by Cook, M. L.
Shocked, He stared down at her, “You mean to tell me she will put animals in the shelter and force her people to sleep in the elements?”
Aubree’s face turned a bright shade of red, “It’s like camping. They’ll be fine with it. Everybody likes camping.”
As Travis walked by, he mumbled, “Nobody likes camping in November.”
Aubree had insisted they return most of the wood to its original place on the porch. Then she rearranged what was left. Standing back, she waved a hand at the sloppy pile, grinned, and declared, “Now that’s how you do it!” Walking away, she called over her shoulder, “Now you need to go hunt up some kindling.”
An hour later James found Aquino and Seth stumbling around in the field.
When Seth looked up and saw James approaching, he rushed over to the male, then told him about their dilemma. “Aubree has ordered us to hunt kindling. We’ve decided we’re both too scared to ask her what kind of beast that is.”
James doubled over laughing. After regaining control of his senses, he pointed toward the trees. “You’ll never find any kindling in the fields. What she wants is something to get the fire started. Small branches and twigs, anything that will burn rapidly.”
After finally getting the fire going, the night passed in peaceful camaraderie. Jannette served them bowls of soup in shifts. Then, once dinner was over, she walked past him to sit by Stacy on the other side of the fire.
Aquino stared at the redheaded beauty, who was laughing at something Stacy said. After Jannette sent a glare in his direction, he asked, “Aubree, you know Jannette pretty well, right?”
Aubree shrugged, “I guess as well as anyone can. But Jannette? There’s things about her that nobody knows, not even Brooke.”
He continued to watch Jannette, then leaning closer, he whispered into Aubree’s hair, “I think she’s mad at me, although I have no idea why.”
Aubree looked from him to Jannette. Somehow, Jannette must have sensed she was the topic of their discussion. Staring back at Aubree, she gave a subtle shake of her head, then turned back to Stacy.
Aubree leaned her head against Aquino’s shoulder, then murmured, “That’s just Jannette.” Her words faded as sleep claimed her, “I’m sure if it’s something she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.”
Chapter Eight
Jannette could feel Stacy’s intense stare. Gritting her teeth, she prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation. She’d spent the evening trying to avoid looking at Aquino, unsuccessfully. More than once she’d noticed Stacy’s inquisitive stare. One thing’s for sure, Stacy got bonus points for keeping her mouth shut this long.
“It’s late, I’m headed to bed. You should do the same. I know what an early riser you are, and the last thing any of us want is an exhausted Jannette cooking breakfast.” Standing, Stacy headed toward the tents along the fence line.
Jannette was floored. She stared after her friend, waiting for the moment when the other woman couldn’t resist saying something. Instead of coming back, she disappeared into the darkness.
Turning back to study the flames again, Jannette nearly leapt out of her skin when Stacy’s voice came from behind her.
“You’re not fooling anyone, by the way. I don’t know what’s going on, but you really need to get your shit straight. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Turning back to the other woman, she watched her departing figure. Then, just before she ducked inside, she turned around and said, “That was a lie. I knew exactly what’s going on. Still, you need to get your shit together. Nobody besides you cares who you’re sleeping with.”
Jannette watched her friend disappear into the tent. Stacy didn’t really know what was going on with her, she just thought she did. And Jannette wasn’t about to correct her. It wasn’t about who she was sleeping with. Maybe in the beginning it was. For the first time in a very long time, Jannette had allowed her feelings to go beyond a quick toss in the sack.
Looking at the chairs around the bonfire, Jannette noticed most of the people had already retired for the night. Even Aquino was missing from his spot on the other side. While staring at his empty chair, she wondered where he’d gone. Had he found another body to keep him warm for the night? Wincing, she remembered her flippant remark about him being nothing other than a fuck buddy. So, what right did she have to tell him where he could and couldn’t sleep? Feeling her rising anger, she decided Stacy was right about one thing. She did need to get to bed. There were a lot of mouths to feed, and since she cooked in batches, she would need to get an early start. Passing Aquino’s chair, she couldn’t resist kicking it over. Even though he would never know what she’d done, it made her feel a little bit better.
