If only I could force my brain to stop thinking about how Bronx had made me feel. Whenever he was around, I felt warm and safe, but now it had turned it into a coldness I could barely tolerate.
I’d screwed things up. Whatever had started between us, I managed to blow it all up because that’s what I did. That was what I always did.
It wasn’t like we could have been anything anyway. I had to try to push everything out of my mind and focus on our mission.
Everyone started pulling on their backpacks, slowing their movements when Nick held up his hand. “Hold on.”
His eyes narrowed as he peered at something from between the thick, dirty maroon-colored curtains. I swallowed hard as my fingers wrapped tightly around the strap of my pack.
“What’s going on?” Bronx asked stepping up next to Nick.
“Help me move the table,” Nick said in a breath. Together he and Bronx moved the table in front of the door.
“What is it?” I whispered as Nick blew out what was left of the candle.
Nick was back at the window, his head moving slightly as he looked around. “I thought I heard screaming.” His eyes widened. “I definitely heard screaming… there are people out there.”
“What the hell are they doing?” Bronx asked, trying to get a better look.
“They’re… they’re running from something.” Nick breathed heavily. “They’re coming this way.”
Bronx peeked out the side of the curtain. “What the hell is that?”
The terror in his voice curdled my blood. I was at Nick’s side in a heartbeat peeking out of the curtain just beneath him.
There were two women and a man running as fast as they possibly could from the largest bear I’d ever seen. Not that I’d seen a lot of bears, really I’d only seen the ones at the zoo, and they probably were elderly bears enjoying their retirement. But this one… this one was huge.
The fear on the faces of the people running made my heart pound so hard it was like a bass drum pounding next to my ears.
Their feet pounded against the soggy ground, but the bear was gaining on them. There was absolutely no way they were going to outrun the angry beast.
“What do we do?” I asked glancing at the gun. “Shoot it?”
Nick shook his head. “I… I don’t think I can get a shot with them in front of the bear.”
“Maybe you should try?” My voice squeaked.
I could feel Nick glaring at me. “Maybe you should try.”
His dry tone agitated me. “If only I knew how,” I said tasting sour bile at the back of my throat.
“Yeah, right,” Nick said with a groan. “I wouldn’t be able to line up a shot that wouldn’t put each one of them at risk and neither could you no matter how good of a shot you were.”
I didn’t know what to say. One of the many things Nick had bragged about when he was in the academy was his accuracy. It was just too hard to stand there and do nothing.
If there was something, I couldn’t think of it, and neither could anyone else. My palms were sweating. My breaths were short and rapid.
“Shout we let them in? Open the door?” I asked, each breath pinching my lungs hard.
“Point the bear to all of us? That thing will knock down the door, maybe the wall,” Blair said shaking her head. “Yeah, let’s give him a feast.”
“He wouldn’t fit through the door,” I muttered, but maybe she was right.
I just hated feeling helpless… and I hated watching them as they ran toward the hotel knowing they probably wouldn’t be able to get inside any of the rooms before the angry beast devoured them.
The bear opened its mouth and launched himself at the people. Their horrified scream felt like salt on a wound as the man tumbled to the ground with the bear landing on top of him.
The woman stopped running, grabbing on to one another desperately trying to think of a way to help the man on the ground. His arm shot up, and the bear’s teeth cut into his flesh like a cleaver. The bear jerked his head roughly side to side, and the man’s arm popped out of its socket.
The woman screamed again.
Sourness filled my throat.
“Jesus!” Nick said before single-handedly pushing the table away from the door. He grabbed his gun and dashed out of the door before anyone could say anything. It was like he was a police officer again, running into a dangerous situation to help those in need. The version of Nick I barely got to know.
The women were off to the side giving Nick more than enough space to line up his shots. He took several before the bear jumped off of the man and lunged at Nick.
“Nick!” I shouted, but he stood there holding his ground confidently. Stupidly.
He kept shooting, but the bear kept moving toward him. It took at least three more shots before the bear howled out in pain and turned away from Nick. It didn’t make it more than four steps before it collapsed down to the ground.
I watched its large body draw in a deep breath only to have it quickly exit, making the bear look as though it was deflating.
The women looked like they were in shock as they stared at Nick. Their eyes were glazed over, and it seemed as though they weren’t sure if he was real.
Nick walked over to the man, but he shook his head. I was pretty sure there was nothing that could be done for him by the way his body was contorted in a pool of his own blood. He was flopped out, legs bent like a doll with too little stuffing.
Nick was talking to the women as he placed his hands on their shoulders. They looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language.
I breathed slowly, trying to ignore the pounding of my heartbeat in my head as he ushered the panic-stricken women toward our room.
Eight
The women sat on the sofa hugging one another as we stared at them. They were still trying to catch their breath. If they blinked, it wasn’t often.
After several minutes, Nick spoke. “You’re safe in here.”
The woman with reddish, curly hair looked around nervously as if she hadn’t even considered the possibility that they might not be safe until that very moment. She tightened her grip on the other woman’s arm and shuddered.
