general view of the situation. “Absolution right now. Later?” Zack shrugged. “That’s up to her. Maybe happiness, maybe hell. Too soon to say at this point.”
“Women trouble–it’s all over the camp right now,” Anderson quipped. “Glad I’m not in that mix.”
Zack didn’t respond, thinking that the truth–“You’re so rude, not even the whores will hook you up, Andy, so don’t stress over it.”–probably wouldn’t help in this case.
The extra weight Zack had been carrying around was gone now, and he was well liked–high up in the Eagles and gaining ground. Zack was certain his sons were watching, waiting for him to pick a mate, too, but Zack wasn’t interested. Despite the way he had mistreated his wife, he’d loved her. His heart wasn’t ready for the pain of picking a replacement.
Deleted Scene #3
Angela moaned, head tossing on the damp pillow as the dream called, pulled. She didn’t want to go, she wanted to remain here in the fog with her Brady, but there wasn’t a choice. It was growing, this power inside that fed from the hope and horror around her.
Letting out a defeated whimper, Angela sank into the grayness, surrendering. There was something she had to show him, something he had to understand.
Adrian stared over the side of the tall cliff, not worried even though he was ten stories up and the hard stone was slick from the salty sprays of the angry waves below. The ocean roared at him, seduced as it pulled him closer. If he could just touch it…
“You must be strong.”
Angela’s concern cut through his daze, and Adrian turned in slow motion.
The water crashed onto the rocks below angrily, protesting her interruption, but Adrian appeared not to notice.
“Why is the water only blue going south? Why isn’t all of it red?”
Angela smiled, appearing much like an angel with her white pajamas and flowing black curls.
“That is your path. Venture into the red, and death has you.”
“But where does it go?”
She shrugged, realizing the water was trying to demand Adrian’s attention from her, calling to him.
“It understan
ds what this means, as well. Know now that it will never willingly let you cross, and yet, that is the way you must go.”
“Is there no place left here?”
She shrugged, timbre a soft, eerie echo. “That has not been revealed.”
“What about the blue? Where does it go?”
“That also has not been–”
“I need to know!” he shouted over the water’s roar. “I can’t keep them alive here!”
Adrian’s frustration fed the waves, and the sprays crashed harder against the rocks.
“Go away! Kill you! Never let you pass!”
He could hear the rage now, the buzzing in his ears. Below them, the red water began lapping the edges of the blue until the entire ocean as far as they could see, was as red as blood. Scarlet drops sprayed them from the crashing waves.
“There’s not much time.” Angela was fading, floating away from him. “You have to get ready!”
Adrian snapped awake, but sank down into his dreams quickly, the ocean distantly calling as the shadowy form of a sorceress danced for him.
Interactive Bonus
This ebook has several interactive features. Links will take you places, and allow you to interact with the world I’ve created. Would you like to vote in the camp meeting? Or maybe hear Safe Haven’s eerie radio call? Here is the url:
http://authorangelawhite.weebly.com/interactive-bonus.html
Safe Haven Route of Travel
(For book 4)
All Angela White Books
Life After War Series
The Survivors
Adrian’s Eagles
Nuclear Ashes
Dystopian Stand
Fight for Survival
Carved in Stone
Shattered Dreams
Dearly Departed
LAW Backstories
Marc and Angie
Marc and Dog
Related to LAW
The Alexa’s Travels series
Other Books by Angela White
The Bachelor Battles Trilogy
HOP-17: Human Origins Program
Life After War
Dystopian Stand
Book 4
by
Angela White
Title: Dystopian Stand
Book 4 of the Life After War series
Edition: 2017
Length: 796 pages
Author: ©Angela White
Publisher: C9 Publications
ISBN#: 978-1-9459-2706-5
Copyright © 1991 by Angela White
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of Angela White or C9 Publications. Made in the USA.
C9 Publications
http://www.c9publications.com/
Table of Contents
Concentrated Chaos
Honest Lies
Do Your Part
Add One More
Fix The World
Surrounded by Killers
Oh, Hell…
Don’t get Buggy
Set Us Up
Fireworks, Anyone?
One Common Goal
A Hero to lead them
A witch as a guide
Eagles to defend them
From every side
A Doctor to heal them
A Star to strengthen
A secretive father
A fallen idol
A camp of refugees
With skeletons to rival
A group of gifted teens
A clan of closed-off women
An army of Eagles
With one common goal between them
To save their future
To stay, to live
To continue recovering
To push, to never give
The Government
Coming to reclaim
From the old world
They’ll deliver the same
Safe Haven will stand–united
Or they will fall
Once again, the bad guys are coming
Determined to end it all
If they can take a witch
Or a few gifted teenagers
Safe Haven Refugee Camp
Will be in the hands of strangers
Part One
“A period of adjustment is always required during a change in leadership, but not everyone can afford the lost time. That’s when you discover if they’re worth following at all.” –Adrian Mitchel
Prologue
The war has begun to change us.
