“No. I met him afterwards, on the freeway in San Diego.”
Her breath froze in her throat. “But…but that was when I met him. Why didn’t I see you there?”
“I don’t know where you were, but I was out of my mind, sick and—”
“Wait. You were sick? With Ruyigi?”
“Yeah. I was sick with it at first, had the symptoms for a few days, thought I would die just like the rest of humanity, but I recovered.”
“You got Ruyigi, the virus, and recovered? But that’s amazing.” She banged her hands against the back of the front seat. Light, giddy with the sudden release of tension, she exclaimed, “It’s a miracle. You’re a miracle. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving after being infected with Ruyigi. Have you? It had nearly a one hundred percent fatality rate. All four of us living at the farm didn’t get it at all, never had a single symptom. We survived because we were all immune, which was a miracle too. If only the CDC had known about you early on,” her voice deepened. “Someone who was infected but recovered? They could have studied you, maybe found a cure. So many people could have been saved.”
“Uh, yeah, studied me.” He looked uncomfortable at the thought. Shifted in his seat. “I’m not a lab rat or a miracle, believe me, I’m not. I was sick and out of my mind and driving a motorcycle on I-5, trying to get out of San Diego. I ran into that bastard you ended up with, and he pulled a gun on me. I was so sick by then I passed out and fell off my bike. I woke up at nightfall, realizing he’d left me for dead. Fucking left me for dead. He knew I was still alive and he chose to leave me. You can’t live with someone like that. What if you got sick, got hurt? You can’t count on him. He’s an asshole. A narcissist.”
“Omigod. I saw you!” Rachel said, ignoring the rest and latching on to the most important point. “You’re Crazy Bastard.”
He shook his head, eyes still on the road. “No, you weren’t there.” He paused. “What did you call me?”
“Yes, I was there, hiding in my car. And, sorry.” She swallowed. “That’s what Adam calls you—Crazy Bastard. I think it’s because, and don’t take this the wrong way, but you looked out of your mind when he found you. He remembers you too, because you were the last person we saw alive. But he told me you died. I thought you were dead. We heard the sound of your motorcycle and Adam ordered me to hide in the car in case you were a freak with a gun, so I did. He went out to talk to you. I stayed in the car and watched. A few minutes later, he came back.” She lowered her voice. “He said you were dead.”
“I wasn’t,” he snapped.
“I saw through my rearview mirror how he touched your wrist, looking for a pulse. He had to have known you were alive. I even saw you twitch later, and he convinced me I was seeing things.”
“He was lying. Like I told you, you can’t trust that bastard.”
“You don’t know him. I do. There has to be an explanation. His name is Adam Sanchez, he’s a Marine and his whole focus has been about finding other survivors. He wouldn’t have left you behind if he knew you were alive. There’s no way.” She was surprised those words just popped out. After all, he’d left her too, hadn’t he? Left her behind like he did with Sebastian, without looking back. Did she really know him as well as she thought, or was Sebastian right? Was Adam focused only on himself? If so, he’d never come back.
“I woke up hours later, in the dark, and managed to crawl onto my bike and kept going. I found an empty house with food and crashed. Recovered. I wasn’t angry at first at him leaving me for dead. We were strangers. For all I knew, the man I’d seen on the freeway had been sick too and had gone off somewhere else and died. But when I heard his voice on the radio…I came here and scouted the area, checking on all of you before I made first contact. Well, then I knew he was the asshole who’d left me behind for dead.”
“And that was when you decided I needed to be rescued?” she said, letting sarcasm drip from her voice. “I was fine there. I didn’t want to leave. And where are you taking me? For all I know, all you’ve done is throw me from the frying pan into the fire.”
“We’ll see about that. I’ve got some people I want you to meet.” He smiled.
“There’s more of you?” She gasped, digging her fingers into the headrest behind him. “How many? Who are they?”
He slowed the car down and turned right onto a long driveway that cut through a wide swath of vineyards. “We’re here. Let’s get out and I’ll introduce you to them.”
