by SM Olivier
If someone hadn’t knocked on the door of our oasis, we would’ve been seconds away from sealing the deal.
“Someone’s in here,” I called out, unable to conceal the frustration from my voice.
Corbin growled then laughed before nuzzling my neck. “We should probably get some rest.”
We both hopped out. He handed me a towel before grabbing his own. I watched in fascination as he dried off his hair before moving onto his body. How could the simple act of drying off be so sexy?
He smirked at me before he handed me my pajamas next. “I’ll turn around. This time.” He winked.
I laughed and rolled my eyes before drying myself off. I slipped out of my bikini and into the PJs Easton had picked out for me; blush-pink silk pajama bottoms and a matching camisole top trimmed in black lace. I had to admit I liked Easton’s taste. The outfit was both cute and sexy.
“You can turn around,” I informed him before I picked up a brush off the vanity.
He wasn’t done getting dress. I looked in the mirror, totally giving in and peeking. He had a nice, high, taut ass, with those cute little dimples at the tops of the cheeks. I was giggling to myself when he turned.
His hot gaze fell on me, and the desire in his eyes made the wetness between my legs return, the aching heat settling in my stomach once more.
“Stop it!” I laughed, my voice husky from desire.
“I can’t help it,” he growled, hurriedly redressing in his uniform of a black t-shirt and khaki cargo pants. “You’re just so damn sexy.” Suddenly he was on me, swooping me up and pushing my back against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist.
I was a tall girl, and positions like this could be awkward. I always felt too tall and heavy for any guy to attempt this position, but twice in one day, he’d had me like this. I liked it. A lot. He did it so effortlessly, and it felt…primal.
His mouth captured mine, and I nipped at his bottom lip as I ran my fingernails against his scalp. He growled once more, and I slipped my tongue into his mouth. He was still aroused, and I could feel his hardened length brushing my nether lips. He wasn’t as large as Axel, but it was still a large, impressive size.
I rubbed against him, gasping as the knock sounded once more. I heard Bane let out a single bark.
“Stand by!” Corbin growled out to the knocker. “There are other bathrooms, you know!”
The only answer was another knock.
He sighed. “Later?” he asked me hopefully before brushing my lips once more and stooping to affix his weapons to his body.
I smiled, feeling on cloud nine and slightly giddy. I picked up my own sais. Axel had made me something to carry them with ease. It was reminiscent of shoulder holsters but longer and reinforced in consideration of my blades. It was just another thoughtful gesture done for me today.
“Most definitely.” I bit my bottom lip. The cards were now on the table—no doubting it now.
He grinned, sliding on his black combat boots, and grabbed our bags before he took my hand. He opened the door, and I stopped short, feeling some of my euphoria fading. Emery was standing against the wall in a white negligee. The shadows of her nipples and bare mound were on full display. She had her arms across her stomach and was tapping her foot in irritation.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. My silk PJs might not have been the most practical nightwear in the Infected Apocolypse, and to some, might be considered sexy-ish, but I wasn’t blatantly flaunting my sex.
“What were you guys doing in there?” she asked waspishly.
Corbin snorted. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Emery.”
I had noticed at dinner that Corbin was definitively standoffish with Trevor, but he was outright cold to Emery. Emery had continued to try to draw him into the conversation, and he either ignored her or answered tersely. It bothered me to see how much it hurt Aunt Pam to see her sons at odds with each other, and her “daughters,” for that matter. But I knew she wouldn’t push any of us to behave a certain way.
There was just so much that had occurred over the past year to make it all just go away. I was going to try, but it was going to take a great deal of effort.
Corbin squeezed my hand and began to lead me towards the heart of the mall.
“Why didn’t we have showers and a hot tub?” she called out peevishly.
Corbin froze and retreated a few steps. Between clenched teeth, he hissed at her. “Everyone is sleeping, stop screaming like a harpy. No one stopped you from doing it yourself. We’re not here to pamper you, princess, and the faster you realize that, the easier it’ll be for all of us.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and I nearly snorted. They were her theatric tears.