The mental cliffs we’ve been forced to leap–the horrors that we now hold inside–are nothing compared to the physical evolutions. We’re harder, stronger, more determined, but also weaker because we need each other so much more. It creates vulnerabilities.
We’re angrier, as well. We know the government survived and that we’ll have to fight them to remain free. We’ve faced slavers and nature, direct attacks from crazed refugees, and personal hatred inside our own borders, but all of that was to prepare us for this moment. We represent what’s left of the great American herd.
And I’m scared.
They are going to come for him–these people will know everything in a short time–and Adrian will be unprotected except for the Eagles. That won’t be enough to defeat the government. If they get ahold of Adrian, the entire world will finish falling. His powers are so magnetic that he could be used to draw in every gifted person on the planet. With all that light gone, all that hope, our civilization will crumble. I have to ask something of my Brady, something that will torture him. I need him to help me save the man he wants to kill.
Chapter One
Concentrated Chaos
June 30, 2013
Toltec State Park
Scott, AR
1
Angela closed the notebook and slid it under her mattress. It was actually Adrian’s and the entry was her first. The log of personal thoughts and camp plans had been exhausting to skim. She was both dreading and anticipating exploring it in depth, though that would take a while. The large stack of notebooks, ten of them, had been inside the tent when she and Marc had come here from the shower.
Angela flushed as she flashed to Marc on top of her, shuddering in pleasure. He’d taken her three more times during the night, as if he couldn’t get enough, and for every time he’d exploded, so had she.
Angela felt her body wake at the memory. What a difference! She’d enjoyed him as a teenager and their recent playing had been fun, but this...this was something that would tighten their bonds every time it happened.
He’s awake.
Angela winced at the note of tired anger in the mental message. She’d put Charlie on the medical tent last night to monitor things, and she had no doubt that he now knew of Adrian’s desires.
Thanks.
Okay to go? He’s too weak to block and I need a break.
Yes. Get some sleep.
Yeah, that’ll happen now.
Angela determinedly took a few more minutes for herself instead of rushing to comfort or cover. Charlie would be upset for a while, but he would realize what everyone else who found out did–that she didn’t want Adrian. She had Marc. Nothing could compare to that.
Body lighting up, Angela glanced over at the naked man sleeping next to her. Even relaxed, he put off an air of menace.
And that comforts me, she thought.
Marc rolled over, exposing a bare chest and faint nail marks. Angela blushed, drawn instantly into the memory of putting them there. Straddling Marc had been educational, to say the least. The witch had healed his mauled wrist and she’d held him while he groaned her name.
“If you keep throwing out that vibe, you’ll start me up.”
Angela flushed darker. “Maybe I meant to...”
“Come here.”
Marc’s husky voice sent a chill down her spine and Angela did as she was told.
Marc felt warm skin se
ttle next to his, a slightly rough leg draping over his thigh, and tugged her closer. Even dreaming, there was no mistaking that smell, and in here, there were no rules to follow, no fears to conquer. He was allowed to take what he wanted.
And what do you want? the lusty voice inside asked. What way would you have it?
Marc slid his hands around and under, moving closer. Together.
The demon agreed eagerly. That fit with his plans.
Marc nuzzled her cheek, inhaling deeply. “Mm. You smell good for a dream.”
Marc’s hand went to her hip, rolling her onto her other side and he slid tightly up against her. He curled one thick arm under, hand cupping her breast. The other went over her hip and pulled her against him. The feel was enough to bring Marc close to the edge.
He put her leg over his hip and readjusted so that he was pressed tightly against her thighs. When he slid his hand to the slick flesh between her legs, her body arched against him and he pushed inside.
“Mm...”
“Oh...”
Marc didn’t waste time. He brought her right to that edge with his finger strokes and held himself on it as he thrust in and out. The fit from this angle was amazing. Pleasure seared him and his balls grew heavy.
His fingers stroked her faster, pressing harder, and she arched in climax, body clamping down.
Marc let go of his control, shoving forward to explode inside her willing body.
Angela’s groans and the nails digging into his wrist were the first signs of reality that registered. Still shooting into her with nerve tingling jerks, others followed in rapid succession. Tangled hair around his hand, tight body, sore muscles... Marc hurriedly pulled out, and was unable to stop from covering his ass. He pushed against hers and rode out the rest of the intense pulses. Maybe she wouldn’t notice.