The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  Surprised, Adrian shook. Before he could ask why, Marc released him and the coldness returned.

  Adrian understood Marc didn’t want to discuss it further and pushed the issue anyway. “If you want to set down new rules or give limits, I’ll listen.”

  Marc sighed in frustration. “I’ve already tried that and it doesn’t work. When she’s happy, so is everyone else. You and I will work together to make sure the boss is pleased.”

  Adrian didn’t ask about the limit on that. The answer was clear. The limit was whatever Angela would allow or what she wanted.

  Tense, Marc forced himself to accept the situation, again. “When we get there, she’s gonna be fighting the urge to hug you. Just get it over with. It’ll make her happy and let her sleep.”

  Adrian didn’t answer. He couldn’t speak yet.

  Marc chuckled. “I like it when you’re speechless.”

  Adrian laughed too, but carefully. “You mean it this time.”

  Marc’s desolation swept through the RV, causing the vet to turn up the heat.

  “She shut me off for two months. She wouldn’t smile at me. Even when I slept next to her, I couldn’t reach her. I can’t go through that again.”

  Understanding more than he was allowed to say, Adrian made a promise. “It’ll be better now.”

  The only thing that would make this better is if you were man enough to kill yourself.

  Adrian wisely didn’t respond. He also didn’t draw attention to the lone survivor who was still waiting in Erik’s camp and was now reaching out for instructions. Adrian had been relieved not to see the cook on the battlefield. Though Brian was only a distant relative, he was still a Mitchel.

  Adrian switched his thought back to the camp setup and finding things the herd needed.

  Marc acted as if he hadn’t caught any of it, but he stored the information in case he wanted to use it later. With Adrian, it was possible that he’d need it. Marc knew better than to trust the man. Despite the good act, very little had changed between them.

  2

  “Where are they?”

  Angela pointed. “Three minutes.”

  Mollified, Kendle went quiet, but she didn’t leave. She wouldn’t until she got to view Marc for herself. She was aware of Tommy’s unhappiness, but she would handle that later. He had been off-duty for a while now, following her around.

  “When they get here, you’ll have the urge to hug him. Just do it and get it over with. It’ll make him feel special.”

  Kendle gaped. “What?”

  Angela glowered at the island woman. “If I have to say it again I’m going to punch you right in your throat.”

  Kendle grinned. “You rock.”

  Angela grunted. “Whatever it takes to make him happy. I know you’re bonded to him in ways.”

  Kendle chose to be just as honest. “You know I’ll spend the time trying to get into his heart. Why would you do this?”

  Angela walked away. “I’ve already answered that.”

  Kendle was stunned. She was also overjoyed. Even without the attraction, she had gotten used to Marc while they were in the west. No one else made her feel that way.

  “So this is what insane jealousy is like.” Tommy snorted. “I don’t care for it.”

  Conner tried not to laugh. He had duty over the parking area on this side of camp right now, but he wasn’t paying attention because there was too much personal drama going on. He loved to watch Angela work and he had missed being around organized men and women who were helping to monitor everyone’s survival. While on the road with Kendle, they had alternated sleeping and driving, with very little time off. In the Safe Haven environment, it was okay to steal a minute or two for himself.

  The Georgia park was dark and quiet around the sleeping camp. The guards didn’t spot people or animals, though there were occasional flashes of light in the distance that implied refugees were around. Angela hadn’t given them any instructions. She expected them to do their job, which meant following their training. For the rookies, that was a concern. For the senior men, it was a relief.

  Most of the Eagles were okay with Charlie and Conner having so much time on duty and being drivers for leadership. It cleared the other men for more important duties, but it also gave them time to observe the teenagers who would one day take their places. When training resumed, it would also make it easier to know on what level the boys should be placed. With teenagers, it was always important to stay in front of them. When they got bored, bad things could happen.

  Tommy spotted the lights in the distance and braced himself. He’d heard everything that was exchanged between Kendle and Angela, but he wasn’t angry over it. He just wanted her to feel that way about him.

  “In time, she will.” Conner put the man’s mind at ease. “She’s smart. She’ll recognize what a great match you are. Give it time.”

  Tommy had no reason to doubt the boy. To make sure that his emotions didn’t get in the way of Kendle’s happiness, Tommy turned toward the community tent. “Tell her where I’m at when she’s ready.”

  “I will.” Conner didn’t watch Tommy leave. He was too busy observing as Marc and Adrian arrived.

  Angela was in his arms before Marc climbed out of the RV.

  Marc enjoyed the attention, holding her close and tight–the way he now knew she preferred.

  Adrian and Kendle tolerated the reunion without the usual bitterness as Marc kissed her.

  Angela’s resulting happiness almost knocked them off their feet.

  “Well, I can’t match that.” Kendle grunted at Adrian. “Welcome back.”

  “Thanks. The seats in that RV suck.”

  They shared laughter.

  Angela held onto Marc, making sure he understood how happy she was that he was home.

  Marc set her on her feet. “I have to hit the head.”

