She slowed her crawl, watching for other bits hanging from the car. Dela scooted to the opposite side, paused to examine the area, and shifted to the next car over. She continued scooting across the hot pavement, going from one car to the next, zigzagging around the lot until she was completely turned around. Finally, she found a car that had been in the shade of a tree that had grown up through the cracked pavement. There she found the pavement to be a few degrees cooler. She stopped, resting her sweaty face on the ground and waited.
Dela felt the urge to keep moving, but she didn’t have much left in her.
Lath knew what he had seen, even if the others didn’t believe him. It had been a girl… or maybe a very effeminate boy. But Lath didn’t think so. He felt confident it was a girl. The others refused to believe him, likely too hardened to believe they could have an easy run.
He led them into the old brick building through a broken window. They split up, searching the large open room. Lath was just about to open a door when he heard a loud thunk, followed by fast footsteps. He turned to see a small frame racing across the open space, slamming head-first into the remaining glass, and lunging out of the window.
“Get her!” Adrian yelled as he bolted for the window.
The others followed and Lath took up the rear. They took turns working their way through the window, those going first quickly setting off after the girl. Lath followed. As he rounded the corner, he saw the girl race into an old car dealership. The others were ahead of him, but with a little extra effort, he caught up. They entered the car dealership, each taking different rows. The girl was already halfway through the dealership when she suddenly disappeared. It took Lath a moment to realize she had ducked down behind a car.
The men converged on the spot, but there was no girl.
“Dammit,” Adrian said turning away and giving a few more creative curses.
“Wait,” Gareth interrupted, pointing at a few drops of blood quickly drying on the hot pavement. He raised his finger to his lips, lowered his voice, and continued, “Follow the blood.”
The men split up, each taking a row and quietly scanning for more blood droplets. Lath’s row was clean—well, as clean as sixty years of neglect could make it. A few seconds after they split up, Lath heard fingers snapping. He turned to see Adrian waving his hand for the others. They converged on his row and followed the blood trails from one car to the next, searching under each one. Finally, they reached one that appeared to have no “next blood splatter.”
Mason dropped to his knees. “Hello there.”
The girl rolled out from under the car on the opposite side, right into Gareth’s legs. Gareth was ready for it and quickly snatched her up, holding her by the shoulders. The girl twisted this way and that, causing her hood to fall back.
Lath felt his eyes go wide. Blonde hair glistened in the sun—a rare commodity since the Great Extinction. Blondes and redheads were the most sought after in the Harem House. Lath glanced at the other men. They were just as taken with the beautiful sight of her hair.
“Looks like we hit the jackpot,” Mason said, leaning against a car.
Adrian crossed his arms and gave the girl a big grin. “Yeah. I’d say so.”
Lath struggled not to ogle her the same way. Even covered in dirt and blood, she was exquisite. She would fetch the largest bounty they had ever been paid. Lath glanced at his partner. Even Gareth had a smile on his normally stoic face.
Gareth caught Lath looking and cleared his throat. “All right, fellas. Stop leering at her and get a camp set up. She’s bleeding.”
The men burst into action, happy to be doing something for the princess they had just captured.
Chapter Three
Dammit, dammit, dammit, her mind chanted as the three other men took off in all directions. Hunters. Why did it have to be Hunters!
In her twenty years, she had spent half her life hiding from Hunters. The first thing her family did in each new location was find three different hiding places for her and her mother. Even a middle-aged woman past her child birthing years was worth something to a Hunter. They could sell her to a whore house or one of the lesser Harem Houses. Some men didn’t care about producing heirs but rather wanted someone to cook and clean for them, not to mention provide a bed partner. Therefore, even her own mother had to hide.
Going into the Dead Zone, the one threat she wouldn’t face was supposed to be Hunters. Or so she thought. She had prepared for dogs, lack of water, and even the odd bandit brave enough to enter the Red Zone. Brave enough or stupid enough. But she had never imagined a Hunter would go into the Red Zone on the off chance they found a woman, much less four Hunters.
As her mind raced, she felt them remove her pack. The one that had dragged her up to her feet was still holding her arms. His rough hands slid down to her wrists and dragged them back behind her. Her mind came back to reality as she felt the rope tighten around her wrists.
“No!” Dela screamed as she began to jerk from side to side.
Another man came to stand in front of her, holding her still while the other guy worked the rope around her wrists. She tried kicking outward, but the man in front dodged her attack, her foot grazing his hip.
“Oh, we gotta fighter, here!” he said in gravelly voice.
“Up yours!” Dela shouted in his face, still squirming every which way.
The man behind her leaned in, his breath tickling her ear. “That’s not how it works, sweetie.”
“Pervert! Let me go.”
“That’s not how this works, either. You’re for Harem House.”
“No,” Dela screamed, still thrashing around.
The man in front focused on his partner. “You know, I never understood why women don’t want to go to the Harem House.”
“You don’t understand why a woman doesn’t want to be sold into slavery?”
“Is that what you think happens?” asked the man in front of her, running his hands through his black hair.
“What would you call it?”
