by SM Olivier
I needed a quick shower. I had ran last night and just spent part of my afternoon having sex with two men. I blushed and looked at myself in the mirror above the sink. I didn’t recognize myself. My hair was wild, and my amber eyes shone brightly. There was a flush to my skin I never recalled seeing.
“You look beautiful,” Wyatt murmured from the doorway.
I jumped, yelped, and then ducked my head. “Thanks,” I murmured shyly.
“Too bad the shower is too small for all three of us,” Corbin stood behind Wyatt.
I tried to hurriedly avert my eyes as I noticed they were both in their naked glory, and both looked to be more than ready to go again.
I heard Corbin chuckle, and I refrained from sticking my tongue out at him.
“You didn’t answer our question,” Wyatt gently prodded me as he shifted from foot to foot. He suddenly looked…hesistant.
“What question?” I asked, seriously mystified.
“Easton?” Corbin reminded me.
“Oh. Yeah,” I said before I closed my eyes and sighed. This was so not a normal conversation. Typically, the man you were with wouldn’t like the thought of you with another man. Yet Axel, and now Corbin and Wyatt, seemed concerned about whether or not I could accept all of them like they were a package deal.
I had told Axel I would try, and after meeting the guys, I understood how tightly their lives were woven together. It bothered me that Jade and Natalie could have had a perfect thing going if they had only accepted them all.
“Yeah,” I said finally with a nod, feeling the conviction deep within.
I could imagine, in the grand scheme of things, Easton would be the man I needed when I wanted to decompress in silence. There had been times I wanted company but silent company. Sylvia never knew how to let me process things without pushing. Sometimes I had needed that, and other times I needed the exact opposite.
“Really?” Wyatt asked hopefully.
I nodded before I turned on the shower. “Yeah. He’s smart, and he doesn’t seem to have to fill the silence with chatter. Sometimes I like the silence but with company,” I clarified.
Corbin flashed me one of his brilliant smiles.
I smiled crookedly at him before I stepped insidde the stall, turning around to rinse myself. I didn’t have my toiletries, so the little travel size containers would have to do for now. I was hungry, and the faster I washed, the faster I could eat.
“We’ll be right back,” Wyatt said over the sound of the water. “We’re gonna hop in the other showers.”
“Okay,” I called over my shoulder.
Why did this feel so…normal? Emery’s words made me tense for a minute, but then I shook myself out of my anxious thoughts. I’d cross that road when or if I got to it.
Chapter 18
The walk from the cabins to the central area of the campground was a long one but refreshing on such a beautiful day, but I imagined we’d need to think of alternative means of transport when the weather got colder.
“On our next supply run, do you think we can find some quads or ATVs?” I asked as I carried Isa against my chest and held onto Wyatt’s hand. I was somewhat surprised and pleased at his insistence on taking my hand as we all walked. “I know we have a few here, but not enough.”
“It on the list,” Wyatt confirmed. “Dad says they have a few, but he wants the people on security to have the use of them first.”
“Understandable. When is the next run?” I asked next.
When they didn’t answer fast enough—even Easton!—I looked at them and saw something pass between them. “I don’t like lies,” I immediately bristled.
Corbin sighed. “Tomorrow morning.”
He wasn’t telling me everything. “And you guys are heading out and leaving me behind,” I concluded, understanding dawning. “I’m a grown woman. I can decide whether or not I go.”
True, I had an aversion to killing the infected. It still made me sick doing it, but I knew I was good at it. I wasn't even cocky about it. It was just a fact. I would be needed more out there than here.
Plus, the idea of sitting here and worrying about them nearly overwhelmed me. I didn’t want to lose them yet. I had a somewhat inane belief that, if I were there, I could control the situation better.
Wyatt sighed. “It’s safe here. We just want you to stay safe.”
“It’s my decision to make,” I seethed.
“You’re not trained,” Corbin said half-heartedly. From the look in his eyes, I had a feeling he hadn’t been behind the idea.
