by Snow, Jenika
He turned from the stairs and looked over at where Lucy and Sasha leaned against the wall, Lucy lying on her side with her head in Sasha’s lap, both of them fast sleep.
It was early, the sun barely up. “Girls,” he said in a soft but deep voice.
Sasha was the first one to wake, her eyes opening slowly. Malachi stood there a moment and just reveled in her beauty. She was gorgeous, with this vulnerability and innocence that had his heart stopping. He’d never seen such a combination.
The world he’d lived in, the life he’d led, had been so grisly, so fucked up, that all he’d seen was insanity, obscenity, and violence. But even though Sasha had this air around her that made him want to protect her above all else, Malachi also knew how strong she was.
She’d survived out there all on her own, taking care of her and her sister, protecting Lucy at any cost. That was the biggest turn-on of all.
Her strength.
She looked at him then, their gazes clashing, holding.
“We need to get going,” he said in a gruff voice, the desire he had for her, the arousal, attraction, growing by the day. The more time Malachi spent with her, the more he saw how strong she really was.
Malachi knew he could never let her go. He could never walk away from her.
She nodded slowly and slipped out from under Lucy, placing her jacket under her sister’s head before she fully stood. Sasha lifted her arms above her head, and Malachi couldn’t help but watch the way her body stretched out. Damn, the way her shirt rode up just a little so he could see her flat belly, that swatch of creamy skin, had his throat feeling tight and his heart racing.
Hell, his cock even started to get hard, pressing against the zipper of his jeans, demanding to be free, desperately needing to be buried between her sweet thighs.
He turned to try and calm himself, to adjust his cock so it wasn’t glaringly obvious he was sporting wood. He could hear light shuffling behind him and knew she was getting her stuff together.
He looked over his shoulder to see Lucy start to wake just a few moments later, murmuring softly to Sasha, excited that they would finally be leaving.
They’d been holed up in the theater for far too long, but the storm had been too dangerous for them to even contemplate leaving, even if they’d wanted to, even if he wanted to give the girls what they wanted.
And he did.
He looked at Lucy. So young, so unaware of the real dangers of the world. It wasn’t just starvation and dehydration that could take her life. It was the fucking brutality of the people around them, of humanity. It was the fact that she was female and that in itself anymore was a commodity, something the disgusting and vile motherfuckers of this world wanted for their own pleasure.
No, he wouldn’t let anything happen to his girls.
The type of world they lived in had everything moving in fast forward, emotions and situations a whirlwind of activity and feelings. He saw Lucy as this small, almost newborn child, needing his protection, his help.
Although Sasha was the same way in regard to needing protection, needing safety, what he felt for her was bone deep lust, one that was only getting stronger and would need to be sated eventually.
No doubt she would give herself over willingly, give herself over fully. He saw the way she watched him when she didn’t think he noticed, the way her gaze raked over his body, the telling signs of how she reacted to him.
Her pupils dilated, her chest rising and falling as her breathing increased, and her tight little nipples pressing against her shirt.
She couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him. That was as strong as if there was a flashing neon sign above her head.
He was a patient man, and he’d give Sasha all the time she needed.
Once they were packed up they headed downstairs. He went in first, the water coming to his knees. It would be a little higher up for Sasha since she was considerably shorter than he was. And he didn’t want to risk Lucy trying to navigate through it.
He turned and held his hands out for Lucy. She smiled and let him pick her up, clearing knowing it wasn’t safe for her to tread through the water. She weighed almost nothing in his arms. He didn’t like that. He didn’t like that they had no food. The girls needed something with substance, something that would fill them up. The canned peaches and tortilla chips wasn’t fucking cutting it.
Without thinking, he reached out with his other hand to grab Sasha’s. He looked into her face, saw her eyes widen slightly. Maybe it surprised the hell out of her, but surely, she could see how much he wanted her, how much he needed her? She had to see how he wanted to keep her close.
Together they walked through the water, debris floating all around, butting up against their legs. It took him a moment to pry the debris from the front of the entrance, a lot of it blocking so the water had no way to escape.
Once that was cleared the water rushed out. He held on to Lucy and took Sasha’s hand again. They stepped outside, seeing the wreckage in the small town. The storm had been a bitch, the wind so powerful trees were knocked down, pieces of siding and shingles scattered around the street.
Malachi had little hope the car was still intact, and if it wasn’t, well, he’d have to come up with a different solution.
They started making their way down the street, stepping over and around debris, seeing the destruction of the storm and how massive it had been. Shit, they were lucky the fucking theater hadn’t blown over.
Maybe things would start looking up, or maybe not. Maybe life was just going to be this fucked-up from here on out.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A new start?
Sasha looked out the front windshield, the drive they’d been on for the past hour seeming the same as the scenery moved by. Before they’d gotten to the car, she’d assumed that it would have been destroyed with all the debris flying all around. but then she’d seen it still standing, and she’d noticed Malachi’s surprised expression and knew his thoughts and been exactly like hers.
