Shawn placed his hands on my hips and lifted me to the counter. His hand slid up my shirt and into my bra as he shimmied out of his pants.
The tenseness in my muscles vanished. In one quick motion, he grabbed me tightly and pulled me toward him.
I gasped as I felt him take me. My fingers dug into his shoulder as the feel of him sent my pulse racing. I buried my face against his neck, closing my eyes as the world around us blurred.
I wanted to cry out his name over and over but of course, I couldn’t. I had to hold every amazing feeling inside.
“Oh, Stevie,” Shawn murmured into my ear. I could feel his warm breath dance along the side of my cheek. There was a desperation in his tone as he rocked into me.
We moved together as one. The cabinets banging and pounding with our movements. It was like there was an earthquake violently shaking around us.
Shawn grunted as though he were trying to hold it together a little longer. He was trying to hang onto the moment as long as possible.
But the need in his voice was enough to throw me over the edge. I clung to him and a wave of pleasure washed around me.
My head tipped back and my lips parted. There was no stopping the sounds of pleasure that escaped. It was almost like I was possessed. I couldn’t control myself.
Shawn erupted with a growl. He grabbed my hips and rolled wildly as he found his own crashing wave of bliss.
He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me until his breathing returned to normal. Shawn’s eyes closed as he leaned back and let out a long breath.
Our eyes locked and he smiled. He liked losing control. A lot. “God, you’re amazing.”
I hopped down off the counter and pulled up my pants. I love being with him. It helped me erase everything around me but that also made me nervous. Control was something I didn’t like to give up.
“Something wrong?” Shawn asked. “Not good?”
I rolled my eyes. “It was very good. We shouldn’t have let our guard down like that.”
“We’re only human,” Shawn said picking up the jar of peanut butter. He took out a big scoop with his fingers.
“I know but I have a job to do.”
“We have a job to do,” Shawn said handing me the jar. “Let’s not do this bickering thing again. It never ends up good.”
I nodded. “Agreed.”
I took another scoop before placing the lip back on the peanut butter and dropping it into my bag. Shawn sighed as he looked out the window.
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward me. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at my hand.
“It was awesome and I’m so glad we… took a break,” I said letting my lips curl. I leaned into him and kissed his peanut-buttery lips. “Now, it’s time to get back to work, though.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Shawn said with a smile.
I let go of his shirt. “It’s too bad we weren’t celebrating having found Jake’s medicine.”
Shawn frowned as his head bobbed. “You’re pretty worried about him, huh?”
“Very much so,” I said.
“Did you hear that?” Shawn said before placing his index finger over his lips.
The only thing I’d heard had been my own voice. Shawn grabbed my hand and yanked. I dug my feet into the ground and he scowled.
I grabbed our bag and dashed to the window. Not far off, a small group of men were hooting as they shoved one another. They were coming straight toward the house.
13
Joss
In the morning, I was startled awake. Not by the sounds of Jenna and Allie in the kitchen but by the scratching sounds outside the window.
The bear was back. I stumbled as I got to my feet.
Jenna peeked her head around the corner. “Everything okay in there, sleepyhead?”
“The bear,” I managed to squeak out. “It’s outside.”
“Let’s go then!” Jenna said excitingly. “Where’s the gun?”
“You’re going to shoot it?” I asked.
Jenna shrugged. “Why not?”
“What’s going on?” Allie asked.
“We’ve been trying to catch this bear for days,” Jenna said pointing to the gun. “Now’s our chance.”
Allie bit her lip. “I don’t even know if that thing is loaded.”
“Let’s get under the tarp and try the ropes,” I said. “If that doesn’t work, you can try the gun.”
“Why not gun first?” Jenna asked.
“Because if it does work, and you miss, you’ll scare it off,” I said.
Jenna smirked. “What makes you think I’ll miss?”
“The fact that you have no idea what you’re doing,” I said grabbing her arm. “Come on.”
Allie followed us out of the back door. The three of us carefully peeked around, making sure the bear wasn’t going to lunge at us and have us for lunch. When we were sure the coast was clear, we dashed under the nearby tarp and waited.
“Make sure you remember to lock the door this time,” I whispered. I turned to Allie. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Allie said. Her eyes scanned the yard. “I don’t get it. How are you going to catch the bear?”
“We have traps set up,” I said pointing at the bins that were still tilted in the same upward position we’d left them in. Then I pointed at the tree. “Rope on the ground and over the tree.”
Jenna held up the thick piece of rope.
“That’s never going to work,” Allie said. “You can catch a bear lying on your stomach. It probably weighs a solid one-hundred-and-fifty pounds.”
“Think so?” Jenna asked. “It’s pretty thin.”
“It’s still big,” Allie said.
I waved my hand at them to silence them as the bear came around the corner. It moved slowly. It grunted with each step. The darn thing seemed so unhealthy, I didn’t even know if we should eat it if we did manage to catch it.
It sniffed around the back door. I held my breath when it glanced toward the tarp. Could it smell us? Hopefully, there was too much rain and water.
