by SM Olivier
“I mean, I need… lady stuff,” she explained.
“I have some of that up at my cabin,” I reassured her. “Do you need it now? If not, I’ll bring some to the dining hall in the morning. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, I can drop it off in the med clinic.”
“The dining hall will work.” She grinned. “Thanks.”
“Have you been hoarding stuff?” Emery protested out in anger. “I saw you with a cold Starbucks Frappuccino earlier. Where did you get it from? I looked in the fridges, I couldn’t find any.”
“Emery, relax, I told you I’d figure it out.” Trevor attempted to pull her back once more.
“First off,” Wyatt stepped up into Emery’s space. “Anything Avery has, she has gotten on her own. She’s been risking her life to obtain those items. Second off, you had a chance to fill a vehicle with all the items that you may want or need before we got here. If you were too stupid to think about your necessities over your wants, that’s on you. Third off,” he looked around the now silent campfire, “Avery may have held back some stuff for herself, but the majority of the items have gone to the supply shed. She worked to get those items and barely held any items back.”
“Then give me a key so that I can get some.” Emery held out her palm.
Her sense of entitlement baffled me. She behaved as if we were all her slaves, here to do her bidding and satisfy her wants. She still had this convoluted notion that she could do and say anything she wanted without giving anything in return.
Corbin, Wyatt, and Kingston began to laugh mirthlessly again. “There’s a reason you don’t have a key, princess,” Corbin scoffed. “Those items are for the community, not for your own personal use to use at will.”
“Seriously, Em, we were having a good night, why must you always start stuff?” BJ huffed. “We aren’t going to hand you over the keys so you can treat it as your own personal stores. We need to stock the building before we hand out everything all willy nilly. Until then, we are only handing out what is necessary. And,” he interrupted her when she opened her mouth, “what we think is necessary, not what you think is. You have already proven your priorities.”
“I ruined my shoes in the fields today,” another guy piped up. “Do you have a pair of size twelve boots?”
“I only have two pairs of socks,” another man added. “Do you have any extras?”
“If the items are for the community−” Another man who instantly rubbed me the wrong way, came swaggering forward—“when can we look and grab what we need?”
Axel tapped my shoulder, and I leaned forward, understanding his need to stand. He took a few steps forward as if he was asserting dominance over the man, just as Chad and Corbin flanked the man’s sides.
“Let’s get one thing clear,” Axel said quietly, but his voice carried around the clearing. “I know some of you are struggling.” He looked over at Emery. “I understand some of you may not realize what’s truly going on here, but let me make it clear to you all, as I will tomorrow morning if there are any other misconceptions.
“My recovery team volunteered to put themselves in danger, time and time again to acquire goods for the community. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean we’ll hand it out like candy.” He looked over at the first two men. “I’ll make sure you get your socks and shoes. You need them, and according to Josh and Chad, you’ve worked hard to earn that and then some. You put in the work, you get the rewards. We might not have what you want or need at the time, but we’ll try to do our best. Even then,” he looked at Emery, “I highly doubt we’ll be getting a specific makeup brand because you’re high maintenance enough to believe you’re entitled to it.”
“We’ll start a list tomorrow,” Easton promised as he cradled Isa to his chest, feeding her. “It’ll be at the table near the door. As Axel said, we may not have what you want, and we might not be able to ever get it, but we’ll try. And just because it’s on the list doesn’t mean we’ll ever even try to get it, to be honest. Food and clothes are our priority, so if your… hairdryer broke, sorry, see if someone else has one. We won’t put ourselves in harm’s way for it.”
“I need it,” Emery snarled out.
“Trev?” Corbin said in warning.
Trevor nodded and bodily began to move Emery away as she screamed curses at us. Corbin and Trevor had a heart to heart earlier today. I didn’t know what was said, but it seemed like they were working on their relationship again. I was okay with that; in fact, I was more than pleased about it. Aunt Pam seemed so happy to see her sons talking again, too. Mine and Trevor’s past shouldn’t affect their present.
Corbin might be angry or disappointed by the treatment Trev had put me through, but he was still his brother. Nearly losing Trevor last night was a huge wake-up call for him. They may have grown apart over time, but they had talked at least weekly for a while there. I knew Corbin wanted to mend their relationship. He loved his brother, flaws and all.
“How does one get on the recovery team?” A big beefy man stepped up. “I was a correctional officer before. I don’t mind manning the gates, but I’ll go crazy if I have to be locked down all the time.”
Axel looked over at Rhys, and he gave him a subtle nod. I knew Rhys and Axel began to have a friendship, of sorts. I even thought Rhys had become the unofficial work captain for the security in the community. Uncle Mitch seemed just as impressed with him. Since Rhys had been out there with the other man, I assumed Axel was deferring to his judgment.
“Two days from now, once we get into a rhythm, my team and I will begin our morning workouts,” Axel stated. “It begins there. If we see something in you, we’ll be glad to take you on.”
“Is it open to anyone?” Nico strutted forward.
“Yes and no,” Wyatt spoke up immediately. “Your work captains will have to approve, for right now, there’s no way in hell we’ll trust you out there.”
“I need to run out and get stuff, too,” Nico barely concealed his sneer.