“We’re here? Already?” They pulled to a stop at the end of the driveway in front of a truck in the parking lot of a large packing shed. Not just any old truck. The kind that did long cross-country hauls. Why was it here?
Then, the biggest shocker of all, a young woman and a small girl came walking around the rear of the truck, big smiles on their faces, waving at Sebastian like he was their beloved husband and father returning home after a business trip. Her heart pounded in her chest and her mouth went dry.
People. More people.
Her eyes watered.
Sebastian’s gaze caught on the females and he transformed. What the hell? Rachel stared openmouthed at the man who had abducted her. A brilliant smile broke across his face, changing him instantly from a sourpuss to a darling man. Crinkles formed next to his black eyes, his lips curved beautifully. He parked, keyed the ignition and jumped out of the car, his feet eating up the ground. She shook her head. Who was this man?
By the time he reached them, gruff Sebastian had returned. His expression closed, hidden behind a mask of indifference. The woman’s face was also carefully blank of expression now, hiding all her former joy. The girl still ran to him, throwing her arms around Sebastian’s middle and burying her head in his stomach. He looked down, lifted a hand and gently touched the top of her hair.
Well, well. Turned out Crazy Bastard was a big softie.
“Didn’t I tell you I’d be back?” he said gently, a gleam of affection in his eyes as he looked into the young girl’s face.
She nodded against his stomach. “What took you so long, Bastian?”
“I had to get the lady, honey. The men were going to hurt her and I needed to bring her here. I had to make sure she was safe.”
Rachel stepped up behind him. She snorted at his ridiculous statement and rolled her eyes. “I was perfectly fine,” she told all three of them. “I didn’t need to be saved.”
“I rescued you,” Sebastian clarified.
“You kidnapped me,” she shot back.
“What?” The woman gasped. “Sebastian, you said that—”
The little girl pulled back and looked at Rachel, their eyes meeting for a moment. Time stopped. Rachel’s breath froze in her throat. Sebastian and the woman dropped away and Rachel’s heart melted. She forgot about being kidnapped, about the pregnancy and about Adam’s desertion and what it meant.
A child was standing in front of her for the first time in months.
A child.
A pretty girl with bronzed skin, flashing brown eyes and long, caramel-colored hair pulled back into a headband with a pink bow on top. She wore a pale pink sundress that color-coordinated with the bow on her head and on her feet were dainty silver sandals. Rachel glanced at the glamorous, perfectly dressed woman standing a few feet away. If this woman was taking care of the girl, of course she’d look cute.
The woman’s black eyes went up and down, assessing every inch of Rachel’s bedraggled appearance. Rachel’s face heated with embarrassment. She rubbed her hands against the front of her dirty pj’s from last night. She was still wearing Adam’s Marine T-shirt and a pair of flannel shorts with a drawstring waist and bare feet. No shower yet, no make-up. The men had caught her too early in the morning, and now after a sequence of bizzaro events, she was meeting these new people in rumpled pajamas. Great. Rachel knew she looked like a country bumpkin compared to this woman with the shiny black hair an
d delicate Asian features, a woman who looked like she could be a model, a fashion designer or an actress. Stylish, even at the end of the world. Jeez. Some people just had a gift for looking terrific no matter what, didn’t they?
“Girls, this is Rachel.” Sebastian lifted his chin toward the stunningly beautiful woman. “Rachel, this is Phoebe,” He patted the head of the child in his arms. “And this little one here is Josie.”
Rachel noticed Phoebe’s perfect lips tighten when Sebastian called them girls. He’d said it with a slightly patronizing tone, as if they were both his daughters, which they sure as hell weren’t.
Rachel locked eyes with the little girl, still mesmerized by the sight of a child. A child who was alive and perfectly fine in the midst of the apocalypse. She sucked in a breath, swallowed and stepped closer. Josie let go of Sebastian.
“I like your hair,” Josie said cautiously. “It’s red. I like red hair.”
“Thank you, sweetie. I like your hair too. It’s pretty.”
“Thanks.” She smiled.