  Angela laughed as Marc left, thrilled with his attitude. She wouldn’t take advantage of him very often, but after everything they’d gone through together, she and Adrian deserved to have one moment where they were allowed to be themselves. She’d chosen to do it now, where there were a handful of witnesses. All of those were people who could be trusted to keep their mouths shut. Their hour in the cubby had only happened because she’d needed a nap and the other men she felt safe around had been busy.

  Angela waved Kendle on. “He’ll need updates.”

  Angela was aware that Marc had left to avoid experiencing her bond with Adrian, but also to avoid Kendle’s needy grasp. He had felt the hug coming.

  Overjoyed at a second chance, Kendle hurried off as the guards on the area turned their backs to give Angela privacy.

  Instead of falling in Adrian’s arms the way everyone was expecting, Angela climbed into the RV.

  Chris swiveled around in the captain’s chair to regard her in adoration. “Everything went just like you said.”

  Angela leaned over and kissed the vet on the cheek, making him freeze.

  Adrian slid into the RV to get between them if he needed to.

  Angela lingered for a moment, trying to reward him for following her orders without question. “You know what comes next.”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  Angela leaned back, controlling a boiling stomach. “Has she said anything?”

  Chris forced his attention to their captive. “I made her give me a name when I pulled her out of their camp. It’s Michelle.”

  Angela locked eyes with the woman. “Erik’s wife and Vlad’s sister. Welcome to my Safe Haven.”

  Michelle glared at Angela.

  She didn’t speak yet, but everyone could sense a tirade coming.

  Chris restarted the engine at Angela’s signal. She didn’t want the camp disturbed, but she didn’t want to knock the woman out again either.

  “Your brother stole something from me that was priceless. Even though he’s dead, I’m taking something from him that he considered to be priceless–you.”

  “Are you going to kill
me?”

  “No.” Angela had no trouble lying. The hatred she felt for this woman and all of her family was immense. “I’m going to flip you. When you leave us, we won’t ever leave you.”

  Michelle settled in to the uncomfortable seat of the RV. All she’d wanted to know was Angela’s immediate plans. If she wasn’t going to be killed yet, she had nothing else to say.

  Angela exchanged a quick glance with Chris that Adrian caught. Adrian took her arm to help her down the stairs and close the RV.

  Chris pulled away, leaving them alone together in the darkness.

  “You can stop him. It isn’t too late to change your mind.”

  Angela regarded Adrian. “We have three minutes alone. Is that how you want to spend it?”

  “That would be honorable, wouldn’t it?”

  Angela’s heart thumped when he took a step closer. “Yes, but you aren’t honorable, are you?”

  “No. That’s why you have Marc.” Adrian stopped with less than a foot of space between them. “What do you need from me?”

  “Everything.”

  Adrian gently took her into his arms. Their souls bonded in a blinding flash of joy and completeness that neither of them had ever felt with anyone else.

  “Do all soul mates feel this way?”

  Adrian held her tighter, breathing deeply of the scent that was unique to her. “I think so. Other couples in camp would be able to describe it.”

  Angela also tightened her grip. “Thank you for saving his life.”

  “It was a hard choice.” Adrian’s laugh told her he was joking.

  Angela rested her cheek against his shoulder, inhaling of his musky scent. “I won’t do this again.”

  “I know.”

  “I could overrule them.”

  Adrian kissed the top of her head. “No. You can’t lift my banishment without a camp vote. Not even Marc can do that.”

  “I know. It won’t be official.”

  “Don’t break the rules, not even for me.”

  Adrian pushed the moment as far as he could. He held her back a little bit and pressed his lips to her cheek. “At some point in the future, we’ll be allowed to have moments like this whenever we want. Please don’t let your emotions ruin them when they happen.”

  Angela stiffened in anger and guilt at the reminder. “Already planning that far out, are you?”

  Adrian was sorry he’d ruined her good mood. “I’ll do everything I can to keep him alive.”

  “I know. I trust you.”

  That meant more to Adrian than the physical moment. It allowed him to press another soft kiss to her cheek and then stepped back. “You always can, no matter what it is that you need.” Adrian rotated toward the parking lot. “I’m gonna get ready for tomorrow. Have a good night.”

  Angela felt a chill in the wind as he disappeared into the shadows, but her heart was at ease. When Marc joined her, slipping her arm around her shoulders, she leaned against him in tired satisfaction. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you can do this.”

  Marc kissed the top of her head in the same place that Adrian had. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

  “Are we in the community tent?”

  Marc led her toward one of the trucks. “We have a bunk.”

  Thrilled, Angela allowed Marc to help her inside. Her boots came off first, followed by her gun belt. Both were placed within reach. As she slid over to make space, she noticed Marc staring over his shoulder. “Two minutes?”

  “Thank you.”

  Angela pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, moaning at the wonderful sensation of being able to stretch out. When the truck door closed, she refused to stress over what could happen. Loving someone more than yourself was hard. It was even harder when you accepted that you weren’t the center of that person’s universe, that they needed other people in their lives to be happy. Once she and Marc adjusted, the jealousy would still hit them occasionally, but it would be easy to fight because the result was no longer carrying the weight of hating someone because you couldn’t be the center of their universe.

  Angela began to drift, bringing the witch out. Keep an eye on my camp.