Stalking into the house, she growled at a few people who thought they might make themselves at home in her living room. Walking over she nudged one of the women from the ship with her foot, “Out. Find yourself a sleeping bag, or just sleep on the ground. I don’t care. But you’re not sleeping in here.”
Striding down the hall, she stepped into her room and slammed the door. Then, dropping onto the bed, she began pulling off her boots.
“Did kicking that chair help?”
Aquino’s voice startled a yelp from her. Whipping around, she glared down at him, “What—” A second later, she found herself lying beneath him, staring into his beautiful green eyes.
“I don’t know what I did to upset you so much. You have my greatest respect. I want you to know that there is nothing I would ever do to intentionally hurt you. If I did, I’m truly sorry.”
Closing her eyes, she did something she never had. Admitting her wrongs was never an easy thing for her. “Don’t. It wasn’t anything you did. It’s my own shit and it has nothing to do with you.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she placed a finger across his lips, “Don’t ask.” She rolled him over. Lying across him, she whispered, “You know this…” She waved her hand between them, “is just for shits and giggles.”
Aquino looked confused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “That’s what you meant by fuckbuddy?” When she nodded, he gripped her arms and flipped them again. Staring down at her, all humor vanished, “But understand this. There will be no other fuckbuddies in your bed. You can be assured that should another male attempt to take my place, I will kill him.”
***
“You know, I may just have to kill whatever creature it is that has taken it upon itself to announce to the world that morning has once again arrived.”
Jannette laughed, “That’s Joseph. You’re not the only one who wants to wring his neck. But without him, I would never get out of bed in time to get my day started. They’re the farmer’s alarm clocks.” She patted his legs, “Now haul yourself out of bed and help me with breakfast.” Flipping the blankets off, she yelped when she was yanked back into bed.
After putting on a pot of coffee, she pointed Aquino toward the back door, “Grab that basket and go out to the henhouse. The girls are pretty friendly, just watch out for Joseph.”
Aquino picked up the basket by the back door. Then turning to Jannette, he said, “You do know that I have no idea what a hen is, much less whatever kind of house they might live in. Not to mention, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with said basket.”
Jannette stepped out the back door and pointed toward a small fenced in shack, “Henhouse. Inside you’ll find fluffy birds sitting on boxes of straw, in the boxes—”
Aquino held up a hand, “Got it.”
Fifteen minutes later, two mugs of the dark brew were sitting beside the stove where Jannette and Aquino were wrestling for position. Finally, Jannette bumped hips, then grinned up at him, “Can you holler at the girls. There’s a lot to be done before everyone starts looking for breakfast.”
Aquino kissed the top of her head, then said, “Of course my fiery caputua.”
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was bustling with activity. Macie and Lacey were both vying for Aquino’s attention. However, the male was
completely clueless. It’d become a competition between the girls to see who could hold his interest the longest. Every time he patted one girl on the shoulder, the other would send her a scathing glare.
A few minutes later, Jannette heard the front door open. Walking over to the doorway, she snorted a laugh when she saw the mess of matted purple hair stumbling toward the kitchen. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was still much too early for Aubree to be awake.
“Morning Jannette, Quin. Anything I can do to help?”
Jannette watched Aubree pull out the stool in the corner. Then turning back to the food, she said, “You mean besides burn the bacon and leave the potatoes half raw?” Jannette gave her a side-long glance, then picked up a large bag of potatoes, “Do you think you can manage to slice…” Turning away, she muttered, “Nope, I’m not even…” She dropped the bag beside the sink, tapped Aquino on the shoulder, then asked, “Think you can figure out how to use this on the potatoes?”
Aubree’s mouth hung open, “I thought—”
Jannette pointed a paring knife at her, “You thought I forgot the last time I asked for your help with potatoes.”