Lightbulbs, complete with sound effects, went off in my head. “Axel,” I seethed. “And you and you.” I pointed at both Wyatt and Easton.
Easton immediately ducked his head, but Wyatt stared back at me defiantly. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep you safe. We don’t want to worry about you and focus on the mission.”
I snorted. “I can handle myself just fine. I don’t need you worrying about me. In fact, if it weren’t for me, I’m pretty sure Kingston and Felix wouldn’t be here! I know you guys have shared women in the past, women you’ve worked with. Did you wrap them in cotton balls and stop them from doing their job?”
I heard Corbin hide a laugh, before Wyatt and Easton glared at him.
“That was their jobs, Ave, and they were trained,” Wyatt shot back.
“Like Natalie?” I yelled. “It was her fault that Kingston nearly got bit because she didn’t finish her kill. Like Jade? Because I’m pretty sure she was running away from the fight, leaving her men behind when she fell, and I had to save her neck, too! I may not be trained like you guys, but I have great instincts. I didn’t place first in Nationals by being weak. Sparring is all about strategy, and I’m effin fantastic at that!”
I saw all three men tense. “Why didn’t you tell us about Jade and Natalie?”
“And have them accuse me of being jealous of them?” I scoffed. “Especially after I found out they were with you in the past. You guys already seemed to know what those girls were capable of doing. Did I really need to provide you with more evidence?” I ranted.
By then, we’d reached our destination, and I knew exactly who I needed to see. I began to jog, somewhat mindful of Isa, as I climbed the porch steps. It looked like they had just started dinner. Uncle Mitch was sitting at a table with Aunt Carol, Steph, Aunt Pam, Eddie, Axel, and Kingston.
I marched right up to the table and stopped in front of my uncle.
“Avery!” he cried out in delight before he carefully embraced me.
Uncle Mitch was a darker version of Wyatt. Wyatt may have inherited most of his mother's coloring, but he had his dad’s good looks and green eyes.
“Hi, Uncle Mitch,” I tried to enthuse, but I was still fighting mad. “Can I talk to you?”
“About what, honey?” he asked in concern.
“I want to go on the run tomorrow,” I insisted. “I’m of more use out there than here. That is,” I turned to look at Steph, “if you won’t mind watching Isa for me?”
I felt somewhat ashamed that I hadn’t thought of Isa first. I almost felt like changing my mind. Almost.
“No,” Axel merely said with a shake of his head.
Steph looked warily between us. “I’ll watch her anytime.”
“Me too,” Aunt Pam said with zero compunction. She almost seemed peeved that the men were ordering me about.
“You’re not going out with my team,” Axel said, his jaw ticking in annoyance.
I smiled sweetly at him. “Good thing you’re not the only team lead here,then.” I turned on my heel in search of Joe.
I totally took a wild guess who else was going, and from Axel’s clenching jaw, I knew I had guessed right.
I saw Joe several tables down sitting with Cal, Sylvia, Phil, Jenny, Josh, Amy, and Chad.
“Tell her no!” I heard Wyatt yell from behind me.
The dining room fell silent, but I didn’t care. I continued marching over to Joe’s table, and with zero pr
eamble, braced my fist on it. “I want to go on the supply run tomorrow, can I go with you?”
As expected, Joe looked over at Axel, and I could tell he was going to capitulate to Axel’s desires.
“You can go with Chad and me,” Felix volunteered from the other table before he looked around the room. “Jade, you can stay and do your other assignment.”
“I don’t take orders from you,” Jade sneered.
I blinked in shock as the joking, mild mannered Filipino then blew up.
“And I don’t want you to watch my six.” Felix stood up and glared at her. “Avery has already proven herself. She saved my ass, your ass, and Kingston’s ass. I nearly died because you ran. You ran!”
I couldn’t blame him—I’d react the same way, if not worse. I hadn’t even realized Felix was in that predicament due to her. I’d never trust her again, either.
“Avery, supply teams, on me!” Uncle Mitch boomed out.
I turned and unstrapped Isa from my chest. It came as no surprise that Aunt Pam was already right behind me, ready to take her. Then, like good little soldiers, we all stood and left the dining hall.