  The witch barged out of her cell and flew toward the perimeter.

  3

  “Got a minute?”

  Kendle happily followed Marc away from the truck where Angela was stashed. They both felt it when she went out, along with the rest of the camp. The temperature had dropped, but the mood held. She was happy.

  Marc wanted this done and over with, but he also hated the part of himself that was anticipating it. He didn’t owe Kendle anything. This wasn’t a reward for her coming back or a pity moment to keep her rage under control. He wanted this.

  Marc paused between three trucks, hoping that only one guard would witness it. Even though he had Angela’s permission, and didn’t care what the rest of the camp thought, it felt disrespectful.

  Kendle knew what he was experiencing and didn’t push. She didn’t say any of the million things that were going through her mind. Instead, she settled for staring at him. Whenever Angela was around, she tried hard not to do that.

  Marc couldn’t help being attracted to the warmth in her gaze. It was obvious that Kendle was smitten with him, but he also remembered their time together while fighting the government. She had been a wonderful distraction from his pain of being away from Angela. She had also been a great partner to fight with. She was smart, funny, and had always managed to succeed in whatever chore he gave her. It was hard not to be impressed by that.

  It’s only a hug. It’s only a hug. Marc moved closer, opening his arms.

  Kendle tensed. She couldn’t help but expect Angela’s fire to hit them.

  Marc rubbed her arms and then pulled her into his embrace. “It’s okay.”

  Kendle shuddered at the sensations. Luke had made her feel more alive, but she didn’t have the full experience with Marc to compare it to yet. Kendle knew she never would. She assumed Marc was doing this because it would drive Angela crazy for the next few days and pay her back for the moment with Adrian. She felt him running through the reasons, but as she slipped her arms around his neck, Kendle felt his reaction.

  Marc didn’t want her to know that. It wasn’t fair to her to know he was attracted to her, especially when nothing would ever come of it. He assumed the attraction existed because they were both descendants.

  Kendle refused to let Marc lie to himself that way. She slid her lips across his bristled cheek, making them both shiver. Two tiny kisses later, she was at the corner of his mouth and Marc reacted, searching for more contact instead of pulling away.

  Using strength she didn’t know she had when it came to him, Kendle stopped. Heart throbbing and body alive with need, she blew out an angry sigh. “If you ever need me, even for ten minutes in the dark, you only have to ask.” She stepped back, but didn’t look at him so she could finish what she had to say. “We won’t talk about this again. I won’t touch you. I won’t say things that are inappropriate. We’ll work together fine, like we did before, but you know, and I know, that if Angela wasn’t in the picture, you’d be mine.”

  Marc couldn’t argue with that. Out of all of the females in the camp, only Kendle and Angela had drawn any fire from him. “I’m sorry.”

  Kendle shrugged, meeting his eye. “I’m not. I believed Luke was one of those moments that happen to random people at random times. I didn’t realize that I could create that type of a bond with another person. If not for my attraction to you, I never would have let Tommy in. He’s a great guy.”

  “Yes, he is.” Marc was happy that she’d found someone other than Adrian and even more relieved that she wasn’t going to be a problem. While he would never cheat on Angela, he also didn’t want to be fantasizing about another woman. As long as Kendle kept her distance, that wouldn’t happen. If she spent too much time around him sending out vibes of being available, it would cause his thoughts to wander. B
ut that would be all. Like any other guy who was happy in his relationship, Kendle would be one of the few females who would be able to turn him on, but also like happily married men, he would never betray his mate. He loved Angela. Wanting Kendle was just natural physical evolution.

  That’s an interesting theory. Adrian joined Marc as Kendle left. “Do you think it’s a survival drive?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s too common in Safe Haven for me to say no.” Marc opened the door to the truck. “I don’t like it when you guys distract me. Don’t do it again.”

  “I won’t, but I can’t speak for her.” Adrian didn’t pretend ignorance. He didn’t want to ruin the fragile peace between them.

  “If he carries out that order, you and I will take care of it tomorrow.”

  Adrian was relieved. He had planned to ask Marc about it. “At your order.”

  Marc climbed into the rig.

  Adrian walked toward the camp, not sure where he should sleep. Leadership couldn’t clear him without a vote, but he needed to stick around at least until tomorrow’s business was finished. Steps slow, Adrian noticed a shadow near the edge of the caution tape. He caught the vibes before the mental invitation and smiled. He gestured in response and then detoured toward the bathrooms. It appeared as though he had a bed waiting.

  Body lighting up and guilt screaming, Nancy faded back into the shadows to wait.

  4

  “I want to go to the party.”

  At that moment, Neil realized Samantha had made her choice to stay with Safe Haven. She wanted to be with her team. Instead of arguing, Neil felt relief swarm over his tired body. I didn’t want to leave. Imagine that.

  Samantha rubbed Neil’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I needed time to be sure.”

  Neil kissed her cheek. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I wasn’t positive either, apparently.”

  Samantha put her arms around his neck as he lifted her, wishing her leg was ready for use. She hated to be carried everywhere.

  To her surprise, Neil put her on her feet.

  Samantha smiled. “Really?”