Jannette walked over to the stove and grabbed a large pot off the burner. Then returning to Aubree, she pointed toward the rack of mugs. “So, what’s got you up so early?” She studied the girl she’d known since the younger one was in diapers. “Never mind. What time are you planning to leave?”
“Right after breakfast. Seth’s going with me, of course.”
“Of course, he is. And thanks.”
Aubree cocked her head, “For?”
“For not keeping everybody awake all night.” Jannette pulled out a carton of eggs, then dropped four in a skillet. She turned back to Aubree and asked, “To go or eat it here?”
Aubree took a sip of her coffee, then said, “Here. It’s kind of hard to eat on a four-wheeler.”
Jannette smiled, “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”
Thirty minutes later, it was time for them to go. Jannette watched Aubree, Seth, and James as they disappeared around the curve on their way to find Brooke. Fist pumping the air, she couldn’t hold back her excitement over being reunited with her best friend again.
Chapter Nine
Jannette glanced at Travis as he sidled by her then sat on the swing. She watched him for a moment then turned toward the tent that she’d assigned to the alien. The same alien that Travis was supposed to be guarding. Instead, she saw Carson standing a few feet away. His fisted hands were on his hips as he continued to glare at the zippered opening.
She wasn’t happy about having to deal with this right now, but it was something that had to be done. As long as the Terrapian was in their camp, Jannette wouldn’t rest easy. Cringing, she glanced over at Aquino. Well, he was easy to keep an eye on, after all, when he wasn’t in her bed, he was surrounded by other men. No, she had to find a place for the female. It had to be somewhere that not only kept the camp safe from her, but for her own protection as well. Glancing again at the big man guarding the tent, she knew that she wasn’t the only one who hated the Terrapians.
Walking out to the driveway, Jannette surveyed the camp, trying to figure out where to put the pregnant Terrapian. The last thing Aubree did before she left, was to reiterate Brooke’s insistence that nothing should happen to the Terrapian. She would have to find somewhere away from the other people, a place where the humans wouldn’t have access to her.
Jannette discarded the idea of using the barns in the back, knowing they were much too big for one person to guard. And one guard was all they could spare. While her gaze swept between the buildings, her eyes landed on the old shed out behind the barn. It was small, but large enough to hold a twin bed. They’d just have to make sure someone was always there to watch her. Since Travis had already been given that job, there was no reason he couldn’t keep doing it. Besides, he liked her. Jannette wasn’t sure if it was platonic or romantic. It made no difference to her, so long as her obligation to keep the female safe was fulfilled.
Jannette nudged the big man standing outside Tiana’s tent. Leaning in, she murmured, “After I get everyone’s attention, I’m going to need for you to bring the Terrapian.” Her rage nearly exploded when he turned his glare on Aquino. Jannette grabbed him, digging her nails into his arm she sneered, “Not him.” She nodded toward the tent, “I meant her.” Trusting the man to do as she asked, Jannette walked out to the ring of chairs around the bonfire. After climbing on top of a picnic table she yelled, “Listen up.”
Standing on top of the table, she gave Carson a nod, then silently watched while everyone made their way closer. Instead of Carson, Travis appeared carrying Tiana. Thinking nothing off it, she nodded to the table beside her. Raising her voice she announced, “This is Tiana. Yes, she’s one of them. We’re under strict orders by Brooke not to hurt her. Let me tell you,” Jannette swept her gaze through the crowd, “if you’re not afraid of Brooke, you need to be very afraid of me. You can bet I’ll back her up. Do any of you want to give me lip? Humm?” Her intense gaze scanned the faces again, “No? Nobody?” She nodded, “Aright then, we understand each other. You don’t hurt the alien; I don’t hurt you.” She gave one last nod, then climbed down.