But it just seemed like one thing after another in this shitty world, and she hoped that they could find a place to settle down, for Lucy’s sake.
She looked over at Malachi, one hand around the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he gripped it tightly. He had the window down and his forearm resting on the windowsill. He looked so strong, so unbreakable, like this tank that would take down anyone or anything that threatened them.
And she knew he would. He’d said as much, showed them as much. He was their savior, even if she wanted to deny all the things she felt for him, all the things she wanted with him.
Despite the fact Lucy had slept decently last night, she was passed out beside her, her head on Sasha’s shoulder, sounds of her breathing filling Sasha’s ears. She had her arm wrapped around Lucy’s shoulder, keeping her close.
They weren’t speaking, but she felt Malachi’s presence surround her, and not just because he was sitting right beside her. His body heat seeped into hers, his presence and masculinity making her feel feminine.
She looked over at him and stared at his profile, the hard set of this jaw, the way his facial hair covered his cheeks, his beard starting to grow fuller, thicker. His lips were full but brutal in appearance. His nose looked like it might’ve been broken at one point, but that just made him even more attractive. His eyes were set, hard, dark, and every time he looked at her, Sasha felt like he was looking right into her very soul.
“Where we going now?” She saw the way the muscle under his cheek ticked after she spoke. He glanced at her before facing forward once more.
“North,” was all he said.
She processed that one-word response. “North? As in Canada, Alaska? Like that north?” He gave a gruff nod but didn’t verbally say anything.
More silence passed. “How do you know people are up north?”
He shook his head. “I’m hoping there aren’t people up north. Isolation seems like it would be the best course of action right now. Immediate d
anger is being around other people. They’re in survival mode. All they are thinking about is taking what they need and want in order to survive.” He looked at her then, their gazes holding, his stare holding so many answers, yet so many questions as well. “There is no more law, no more rules, Sasha. I told you I will keep you and Lucy safe, and I’ll do that until I draw my last breath.”
The emotion in his voice had her feelings swelling, a thick lump forming in her throat. “There are people out there that are good. People like Lucy and me, people like you.” He looked at her then and she saw surprise move across his face after she said that, admitted it.
He stayed silent as he stared out the front windshield, but then he exhaled slowly and shook his head. “Sasha, I’m as far from good as you’ll ever meet.”
The sun was starting to set, and they’d been driving all day.
“As much as I want to keep going, we need to rest.” He looked at Sasha “Besides, we need to scavenge for supplies and fresh water.”
She’d seen a sign a half hour back showing the next town coming up. The population had told her it was smaller than the previous one, which could benefit them, or it could be overrun with looters and survivors.
She just didn’t know how things were going to go.
Now people were shifty as hell on the regular, so it was hard to tell if they were just in survival mode, or they were pieces of shit.
“I’m going to stop at the next town. Find a place before the sun sets, see about finding some supplies.” Although they had supplies in the car, they needed more. They needed a lot fucking more.
“Okay,” Sasha said softly.
Lucy was fast sleep. Aside from the few stops they’d taken along the way, just enough to stretch their legs, they’d been driving so long that Sasha’s body was starting to ache. Not to mention they needed to look for gas.
At the entrance to the small town, he slowed and pulled off to the side of the road, cut the headlights, and just sat there for a minute. Lucy had woken up, but we stayed silent.
Then he went back onto the road and slowly entered. She saw a pharmacy and a small grocery store. There were a few houses scattered about, presumably more farther from town.
Thank God there were no theaters.
He pulled into the small gas station and cut the engine, the windows rolled up, his focus trained in front of him.
“I’m going to check if there’s any gas. You girls stay here.” They nodded and he climbed out. He shut the door and looked back at Sasha.
She knew that no matter what, he’d make things safe for them.
Chapter Thirty
Help him
Lucy let out a little yawn and slumped back against the seat.
“I’m so tired.”
“I know, sweetie.”
“I miss Mom and Dad.”
Sasha stroked the hair back from Lucy’s face. She was going to have to cut it soon, along with her own hair. It would be easier to keep it at a manageable length.
“I miss them too.”
“Malachi is so cool.” Lucy sounded in awe and excited that Malachi was on this journey with them.
“He’s okay.”
“Come on, you know he’s cool. I think he’s amazing.”
Looking out of the window, she frowned when she saw no sign of Malachi. In the pit of her stomach, she knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t leave Lucy.
No, nothing could be wrong.
It was Malachi. He was the strongest man she’d ever known. There’s no way something bad could happen to him.
Pushing her hair out of her face, she tied it up into a messy bun.
With each passing second, she felt her stomach tightening. Lucy began to snore softly, and she just knew she had to go and see if Malachi needed her help, to make sure everything was okay.
