I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “What were you thinking we’d need? It’s not like anyone here is trained to use guns safely. At least not that we know of and besides, some of the people here are quite new. Do we really trust them enough to arm them at this point?”
“I’m betting more will fight than you think. Everyone here is, dare I say, happy? Maybe I should go with content and I think they’ll want to fight to keep what we have,” Shawn said.
“I just don’t think we should risk it,” I said crossing my arms.
The others had cautiously filled the room. They were listening to our discussion… a discussion we probably should have been having in private.
“Ella and I will help any way we can,” Noah said. I could still remember how deflated he had appeared when he first arrived with his sister. Noah barely resembled that person any longer. He was strong and healthy now. Well, as strong and healthy as one can be under the circumstances.
“Do either of you know how to use a gun?” I asked.
Ella shook her head.
“We’re quick learners,” Noah said.
“Problem is, none of us here are teachers,” I said.
“I’d probably end up shooting myself somehow,” Becki said. Becki was the one we’d helped escape the gorillas. “If there is anything else I can do to help, I’m all in.”
Winter’s head bobbed. “Me too. But a gun? I don’t even know how to properly hold one.”
“We’re not an army,” I said tapping my finger on my chin. “An escape plan is what we need. A way for us to get away if we are approached… attacked.”
“And give this all up?” Shawn asked.
Gage scratched the top of his head. “That’s not a bad idea either but maybe we need to do both. Have a place where we have a secret backup stash of food and supplies. And get ourselves more weapons.”
“Maybe we don’t have to go too far,” Shawn said.
“What do you mean?” I asked cocking my head to the side.
“The blue house. The one furthest from here to the west,” Shawn said pointing at the window. “There was a secret storage area under a rug. The only reason I found it was because I tripped on the rug.”
I pulled in a breath. “I’d like to see it. Maybe we can put supplies down there. If we need to hide, that’s where we can go.”
“It’s not a big space. We couldn’t stay down there forever,” Shawn said.
“Think we could dig a tunnel?” Ella asked.
Shawn shook his head. “I think the ground is probably too saturated but we could try. I’m not sure how far we’d get or where we’d even dig to.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” I said. “We’ll have to check it out. I wouldn’t want the tunnel caving in on anyone.”
“We still need guns,” Gage said. “And maybe travel further west to see what’s out there. Eventually, we’ll find something.”
“I really don’t want to lose this place,” Lucy said. “It’s the closest thing to feeling like home since this all happened.”
Kieran rubbed her daughter's back and nodded. She looked up and met my eyes.
“I can use a gun,” Kieran said.
There was confidence in her eyes but also something else. She already knew I hadn’t been completely sold on what happened to her husband and truthfully, the way she was holding my gaze wasn’t strengthening her case.
“Some of the others will surely join in too,” Kieran said. “What we have here is worth fighting for.”
Gage was smugly nodding along with her words. I sighed as I held up my hands.
“We’re going in circles. I just want to make sure we’re all safe and we have what we need,” I said. “We need to be smart about this.”
“There’s a chance those men won’t even come this way, right?” Winter asked.
“Of course, but I don’t know how good of a chance that is,” I replied. “Eventually, they’ll want to find more supplies too.”
“How far away are they?” Noah asked shifting his weight.
I pressed my lips together. “I think he estimated twenty miles?”
“That’s what he said,” Gage added.
“We need to let everyone know what’s going on,” I said.
“Are you sure?” Shawn asked.
I nodded. “They should have all the information. That way, they can decide if they want to stay or if they want to head out on their own. Staying here might feel like a risk.”
“How can this be a risk?” Noah asked. “We have more supplies than anyone else out there.”
“And that’s exactly why we’re at risk. We have what others will want,” I said.
“Okay,” Gage said clapping his hands. “I’ll head out to the west and you guys see what you can figure out with the basement.”
I laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” Gage furrowed his brow.
“You’re not going anywhere alone,” I said.
“I’ll go with him,” Noah said.
Ella grabbed his arm. Her eyebrows slanted. “No, Noah. Don’t leave me.”
“It won’t be for long, right Gage?” Noah asked.
“No,” Gage said looking at me. He knew I didn’t want him to leave either. “Not long at all.”
“How long will you go for?” I asked.
Gage shrugged. “Twenty-four hours? Forty-eight at the most.”
“Who will keep you safe overnight?” I asked. I lowered my voice. “What about your vision?”
Gage grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. Our backs were toward the others.
“I can see mostly fine,” he said between his pursed lips. “Things far away are blurry. That’s all.”
“How far? Across the yard? Or across the room?” I sighed. “You’ll be out there in a new area, it’s not the same as staying here moving from house to house. A place you know like the back of your hand.”
“You’re like an over-protective parent,” Gage said grimacing.
I felt a slight quiver in my bottom lip, so I pressed them tightly together. “You’re all I have left.”
“What about him?” Gage jerked his chin slightly in Shawn’s direction.
