The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three

by Grace Hamilton

  Wyatt pushed Megan’s hand away and sat up. His head spun, but he couldn’t show weakness. He took a deep breath and got to his feet, with Megan’s help. He pushed her to his side, blocking her from the lunatic waving a gun all over the place.

  “You killed him! You killed my brother! Why? Why would you shoot him?” the man screamed.

  Wyatt held up his one good hand. His other arm hung limply at his side. Megan was still holding her jacket around his arm. She showed no signs of letting go.

  “You need to calm down. Your brother attacked her and then shot me.”

  “Because you tortured him! You held him as a prisoner and beat him.”

  Now Wyatt was the one confused. “What? What are you talking about, man?”

  “Drop the guns. Now.” Chase’s voice was low and deadly serious.

  The men who had been with Kyle spun around. Wyatt turned slowly. His head was spinning and he could feel blackness trying to pull him in.

  Chase and Albert stood in front of Jack and Ryland who were standing in front of Willow, Rosie and Caitlin. They each held a weapon, including Ryland. Caitlin had a baseball bat. She was so tiny, but she looked mighty ferocious. Even his mom, who truly wouldn’t harm a soul, was holding a .22. He wanted to laugh at the picture his little family made looking all tough, but that would probably detract from the vibe.

  “He tried to kill my daughter and then me,” Megan spoke up. “I shot him.”

  Wyatt quickly contradicted her. “I shot him. We were wrestling on the ground and the gun went off.” He was not going to let Megan get hurt for doing the right thing.

  Megan looked at him as if he was crazy. This guy wanted revenge and he was not about to let Megan be the one he targeted. Not again.

  “He would never hurt a child,” the man argued.

  “Evan, what do you want us to do here?” One of the men who looked very uncomfortable holding a gun asked the question. Clearly, the guy wanted nothing to do with shooting or being shot.

  “Listen,” Megan started. Wyatt could tell she was using the voice a mom used to soothe a toddler who was throwing a tantrum. He knew the voice because his mom still used it on him to this day.

  “My daughter saw him kill a young man a couple weeks ago. Not here,” she added when Evan started to shake his head. “We were in the forest, maybe ten or fifteen miles from here. Caitlin saw him and he saw her. He fed her deadly nightshade berries and it almost killed her,” Megan’s voice broke.

  A collective gasp could be heard behind them. Wyatt didn’t know if it was from Kyle’s men or from his own family. The world had gone very black and he couldn’t seem to focus his eyes.

  A little voice broke the silence, “He hurt him. He said the man was just sleeping, but I know that isn’t true. He had brown hair,” Caitlin looked around and pointed to Ryland, “like him. The man kept saying he was sorry, but the bad man hurt him.”

  “Jessy.” The man who had spoken up earlier murmured the name. “It was Jessy McCaulin, Evan. Kyle said he ran off after he caught him stealing, but Jessy’s sister said he saw Kyle,” he stopped. “He saw Kyle take Veronica into his tent. Veronica didn’t want to go in the tent. You know?”

  Wyatt knew exactly what the guy was saying. Kyle had raped this Veronica girl and Jessy saw it. He was killed because of what he saw, just as Caitlin was nearly killed for what she witnessed.

  Evan shook his head, “No. I don’t believe that for a minute. Veronica is a slut. Kyle didn’t have to rape anyone.”

  Wyatt mustered up reserve strength to put Evan in check. “Don’t talk like that in front of the kids. Kyle is dead because of what he did. It’s no one’s fault but his own. He did this,” he said jabbing a finger at the dead man lying on the ground.

  “Let’s go, Evan.” The man looked at Megan and apologized. He turned and started to leave. The rest of the men followed except Evan.

  “No! I will avenge his death. You can’t simply kill my brother and get away with it.”

  Chase and Jack put themselves between Wyatt and Evan.

  Jack looked at him, “You can leave now or join your brother. Don’t come back and don’t ever threaten our family.”

  Evan stared at him for several seconds before walking away. “His death won’t go unpunished,” he shouted before disappearing into the trees.

  There was a moment of complete silence before everyone started talking at once.

  Wyatt leaned into Megan who had her arm around his waist. “Megan?”

  She looked up at him, “Yeah?”

  He wished he could say something sweet and endearing, but it wasn’t going to happen. “I’m going to pass out,” he barely got the words out before he felt his knees start to weaken. His brother was there before he hit the ground. The last thing he remembered was Megan telling him it would be okay.

  29

  The group managed to get Wyatt back to the cabin. He had only been out for a few minutes, but it had them all very concerned. He was clearly not in too bad of shape. He complained the whole way back about how embarrassed he was, how he had suffered worse and never passed out before.

  At first, everyone did what they could to reassure him he was still tough and it wasn’t a big deal. By the time, they got him into the bed that had only recently been vacated by Megan and Caitlin, they told him to shut up and let Rosie take care of him. His mom chided him and told him he had always made the worst patient.

  Megan waited until Rosie was finished tending Wyatt’s wound. Fortunately, the bullet only grazed him, and didn’t nick an artery, but there was still quite a bit of blood loss. Despite the wound being relatively minor, Rosie had ordered him to stay in bed while she fixed him something to eat to help restore his strength after losing so much blood.