“Lucy, sweetie,” she whispered. “I’m just going to see what is taking Malachi so long, okay?”
Her sister stirred softly and nodded, but kept her eyes closed. Sasha covered her up with her jacket and slipped out of the car.
With her heart pounding, she locked the door before closing it.
Going into the back of the car, she pulled out one of Malachi’s guns. The one thing they always made sure of was that they had weapons and ammo.
With the gun locked and loaded, she started to walk across the street, feeling the nerves eat away at her with each step she took.
You can do this.
She had to remind herself that Malachi hadn’t been with them in the beginning. She had killed people without him in order to take care of her sister. One more dead body meant nothing to her.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to keep on moving, being careful with the steps she took.
Normally, the calm and silence was a deadly thing and harbored an entire army of bad things.
Even if she didn’t want to trust or rely on Malachi, he’d helped to keep her and her sister alive. She owed him a huge debt—her life—one she wasn’t going to shy away from.
She finally rounded the gas station and heard the grunts and groans of a fight. Sasha looked around the edge and saw three men fighting with Malachi.
Her heart pounded.
He was giving as good as he got but each man had a weapon.
It already looked like Malachi had a cut on his arm, and seeing it made her feel sick. He needed her. She was a good shot but from here, she would risk shooting him.
Lifting the gun, she looked down the barrel at the man who wasn’t close to Malachi.
Taking a deep breath, she forgot everything else. No matter what, she had to protect Lucy and Malachi. They were the only two people left in her world, and she would protect them with her life.
Firing the gun, she saw one of the men go down instantly.
All the men froze. She aimed at the other man, firing at his leg.
The last man started running toward her, and she didn’t think, just acted, firing. He let out a roar and charged forward. She fell backward from the impact.
It wasn’t long before Malachi was there, pulling the man off her body and twisting his head.
She heard the unmistakable sound of his neck snapping, and with wide eyes, she looked up to see Malachi glaring down at her.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” he growled out.
“What?”
“What did I tell you?” He grabbed her arm, hauling her up from the ground. “I told you to fucking stay in the car.”
“How dare you!” She tried to slap him, only he caught her wrist. “You have no right to speak to me like that.”
“I’ve got every single right. You could have gotten yourself or your sister killed. I can’t believe how stupid you were.”
“You were getting beat up. They had crowbars. I saved you.” She was so angry. “I know what those men would do to me and to Lucy. She’s my baby sister and I made a vow to protect her and if you can’t understand that, then back the fuck off. I’ll do everything I can to protect her, even if that means I’ve got to put up with you and kill men intent on hurting us.” She pushed at him hard.
Tears filled her eyes. She hated being this weak, this pathetic. Her hands were shaking. She’d killed one man and injured another. One glance over Malachi’s shoulder told her that the other man was dead, gone.
“When you take a man down, make sure he’s dead,” Malachi said.
She turned away to head back to the car, but he grabbed her around the waist and pressed her against the brick wall of the building. The hard rock dug into her back and she gritted her teeth.
“Get off me.”
“Next time, you go back to the car and leave.”
“And just watch you get your ass kicked, or worse, killed?”
“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “I had it handled.”
“Take a long look in the mirror. You don’t look like you had it handled. You look like one last hit and you’d be out cold. What is it with men? Do you have this natural aversion t
o women being able to not only protect themselves but also to save you?”
“Spare me the feminist bullshit. I’ve got no problem with you saving me.”
“Then what is your problem?”
A moment of silence passed between them.
“I couldn’t get to him fast enough. He was on you and one punch, one hit and you were gone.”
“What? You really care because your fuck might be taken from you, is that it? You want to pop this cherry before anyone else?” The tears fell thick and fast. In that very second, she really did hate him.
His face was hard, his expression stoic. “The last thing I want to do is tell Lucy that I failed her. She looks to you like a goddess. She adores you and she loves you so damn much. You think I don’t see that? I may be part of this fucked-up world that is more like home than living in a house with a picket fence, but I see it. I know how innocent you both are. Even after you’ve killed men. You still have it and it’s my job, my duty, my privilege to protect you and Lucy, and if I can keep this darkness away from the two of you, I will. I’ll do it for as long as I can. What you both have, that is more precious to me than my own life. I will protect it, and yes, I want to fuck you. I want to take that virgin pussy and have you bleed over my cock, but I also want you to crave it. To fucking want me.”
All thought left her.
“And when I do, I have no interest in destroying who you are. I will not break you, Sasha. I intend to make you fucking fly.”
Before Sasha could do anything more, Malachi grabbed her face and slammed his lips down on hers.
The action was so sudden, and after his words, her body was on fire. No one had ever spoken to her like that and for him to kiss her right now, to show her the passion he’d been keeping at bay, it was somewhat scary but exciting. She didn’t want him to stop. His touch was … everything.
Chapter Thirty-One