Cinder Road (Scorch Series Romance Thriller Book 2)

by Toby Neal

  Could this be just a little more of that dose of happiness he’d tasted the day before?

  “You surprised me back there.” Avital said. “I’m impressed.”

  Avital meant her words as a compliment, but they revealed her opinion of him. The tiny bloom of happiness evaporated. She didn’t know him at all. Never had. She had always judged him at surface value, and continued to do so. Dolf clenched the steering wheel. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

  But she didn’t know him because he hadn’t shown himself to her. It had been easier to let her assume he was the “tin man” everyone but Nando, and maybe Lucy, thought he was. All the charities he gave to every year, to the tune of more than both Avital and Nando’s combined annual income, the animals he rescued and fostered into new homes—none of that would impress Avital, anyway. She would just chalk everything up to his guilty conscience and money-grubbing ways.

  When you didn’t have a heart to offer, money had to suffice.

  “I used Rhymes’s radio to let JT know we were on our way,” he said. “I asked Rhymes if I could trade for one of her handheld radios, but she couldn’t spare one.”

  “Too bad. It would have been nice to be able to keep in touch.” She gulped suddenly, going white. “Pull over!”

  Dolf jumped at her tone and immediately pulled onto the shoulder. Avital spilled out of the car, Slash mewing in protest, and only made it a few steps before hurling up her breakfast into the long grass.

  Dolf leapt out of the Humvee and ran around the front as the big engine idled like a restless animal. He petted her back as she heaved. “Are you okay?”

  Avital spat and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, not replying. Dolf returned to the vehicle and wet a paper towel, handing it to her.

  “Thank you.” She wiped her face and hands and straightened up, pale and shaky.

  “You’re a doctor. What’s wrong with you?” Dolf’s voice came out harsh with worry.

  “Some sort of bug I must’ve picked up from the kids.”

  Dolf shook his head helping her back into the car. “I’m worried about you.”

  Avital looked up at him, frowning. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

  She didn’t know him at all if she thought he could just turn his concern for her off like a faucet. Avital closed her eyes and rested her head against the doorframe, curling up in the front seat with Slash in her lap, a pose that was becoming familiar. The cat took his job of providing purr therapy seriously, and Dolf was relieved when fifteen minutes later, the road stretching out empty in front of them, Avi fell asleep.

  They were deep in cattle country when Dolf consulted the paper road atlas and made sure they were on course. By noon, they’d reached a midsized town, marked by a pleasant sign planted with geraniums trumpeting, Welcome to Newton!

  Avital stirred and pointed at the sign marking the town limits. “You told me I could help some people. This looks like a good place to stop for a bite and see who might need a doctor.” She pushed straggling hair out of her eyes and rubbed them with her fists. “Besides, I need to walk around.”

  Dolf battled with himself—he wanted to keep going, but he’d given his word. He turned the Humvee into Newton’s clean, pretty streets.

  The center of Newton was an old-fashioned town square, with a couple of government buildings, a library, some restaurants and shops, and a historic-looking civic center. A line had formed in front of the center, and it appeared to be for disaster relief supplies—uniformed police were handing out stacks of Army meals, water bottles, and blankets.

  Avital checked that her black doctor’s bag was stocked with supplies, and passed Slash to Dolf. Carrying the cat, he followed her into the town square, which appeared peaceful and orderly. They approached the line of people, and Avital touched a woman’s arm. “I’m a doctor. Does anyone here need medical care?”

  The woman’s eyes widened. “Oh thank God you’re here! All of our doctors passed.” She grabbed Avital’s arm, exiting the line. “Please. Come with me. I was the front desk clerk at our clinic, and we simply couldn’t keep up.”

  A twinge of alarm made Dolf move in and push the woman away from Avital. “She’s not going anywhere with you.” He caught the woman’s gaze. “If you have someone who’s sick, bring them here, and Dr. Luciano will do what she can.”

  He glanced at Avital. Her mouth was a thin line of dissatisfaction, but she nodded. “I’m sorry. I can only do what I can here, with the equipment I have.”