The man behind her turned her around. “You’re in for a quite a surprise.”
Before anyone could say more, the other two poked their heads out from the dilapidated building. One of them called out, “Fires up.”
The two men at her side guided her toward the building, her efforts to release their grips on her arms making them chuckle. Half of the building had collapsed at some point in the intervening years making the building look like a lopsided A-frame. A hand behind her neck forced her to bend at the waist and stoop through the opening.
Inside, the men had built a small fire and were digging in their packs or spreading out bedrolls. The man who gripped her neck nudged her into a sitting position.
“Got the medkit, Lath?” the man asked as he settled next to her.
Dela turned her eyes on the man he had talked to—Lath. He looked a little younger than the man next to her. He had dark brown hair that showed signs of red glowing in the firelight. He had a long, angular face and the stubble of a few days away from the razor. The light stubble nearly hid the high cheekbones. She turned her eyes away, disgusted with the intrigue bubbling in her stomach.
Until that moment, she had never been around men other than her family. For the first time, she saw a unique tapestry of the male specimen—happy to discover they didn’t all look like Quiq. Lath handed the medkit over, drawing her attention to the man kneeling beside her. The man wore a ratty baseball hat, a corner of the bill missing and stitched back up. It hid his hair, but from his features, she guessed it was lighter than his friend’s locks. His eyes were hazel in the firelight. He was also fairly clean shaven, unlike his friend, which revealed his lips. Those are nice lips, she thought as blush burned her cheeks.
The man beside her opened his medkit and began organizing his supplies. “My name’s Gareth. That’s Lath. And that’s Adrian…”
Dela followed his nod to see another man with brown hair. Brown was a common color in the desert. This man, tho
ugh, looked to be a bit shorter than Lath, with a stockier build. Dela never wanted to go up against him in an arm-wrestling match. He was all thick muscles, his shirt straining against the bulges of his pecs. His features were more square than the others, too. Like Lath and Gareth, she fancied what she saw and blushed in response.
“And that’s Mason.”
Dela’s eyes drifted to the fourth man and a little gasp escaped her lips. Though she had seen him out in the parking lot, she hadn’t given him much attention. Mason was beautiful. There were no other words to describe his sun-kissed skin or his long black hair dangling in his eyes. He ran his fingers through it, slicing it back over his head. Like Lath, he had high cheekbones and expressive lips. Unlike the other three men, his eyes shone bright blue in the firelight. Dela had never considered the idea that a man could be beautiful. She thought only women warranted the description, but she had been very wrong.
“What’s your name?” asked Mason when he caught her staring.
Dela blinked, turning her eyes onto Gareth as he doctored the worst of her cuts. She didn’t answer. Despite the tickles in her body—ones she had never experienced—she refused to make it easy for them. They could call her whatever they wanted, but they wouldn’t get her real name. Not from her.
“Looks like we get to name her,” chuckled Adrian as he began to work on some sort of meal over the low-burning fire.
“How about Anna,” offered Lath.
“No. She’s not an Anna. She’s got too much fight in her,” countered Mason, giving her a wink.
Adrian dumped a can of some sort of brown goop into the pot. “What about Alex?”
“Why are we only offering A names?” asked Mason.
Lath and Adrian shrugged.
“What’s wrong with an A name?” Adrian asked.
Mason spread himself out on his bedroll. “We already have one of those.”
“She’s not joining the group,” grumbled Gareth as he dabbed a bit of ointment on the cut across her forehead. “It doesn’t matter what you guys name her.”
The three other men all looked at her, almost as though they expected her to give in and provide their name. She just glared at them, trying her best not to see their features. She didn’t want to feel any empathy toward the men who had captured her, and the more she admired their good looks, the more she wanted to know about them. They’re the enemy, dumbass.
“You could always call me Captive,” she said before she could stop herself.
The men, including Gareth, burst out laughing.
“Good idea, Cap,” Lath said, shortening her suggestion.
Gareth began cleaning up the med supplies. “Cap it is.”
Dela rolled her eyes, trying to hide the fact she loved her new nickname. Enemy. Enemy. Really cute enemy.
Adrian pulled the pot off the fire. “Supper's on.”
They each held out their cups, taking a portion of the brownish-gray paste. Lastly, Adrian spooned another dollop into an extra cup, handing it to Gareth and settled onto his backside next to her. Using his spoon and ignoring his own dinner, he offered to feed her. Dela tilted her head back, trying to avoid the strange food. She didn’t fear poison or anything like it. They needed her alive. But she wasn’t interested in eating from their charity. After all, they were selling her into slavery.
Gareth pulled the spoon away from her face. “You have to eat.”
Dela turned her head away, prepared to pout until they all fell asleep. Then she would make her escape. After a few more tries, Gareth set the cup beside her knee and picked up his own dinner. The sun began to set, lowering the temperature noticeably. Suddenly the fire wasn’t just for food.
“Who’s taking first watch?” Gareth asked.
Adrian raised his hand. “I will.”
Not a watch. I can’t escape with someone looking at me… Dela took a deep breath. Maybe he’ll fall asleep.