“What are your names?” Nick asked as he crouched down next to the women.
“Shannon,” the one with curly hair said. “And she’s Monica.”
The other woman nodded, but she kept her eyes focused on the floor. She was frail, with hair as dark as the night sky and it hadn’t been combed in days. Both women looked like they were in their early twenties and would have been gorgeous if not for the current wildness.
Nick introduced us slowly, but the women barely looked up at us as he said our names. They were still in shock, or maybe they didn’t care.
“What were you doing out there?” Nick asked, his voice soft and comforting like freshly washed sheets.
“We came into the city looking for help, food, and a place to stay,” Shannon said rubbing her fingers together. “Instead, we found Danger. I don’t mean the environment, I mean the guy. He said his name was Danger.”
Nick and Bronx exchanged a glance. The woman, Shannon, noticed.
“We only knew him for a few days. Monica and I met him on our way to the city,” Shannon said.
“He helped us,” Monica said in a tiny voice. “And we couldn’t help him.”
Nick shook his head. “There wasn’t anything you could have done for him. That thing… it was a beast.”
“Maybe it broke out of the zoo,” Blair said with a shrug.
“That thing was massive,” Bronx said.
“Anyway,” Nick said turning back to the women.
Shannon rubbed her palms on her thighs. “That wasn’t our first encounter with a wild animal. It doesn’t matter where they came from, but they were hungry.”
“They? What else did you see out there?” Nick asked.
“Wolves mainly,” Shannon said. “At least that’s what Danger said they were.”
“And there was a really
angry squirrel in a tree,” Monica added.
Shannon scratched the back of her neck. “Danger thought that all the animals were starving which made them desperate.”
She hesitated for a long moment.
“Anyway,” Shannon said clearing her throat, “we didn’t know him well, but he was good to us. He didn’t deserve what happened out there.”
“No one would,” Danny mumbled.
Blair’s eyes shifted to Danny, and she shook her head. “I could think of a few people that deserve something like that.”
Nick shot her a look that hit her so hard she was forced to take a step back.
The women looked confused but seemed to sense the tension that had suddenly tightened the room. Shannon took Monica’s hand into hers and pulled her up as she stood.
“We’re sorry to have troubled you,” Shannon said squeezing Monica’s hand. “Thanks for trying to help him. We appreciate it, but we really should be on our way.”
“Is there somewhere you need to be?” Nick asked. His eyes darted back and forth from woman to woman. “Maybe, you should come along with us for now.”
I managed not to roll my eyes. It didn’t surprise me that Nick wanted to be their knight in shining armor.
“There isn’t anywhere we need to be,” Shannon said.
“Nick,” I said before either of them could say another word. “A moment please?”
He flashed Shannon a smile and placed his palm on her shoulder. Blair’s groan hadn’t been loud, but I’d heard it.
“I’ll be right back,” Nick said looking into Shannon’s eyes. “Don’t go anywhere.”
She blinked repeatedly as she looked at him. There was a twinkle in her eyes and a pinkness to her cheeks. Another foolish woman falling for my brother’s charms.
“We won’t,” Shannon said, and the women lowered themselves back down on the sofa.
I jerked my head back toward the bathroom and Nick followed me. It was a small bathroom, but we both squeezed inside.
The toilet bowl and the tub had rust stains. I winced at the strong scent of mildew that overwhelmed my nostrils.
“Before you say whatever it is you’re going to say, let me just say that they’re harmless,” Nick said. “They need help too.”
“Danny needed help, and you wanted to send him away. But in walks a pretty face or two and suddenly you turn to jelly.”
“You think we should just send them on their way? Let them fend for themselves,” Nick chuckled. “That’s strange coming from you after you fought to keep Danny here. Shouldn’t we help everyone we can?”
I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms. “Please. We don’t know anything about these women.”
“We didn’t know anything about Danny.”
“This just doesn’t seem like you.” I shook my head.
“Like I said, they’re harmless. They’re not armed… they’re just scared.” Nick smirked as he scratched the back of his neck.
I let out a heavy sigh and twisted my hair between my fingers. “It’s just that I’m not sure we can trust them.”
“Now you sound like me.”
“Maybe you need to sound more like you,” I said wishing I could take back the words when Nick’s entire face curled into a smile.
“Well, you kept Danny,” Nick said stepping around me and moving closer to the door. He raised his brow and his hands to the sides. “I’m keeping them.”
I sighed. “And if it’s a mistake?”
“I clean up my own messes.”
A laugh bubbled out of me before I could do anything to stop it. “Right. Sure you do.”
“I think that red-head likes me,” Nick said lowering his voice. “And the other one, Monica, she was eying Bronx.”
My stomach swirled, sending sourness up to the back of my throat. Things were broken between Bronx and me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hear what Nick was saying.
Nick opened the door. “I’ll go tell them the good news.”