  They must have been overheard, because a crowd began forming around them. The Sight prickled at the back of Dolf’s neck. Something was off here.

  Dolf patted his holstered pistol, reminding the crowd that he was armed, and ordered everyone seeking care to form a line. It was hard to exercise any authority with Slash wriggling and mewing in his arms, so Dolf let the old tomcat down. Slash had an unerring ability to find Dolf, a kind of internal compass set to Dolf’s smell, and he would come when called.

  Two hours passed in a steady stream of broken limbs, infections, and beginning cases of Scorch Flu. Avital did what she could, recommending hydration, ibuprofen, and saying good-bye to loved ones. Her shoulders bowed further with every case, and Avital was white with exhaustion when Dolf called a halt to the proceedings.

  “Alright folks. Back it up. The doctor is done for the day.”

  Avital did not protest, a sign of her tiredness. She finished with her last patient and began packing up her tools, ointments, and bandages, closing her black bag.

  The crowd milled and muttered restlessly among themselves. Dolf kept his hands loose, one on his weapon, his back to Avital. He put on an intimidating stare, his gaze flicking from face to face. No one would meet his eyes.

  The blow to the back of his head came as a surprise, and his senses blacked out abruptly.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Avital

  Avital’s toes barely touched the street as two men propelled her along the sidewalk.

  “Let go of me!” Avital twisted her upper body, trying to break the hold on her biceps, but their fingers dug into her flesh painfully.

  The men were middle-aged, with gray in their hair and silver in their beards. They looked like regular citizens. One of the men had come to the town square with his daughter, who’d cut her foot—Avital remembered him from treating the child.

  Focused on returning her supplies to her bag, Avital hadn’t seen him club Dolf on the head—she’d just heard the sickening thunk of a club striking his skull.

  Dolf fell before her startled eyes—knees buckling, his strong, lithe body crashing to the ground. He’d moaned and rolled toward her, a hand reaching, eyes blank. She dove for him, but the two men now dragging her through the streets of Newton had grabbed her, hauling her away as she screamed his name.

  At least he’d still been breathing.

  Watching Dolf as he carried Slash around and helped with the children they found on the bus, she’d discovered a side of him that had only been hinted at in the past. Nando had always sworn that Dolf had just as big a heart—Dolf was just more selective about who he gave it to. She hadn’t believed Nando, in spite of Dolf’s affinity for animals and the kindnesses he’d shown to them through gifts like that stupid marble sink. She’d always thought that taking care of Nando was a part of Dolf’s self-preservation—taking care of his twin was its own kind of selfishness.

  But over the last few days, she’d seen Dolf help others without thought of how it would benefit him—or her. Had he always been this way, and she’d never seen it? Or was it because of Avital’s insistence on stopping to help? She’d been surprised by how his generosity and thoughtfulness had come out on the road.

  Stopping to help had also led to him being clubbed down in the square, and to Avital being kidnapped and hauled down the street towards a grand Victorian house marked Newton Bed and Breakfast.

  The men dragged her, kicking and fighting, up the steps. When they paused to open
the door, Avital gave one last heave for freedom, getting loose from one man, but not the other. She fell and almost hit the porch boards. He swore and lifted her up, throwing her over his shoulder. One arm braced around her thighs, he entered the inn.

  Avital beat at the man’s back as he carried her over ornate carpeting and up a creaking wooden staircase. She reached out and grabbed for the banister, locking her fingers around it, and her captor stumbled back and almost dropped her. She wriggled hard, trying to reach the banister with her free hand to get a better purchase.

  The other man came up behind them and unhooked her fingers easily. Avital screamed in his face with frustration. Since the Scorch Flu had erupted, she’d been more helpless than ever before in her life. But this wasn’t a microscopic disease hell-bent on replicating itself; it was sheer human treachery.

  They went into a room and the man dropped her onto a bed. Avital scrambled away, grabbing a frilly pillow and throwing it at him in pathetic self-defense. He turned and walked out of the room, closing the door. A deadbolt shot into place.