The bear moved around the yard, moving from side to side. It was like it knew something was different but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
When he stepped into the looped rope, I grabbed the end from Jenna and stood. I pulled down on the rope as hard as I could.
The rope twisted around the bear's foot but I wasn’t strong enough to hoist it into the air. Jenna and Allie both stood and helped as best as they could.
“What do we do?” Jenna asked. “Should I try shooting it?”
The rain made the rope slippery but the bear wasn’t able to move any closer to us than the bit of slack would allow.
“I’ll do it if you want?” Allie asked.
“Okay,” Jenna said handing her the gun.
Allie pointed and pulled the trigger. The sounds of clicking were followed by a sharp crack.
Allie looked at the gun as if she didn’t completely understand what had happened. The cracking sound hadn’t made sense but I knew instantly. The branch had snapped.
I turned just as it broke away from the tree and fell to the ground. The rope loosened and the bear charge toward us.
“Get inside!” I shouted.
We ran to the door. Jenna made it there first.
The bear, however, stepped in front of me, blocking my way. I was face to face with the angry beast and I had no idea what to do.
“Joss!” Jenna cried. After a quick look, she went inside the house, gesturing for Allie to follow.
I wasn’t sure if they’d made it inside. I had to turn my attention back to the bear.
He moved to the right. I moved to the left but he was quicker and shifted his direction. He seemed to anticipate my moves.
Foamy drool dropped from its mouth to the ground as it stared at me. Hunger reddened his desperate eyes.
The bear jerked its jaw toward my left hand and snapped. I pulled my hand back only seconds before its teeth clacked together.
/>
It was too late when I saw its claws in the air. It smacked its thick paw down against my arm.
The hot, searing pain of my skin being sliced was like a curling iron pressed against my skin. For a moment, I couldn’t see. The world around me blurred into oblivion.
“Oh my God,” I said feeling dizzy as the pain traveled to my brain.
Jenna was suddenly next to me. Her hand moved impossibly quick as she screamed and slashed the bear’s neck.
The bear howled before chomping in her direction. Jenna stumbled backward, landing on her bottom. The bear inched toward her, blood pouring out of its neck as it hovered over her.
“No!” I shouted punching the bear with my left fist. It didn’t even seem to care. I was nothing more than an angry fly to the bear.
Allie leaped onto the bear's back. Pounding her fists on the back of its head.
“Get off her,” Allie repeated over and over again.
Jenna covered her face with one arm and sliced it again with the knife. She moved it left and right and then back again. It wasn’t until her fourth swing that she made contact on the side of its face near its eye.
The bear whimpered and moved back. The sudden movement threw Allie to the side.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Jenna said getting to her feet. She dashed toward the bear, attacking it with everything she had.
Jenna was aggressive. I turned, unable to watch. I didn’t look again until I heard Jenna sobbing.
Allie had her arm around Jenna’s shoulder and the bear was lifeless on the ground ten feet from them. I worked to control my breaths.
“Okay,” I said between my lips. “We’re okay.”
Allie stared at my arm. “Your bleeding.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I know.”
My arm shook as I held it up. There was so much blood my entire hand was coated in the deep red color.
The world around me started to get fuzzy. My head felt like it was floating. Then everything was black.
When my eyes opened, I was lying on the damp sofa with a wet washcloth on my forehead. My arm throbbed.
“She’s up,” Allie called.
Jenna’s footsteps sounded liked thunderous booms as she came toward me. She crouched down and looked into my eyes.
“Don’t like the sight of blood, huh?” I asked.
“Especially not my own,” I said sitting up. I looked at the bandaging on my arm. “You did this?”
“We did,” Allie said proudly.
Jenna grinned. “Found some gauze and medical tape in the upstairs bathroom. We even applied some antibiotic cream. One of the cuts looked like it needed stitches but I refrained from attempting that without your permission.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“You’re going to be even happier when I tell you that Allie and I have started harvesting the meat from the bear,” Jenna said raising her brows. “We’re packing it in salt.”
“How did you think of that?” I asked.
Allie pulled back her shoulders. “My kidnappers did it occasionally.”
“We’ll be able to stay here longer,” Jenna said. “Not a lot but we bought ourselves more time.”
“Maybe there will be more bears,” Allie said.
Jenna nodded.
“We can’t live on bear meat alone,” I said.
“Are you okay?” Jenna asked. “We need to finish up with the bear meat.”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Jenna patted my knee and pointed to the bottle of water. “Drink some water. It’ll help.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Jenna turned and walked back toward the kitchen. She turned and looked at me over her shoulder.
“It’s pretty gory in there. If you’re going to pass out again, you might want to wait until we're finished,” Jenna said.
“No,” I said swallowed down the sour taste at the back of my throat. “I should help.”
“It’s okay, Joss. You were hurt pretty bad,” Jenna said.
She continued toward the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. Jenna pressed her hands against the door frame and groaned.
“Are you okay?” Allie asked.