֍
“You’re not going!” Wyatt boomed the moment he came into the room.
I looked away from him, pretending like I hadn’t heard him and began to sing to myself instead. It was something that had always annoyed the boys growing up.
I chose Rachel Platten’s Fight Song, finding it befitting for the situation.
“Big mistake,” Corbin whispered rather loudly to Kingston. “Any time you tell Avery she can’t do something, she’ll go out of her way to prove you wrong.”
“Is she singing Fight Song?” Kingston snickered.
I saw Wyatt, Axel, and Easton glare at him.
We waited as everyone else filed into the recreation center. The buliding had a movie room, a sizable gym, a kitchen, and a large meeting area. People came to play bingo and other games when it wasn’t in use. Nana and Pop-pop had rented the space for guests who wanted to “go large” without the price tag the wedding hall had. They utilized it for baby showers, bridal showers, meetings, etc. Comfortably, the area could fit one hundred people.
I nearly scoffed aloud when I saw Trevor walk into the room. He had zero training, besides the target practice we did as kids and teens. With my martial arts, I was way more than a minor step above him.
I took a seat on one of the tables, not bothering to pull out a chair. Bane trotted over to my side immediately. I knew Axel had taken a tour after lunch today, and Bane was all too eager to accompany him. I smiled down at the big dog and stroked his head. He groaned and curled up at my feet. “Lazy boy,” I teasingly chided. “Are you worn out, bud?”
“He’s a great dog,” Kingston praised as he took the spot next to me on the table. “We kicked up some deer when we were out. He took chase, but when we called, he came right back.”
I knew Kingston had no issue with me accompanying them. Wyatt and Easton just wanted to protect me, and I understood that, but they didn’t understand that I couldn’t sit by idly waiting for their return.
I smiled. “Good boy, Bane.”
“I’m kind of jealous we didn’t come and get you. Now I want a dog,” Kingston confessed. “I’ve always wanted one, but it wouldn’t have been fair leaving them so often, so I never got one.”
“Maybe we can find another local shelter,” I said enthusiastically before I frowned. “It’s been a few days. We should probably do that sooner than later, actually. Otherwise, there will be a lot of poor animals dying for no reason. A lot of them may have been abandoned.”
A thoughtful look entered Kingston's eyes before a wide smile spread across his face. “I think I have a solution.”
I didn’t have the time to ask, because the last person filed into the room, followed by Uncle Mitch. He closed the door and looked at everyone slowly. His eyes landed on me in contemplation before swinging to Axel. “Why is it you don’t want Avery to accompany us on the supply run?”
“She has no training,” Axel clipped out, the nerve in his jaw still twitching.
“Maybe not the training you went to,” I scoffed. “But neither has a handful of people in this room. I was a high contender for a spot on the USA Olympic Tae Kwon Do team. I’ve been trained in martial arts for the last eight years. I also held my own on my way here. I think helping three people out of sticky situations has more than proved my worth.”
“You making it out here was just pure luck,” Natalie sneered. “If you didn’t have Axel, Felix, Chad, and Josh with you, you wouldn’t have even made it here.”
I turned, giving her a saccharine smile. “Is that why I had to help assist getting you out of a situation due to your ignorance? You risked not only your team, but the group as a whole when you decided to enter that mall without doing any reconnaissance first. And if I hadn’t been there, Kingston probably would have been injured or worse.”
Beside me, Kingston gnashed his teeth, and I gave him an apologetic smile. I guessed now I should’ve told him about that yesterday.
I turned back to Natalie. “You took down that infected and didn’t even check to see if the threat was neutralized. You had no focus in the heat of battle and nearly caused your teammate his demise. So let’s not pretend you’re superior to me because you had a different type of training than I did.”
“You have no proof of your accusations,” Natalie derided. “I’m sorry if you found out about my previous involvement with Alpha Team,” she scoffed. “Are you mad that you couldn’t satisfy one man, when I could satisfy them all?” she pouted mockingly.