  Avital knelt on the bed gasping for breath, adrenaline coursing through her system. Her hands clenched another pillow. She looked down at it. The pillow was embroidered with a pug sitting on a mushroom. She teetered between hysterical laugher and uncontrollable sobs for a moment as she stared down at the hideous keepsake.

  Anger surged as she thought of Dolf crumpling to the ground. She threw the pillow across the room, hitting the bedside lamp. It toppled off the table and landed with the pop of a light bulb breaking.

  Avital climbed off the bed and approached one of two windows. Pushing aside lacy curtains, she could see two stories down into the town square and the civic building across the way. Dolf was gone. What had they done with him?

  People continued to mill around as the police officers went on handing out disaster supplies, as if Dolf’s attack and her kidnapping hadn’t gone on right in front of them.

  They were all in on it. What the hell?

  She went to the door and tried the knob, which of course was locked.

  Avital took stock. King-size canopy bed with green satin trim and a white bedspread along with a collection of insane pillows. Bedside table with a broken lamp. There was a small table and chairs near a mini fridge, and Avital opened it. Finding several water bottles, she opened one and drank it, her thirst raging.

  She finished the bottle and immediately had to pee.

  Avital used the adjoining bathroom and discovered there was a lock on the door.

  It wasn’t totally clear what these people wanted, but Avital guessed it had to do with her skills as a doctor, in which case, it was probably safe to shower. She needed it after days on the road.

  Avital used the shampoo and body wash provided. She even moisturized. Rubbing rose-scented cream into her skin, she touched her belly and paused.

  Her symptoms had only grown worse—nausea and exhaustion, coupled with an insatiable thirst and intermittent hunger. She brushed her nipples with her hands. They were exquisitely sensitive. Everything pointed to pregnancy.

  It was still possible she was reacting to the incredible stress of the last month, but Avital didn’t really believe it. How did she feel about being pregnant?

  Avital pulled her towel tight and sat down on the closed toilet, one hand still cradling her womb, the other fisted around her locket.

  If the baby was Nando’s—it would be incredible to have a piece of him with her, always. And if it was Dolf’s—did it even matter? They were identical twins. They shared the same DNA. Because of that, the baby would be both of theirs, regardless. And with the situation what it was, she’d likely never know who the baby’s biological father was.

  A wave of exhaustion hit her, a sensation she’d grown to recognize in recent days. She was suddenly too tired to think…not that thinking would change anything.

  Avital finished dressing, climbed onto the bed, and was asleep within minutes.

  She woke to gentle knocking on the door and sat up too quickly, feeling dizzy.

  “May I come in?” A man’s voice asked.

  “I don’t know. Do you have a key?” The snarky tone popped out, a fragile defiance.

  The lock turned back and the door opened. A man in his early sixties entered, wearing a sheriff’s uniform, with thin gray hair and soft brown eyes. Avital stood.

  He smiled at her, extending a hand. “I’m Sheriff Dearborn.”

  She didn’t take it. “Are you here to let me go?”

  “Well, now, not exactly.” He smiled and shut the door behind him. Avital heard the bolt slip back into place. Must be someone out there.

  “Am I under arrest?”

  “No, no, nothing like that.” The Sheriff walked over to the mini fridge. “Would you like a drink? I told them to make sure you had some water and snacks available.”

  “I’d like to know what the hell is going on.”

  The Sheriff nodded, frowning, and crossed to the windows, where he looked out. The sky was darker but not yet black—Avital must have slept a couple of hours. “Molly is gonna bring you some supper in a bit, but I thought you and I could have a talk first.”

  Avital crossed her arms over her chest and waited. She felt the locket between her breasts and took strength from it. Her ancestors had survived Nazi-controlled Poland. Avital Seiden Luciano was going to survive Newton, North Dakota.