I was at her side in seconds, helping her stay upright. Her eyes met mine. They were filled with fear.
Her jaw clenched as she let out a moan from deep inside her. Jenna’s eyes rolled back.
After she sucked in several quick breaths, she sighed. “It’s happening again.”
14
Adam
Our feet moved quicker. Even Leah found a burst of energy, keeping up her pace even though she was trying to hide her limp.
About a quarter-mile ahead of us was a grouping of thick trees. All of the leaves had fallen off the gnarled, entwined branches. Mixed in with the tree trunks was the outline of a log cabin.
“We did it!” Heather squealed. “I can’t believe we did it!”
She waved for us to follow as she ran ahead. I kept my eyes forward as the sourness bubbled up the back of my throat.
“Are we sure about this?” I asked.
“No, not even a little,” Leah said. “But it feels like we’re out of options. I can’t keep going like this forever.”
“We’d run out of food before coming anywhere near forever,” I said.
It was like walking in a fog. I wasn’t sure how we got there but we were standing on the wet ground in front of Heather’s uncle’s house.
She raised her fist and knocked. Heather turned to us with a big smile on her face as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
There was movement inside the house. Someone was definitely inside and I hoped to God that it was Heather’s uncle. My finger’s twitched and I reached my hand behind my back, ready to grab my gun.
My eyes darted around. It felt like we were eyes on us… studying us.
I sucked in a breath when the door flung open. My fingers wrapped around the handle of the gun.
“Uncle Eli!” Heather squeaked.
He grabbed her and lifted her off her feet before wrapping his arms around her thin body. “Heather? Is that you?”
“It’s me all right!” Heather said as he lowered her down to the ground. “These are my friends Leah and Adam.”
“Well, come on in out of the rain already,” Uncle Eli said. He pointed at a mat on the floor next to the door. “Take off your shoes.”
We all removed our mud-covered shoes carefully. After, he shook Leah’s hand and then mine.
“Eli,” he said tightly gripping my hand.
“Adam,” I responded with a respectful nod. “Nice to meet you. Nice place you have here.”
I’d barely taken a look. The way I’d been raised was making a brief appearance. Be polite. Mind your manners.
“Thanks,” Eli said. “It’s not much but I like it.”
“I love it,” Heather said.
The cabin was in pristine condition. Everything was clean and neatly arranged. The three of us stood there, making a mess on Eli’s floor.
“Let me get you some towels so you can dry off,” Eli said placing his hand on Heather’s shoulder. He leaned closer but I could still hear his booming, deep voice. “Where’s your ma and pa?”
Heather frowned. “They didn’t make it.”
“Oh,” Eli said.
“I wish I didn’t have to be the one to tell you that,” Heather said.
Eli patted her gently. “Lots of people didn’t make it. I assumed the worst for you and your parents so you can imagine my surprise seeing you again. I’m very happy you’re here.”
“I can’t believe we found our way here,” Heather said.
“Where are you all from?” Eli asked over his shoulder as he pulled out a stack of towels.
“California,” I said.
Eli turned, his mouth dropping. “No kidding?”
“I kind of wish I was,” I said with a chuckle.
“That’s quite a journey. What made you come this way?” Eli asked.
“It’s all
gone,” I said. “Earthquakes… flooding.”
Eli’s head bobbed. “It was one massive shit-storm, huh?”
“Indeed,” I said.
“Well, you’ll be safe here,” Eli said. “It gets cold at night. I don’t like using the fireplace because of the smoke it makes but I have lots of blankets. Haven’t had a single visitor out this way until now and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said looking around.
There was a sofa and a few chairs made out of wood that matched the stain on the interior wooden walls. A rather large fireplace sat in the middle of the living room. There were a few pictures on the mantle and the head of a deer mounted above it.
“Not a fan of people,” Eli admitted. “Especially these days. Can’t trust anyone.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” I said crossing my arms. “That’s something I learned rather quickly.”
“If you want us to leave…,” Leah said taking a step toward the door.
Eli flapped his hand, waving away her words. “Nonsense. Friends of Heather’s are friends of mine. I meant I don’t like strange people. The ones that poked around early on. They just wanted to take, take, take.”
“I thought you said you haven’t had any visitors?” Leah asked.
Eli’s head turned sharply. “I should have been clearer. None that have been allowed to stick around. Heather isn’t a stranger. She’s my niece.”
“Oh,” Leah said.
“It’s not a mistake I’ll make again. Luckily, it was only a handful of people. I’m pretty well hidden out here,” Eli said handing us each two towels. “I’ve got a couple rooms to spare. I’ll show you where you can put your things after you’ve dried off.”
“We appreciate that,” I said before drying my hair as best as I could with the towel.
Eli stood there watching us, eyeing each drop of water that fell from our clothing. He cringed when his eyes settled on the mess at our feet.
“Do you have dry clothing?” Eli asked.
“Yeah,” Leah said.
The Reset Series | Book 6 | Striking Page 6