“How old are you, Josie?” Rachel asked, even though she could already guess at the answer. This she knew. She’d worked in an elementary afterschool program, planning on getting her teaching credential and eventually teaching high school social studies. She’d lived and breathed this—working with kids, talking to kids, knowing their ages and stages, what they liked, what they disliked, what they needed. She could do this with one arm tied behind her back. And she missed it with all her heart. A giant, aching, bleeding heart that needed a child to make it better.
“I’m seven,” Josie said with a sweet, slightly high-pitched voice. “Um…I think my birthday is soon, and then I’ll be eight.” She beamed, exposing two missing front teeth. Rachel smiled back.
“I used to teach at an afterschool program. I worked with kids in second and third grade.”
Josie’s mouth formed an O. “I’m in second grade.”
“I know, sweetie,” Rachel said, trying not to cry. She wrapped an arm around Josie’s shoulders, pulling her in tight for a hug. “I know. I could’ve been in your school, working with you. Isn’t that weird?”
“Yeah, you could have been my teacher too,” she answered, her voice full of wonder. Josie looked up at her. “Are you going to stay with us and be my teacher now?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, sweetie, I won’t be staying here with you and Phoebe and Sebastian because I’ve got my own home I need to get back to, but maybe you guys could come and stay with us, or visit.” She looked up at them, directly into Phoebe and Sebastian’s faces, meeting their gazes with determination. The child had bonded with Sebastian and Phoebe, who seemed to have taken on a parental role with her. Rachel could tell they were doing a good job with her. Josie looked happy and healthy, clean and fed. They were all going to be one big family now. Despite the obstacles, it had to happen.
Because survivors had to stick together.
The beautiful woman stepped forward and put out a hand to Rachel. “Hi, Rachel.”
Rachel shook her hand. “Nice to meet you,” she responded, trying to be on her best behavior with this potential friend. Up close, Phoebe looked to be a few years older than Rachel. Mid to late twenties. She looked like a descendant of mixed heritage, possibly Japanese and Caucasian.
“I’m so sorry Sebastian accidentally kidnapped you,” Phoebe’s formal, perfect exterior began to crack. Tears formed in her eyes. “Sorry I’m being so emotional, but, I’m happy you’re here. I’m so happy to see another woman,” she choked out and reached for Rachel.
“Me too,” Rachel replied, grabbing on to the hand that was offered. “I mean, of course I didn’t want to be kidnapped, but I’m so happy to meet the both of you. I’ve been so lonely, wishing there was a woman I could talk to.”
“I’ve been wishing for that too. Since the end, the only people I’ve seen are Josie and Sebastian. I miss having another woman to chat with, to bounce ideas off of.” She made brief eye contact with Sebastian, who frowned, then she turned back to Rachel. “Men are lovely, but women think differently than men, don’t they?”
“Yes, we do,” Rachel agreed, teary eyed.
Their gazes collided and then they hugged. Rachel enveloped the smaller woman in her arms and both of them went into the ugly cry. Snot, tears, choking. Everything. God, it felt so good to have another woman around. Someone to get emotional with. Someone who got that this display of feelings didn’t mean weakness, just relief. They stood for long minutes, arms tight.
Eventually, Sebastian coughed. “Uh, are you two done?”
Josie giggled.
Finally, they disengaged and wiped their faces. Phoebe asked. “Have you seen any more women?”
“No.” Rachel shook her head. “Not for a long time. I saw one a few months back, but she died. I’ve been living alone with three men.”
“Oh God, I’m sorry, that must have been rough.”
“Yeah.” Rachel shrugged. “Yeah, it has been. Especially today. We’re the only two women then?” Rachel held on to Phoebe’s hand tightly. They couldn’t be separated. This woman was her new BFF.
“Yeah, for now. Hopefully, we’ll meet more women in the future.” Phoebe smiled softly and disengaged her hand from Rachel’s. She looked toward Sebastian’s car. “If you’re here against your will, the men you live with must be worried about you. Sebastian can take you back.”
“She’s not leaving,” Sebastian snapped.
