Savage: The End

by Snow, Jenika

  Pain means you’re still alive

  He shouldn’t have kissed her. But he hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d wanted his mouth on Sasha’s from the first moment he saw her.

  And ever since that kiss things had been …thick, uncomfortable almost.

  Malachi winced as he looked at the cuts made from the crowbar. He didn’t have any broken bones so that had to be a good thing, but that cut, it was fucking nasty. The only stop they’d made was at a pharmacy, where he’d stocked up on what medical supplies had been left over. He’d gotten back into the car, where Sasha wouldn’t even look at him.

  It was fine. He could deal with a woman giving him the cold shoulder. The last thing he wanted her to tell him was how he shouldn’t be kissing her.

  In a fucked-up world, there were no rules.

  He didn’t have to abide by any laws and besides, she was legal.

  “Fuck,” he hissed at the pain running up his arm. He was still pissed off that someone had been able to get the jump on him.

  They’d stopped over an hour ago for the evening, and now they were spending the night in an old abandoned barn.

  “She’s scared, you know.”

  He turned toward the door to see Lucy, arms at her side, taking in his wound. She entered the bathroom.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, trying to keep the gruffness out of his voice.

  Lucy was a sweetheart and he truly wanted to protect her. Not just for her sister, but for his own sanity.

  “Sasha’s washing up on the other side of the barn so I thought I’d come and check on you. I figured you could do with some help.” She held up a first aid kit. “That looks nasty. Does it hurt?”

  He nodded.

  “Can I help?”

  “Sure. I can do with the extra hands.” It was hard tending to a wound with only one free hand. “Open up those alcohol wipes.”

  “With there being no doctors around what do we do when we get sick?” she asked.

  “We have to take care and make sure we don’t get sick.”

  “But what if it’s really bad? My mom used to watch this doctor show and no one could fix them, and it scared me.”

  He smiled. “Sometimes you don’t need to go to the doctor. We can take care of each other. You, me, and your sister. I’ll take care of both of you, and you’ll take care of me.”

  “Will it work?”

  “I promise you, Lucy, I won’t let anything happen to you. I will fight constantly.”

  “Come on, Lucy, you shouldn’t be in here,” Sasha said, drawing their attention to the doorway.

  Her hair was wet and fell down all around her. Her cheeks were flushed and it looked like she wasn’t wearing a bra as he saw the peaks of her nipples.

  “He needs help. He can’t do it by himself.”

  “I’ll take care of it. You need to rest.”

  “I’ve rested all the time. I want to help.”

  “Then go and rest. Eat some of those crackers we have in the backpack. I’ll deal with this.” Sasha kissed her sister’s head, and then Lucy ran over to where they’d set up their pallets for the night.

  Sasha grabbed the gauze and the alcohol and walked over to where Malachi stood. She wrapped her fingers around his arm and began to clean up the mess.

  He watched her work, her hands steady as she cleaned up the cut.

  “That’s a nasty one,” he said.

  “You shouldn’t lie to my sister.”

  “I wasn’t lying to her.”

  “You can’t make promises that you’re not able to keep.”

  “Okay, what promise did I make?”

  “The one about not letting anything happen to her. You don’t know what the future holds and I’d rather she not rely on you. Look at what happened today.”

  “Today was a fluke, okay? I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

  “Not only that, Malachi. You can’t stop her from getting sick or being ill. Please don’t give her false hope.”

  “Did your parents not give you false hope growing up? Did you not believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny?”

  “This is not the same.”

  “It’s exactly the same. I will protect you both. I’ll make sure you both don’t fall ill and if you do, I’ll be there. Not all sickness needs a doctor, and besides, with what happened to this fucked up world, doctors are overrated.” He growled as Sasha put the alcohol wipe directly over his cut.

  “You’re going to need stitches. This is deep. We’re going to have to cover it.”

  “We’ll go looking for stitches tomorrow.”

  “But it’s bad.”

  “It’ll be fine. Believe me. I’ve had worse. Slap a bandage over it, wrap it up tight, we’ll be good.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “Nothing else to like. Soup smells like it’s burning,” he said.

  “Shit!” Sasha left, running out of the room to go and deal with her sister.

  He looked at the wound in the mirror. To some, it was deep. He’d had a lot worse and survived without a single stitch. This one would be more than fine.

  “I burnt the soup,” Lucy said, coming back into the room.

  “It’s okay. I’m a lousy cook as well. You want to help me out with this, kiddo?”

  She followed his instruction, putting the bandage over the wound, and then wrapping gauze around it as well. It wasn’t the best job but it would work for the two of them.

  “You should be a nurse,” he said, following her out of the room.

  “I always wanted to be one.”

  “Be one what?” Sasha asked.

  “A nurse. You said I had the caring skills, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, you also have the patience to pull it off. I had to trash the pan you used, Lucy. You literally boiled soup dry. Didn’t know someone could do that,” Sasha said, winking at her sister.

  “I’m sorry. I tried.”

  “I know you did. Don’t worry about it. I’ll teach you and it’ll all be okay.” Sasha wrapped her arm around her sister, kissing her head.