Jannette didn’t want to think about what she was doing or examine her reasons for doing it. Instead, she walked away, expecting Travis and Tiana to follow. She nodded toward the shed, then called over her shoulder, “Follow me. I got someplace for her. It’s out of the elements. Plus, it’s far enough away that nobody should bother her.”
After getting Tiana settled, Jannette decided it was time to get dinner started. They really did need to figure another way of feeding this many people. At the rate they were going, they were going to run out of food in less than a week. But until they could come up with another solution, for now it would be soup. Maybe it was time to send a group out to scavenge for supplies.
When Travis came into the kitchen, Jannette looked behind him. When she saw that he was alone, she asked, “Where’s Tiana?”
Travis glared, then snapped, “You know, I’m not the only one who can guard her.”
Jannette cringed, she hadn’t intended for her actions to be interpreted that way. Turning back to her chopping board, she said, “I didn’t say she had to be guarded. I just want to make sure she’s safe. The last thing I want to do, is tell Brooke or Aubree that I didn’t do everything in my power to protect her.” She waved a knife toward a wire basket in the corner, “Grab me some carrots, would you?”
After a few minutes, she gritted out, “If you’re going to hover, you’re going to help. Grab that other cutting board and start on the onions.”
Shaking his head, Travis laughed then asked, “Is that your way of getting rid of people?”
Jannette turned around, her eyes rounded, “What do you mean? Is it because I asked for help? I don’t see any reason—”
Travis held his hand up, “Just stop right there. You only ever ask for help with onions.”
Jannette laughed, “Well… no. I really do need help. But if someone is going to bug the piss out of me, they might as well chop onions.” Jannette turned back to the carrots. Then calling over her shoulder, she enquired, “So, are you going to tell me why you’re here?”
Grabbing two large onions, a knife, and the cutting board, Travis stood with his back to Jannette and began chopping. After a few minutes, he replied, “You really should give her a chance. You have no idea what she’s been through. Did you know that the males beat their women? Not only is it allowed, but it’s expected.” A loud crash had him jerking around. The cutting board Jannette had been using was now on the floor. He watched several neatly sliced carrots rolling across the tile, only to be stopped by Aquino’s foot.
He glared at Travis, then asked, “What did you say to upset her like that?”
Jannette twisted around to face the man she’d been sacking since they met. Her lips were sealed in a tight frown. With the large butcher knife stil
l in her hand, she waved it toward him, then asked, “Is it true?”
He looked from Jannette to Travis, and queried, “Is what true?”
Travis laid his knife down beside a half-chopped onion. Walking toward the door, he muttered, “And that is my cue.” He looked back at Jannette, then said, “I’m going on the next run. I’ve lined up a few guys to keep an eye on Tiana while I’m gone. I would appreciate it if you would check on her from time to time.”
Not taking her glare from Aquino, she nodded, then said, “I’ll still take her breakfast out every morning.”
Aquino didn’t acknowledge Travis as he brushed by. Instead, he kept his attention on Jannette and the very large knife she was holding. “What did he tell you?”
When Jannette noticed Aquino’s weariness to come any closer, she saw that he kept looking at her hand. “Oh,” she exclaimed as a blush warmed her cheeks. After laying the knife on the counter, she grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the mess she’d made.
Aquino stepped in front of her, then took the broom. Leaning it against the wall, he repeated his question, “What did he say?”
Jannette had never experienced abuse, but she’d known plenty of women who had. It was something she couldn’t… wouldn’t tolerate. If Aquino thought she would accept it…
Aquino pulled her into his arms. Lifting her chin with a finger, he forced her to look at him. Leaning closer, he murmured, “Tell me.”
After taking a deep breath, Jannette jerked her chin away. She couldn’t look at him, if what Travis said was true, she didn’t know what she would do. “He said that the Terrapian males are expected to beat their wives.”
Aquino paled, then whispered, “Fires of Tophet.”
Jannette’s heart refused to accept what her head was saying. She shoved against his broad chest, then gritted out, “Just let me go.”