“That’s different and you know it. I care about him a lot, sure, but you’re like… like… my family,” I said.
“That explains the over-protective parent thing,” Gage said with a smirk. He quickly waved it away. “I feel the same but you have to trust me too. You have to let me help take care of everyone. You don’t have to do this alone.”
I looked away from his intense stare. My body felt warm. “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t,” Gage said.
“Don’t say that,” I pleaded.
Gage took my hand into his. “I’ll always come back, okay? Nothing can stop me.”
“You don’t know there is no way I can believe that, right?”
“That isn’t going to stop me from saying it,” Gage said. “Shawn can take you to the house. You’ll barely even notice I’m gone.”
“If you’re absolutely sure about this—”
“I am,” Gage said. “We can try to get away but we may also need to be able to protect ourselves.”
The room was silent. Everyone was trying to listen to what Gage and I were talking about. That only made the voices outside that much more noticeable.
I couldn’t make out what they were saying but I was worried. Was it them? The people Jake warned us about?
Maybe it was already too late. I grabbed the shotgun from where we kept it next to the door and pulled my shoulders back.
This was our home. I wasn’t about to let anyone take it from us easily.
10
Joss
I paced the floor near the window. The lit candle made peculiar shadows on the walls as I moved about.
“We shouldn’t have gone there,” I said.
“It’s fine,” Robby said. “It was probably just someone from the party trying to avoid your noisy fri
end.”
“Our noisy friend,” I corrected.
Robby wrapped his arms around my middle. “You’re making me seasick.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have had so much to drink.”
“Please,” Robby said. “That was nothing.”
I sighed. “I’m just worried. It’s not like I want to get in trouble for this.”
“You think it was one of Rex’s men spying on us?” Robby asked.
“Maybe. It could just be that he has people watching everyone, not necessarily just us,” I said. “But we are new. He probably doesn’t trust us any further than he can throw us. I wouldn’t, would you?”
Robby shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t. But let’s not forget that I was in charge of people at the store and they betrayed me. That’s not something I’ll forget easily.”
“I guess we’ll find out sooner or later if Rex is going to kick us out,” I said.
“Jenna will never forgive me,” Robby said stepping away from me. He flopped down on the bed, folding his hands behind his head.
I sat down next to him and yawned. “I’m tired.”
“How tired?” he asked raising a brow.
My heart raced and my lips curled into a smile. “I’m never that tired.”
Robby rolled me on top of him. I lazily twisted my fingers into his hair. His lips were soft on mine. I could taste the warm beer that had stained his tongue.
“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” Robby said.
“I don’t think I can hear it enough,” I said smiling at him.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” Robby said looking me over as if I were a precious gem.
I drew in a breath, letting his words envelop me in their comforting warmth. The way he looked at me was enough to make me feel like something important.
He was my everything. I couldn’t comprehend how I’d gone as long as I had in life without him. And yet, at the same time, it felt as though I’d known him forever.
My hands ran down his damp shirt, stopping at the hem. I tugged upward and he wiggled as I pulled the shirt over his head.
His muscles popped out like they should. He’d gotten healthier since we’d been in the town thanks to the regular meals and sleep.
It wasn’t just Jenna that needed the town… we all did. We shouldn’t have gone to the party. Rex let us stay in his town. He fed us and gave us shelter and we repaid him but going to a stupid party.
“Everything okay?” Robby asked narrowing his eyes.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said with an exhale. I hadn’t wanted to get distracted. Robby was usually my distraction.
“Where did you go just now?” he asked as he kissed down the side of my neck.
I smiled. “Sorry, I don’t really drink. I guess it’s affecting me a bit more than I thought.”
“Oh, do you want to stop?” Robby asked.
“Definitely not.” I drew a straight line down the center of his stomach, stopping at the button on his pants. “Do you want to stop?”
Robby shook his head. “Are you kidding?”
He grabbed my shirt, yanking clumsily until I helped him get it over my head. Robby growled as he flipped me over. We bounced lightly and the bedsprings squeaked under our weight.
His hands on my body made me feel weightless. We simultaneously shimmied out of our pants, unable to wait for a second longer to feel each other completely.
I clung to him as he rocked into me. It was like we were on the ocean, riding the gentle waves as the sun beat down. I closed my eyes and I could feel the heat from the sun’s rays.
My fingertips dug into Robby’s shoulders and my head tipped back as a wave of pleasure crashed over our bodies. The feeling of our combined release was like electricity surging through my veins.
“Robby,” I said breathlessly. His name slid sweetly off my tongue.
“I love you, Joss,” Robby whispered into my ear. “I love you so much.”
We fell asleep in each other’s arms. It felt like morning came much too quickly.
I blinked several times to clear my vision. Robby was still in bed with his head to the side. His breathing slow and steady, and there was a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Robby,” I said lightly shaking him.
“Huh?” he grunted without opening his eyes. He shifted slightly and fell right back asleep.