I shrugged knowing there wasn’t anything I could say. And it would probably be fine. After all, those of us left were all in this together. Things would be easier if we all worked as a team.
As we walked out of the bathroom, both Shannon and Monica stood. “We’re sorry we bothered you—”
“Say no more,” Nick said holding up his palm. “We’re happy to have you stay with us.”
I tried to force a smile, but it felt strange on my face. They both looked at me before turning back to Nick.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, positive,” Nick said as he beamed at them. He walked over to them and asked about their bags. Shannon and Monica happily showed him their supplies.
I swallowed my sigh and walked over to the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Bronx glance over at me, but he quickly returned his attention to the women.
I turned my back to them and wished I could cover my ears. The man and the bear still lying on the ground outside made it hard for me to focus on our surroundings.
“We’re leaving in five,” Nick announced and my spine stiffened. His voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me, and there probably wasn’t anything that could ever change that.
Jamie stepped up next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. I could feel his blue eyes penetrating into my skin.
“You don’t want them here?” Jamie asked, his voice low.
I exhaled a heavy breath. “I don’t care one way or the other.” My eyes met his. “It’s just, I guess, maybe I have trust issues after what happened.”
I had trust issues before that,” Jamie muttered. His cheeks reddened, and it looked like he wished he could take back his words. Jamie cleared his throat. “Do you think we have anything to worry about, you know, with them?”
My blink lasted several seconds longer than it should have. “Probably not.”
“Yeah, they seem pretty harmless,” Jamie said with a shrug as he looked over his shoulder at them.
“Harmless,” I repeated with a slight chuckle.
“What?” Jamie asked cocking his head to the side as a questioning grin curled onto his lips.
My eyes shifted over to Nick. “That’s the exact word Nick used… harmless.” I shook my head. “I don’t think there is anyone that is truly harmless. Not anymore anyway.”
“You’re probably right,” Jamie said following my gaze. “But,” he said stepping closer, “does that mean you can’t trust me?”
I shook my head and looked directly into his eyes. Jamie and I were in this together since it all started. If there was one person I could trust, it was him.
But I couldn’t tell him… I didn’t want to tell him. He couldn’t know how I felt. I had to keep my heart closed. I had to keep him away.
For both of us.
And for all the same reasons I needed to let Bronx go.
“Let’s go!” Nick said clapping his hands together sharply. My whole body shook with the harsh noise that rippled through the room.
In minutes we were outside the motel back on track to my grandma’s. Shannon and Monica whimpered as we walked past the man, but it was short-lived. When he was out of sight, he was apparently out of mind.
It wasn’t long before we were back walking through the water. Thick, heavy looking clouds blanketed the sky, and the water around my feet was chilly.
I swallowed hard and opened my mouth. Maybe it was time to come up with an alternate plan because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could walk through water without losing my mind. Feeling like the cold was freezing my bones, and it wouldn’t be long before I turned into an ice sculpture.
When Jamie stepped up next to me and smiled, I snapped my mouth shut. Forward was the only way we could keep going. It wasn’t just me in this. I wasn’t alone. My grandma could still be out there needing help.
I moved my feet faster walking past Nick and his team of girls. I didn’t need Nick to lead me there, I knew better than he did where my grandma’s farm was.
&
nbsp; Nine
We’d walked about five miles when Shannon, Monica, and Blair were all begging for a break. I refused to admit it, but my frozen feet needed one too.
Walking out in the middle of the country wasn’t at all how I’d imagined it. The water surrounding us was brown and grimy. There were no sounds of animals, insects, or anything at all. The eerie silence was enough to drop my body temperature another ten degrees.
There were no sounds of life except those we made while walking. None of us talked much. I was pretty sure the others were having doubts about what we were doing. They were all probably questioning why they were with me. Maybe Nick was questioning it too.
I should have told them all to go their own way. Maybe I’d even move quicker on my own.
I looked back at Danny who was trudging along without uttering a single complaint. He had no reason to be with us, other than the simple fact that he had nowhere else to go. Maybe that’s why we were all together… because none of us had anywhere else to go.
At least with my grandma’s house, we had a destination. We had a place to go even if it was just something to keep our minds off of what was really going on.
We squeezed in another half-mile before we found a place to stop. The ranch style home was at the end of a long driveway. There weren’t any trees in the muddy yard.
Puddles were scattered everywhere, but the house had been built on a slight incline which hopefully meant it would be dry inside.
As we approached, I watched the windows looking for movement. All of the curtains in every room I could see were wide open, and as far as I could tell, the building was empty.
We walked up to the door. I stood toward the back, Danny next to me shifting his weight back and forth nervously.
Nick knocked on the door. “Anyone home?”
No one answered. There were no noises of someone moving around inside.
“Guess they’re out,” Nick said over his shoulder, as he reached out wrapping his fingers around the doorknob. He pushed the door open and took a step inside. “Hello?”
There was no answer. Nick gestured for us to follow.
The Red Sky Series (Book 2): Blue Cloud Page 5