A smug feeling came from her end. You know I may never be as smart as you, but when it comes to some things, I know a lot. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Davin cares for you more than anyone.
Don’t sell yourself short. You’re very smart!
She seemed to find my gentle scolding funny because she laughed.
The sound helped alleviate my concerns about Zoe. So when will I see you again?
Soon hopefully?
Okay, I’ll talk to you later. A certain someone seems to be getting a little impatient.
Davin? Impatient? Who would have thought.
When I was alone in my head, I returned my attention to the large Kazzie beside me.
“Is Sara doing okay?” His deep voice filled the room. He’d turned off the TV while I’d been talking with the twin. I knew he was trying to distance me from the news story.
“More or less. She’s worried about what the news said, but then we started talking about other things which seemed to take her mind off it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Other things? Such as?”
I gave him side-eyes as I awkwardly pushed to a stand. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
In a flash, he stood before me. The air rustled the long locks hanging around my shoulders. I once again felt incredibly aware of how large and powerful he was.
Smiling, he inched closer.
My breath stopped.
Before I knew what he was doing, his arms were around me and he was pulling me closer.
I placed a hand on his chest and trailed my fingers across the strong muscles.
His pectorals tightened.
Emboldened, my fingers trailed lower. Ridges from his multiple scars dipped and weaved under my fingertips. I knew his legs held just as many. My gaze hardened as I stared at the plethora of healed incisions. The joking and carefree moment vanished.
The anchorman’s words haunted me. Doctors have confirmed that Zoe has indeed been exposed to Makanza.
I settled my palm against his flat abdomen as tears filled my eyes. I knew better. It was silly that I was letting everyone’s concerns get to me. Of all people, I knew that Zoe would be fine, but I also knew how powerful fear was.
I’d been battling it for a year.
My voice was barely a whisper when I said, “I’ll never let them take you back there.”
Davin locked his arms around me. “It’ll be fine. Like you said, the vaccine is 100% effective. I’m free now because of you, and I intend to stay that way.”
With one hand, he tilted my chin up. Deep emotion swam in his cobalt irises. At times, the emotions that ran between us were so deep it felt like a bottomless chasm that would suck me into its grasp and never let go. It was scary how much he meant to me, but I knew I meant just as much to him. He’d experienced traumatic catatonia at the thought of a life locked away, in which we could never be together.
A single tear rolled down my cheek.
“Shh . . .” Leaning down, he placed his lips on mine.
I closed my eyes and, for a moment, let myself become lost in his kiss. I’ve waited for this for so long. I can’t let him be taken away again.
As if sensing my fears, he shifted until his large hands settled on my hips, holding me close.
Deepening the kiss, he seemed intent on making me forget the world. When the kiss finally ended, I was breathless.
Davin threaded his fingers through my hair. Several long locks twisted through his hand. “Should we make breakfast?”
I nodded.
He tugged me away from the couch. In the kitchen, Davin pulled out ingredients for what I could only assume were omelets.
I stared in wonder as he mixed together eggs, chopped vegetables, and slid butter into a pan. I settled onto a kitchen chair to watch him. “You really don’t mind doing all of the work?”
“Well, if you’re cooking is as bad as you say it is, it’s probably for the best.”
I laughed despite all of the worry still swirling inside of me.
“So what do you want to do today?” His deep voice sounded over the sizzling veggies in the pan, but despite him trying to act like everything was fine, I still noticed his death-grip on the spatula.
“There’s not much to do in the winter, but we could go to a movie, or maybe go out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner, or we could go down to the falls. They’re pretty in winter since they’re frozen.” Yet, none of that will help Zoe or stop the escalating problems in our country.
“What could we do that’s not local?”
“Not local?” I cocked my head.
“We have a car that’s fully charged. You’re banned from work for two weeks. And right now, you’re in no shape to take on the world.” He turned to fully face me, the spatula squeaking in his grip. “Not to mention, last time I checked there were still a few reporters sitting outside the doors to your apartment building. There are no guarantees those reporters won’t follow us around the city if they see us together. It won’t take long before they put two and two together and realize I’m a Kazzie and you’re the MRI’s darling girl. If they’re looking for a new story, they’ll have one right there.”
My stomach dropped. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
So far, nobody really knew about Davin and me. My co-workers, of course, knew that I was very close to the Kazzies, but they had no idea that Davin and I had romantic interests in one another.
It was probably best that we had kept our relationship a secret. Our relationship had the potential to be a public relations nightmare—after all, up until now, the entire country thought I was simply an advocate for the Kazzies.
Not in love with one.
I stood up straighter. “In that case, let’s go somewhere.”
Davin slid the steaming omelets onto two plates. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”
AN HOUR LATER, we were sneaking out my building’s back door. Davin was right, only a few reporters remained at the front, but that was a few too many.
Relief filled me that most of them had left. Although, why they had left was the bigger question. It’s possible those reporters went to Chicago to follow Zoe’s condition.
That thought chilled me more than the bitter wind.
We were about halfway to the car, slinking along the sidewalk, when I glanced over my shoulder. At just that moment, one of the reporters looked our way.