  Malachi didn’t say anything.

  Their food was a precious commodity. Neither of them had any to waste. Lucy wouldn’t be able to cook for them.

  Sitting around the table, he glanced between the two girls. Their sisterly bond was clear to see. Sasha held on to Lucy’s hand even as they slurped at their soup.

  When they finished, he did the dishes haphazardly, pouring some water over them and wiping them off with his hand, Sasha put Lucy to bed. They were all sleeping close together. It was safer for them all to be together.

  Sasha walked back into the kitchen just as he finished pouring them both a cup of tea. There had been a small box in the cupboard and they appeared in date.

  “She’s out like a light,” she said.

  “Does she always sleep this much?”

  “Sometimes. When she’s had a rough couple of days she always sleeps afterward. She tends to recharge then exhaust herself before doing the same thing. Mom always called her a little battery.” Sasha smiled and then he saw the pain cross her face.

  He went to her side as she fell apart. She didn’t make a sound as the tears fell.

  Stroking his hand down her hair, he tried to offer her as much comfort as possible. The kiss still played in his mind and he’d much rather be doing a lot of other things to her, but he pushed them all out of the way. Sasha didn’t need sex or a man lusting after her.

  She’d been pushed to the very limits of her being, and now she was exhausted. She needed someone to hold her, to protect her. Even as she fought him every single day, and tried to tell him how strong she was, he knew differently.

  She could pretend all she wanted.

  In this moment, he was her rock.

  He just needed her to realize she could trust him a whole lot more.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t break down like this. I’ve got to be strong.”

  “The only thing yo
u need to be right now is this. Lucy wouldn’t judge you and neither do I.”

  “I don’t want to cry.”

  “It’ll help.”

  She shook her head. “No, it won’t. It just makes me remember everything we’ve all lost. The life I wanted for Lucy. All of it.” She sniffled. “Thank you for everything you’re doing.”

  “I need to thank you for today.” He stroked a strand of her hair between his fingers. “Without you, I would have been killed. I’m alive because of you.” He kissed her cheek, pulling away, giving her the space she needed. There was no reason to rush this.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Sometimes you just have to say fuck it

  Sasha lay on the ground and stared at the opening in the barn roof made by age and weather. The barn showed signs of decay that had nothing to do with the end of the world. Chances were, over time it had just lived out its years rotting in this patch of land, deserted, once the home to someone or something.

  Now it was just a skeleton.

  It fit perfectly in their new world.

  The skies were clear, the stars so bright, Sasha could have counted them. She thought about life, what it meant to have Malachi in it ... and of course the kiss.

  Even now her mouth tingled, and she lifted her hand to run the pads of her fingers over her lips, feeling, remembering how it felt to have Malachi pressed against her, that possessive, masculine power that poured from him seeping into every cell in her body.

  She’d pushed him away, cursed him, and acted like she didn’t like it. But the truth was Sasha had. The truth was, she craved it like she’d never craved anything else before.

  Sasha was inexperienced, hardly knew anything about the real world, or at least she hadn’t until all this had happened. But in this world she’d killed. She’d stolen and ravaged to make sure they stayed alive.

  The one thing she wanted to experience was what it was like to be with a man. And that man was Malachi.

  He’d known the world well before it turned into this. He’d been a bad man. She knew that since before he’d even uttered a word, before he told her in so many ways what type of life he’d led. And maybe it was that danger that clung to him that made Sasha feel this way, this intense desire, this burning lust?

  He was on his back, one arm resting over his abdomen, his eyes closed, his breathing even. Although he seemed relaxed, sound asleep, she wasn’t fooled into thinking that if something threatened them, he wouldn’t be up in an instant.

  She pushed herself up, mindful to be quiet, and just stared at him. He was so masculine, with a square jaw, full lips, and a straight nose. The beard he had was on the longer side, and although he idly scratched at it, even mentioned shaving it, the truth was she liked it.

  He was all lean muscle and power. The tattoos she could see that peeked out from underneath his clothing spoke of another world, another life.

  To be honest, he fit right in with the Apocalypse.

  She found herself moving closer, not sure why she couldn’t control herself in this moment. She should be sleeping. They had a long ride ahead of them tomorrow, continuing to travel up north, hoping maybe there’d be safety, food.

  Sasha was so close to Malachi now that she could feel his body heat. She lifted her hand, wanting to run her fingers through his beard. But at the last minute she curled her fingers into her palm, her breathing coming out raspy as her arousal rose.

  His dark lashes were crescents against his cheeks, his hair on the longer side so he could tie it back at the nape of his neck if need be. God, lust coursed through her unlike anything she’d ever felt before, anything she’d ever experienced in her life.

  She was about to lay back down, put all of this behind her, when he opened his eyes and looked at her. It wasn’t that he’d just woken up. No, she knew he’d been awake this whole time. Malachi had probably sensed, heard the change in her breathing. He could probably see the desire on her face.