I tried not to let her words affect me, but I felt them.
“Shut up, Natalie,” Corbin snapped. “Our arrangement was a short one, and you were found wanting. This discussion did not and should not have been taken there. If we’re talking about competency in a professional aspect, you sadly lack in that area, too. There’s a reason you got kicked off Delta Team and were about to be removed from Bravo. You’re incompetent, and I no longer think you’re capable of going out until you’ve had some type of retraining.”
“I second that decision. Until Natalie and Jade are retrained, we don’t need them out in the field. They can be used in a security aspect here at the camp,” Kingston said coldly.
“I’m not staying behind because I threaten your new little plaything,” Jade sneered.
“You’re taking her word against mine?” Natalie screeched at the men. “She just wants my spot.”
“Avery’s speaking the truth,” Felix said just as coldly. “You and Jade put us in danger and nearly cost me and Kingston our lives. I saw your inability to follow through with your kill, Natalie. Avery didn’t leave my side as you did, Jade, and then she saved your neck as well. I much rather have her have my six, any day, than both of you.”
“Is she putting out for you, too?” Jade scoffed. “Is she that manipulative you’re willing to let an untrained girl take our spots? Poor Avery. I’m sorry we threaten you.” Jade turned towards me with a glare.
“Why should she feel threatened by you?” Amy scoffed finally. “You both were only useful to them after nearly a year of no action. By then, anyone would’ve worked.” At Kingston's scoff, she gave him an apologetic smile and shrug. “Sweetie, I know you all too well, don’t forget that. You were merely a means to an end.”
Amy was a pretty girl, in that girl-next-door sort of way, with short black hair cut in a sleek bob, fair skin, and large hazel eyes. She was average in height, but physically built, like she did Crossfit every day.
Amy turned back towards the girls. “You were intimidated by Avery before you even met her. I heard you ask Wyatt and Corbin to remove her pictures from their footlockers. You went as far as to remove them yourselves. How did that work for ya? That’s right, you were both dropped.”
I smiled at Amy. I hadn’t had that much interaction with her, but she seemed really lovely, and I knew she was like a sister to the guys. She might
be little for a badass, but she watched over them, and I knew they held an affection for her.
Uncle Mitch finally cleared his throat. “Okay… well, I’m not sure what rabbit trail we just went down, and I’m not sure I want to know.” He was looking at the guys before his eyes fell back on me. I felt my cheeks redden. I didn’t need my Uncle speculating about my involvement with the guys. “Saying that, I for one am confident Avery can handle herself. She may not have a military background, but she didn’t make the National Team by resting on her laurels.”
He turned to Jade and Natalie. “Ladies, the distrust from your previous team members alarms me, so you can stay back on security here. Both of you will follow Eddie’s commands, just as you followed your superiors’ in the military.”
Jade and Natalie began to protest, but Uncle Mitch held up a hand. “This is not up for debate. My brothers and I feared something like this might happen one day. We discussed the possibility of having to be responsible for a new community. We made plans, and we agreed on a lot of things. If there is any discord in the community, we won’t be able to make it successful. I know war, ladies. I know what it’s like to put your trust in your team. If you have people in this room not trusting you, then until you prove differently, I have to reassign you.’
Natalie and Jade looked pissed, but they remained silent.
“Follow the rules I set for you now,” Uncle Mitch continued. “Help contribute to the community, and we keep you on. If not, then I’ll put your removal up for a vote. As co-owner of these lands, I have the final say, but those who’d be voting alongside me are Corbin and Avery, since they’re the eldest and the next in line for these lands.”
I gaped at Uncle Mitch. That was all news to me. I had thought it odd when he had invited me up to the house earlier and not my twin. Did fourteen minutes really warrant a more significant say?
I looked over at Corbin, and it seemed like this was news to him, too.
“This is all a learning curve,” Uncle Mitch expained, “and I’m sure things will change as we go, but there is no negotiation on this matter. Scott and Bryan made it abundantly clear that, in the event they weren’t able to meet here, their firstborns would take their place.”