“Robby, you’re going to be late,” I said.
The word was like the buzz of an alarm clock. His eyes popped open and he sat up.
“Dammit,” he said. He stretched his arms but he didn’t get out of bed like I thought he would. His finger massaged his temples as he groaned. “Got a bit of a headache.”
“They call that a hangover,” I said.
Robby shook his head. “I don’t get hangovers. Do we have any headache medicine?”
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“I need to get more sleep,” Robby said.
“Is Rex going to be mad?”
Robby’s head moved side to side. “I don’t think so. Let Caleb know. He can stop by and tell Rex I’m not feeling well.”
“Okay,” I said pulling on dry clothes.
I left the room, looking in both directions before crossing the hall. My hand felt stiff as I curled it into a fist to knock.
The door opened and Jenna looked at me through narrowed eyes. “Took you long enough.”
“Where’s Caleb?” I asked.
“He left earlier,” Jenna said placing her hand on her hip. “You know, like they always do. Caleb knocked on your door but no one answered.”
“Shoot. Sorry,” I said. “Robby isn’t feeling well.”
Jenna snorted. “Too much to drink, maybe?”
“He has a headache.”
“Like I said, too much to drink,” she repeated.
“I guess I’ll have to go talk to Rex,” I said. “He wanted Caleb to pass on the message. It’s okay, I need to see if I can find some headache medicine or something for him.”
Jenna hesitated. “Want me to go with you?”
“Nah, that’s okay.” I scratched the back of my neck with my shaking fingers. I didn’t want her to see my nerves or she’d insist on accompanying me. “Any chance you’d keep an eye on Robby? I’ll let you in before I head out.”
“Yeah, I can do that,” Jenna said glancing over her shoulder. “Let me just grab my book.”
We silently walked across the hall. I opened the door and tapped my lips with my index finger. “He’s probably asleep. Lock the door, okay?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Be back in a bit.”
Jenna offered me a quick nod. I spun on my heel after the door closed and headed toward the stairs.
When I stepped out of the building and into the rain, it hit me hard that I was out alone for the first time since I’d left town with Bill. I was tempted to turn around and go back up to the room.
Rex would eventually send someone to ask about Robby or maybe he wouldn’t care at all why he hadn’t shown up. I could just run to the little store down the road and see if they had some headache medicine, then call it a day.
Then again, I was already halfway there. It wouldn’t take long to pop in.
“Hey there, girly!” Ashton called out, waving at me from across the street.
He must have been out in the rain for a long time as his hair was soaked and plastered flat against his forehead. Ashton ran over to me with a big smile on his face.
“Joss, right?” Ashton said squinting slightly.
“That’s right,” I said.
“I knew it,” he said snapping his fingers. “Where you headed? I heard you were no longer working out here but taking care of that pregnant girl.”
I nodded. “That’s right. Just heading over to talk to Rex.”
“Oh, cool. Is he expecting you?” Ashton asked.
“No,” I said.
“Here,” he said placing his hand on my back. He turned me into a small alleyway betw
een two buildings. “This is a shortcut.”
I gulped as I turned and tried to get back out onto the sidewalk. “Oh, I don’t mind going—”
“Less rain falling here,” Ashton said.
I took two steps before he pushed me against the wet brick building. His hands were pressed against the wall, one on each side of me.
“Dang,” he said looking me up and down. “I think you might be the finest woman in this entire town.”
“Um, thanks,” I said trying to step to the side. He reacted quickly, blocking me. “I should hurry. Rex is waiting for me.”
Ashton chuckled. “Thought you said he wasn’t expecting you?”
“Well, he knows I’m coming,” I lied.
“He won’t mind waiting a little longer,” Ashton said. “I can be fast or slow whatever you prefer.”
“I prefer to be on my way,” I said.
Ashton frowned. “Aw, baby, don’t be like that.”
“I just want to go,” I said trying again to get away.
He was rougher. His hand was on my shoulder, pressing me against the wall.
I heard the zipper on his pants and my heartbeat pounded. My voice was stuck in my throat. I needed to get away.
Ashton touched my cheek and I cringed. It almost seemed as if it had excited him more that I wasn’t interested.
“Let me go!” I said louder.
His hand covered my mouth. He smiled at my wide, panic-filled eyes.
Leaving the room had been a huge mistake. I should never have gone out on my own. Now, I was going to pay the price.
11
Adam
I knocked but she didn’t respond. My fist tightened with frustration as I pounded harder.
“Leah,” I said forcing myself to remain calm. “Please, open the door. I want to talk to you.”
I waited. I could hear water splashing. The cabinets squeaking as they opened and closed.
“Come on, Leah. Please open the door.” It sounded like I was begging. I didn’t like the tone of my voice but I was desperate. I needed to talk to her.
But it worked. She opened the door. One hand held a piece of tissue pressed to the cut above her eye.
The Reset Series | Book 5 | Torrent Page 5