“I don’t know why you are so mean to me,” she said “You are one of my best friends. Trevor and I made a mistake, but we’re together now.”
“You want the truth Emery?” He gave me an apologetic smile before addressing her. “I used to regard you as one of my friends, Em. I knew you wanted me, but I still cared about you. I overlooked a lot of your flaws, but the way you betrayed your own family was unforgivable. I guess I should be thankful. You did us a favor. However, it doesn’t forgive your sins. You purposely took advantage of Trev in his inebriated state. You betrayed your own damn sister. You have always been selfish and manipulative, but that topped it all.”
“I didn’t take advantage of him,” she insisted. “I’ve never been as selfish or manipulative as Avery.” Big crocodile tears fell down her cheeks. “She came to you hoping you would save her. She probably didn’t tell you she forced Trevor into my arms. She has you fooled. It was an honest mistake!”
“It’s no longer a mistake if you repeat the action. And don’t get it twisted. Your sister was never the selfish one. You forget I knew some of your sorority sisters,” he warned her.
“They lied!” she looked panicked for a moment.
“About what, Emery?” I asked with a narrowed gaze. That was telling. He hadn’t even said what he’d heard or learned from her sorority sisters. Something told me Corbin knew a lot more details about that night than I did, and I had long since suspected there was more to the story.
“Nothing!” she insisted. “Plus, it doesn’t look like it matters anymore! You guys are obviously together. It looks like one brother is good enough as the other, right?” she inquired snidely to me.
I felt Corbin stiffen beside me.
I sighed heavily. “Corbin and I… just happened,” I said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “It was never intentional on my part, but I’m not sorry about it. For the first time in nearly a year, I am genuinely happy again. The fact that you’re trying to turn it into something ugly shows me your real character. You really, really hurt me. We shared the same womb. We’re sisters! And not once did you reach out and tell me you were sorry. Trevor called and texted me constantly, and you didn’t even text me once.”
I saw her eyes narrow. I guess she didn’t know that, but what did she expect? She would come in, sleep with him, and he would forget all about me? All about Bella? I had just lost his baby. A baby I knew he’d wanted. I had seen the crushed look and devastation in his eyes when I had left his room that morning for the final time.
“I hope you’re happy with what you did to us,” I added passionately. “Your actions didn’t just affect us, you drove a wedge between our families. And sadly, you’ll never own up to it.”
“It was you who made people pick sides,” she hissed at me.
I shook my head, smiling sadly at her. “I’m done. This conversation isn’t going anywhere.” I turned on my heel and began moving towards the hall.
“I’m sorry Trevor chose me! I’m sorry you can’t be happy for us!” she screamed at my retreating back. “I’m sorry you’re so desperate to become a Cavalier you’re whoring yourself out to Corbin! Get over yourself, Avery!”
I snorted but refused to turn back around. I knew she wasn’t done trying to make a point. Corbin stopped me b
efore we reached the top of the escalators and pulled me in close. He kissed me softly, conveying to me another message.
“I won’t pretend I’m sorry they screwed up,” he muttered honestly against my cheek. “I wish they hadn’t hurt you, but I’m glad I get to try to be the man you finally deserve. I’m happy that my military brothers, best friends, seem happier when you’re around, too.”
I reached up and gripped his face, his stubble surprisingly soft against my hands. “I won’t pretend painful memories won’t resurrect from time to time, or that I’m completely over it, but I know I’m over Trevor. I’m excited to explore my feelings with you, and with them. All of you have made me happy, each in different ways, since you came back into my life.”
He smiled and kissed me gently once more. “We need to be up in, like, five hours. Let’s get to bed. Can I share your bed with you?” he inquired.
Earlier, when we’d went in search of beds, Wyatt and Corbin immediately secured a mattress for me and put all the bedding on it after they got two mattresses for Steph, Aunt Pam, and the kids to share.
I smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”
He smiled in return, kissing me again. “I like this kissing thing with you,” he teased.
I laughed and shook my head at him. “Ditto.”
I was almost to the escalators when I realized Bane was no longer behind me. I stopped and looked back. He was sitting in front of one of the stores. It took me a moment to recognize it was the one that Felix and I had irst secured. Bane’s head cocked from one side to another before he let out a long low whine.
“Come on, Bane,” I called softly.
He looked at me, ran a few steps towards me, and then back to the gate.
“Bane, come,” Corbin said in a more commanding voice.
The dog hopped back on his hind legs and let out a loud whining bark before he landed back on all fours. He turned once more and began to paw furiously at the gate.
I sighed and made my way over to him. “There’s nothing in there, bud,” I crooned. “Do you need to go potty? Let’s go get your leash, and we can go potty.”
We had found a grassy area between two parts of the building that we quickly blocked off for the dogs to use at any time. Four of the seven dogs were potty trained. Josh was already frustrated by his dog’s lack of training. Luckily, Amy seemed to have more knowledge about puppies, because she had no qualms about taking the dog out often and giving him a treat when warranted.
Bane seemed semi-trained, but he’d already had an accident. In retrospect, it really wasn’t his fault, since I had missed his pacing before he had gone. Axel and I then agreed to alternate taking him out. Well, Axel informed me we were splitting our duty. Who was I to argue? Especially since he was helping me out.
“Was that room cleared?” Axel asked, appearing as if my thoughts had conjured him. He looked tired, and I knew he had only slept briefly. Like the night before, he had scheduled himself for the most challenging shift—the shift between the two.
Today, with the amount of JOpS and BJ to help, they had split it into two shifts, with a group of guys straddling both shifts. Axel was one of the straddlers.
“Felix and I cleared it, and then Felix did the last sweep,” I said as I reached down to unhook the lock we had in place. It wasn’t latched, but it was on there.
The store sold sports memorabilia and jerseys. No one seemed keen on getting any of that stuff, so the store had never been reopened.
“Stand by, Avery,” Axel warned. “On the count of three, lift the gates, okay?”
I nodded as I heard both men pull the charges on their weapons.
“One…two…three,” Axel murmured.
As soon as the gate was lifted, Bane went bounding inside the store. He approached a wall of clothes and jumped towards it, whining and huffing a low bark.
I pushed him aside and slid back the bottom rack of clothing and saw nothing. Then I heard it—a soft mewl. I pushed aside the top shelf of clothing and saw a baby carrier tucked in the back corner. I pulled it down, and nestled inside, was a newborn baby. She was dressed in a pink frilly outfit, and she had had a shock of thick black hair.
I cried out, noticing the sunken look around her eyes. She looked like she wanted to cry, but no tears fell, her mouth moving with no sound. She appeared to be raising her little fist, but it only twitched.
“I need an IV stat and saline solution!” I cried out as I set the carrier down gently, unclipping her from the contraption. I gently slipped my hands under her limp body, making sure I supported her head.
Since Bella, I hadn’t wanted to touch a baby. That’s why I hadn’t even looked much in Jenny’s direction. It had been a painful reminder of who I had lost. There was a long time after my loss that I couldn’t even watch a diaper commercial without tearing up. I would have to change the channel if pregnancy or babies were even mentioned. People never realized the possible triggers of everyday things until a crisis occurred.
All my misgivings were thrown out the window as I stared down at the precious baby. She couldn’t weigh more than nine pounds, and her body was so fragile. I began to cry in earnest as I nuzzled her cheek. “Hang in there, pumpkin,” I murmured desperately. “Don’t give up on me yet. You’ve lasted this long, don’t you dare give up on me.”
“I’ll get the supplies, you find Easton,” Axel urged Corbin.