  “Hey,” she said not looking directly at him.

  She hated how pale he looked. Although Rosie assured her, the wound was superficial and he would be just fine, she felt horrible. Wyatt had nearly lost his life trying to protect her.

  “Hey, yourself,” he replied.

  She looked around the room with its bare walls. She thought back to a few short hours ago when she had been cold, wet and a little scared. This room blocked all of that out. It was warm and cozy even if it was a little on the plain side. The people in the home made it feel safe. No, she corrected herself. The man lying in the bed is what made it feel safe.

  “Megan,” he started.

  She held up a hand to stop him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken off in the middle of the night.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll admit I was a little mad, but mostly worried.”

  Megan looked up and met his eyes, “It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking straight. I was letting the past cloud my judgment and it nearly got me, my daughter, you, and your entire family killed.”

  “No, Kyle almost killed us. That had nothing to do with you. That is just a snake doing what snakes do.”

  Megan realized she hadn't had the chance to explain the whole situation.

  When she finished her story about what Caitlin witnessed and Kyle’s attempt to kill her, he looked furious. Megan realized that she didn’t want him to kick them out. She wanted to stay and now he was ready to send her packing because she almost got his family killed. Good going, Megan. Another smooth move.

  “I can’t believe he tried to kill a little girl. That is one sick man and I am so glad he is dead. Imagine all of the people that have been following him. The other little girls and boys he would have killed if they saw something that threatened his plans.”

  He shook his head, “Unbelievable. I’m so glad you guys came here. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened.”

  Megan was surprised by his declaration. He wasn’t mad that death was delivered to his doorstep because of her?

  She stared at him. “You’re amazing. All of you are.”

  She wasn’t one to cry, but his generosity and complete acceptance of her and her daughter was so incredibly giving it brought tears
to her eyes. She looked away not wanting him to see her cry.

  His arms were wrapped tightly around her before she knew he was there. “You’re not leaving me again, Megan. Don’t even think about it. We will fight together. Me, you, all of us. We really are better off together.”

  “Got it. Thank you. Just, thank you so much.” He pulled her back down onto the pillows with him and held her tight. She relished the feel of his bare chest under her cheek. The steady heartbeat soothed her soul. She wanted to stay right where she was.

  Megan jerked awake. She had fallen asleep on his chest. The sleepless night and the activity of the day had caught up to her. She raised her head and looked up at him. He was smiling.

  “Have a good nap?”

  “Oops. I guess I was a little more tired than I thought.”

  “You had a pretty rough day. You deserved a nap.”

  Epilogue

  That night they all sat around the dinner table, talking, laughing, and making plans for the future. Megan was still tired from her ordeal, but exhilarated at the same time. It had been a crazy twenty-four hours.

  Chase and Jack had yet to stop teasing Wyatt for passing out. “The big bad Navy SEAL,” Chase chanted laughing.

  “Hey now, I’d just run up that hill, tackled the man, and had been physically fighting with him after he shot me,” Wyatt defended.

  Jack patted him on the back. “Whatever you say, bro. We still respect you. Mostly.”

  Megan watched the guys tease Wyatt and he had happily dished it back. Every so often, he’d look at her and when he caught her eye, he’d smile. The kind of smile that told her everything really would be okay.

  Rosie had managed to redirect the conversation toward the list of projects she was hoping the guys would tackle tomorrow and Megan quickly offered to help dig the trenches for the garden. Megan was now looking at a future where she could make plans and stick to them.

  Next to her, Wyatt had bumped his leg against hers and when he didn’t move it, she leaned against his side.

  When things had gone dark with no real idea of if or when the world would ever return to normal, Megan had been resigned to a life of hardship. She had hoped she could find somewhere safe for her daughter, but wasn’t sure, if anything like that even existed. It did. She had found it.

  In such a short time, these people had become her friends and her family.

  Once dinner was over, Megan helped Rosie and Willow with the cleanup. Ryland and Caitlin were upstairs playing Battleship. Each of the men had gone out to take care of the various chores. Rosie had told Wyatt to take it easy, but he scoffed at the idea going outside to help bring in more wood for the stove.

  Although Megan hated Kyle for what he did to Caitlin, she was so thankful his actions led her right to Wyatt. It was kismet. Before dinner, Rosie had taken Megan aside and given her blessing to have a relationship with Wyatt.

  Megan was a little hesitant and thought Rosie would be angry or disappointed after Megan had put them through so much, but she wasn’t. She was thrilled to have Caitlin in the home and said she could use another daughter-in-law.

  The EMP was the worst and best thing that could have ever happened to her. While the world had been turned upside down, it had also made Megan realize that depending on others didn’t mean the end of the world. Under the right circumstances, it was only the beginning.

  Wyatt walked in the back door to find Megan leaning against one of the massive wooden posts at the foot of the stairs. She looked exhausted. There were dark, heavy bags under her eyes and her shoulders were slouched forward. She was beautiful. And she was here. Twelve hours ago, he had thought he would never see her again and here she was.