“She’s leaving!” His distant yell carried in the air. The reporter nudged his cameraman. Both took off at a sprint toward us, arms flailing when they hit an icy spot on the sidewalk.
“Davin, they’ve spotted us!”
Davin grabbed my good arm and half carried me down the sidewalk. He didn’t turn into a blur, but he moved fast. Really fast.
My stomach lurched when we reached his car.
“Meghan!” the reporter yelled. They were halfway to us now. “What do you have to say about Zoe Mathison’s illness?” he called.
“Davin, hurry!”
Gritting his teeth, Davin hit the unlock button on his key fab. I yelped in pain when I wrenched the door open, but I didn’t stop. When we slid into Davin’s car, cold and stiff seats greeted us. I clicked my seatbelt on as Davin started the motor.
A bang made me look up.
The cameraman had fallen a dozen feet away, no doubt hitting another patch of ice. It didn’t stop his partner.
“Meghan!” He still ran toward us.
With a spin of tires, Davin kicked the car into gear. We backed out at an alarming pace before accelerating down the snowy parking lot onto the road.
“They’re jumping into vehicles!” My voice rose with each word.
Davin gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I’ll lose them.”
I closed my eyes when Davin flew around the corner onto a street, but he expertly handled the vehicle before taking another turn at the intersection. After weaving several times in and out of neighborhood streets, I breathed a sigh of relief. The road was empty behind us.
>
“I think we lost them.” My heart pounded as I nervously eyed the side mirror. “But we better get out of here.”
Davin slipped on a pair of sunglasses as we sped toward the interstate. A lock of dark hair brushed the tops of the aviator style. He looked so sexy, that my breath stopped.
Forcing myself to breathe, I asked, “Where are we going?”
“South?” Davin’s eyebrows rose. “It’s warmer down there, right?”
“How far south do you want to go?”
“How about we keep going until there’s no snow.”
My mouth dropped. “No snow? That could take an entire day of driving.”
“Last I heard you were banned from work and needed to heal.”
I nibbled my lip. “Good thing we packed enough clothes for a week.”
“Ready?” The eastern sun blazed through the car.
I leaned farther back in my seat. “Yeah, let’s go.”
8 – ROAD TRIP
We spent the entire day traveling to the southern portion of the country. After alerting my parents, Sharon, and Sara to our plans, Davin insisted we shut our phones off. I think part of that was due to my parents’ shocked reaction at my impulsive trip with a Kazzie. They’d had no idea I was romantically involved with Davin. Until now. It didn’t help that the last time they’d seen him had been the day I fled Reservation 1’s hospital. All they knew was that Davin had upset me, but I’d never told them why.
Despite my parents’ worry, Davin seemed bound and determined to have me rest without concerns of well . . . anything. During the drive, he tried to keep me distracted, but try as he might, I couldn’t help it when my thoughts inevitably drifted to Zoe Mathison, Division 5, Bethany, or Senator Douglas. Each and every one of those topics was enough to make me fidget and curse Dr. Roberts for putting me in my current state.
But every time I reached for my phone, Davin gently pushed my hand away and pulled me back to the present.
“You can’t work right now. Enjoy this.”
Following statements like that, he’d run a finger across my cheek or squeeze my hand. Those small gestures grounded me and reminded me that this trip wasn’t just about being together, it was about healing and preparing for what was to come.
HOURS LATER, WE were hundreds of miles from Sioux Falls. Watching the landscape drift by reminded me of long-ago times, before the world shifted into chaos and death—before the First Wave. Even though I’d traveled out of state for work, it still hadn’t sunk in that we were truly free to roam this country as we pleased. With no border patrols and no curfew—everything had changed.
“Is it like you remember?” I tilted my head toward Davin in my reclined seat. The sun had just set as Oklahoma sailed past my window.
He shrugged. “In some ways. There are more rundown buildings and abandoned towns now—it’s surprising how much fell apart after the Second Wave—but other than that, it’s not too different.”
As Texas loomed, we stopped again to charge the car’s battery. Luckily, we found a high-power charging station so we weren’t delayed long. Stars filled the sky by the time we slid back into the car.
As Davin pulled out of the charging station, I settled back in my seat again. “The snow’s fully gone. Does that mean we’re staying here?” I waved at Oklahoma’s never-ending plains. At night, it looked barren and bleak.
“I say we go all the way to the Gulf. Why stop now?” His white teeth flashed in a grin.
A surprised laugh bubbled out of me. “All the way?”
“As long as you’re still doing okay?” Davin glanced over from the wheel. In the dark cab, his midnight hair looked as black as oil. Ahead of us, all we could see was the road illuminated by the headlights. “Is the driving getting to you?”
I shifted in my seat. “I’m a bit sore, but I’m okay.”
My last dose of pain meds and antibiotics had been two hours ago, and my dressing was still clean. Davin was right. Resting was what I needed.
“Are you sure the jostling from the road isn’t hurting too much?”
I smiled tenderly. It wasn’t the first time he’d been overly concerned during the drive. His initial excitement over getting away had dimmed when we hit a huge rut in the road in Nebraska causing me to shriek in pain.