  And the air shifted, changed. She felt it start to grow thicker, warmer. She looked over at Lucy, who lay a few feet away from her. Sasha turned back to look at Malachi. This intense look was on his face.

  Although Lucy slept soundly behind her, her back to Sasha, it was as if Sasha and Malachi were here alone. She imagined his mouth on hers again, his kiss taking over. This time she wouldn’t fight it, wouldn’t stop it.

  God, she wanted that so desperately.

  “Sasha.” He whispered her name softly and all she could do was swallow the thick lump in her throat, wondering what was going on with her, how she was going to control herself around him.

  Or maybe she didn’t want to control herself.

  Maybe all she wanted to do was finally give in.

  But instead of doing anything, she stood and shook her head slowly, staring at him. She left the barn and stepped outside, a light breeze blowing along her body. She closed her eyes and tried to garner some self-control.

  Sasha felt Malachi standing behind her, the heat from his body moving right into hers. All she could do was inhale deeply, take in his scent, let everything that was Malachi wash through her.

  He made her feel safe and protected, made her feel like there wasn’t anything else in the world that could possibly go wrong.

  And as she stared at him, all Sasha could think about was giving in, letting go of the strength she’d held on to so tightly after her parents had died.

  So for the first time since all of this went down, Sasha finally said fuck it. She finally just gave in and went after what she wanted … Malachi.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Innocence was overrated

  Malachi stayed perfectly still, very much aware of Sasha having left the barn to clean up. Their bathing was sporadic, but Sasha was adamant on keeping clean, and making sure he and Lucy followed the same routine. Even if that meant taking a dip in a cold-ass creek that ran parallel to the barn.

  Getting to his feet, he made sure he had his gun on hand and ready.

  He’d noticed Sasha had been looking at him, treating him strangely since the kiss. She was so young, while he was not. This world wasn’t designed for innocence. Girls like Sasha and Lucy didn’t know what true pain and suffering was. He wanted to make sure they never really found out.

  Running a hand down his face to clear the fog from his mind, he opened the door just as Sasha barged right in. He wasn’t prepared for her to enter and as she did, they both fell to the floor.

  “Shit, I’m so sorry,” she said. She was whispering.

  They both paused. His hand at her back, holding the gun, he turned to see Lucy still fast asleep.

  “We don’t want to wake her.”

  “I know. I know.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, and he was struck by the color of her eyes.

  Sasha didn’t make a single move to get away or to leave, and he wasn’t in a huge rush for her to go either. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest and her pussy was so close to his dick.

  He was already hard and it took every single ounce of strength not to let go of the gun, grab her hips, and let her know exactly how he wanted her. It wouldn’t take too much to slip those panties off her body, and to have his way with her. It would be so easy to do.

  “Malachi?”

  “I told you not to leave or to put your safety at risk.”

  She glared at him. “I wasn’t doing anything stupid. I know how to take care of myself.”

  “You do, do you?” He let his gun rest on the floor and when she made to get off him, he caught her ass in his grip. “If you know so well how to take care of yourself, tell me, sweetheart, why are you so close to my dick?”

  “You wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “Lucy’s sound asleep and I can have whatever I want from you.” He moved his hips so she couldn’t deny his arousal any longer.

  Sasha let out a little gasp. She quickly looked over toward her sister and he didn’t need to see to know Lucy was still sound asleep.

  “This is crazy. Let me
go.”

  “I don’t want to let you go.” He squeezed her ass cheek, loving the fleshy feel in his palm. It had been so long since he’d been with a woman. Just holding her feminine curves against him was already a great pleasure to him.

  Having Sasha on him like this reminded him very much of him being a man and her a woman.

  No matter her age, Sasha was all woman, and even in this new world, she was still legal. Her precious sister had told him that.

  “You think you can take care of yourself? Tell me why you’re in this position right now. I could fuck you. Pop that little cherry of yours without anyone being able to stop me. You think screaming would help you? It won’t. I could keep you silent all night long while I did wicked things to this body.” He moved his hand down so that he was cupping her pussy.

  She gasped.

  Seconds passed, maybe even minutes before Sasha rocked against his cock.

  “Have you ever thought that maybe I don’t want to get away?” she asked.

  He wasn’t expecting that.

  She rubbed against his cock and shocked him further by lifting herself up so that she straddled his waist.

  “I’m not running from you, Malachi. You don’t scare me and I know for a fact you won’t hurt me.”

  He didn’t know where this newfound confidence had come from, but he sure as shit didn’t have a single problem with it.

  With the gun by his side, he rolled her to her back, so she was now at his mercy, and seeing her on the floor, spread out, her hair wild around her, was what he wanted.

  “You think you know how to play this game?”

  “I’m not playing a game with you, Malachi.”

  “What changed? You ran off from my kiss like a scared little girl. Tell me what changed,” he asked.

  “Nothing’s changed. I wasn’t ready then.”

  “And you think you’re ready to take me on? I’m not your baby sister.”

  “I don’t want my baby sister.”

  Malachi saw the truth in her gaze. She was scared, a little horny, but there was something else in her gaze as well: hunger.