I vaguely heard both men run off as Bane leaned in, whining, trying to nudge the baby and lick my tears. “Sit, Bane,” I commanded him as I moved over to the counter in the store. I cradled the baby in one arm as I pulled down a soft plush blanket with the University of Michigan logo emblazoned across it. With shaking hands, I spread the blanket out on the counter as best as I could with one hand.
“Please, pumpkin,” I continually begged her. “Please hang in there.”
Once the blanket was spread, I placed her on it. Her eyes were closed, her breathing labored, her body listless. I removed her clothing, my actions taking a lot longer than usual because I couldn’t stop trembling.
I stripped her down to her diaper and slowly began to examine her. Her diaper had a faint yellow stain on it, but it was bone dry. She was severely dehydrated, and it was a miracle a baby that young had survived at least twenty four hours of not eating. She should have already been dead.
“Oh baby, please keep fighting,” I murmured to her, using my arm to wipe my eyes and nose. “You didn’t make it this long just to die on me now. Please, sweetie!”
A depression I hadn’t felt in months engulfed me. Watching her tiny little body fight for life brought back too many painful memories. I may have never physically met my daughter, but my dark thoughts had taken me places after I’d lost her. I wondered what her last moments were like. The what ifs and the unknowns had been nearly insurmountable.
Losing Bella before I had even met her was one of the hardest things I had ever lived through. I had been so excited about her arrival. The day I lost her, I had the occasional back pains and mild stomach cramps, but the doctor told me that it was normal. I went to bed early that night and woke up to some of the most excruciating pain I had ever felt.
Covered in blood, and I had called out to Sylvia. An hour later, I found out I’d had a placental abruption, and there was no saving my little girl.
I began to pray in earnest that this little girlwould make it.
Chapter 14
I was leaning into the baby, praying and begging for her to hang in there, when Easton came running into the room. He had a sand-colored duffle bag with him, with a red and white cross on it. Axel and Corbin were steps behind him, carrying two large boxes.
Easton took one look at the baby, and I saw sadness enter his eyes, the same hopelessness I was feeling, but he still withdrew items from his bag. He took out some gloves and a stethoscope.
“I have a lot of stuff I scavenged from the pharmacy,” Axel said gravely. “The vet tech at the shelter gave me a lot of stuff, too, but I don’t know w
hat you need, Doc.”
As Easton did his examination, I began pulling things from the box. I found the gravity bag and saline solution carefully packaged in their boxes and pulled them out, setting them aside. I continued grabbing all the other stuff we needed. I was more than pleased to see what we had to work with, so many useful things in there. I was looking through the needles when Easton came to peer over my shoulder.
“Let’s try that one,” he said, pointing to the smallest one. “She’s severely dehydrated, Ave,” he warned me softly.
“I know, but she didn’t survive this long without being a fighter.” I didn’t even try to stave off my tears.
He nodded and began to set up the bag, solution, and drip tubing. He found an empty clothing rack to hook the packet to. I pulled out the gauze, medical tape, alcohol pads, hot pack, and tourniquet. I took a deep calming breath. The doctors and nurses that I had done my rotations with commended me on how well I placed a needle. They joked and said I must have been a phlebotomist in my previous life.
The only problem I was having now was I was overly emotional, and she was in such critical condition. I’d also never had a patient this tiny.
When I felt like I had a handle on my emotions, I finally walked back over to her. “Hey, baby girl,” I murmured to her. “We’re going to try to help you, but you have to keep fighting.”
I lifted her little hand and put a heating pad on it. It felt like hours before I could find the vein.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Easton asked softly.
I knew he was worried about my emotional state, but I felt like I had to do it. I nodded and cleared my mind. I tried not to think about my tiny patient or how her life hung in the balance.
I wiped the area with an alcohol pad and carefully removed the cap on the catheter with one hand, tightly pulling the skin around the IV site with my other. I made sure to keep the catheter parallel to the baby’s skin and inserted the needle. A hint of blood in the catheter’s applicator indicated that I hit the vein directly. I then continued to advance the catheter.