  “As you saw today, we’ve still got a lot of healthy residents.” Dearborn looked over at her and leaned against the window frame. “We’re building a wall around the town, gonna keep out the dangerous elements that are rearing their heads in this time of crisis.”

  “From where I’m standing, you look like the dangerous element to me.” Her voice was quiet and clear, thin ice over a rushing stream. She almost sounded as cold as Dolf could be.

  “I can see how you’d say that, but I hope you understand that we are just trying to do what’s best for our families. I’d like to offer you an opportunity.”

  Avital held his gaze, unwavering, even though her insides quivered. She was no longer afraid of death, she’d seen too much of it. But the life that might be growing inside of her raised the stakes.

  “We’ve got a medical clinic in a nice building, right downtown. There’s an apartment over the top of it. I’d like you to live there and help us with our health care needs.”

  “What about my brother-in-law?”

  “I thought you were married, but I guess not.” The Sheriff looked down at her left hand pointedly. Avital didn’t wear a wedding ring—she worked too much with her hands, and after years of taking it off and on, the simple gold band had eventually gotten lost. Nando had wanted to replace it, but Avital had insisted that she didn’t need a ring to be married to him. He’d laughed and let it go.

  “I’m a widow.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “And I’m sorry you’ve kidnapped me.” The Sheriff frowned like she’d hurt his feelings. Please. “Is Dolf okay? His head injury looked bad.”

  “He’s fine. For now.”

  “What does that mean?” Her heart was beating too fast, and her hand crept up to her chest to cover it.

  “Dr. Luciano, is it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your brother-in-law can’t stay. I imagine you two are close, but I’m afraid he’s got to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Do you have children?”

  Her body went rigid. “No.”

  “Well, we want to keep ours safe and in order to do that we need a doctor. We need you. You could have a nice life here. You’d have total autonomy over the clinic and you could come and go as you please within the town limits.”

  Avital shook her head in negation.

  The sheriff held her gaze, his warm brown eyes dewy. “I understand your reservations, but if you insist on fighting us, on trying to leave—we’ll have to do away with your brother-in-law.”

  Avital’s throat closed and a wave of panic wash
ed over her. She swayed on her feet. “No. You can’t do that. Please.”

  “How about this?” The sheriff took a step toward her and adrenaline pumped into Avital’s veins as she stepped backward, hitting the bed with the back of her knees. “Let’s take a walk over to the clinic. It’s on the next street over; you can see the place and picture yourself staying here in Newton. Helping us. We need you.”

  She let him take her elbow and lead her to the door. “The clinic is well-stocked?” she asked.

  “Yes, it has everything you’ll need.”

  Like pregnancy tests.

  Avital followed him as someone in the hall let them out of the room. As they exited the inn, a little boy ran by holding a sparkler, his sister running after him, both squealing with delight. The sky was dusky dark blue, a few stars twinkling.

  “Slow down,” the Sheriff said, and the children stumbled into a walk. “Get on home now, it’s getting late.”

  “Sorry, Sheriff,” the little girl said.

  Avital was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. This man—these people—clearly thought kidnapping her and using Dolf’s life as leverage was justified.

  They passed pretty houses with lawns and wide porches before turning onto a commercial block of brick buildings. A sign for the medical clinic protruded from the side of the second building, and the glass front was dark. The sheriff pulled out keys and opened the door. He flicked on the lights. “Go ahead and have a look around.”

  Avital passed through the waiting area. She discovered four treatment rooms and a stocked pharmacy. The Sheriff trailed after her as she explored. “Looks good. Lots of supplies and a nice layout.”

  “We will be in good shape if you’ll stay.”

  “Will you let Dolf go if I agree?” Avital rubbed sweating palms on her pant legs. If she could get Dolf released, he’d stop at nothing to rescue her. Nando had been the same—determined and passionate. But Dolf had something more, a mercilessness that would make taking on this town easier for him. Nando would have worried about the moral consequences, but Dolf would just burn down anything in his path to get to her, to rescue and protect her. The thought warmed Avital with its vengeful passion. They would need that to survive.