“I am.” Rachel sighed. “God, Sebastian, you were wrong, okay? Your heart was in the right place, but you were wrong.”
Phoebe’s gaze darted between her and Sebastian, clearly uncertain who was going to win this fight. “I’m so sorry. Sebastian said he’d found another woman to join us and that you weren’t safe there—”
“Well, he misunderstood. I was perfectly fine and I need to get back.”
Sebastian snorted.
Phoebe reached out and squeezed Rachel’s hand again. “Okay, how about before you leave, we at least spend some time together? I’d love to get to know you, and it looks like you need to get dressed anyway. Did Sebastian snatch you in your pajamas?”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “He did.”
“I’ve got clean clothes to give you. You could take a shower.”
“Umm, I don’t know. I need to get back.”
“Rachel, listen, while Sebastian was out scouring L.A., saving his weird bits of movie memorabilia—”
“Art,” he cut in. “It’s art. I saved pieces of our culture and important works of art.”
“Okay, whatever.” Phoebe shrugged. “Meanwhile, I was stockpiling what I felt was really important—clothes, make-up and accessories. Honey, you let me work my magic on you, and I’ll have you looking straight out of The Kardashians in no time. Then we’ll take you back. It won’t take long. But I mean, you need to get dressed anyway, right? You can’t be out looking like that.”
It was so tempting, but she needed to nip this off before it went too far. “The men I live with have got to be desperate by now, trying to find me.” She cut Sebastian another sharp glance. But he didn’t look remotely guilty, just crossed his arms and frowned. “I left without them knowing what happened to me. What if they think I’m hurt?”
“You’re not fucking going back to that asshole,” Sebastian growled.
Phoebe’s lips pressed together. “Please don’t use that kind of language in front of Josie.”
“I’ll use whatever kind of language I like.”
Oh no, trouble in paradise. Rachel ignored them. “They’ll be worried. I’ve been gone for an hour already. It’ll take another hour just to drive back.”
“Well, I promise I’ll get you fixed up in no time.” Phoebe turned. “Doesn’t that sound like fun, Josie?”
“Yay.” The little girl jumped on her toes, laughing and clapping her hands
. “I want to help Rachel get fixed up.”
Oh, dear. Rachel’s heart squeezed. More time with Josie. Now she really wanted to stay. If only the phones still worked. She’d just call, let the men know where she was so they wouldn’t worry, tell them when she’d be back. But who would she call even if she did have a phone? Adam? She snorted. He was gone. Trevor? Christian? They were busy beating the crap out of each other. And Adam, her boyfriend, the man she loved and the father of her child, had left her. He’d manhandled Christian, smashed a lamp against the wall, accused her of cheating on him and left. Never to return.
“You can use the radio to send them a message,” Sebastian said.
“Adam’s the one who checks it, and he’s not…” she answered. Her lips formed a hard, thin line. So really, there was no one to call, was there? Why not stay for a while? “Can we be done in forty minutes?”
“You’re not fucking going back there,” Sebastian shouted.
“Sebastian, language,” Phoebe yelled.
Rachel curled her hands into fists. This new Rachel hated being told what to do. Well, except for Adam, he could tell her what to do and she’d hop to it like a love-sick puppy. Although that was over now.
Over.
She stepped up to Sebastian, not a bit intimidated by his height or his size. He was easily over six feet tall, but still smaller than Adam and the same size as the other men she lived with. After arguing with them, this was a piece of cake. Plus, she was armed, her Glock still secretly tucked in the back of her waistband. Sebastian hadn’t bothered to pat her down. Adam had taught her well, to the point where it was second nature, making certain she was armed no matter what. He was right. All that training, all that exercising was coming in handy. She was more confident in this situation than she’d ever thought she would be.
“You’ve not in charge of me,” she snapped at him. “I’ll go wherever I want.”
“I went through the bother of staking that place out, grabbing you and bringing you here to safety. One of those assholes you live with is obviously an ex-con. You’re doing what I say and you’re staying here with us. This is your new home.”
Die For You: Catastrophe Series, Book 1 Page 24