“I’m fine, really. I think just sitting here all day while you drive has been good for me.”
He grunted. “It’s about time you rested.”
An hour later, we found a motel along the interstate in northern Texas. Since the rates were decent and they had plenty of empty rooms, we booked one for the night.
“How much farther to the ocean?” Davin asked the check-in clerk as he shelled out payment in cash.
“The Gulf is another six hours. It’ll be cold, though, this time of year.” The clerk stuffed the money in the cash register. His finger pads were stained black, as if he worked with oil-based machinery in his spare time.
Behind him, a TV hung from the wall. Scenes from protests in South Carolina filled it. My breath stopped. It showed protestors carrying signs, demanding the Kazzies be returned to Reservation 1. Some of the signs said their friends and family had become sick since the Kazzies’ release.
I knew Davin saw it to. His hand tightened alarmingly around his wallet. I waited for the leather to crack under his grip, but he regained control before sliding it into his back pocket.
Careful to keep my face averted, I picked at my fingernails as my heart beat erratically.
The clerk’s gaze shifted to me, his head cocking as he got a better look at my face. Quickly turning away, I pretended to study the cheap artwork adorning the wall.
So far, nobody had recognized me during our stops. Luckily. Not only had we managed to avoid detection in public, but we were fully off the grid with our phones off. Hopefully, nobody would find us.
Regardless, my hand drifted to my phone in my pocket again. The news story only emphasized that there was still so much to be done.
As if sensing where my mind was drifting, Davin grabbed our key and threaded his fingers through mine. Heat from his hand sent tingles up my arm.
He tugged me. “Come on. Let’s find our room.”
Once the lobby was behind us, he relaxed his grip.
Our feet shuffled along the carpet. It was the only sound in the large building.
Davin’s face was grim, but when he caught me watching him, he forced a smile. “After we find our room, I’ll grab our bags and then we can go to bed. I’m sure you’re tired.”
His broad shoulders bunched and stretched in his t-shirt. Watching him, I completely forgot the news story, and it took at least thirty seconds before his words sank in.
Go to bed.
I swallowed as butterflies danced in my stomach. Even though we’d slept side-by-side last night, this felt different. More intimate. We were traveling together. Spending every waking moment together. We’d cut ourselves off from everything around us so we could focus on each other.
Other than the problems waiting for us at home, it was all so . . .
Perfect.
“Ah, here we are.” He stopped at our room and inserted the key. I stepped inside just as he turned into a blur. He was back less than a minute later with our bags.
I raised an eyebrow. “Did anybody see you move that fast?”
He shook his head, his breathing even despite his speedy run. “Not a soul. This place is deserted.”
Sitting down on the bed, I inched back until I was propped against the headboard. Davin turned into a blur again and pillows suddenly appeared fluffed all around me.
He reappeared just as he finished pushing the last pillow under my arm to support my injured limb. “Is that better?”
I placed my palm on his cheek. “Thank you. For this. It’s exactly what I needed.”
He moved closer until he leaned over me. “Is your phone still off?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Cause the next few days, it’s just you and me
.”
DAVIN WASN’T KIDDING when he said the next few days would only be about us. We drove to the ocean the next morning and found a small motel that was open. Only one other couple had a room, and they seemed to want privacy as much as we did.
The week passed quickly despite my worries over what waited for us at home. For the most part, I was able to disconnect. Thankfully.
The few times I mentioned the Compound, Bethany, Division 5, Zoe Mathison, Senator Douglas, or any of the other real-life problems that waited for us at home, Davin brought a finger to my lips and pulled me closer to his side. Whether that be as we lay on our bed while watching a movie. Or as we lounged on a blanket on the beach as the waves crashed to the shore, it didn’t matter.
Davin always brought me back to the present. Grounding me. Reminding me that right now I needed to heal, get better, and take care of myself.
When the end of the week finally arrived, I was sorry to pack and return to Sioux Falls.
“Thank you for this week,” I whispered. “Somehow you knew exactly what I needed.” I laid my palm on his chest as our packed bags waited at our feet.
His eyes softened as he tenderly brushed his finger across my cheek. “I’ll never forget this time with you. I feel like I’ve fallen in love with you all over again.”
Even though we still hadn’t done anything other than kiss, his body now felt like a roadmap I’d traveled and studied for years on end. I knew exactly where his ticklish spots were. Where every scar Dr. Roberts had inflicted lay on his body. What he smelled like after a quick run on the beach. Or how his rock hard muscles rippled and moved when he shifted above me.
If we hadn’t spent the week together as we had, those things would still be a mystery.
He leaned down, his eyes darkening just before his lips pressed to mine.
Kissing Davin had begun to feel like breathing. We’d spent enough of the week doing it, but each time, when our need for one another became too frantic, he’d pull away and break the contact, putting distance between us.
I was healing quickly, now that I was taking proper care of myself, but I still wasn’t 100%. And if Davin was anything, he was stubborn. He’d made up his mind that nothing would happen until I was better.
The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4 Page 94