  He walked closer to her, blowing out the candles that were still flickering on the long dining table.

  “You look tired. You should probably get to bed,” he told her holding a hand out.

  She smiled, “I am absolutely beat.” She took his hand, “You should get to bed, too. Your mom says you need to rest after that whole fainting bit.” He jabbed a finger in her side, causing her to laugh. “I’m teasing. It was kind of funny, though.”

  “Ha. Ha. Make fun of the guy who saved the day.”

  She giggled again, “If I remember right, I saved you.”

  He pulled her close. She had clearly gotten over her initial reaction to shooting and killing a man. He was afraid it would destroy her, but he was wrong. This woman was made of some strong stuff and when it came to defending her daughter, she would walk through fire. Or kill a man. What was even better, she was his. She may not know it yet, but it was going to happen.

  “So, uh, Caitlin and Ryland are having a little slumber party upstairs. Ryland is going to point out the stars. Your mom made them some hot chocolate and busted into her Oreo stash.”

  Wyatt’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t say a word afraid he would either say something stupid and ruin the moment or offend her. Not saying anything was his best choice.

  She started walking towards what used to be his room, but was now considered her room. She tugged on his hand. It was an invitation to follow. He grinned, but quickly stopped when she looked back at him.

  “I saw that.”

  This time he grinned and didn’t care who saw. “Good.”

  He had to stop himself from running to the bedroom. This woman had fallen into his lap and, from this moment on, she was going to be at his side. They were going to kick this apocalypse’s ass!

  End of ‘Dark Retreat’

  EMP Lodge Series Book One

  Blurb

  In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, Megan Wolford is settling in with her makeshift family at the safe haven of their lodge, but she remains wary of trusting others. Despite her growing feelings for Wyatt Morris, the leader of the group, she still feels most secure on her own. But when she becomes separated from her beloved daughter Caitlin in a storm, Megan is in danger of losing the one thing keeping her fighting to stay alive. Injured and desperate, she must fight every instinct within her to rely on the others for help when they find evidence that Caitlin has been kidnapped.

  Wyatt is determined to do everything he can to bring her home, and he organizes a search party to visit a set of old adversaries in the guise of traders to try and find the missing girl—but Megan would rather take matters into her own hands. With Megan setting off alone to face unknown enemies, she is more vulnerable than ever. When a mysterious stranger known as the Green Woman appears to be a lead in finding Caitlin, she’ll have to track her down.

  Can she put aside her stubborn need for independence and accept help from her newfound community before it’s too late?

  1

  Megan put her finger to her lips, shushing the group scurrying about gathering supplies. Everyone froze, nodded, and quietly took their designated positions. Megan's heart raced as she peeked out the window.

  They were coming.

  Wyatt had gone over the plan so often over the last few days, she thought she was prepared. She wasn't.

  Rosie was crouched behind the center island in the kitchen with Willow right beside her. Wyatt stood sentry flattened against wall by the front door. When they came through the door, they wouldn't see him until they were practically on him. Albert was hiding in the bedroom, closest to the front door. Chase was crouched on the stairs where he couldn't be seen from the doorway, but would still be able to see Megan signal him.

  Jack had chosen the closet where all of the guns and ammo were stashed to take cover in while Megan stood on the other side of the door. Her hiding spot allowed her to see the entire room. She was in charge of giving the signal to move. Megan held her breath and met Wyatt's cobalt blue eyes. She could stare at his dark blue eyes forever. The black hair, which was a little too long, was falling around his face, making his eyes appear even darker.

  He nodded calmly. The silent move was to settle her nerves enough for her to catch her breath. Over the past few months, she had come to rely on those looks to lift her
spirits, calm her nerves or start a fire in the pit of her belly.

  He was the perfect specimen of a man she had told him one night after they had enjoyed a romantic moonlit stroll around the property. He was kind and gentle with her, which was a contradiction to his hard looks. He was her gentle giant and she knew she had fallen head over heels in love with the tall, dark and handsome man.

  Megan looked around the room and thought about how much work had gone into making it such a comfortable place to live. Over the past six months, she and her daughter had been made to feel like a real part of the family instead of outsiders.

  Before the EMP, the world had been hectic and technology driven. Humans spent more time staring at their cell phones and tablets than they did enjoying each other’s company. With no electrical power, the world had reverted to a much simpler life where family and friends were everything. Megan often wondered how she ever thought she’d survive on her own.

  High stress situations always made her reflect on her life. People said their lives flashed before their eyes when they encountered near death experiences. Now, she understood what they were talking about. Times like these always brought out little snapshots of the past flashing through her mind like a slideshow.

  It made her smile.

  Catching herself daydreaming, Megan brought her attention back to the situation at hand. This was it. It was the moment they had been waiting and planning for. Megan closed her eyes, adjusted the hat that was secured on her head, and waited.

  “They're here,” Wyatt whispered to no one in particular.

  Duke barked; sounding the alarm that intruders were coming in.

  “Now!” Wyatt shouted.

  There was a flurry of motion as two people came through the doorway; causing everyone to spring into action at once which, sent Duke into a frantic state of barking and spinning around. He didn't know who to pounce on first.