“Can’t we make the girl more comfortable?” Adrian asked.
Gareth glanced her way, catching her gaze. “No. She’s a flight risk.”
Mason laughed from his bedroll. “That cute little thing?”
Dela threw a quick glare his way before turning her gaze on Gareth again. From what she could tell, he was the ringleader. Thing was, she didn’t think he had complete control over the group. Then again, she could have been all wrong on the topic. She didn’t know much about the workings of humans. She only had her family to go off of, and these men acted nothing like her family.
“Yes,” said Gareth. “That cute little thing would run with the first chance she got.”
“You’re call, man.” And with that Mason rolled over.
“She stays tied up,” Gareth said, pointing a finger at Adrian. “You understand?”
Adrian nodded, and Gareth began making up his own bed near the fire. Lath appeared to already be asleep, and Mason wasn’t far behind him. Dela settled onto her backside, leaning against a support beam. Her fingers were going to sleep from the bindings.
As Adrian settled for his watch, eyes focused on the outside, Dela gave him a glare.
He turned to give her a playful smile. “You can glare at me all ya want, but it won’t change a thing.”
“Might make me ugly enough for you to release me.”
“Not possible.”
Dela rolled her eyes.
“Sorry, sweetie, you’re just too cute to let go. Always will be.”
She wanted to think of a witty response, but her mind went blank at the sight of his smile. Adrian stretched out his legs across the opening, leaning against what had once been a door frame. His jeans pressed against his thighs, outlining the thick muscle of his legs. Dela averted her eyes before the Hunter could catch her ogling him.
“Now, how did a pretty thing like you stay free so long?”
Dela turned her head away, unwilling to tell him about her family. They belonged to her and no one else. Her memories were all she had left of her family. Even Quiq was lost to her now that she had been captured.
“Not the talkative type, eh?”
“Not with people who want to sell me.”
“Tell me, you ever seen a Harem House?”
Dela didn’t respond. If she had seen a Harem House up close and in person she wouldn’t be out in the Dead Zone surrounded by four Hunters.
“I need to pee,” she said, the words out of her mouth before she had thought through it all.
Adrian rolled his eyes but climbed to his feet all the same. He pulled another length of rope from his pack and began attaching it to her wrists.
“I can’t pee with my hands tied behind my back.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t know much about the female anatomy, do you?” Dela asked, a blush chasing her words.
Adrian leaned into her personal space until she could smell his natural scent. “I’m better acquainted than you might think. Would you like me to prove it to you?”
She swallowed a lump in her throat, ignoring the tingles coursing through her body. Heat pooled in her belly and flowed south, pairing with the heat in her cheeks.
“Well?”
“No,” she finally said. “I’d just like to pee if you don’t mind.”
“Party pooper.” All the same, Adrian untied her hands.
Without giving it too much thought, Dela jerked her knee up, striking him in the “special region” as her mother had described it, though she had never explained why it was so special. Adrian doubled over with a loud groan. Dela pushed him over and bolted for the door.
Chapter Four
Lath woke to the sound of a groan, followed by some sort of collision. He sat up just in time to see the girl’s backend disappearing through the exit. Scrambling to his feet, he tripped over his bedroll and bashed his knee against the doorframe. He cursed, waking the others from their sleep. They were just beginning to question the noise when Lath finally made it out the door.
Even in the dim moonlight, he saw her silhouette duckin
g from car to car. Lath dashed down one aisle, running at full speed. He silently passed and ducked into her aisle, coming to a stop as she collided into his chest. Catching her by the waist, he held her close to his chest, enjoying the pressure of her soft curves.
“Let me go!” she screamed, slamming her fists into his collarbones.
Lath flinched, surprised by the weight of her punches. “Calm down!”
The girl writhed and squirmed against his chest. To his shame, his body reacted to her proximity. She suddenly stopped her movement. Lath guessed she had noticed the change in his trousers.
“Are you finished?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded strained.
“Just let me go. You can tell the others you lost me in the dark.”
Lath chuckled. “Why would I do that?”
“I swear to you, I will never stop trying to escape.”
“Oh, Cap, that is obvious.”
Lath took a firm grip on her wrist, turned, and dragged her back toward the building. From what he could tell, Mason and Gareth were beginning to search the parking lot. Adrian, he guessed, was still in the building recovering from her attack.
“I got her!”
As Lath approached with the girl, Mason stepped forward, grabbing her by the jaw and tilting her head up to look at him. “Don’t you ever run from us again!”
To Lath’s complete enjoyment, she spat in Mason’s face, hitting him in the eye. Like him, Gareth laughed. Mason pushed her away and wiped the spit from his face. Even in the dark, Lath could see Mason building up to strike the girl.
“Mason,” Gareth called, seeing the same signs. “We don’t hit our catches.”
“You aren’t the one she spat on!”
“No, but we still don’t hit women.”
Lath bit his lip as he watched the girl give Mason a smug look. He suspected she was hoping a slap from Mason would create enough conflict that she could escape. The move might have worked if Mason had not been such an eccentric man.
Dela's Hunters (The Harem House Book 1) Page 2