“That right there is why I doubt you’ll ever make it,” Axel pronounced. “My team doesn’t go out for their selfish needs or wants. They have the community in mind first and foremost. I don’t think you could ever get your head out of your ass long enough to recognize that, Nico.”
Almost everyone laughed at his assertion. Nico nearly growled as he stomped away. At least he had the intelligence to walk away when he should.
“What are the parameters for approval?” Mike spoke up next.
Samuel and three other teens began to laugh. “You’re just a kid. They ain’t letting you leave.”
I immediately bristled at his smug tone and began to speak.
But Chad beat me to the punch. “Where were you last night?” he asked Samuel.
Samuel immediately stopped laughing. “I was with my friends down at the docks.” He visibly gulped. He may be a bit of a bully and had teen brashness about him, but he wasn’t completely oblivious. He knew he’d screwed up.
“And what did you do when you realized what was going down?” Cal asked next.
“I ran to safety,” Samuel said sullenly.
“You’ve been out before, right?” Kingston asked next.
Samuel nodded. I could see he never expected the guys to stand up for Mike.
“Everyone that is armed, drop your weapons,” Kingston called out.
I dropped my sais and two knives at my feet. All the recovery teams dropped most of their weapons as well. Mike, followed by the burly correctional officer, Rhys, another woman, and a man I wasn’t familiar with, dropped their weapons as well.
“Where’s yours, Sam?” Chad asked calmly.
“I don’t have any with me, sir.” Sam looked highly embarrassed now.
“But you have some?” Kingston inquired. “I heard you’re a great hunter. I know you have shotguns and hunting knives.”
Sam nodded once more.
“Yet this girl, who you want to scoff and mock, has hers.” Corbin frowned. “Do you know where sh
e was last night when the infected began to attack? While you were running?”
Sam hung his head and shook it, along with his friends.
“She rang that bell last night,” the woman who had dropped a knife said with a trembling lip. “If I hadn’t woken up, they would have gotten my children. She helped hide my sons and me until we could reach safety.”
“These are different times,” Axel added softly. “We can’t take everything we once had for granted anymore.”
“Does that mean I can go on runs?” Mike asked, hopefully.
“Mike,” BJ started to say, shaking his head, before Corbin interrupted him.
Mike shot him a rebellious look and seemed to brace herself for rejection.
“It’s something I will discuss with my uncle,” Corbin stated gently. “You’re not an adult yet, and, technically, you don’t have anyone to make those decisions on your behalf. You are responsible, and I like your instincts and strength, but it’s something we need to discuss.”
It was such a slippery slope. I would want someone like her at my back, but I couldn’t ignore her age. She deserved to contribute the way she wanted to; on the other hand, we would never forgive ourselves if something happened to her while we were out there.
Mike opened her mouth mutinously but then snapped it shut as she realized arguing wouldn’t help her case.
There was a stillness in the air, and I looked over at Wyatt. I understood why he fiercely tried to protect me, but Mike and I were worlds apart in some aspects. I was an adult. I was trained to defend myself. Mike worked on pure instincts, which were fantastic, but she was still a teenager with zero additional training.
A beep and a sound of static filled the silent clearing moments before a man’s voice came from Axel’s hip. “Alpha One,” it called.
Alpha One was the call-sign delegated to Axel. Uncle Mitch was assigned to Papa One. It was important that someone had contact with the gates at all times, and right now that was Axel.
“Go ahead,” Axel spoke into the walkie talkie that seemed to be permanently attached to his waist.
“We have visitors,” the voice called back. “And they’re not alone. I’m going to need your help.”
Through the transmission, I could hear the unnerving yells and grunting of the infected.
And just like that, our normal night turned to chaos again.
Sylvia immediately took Isa away from Easton.
“Recovery team and security, on me!” Axel barked out.
With no hesitation, the security and recovery team took off running towards the quad barn. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know Mike wasn’t too far behind us.
As I ran towards a four-wheeler, reality sank in. This was our new life. We were going to face situations beyond our wildest dreams—or nightmares, really. We had to be prepared to defend and fight for our new community.
Axel pulled me up on the back of the quad, and one by one, Easton, Wyatt, Kingston, and Corbin dropped reassuring kisses on my face and lips before climbing on their quads. Their need to comfort me and draw comfort in return warmed my heart. I knew they were an intricate part of me now. They were my future.
I didn’t know what tomorrow held, but at least I had them. With them by my side, we could and would face it together.
Author’s Notes
I want to take the time to thank everyone that continues to encourage and assist me with my writing endeavors. To my wonderful readers who continue to support me and give me the confidence to continue reading, thank you for your patience, humbling praise, and for cheering me on.
Thank you to my husband, children, and family for their understanding when I’m not “here” mentally with them. Or understanding when I’m lost in the stories locked in my head. Or lost into my laptop as the words spill from my fingertips.
Thank you, Jenifer, for being there with me, nearly from the beginning, guiding me, advising me, and assisting me! You are amazing. Thank you for imparting your knowledge and wisdom. And thank you for introducing me to more wonderful ladies willing to provide me with honest feedback, suggestions.
More books by SM Olivier
Gifted Series:
Gifted Connections: Book 1
Gifted Connections: Book 2
Gifted Connections: Book 3
Gifted Connections: Book 4
Gifted Connections: Book 5…. Coming soon!
Peyton’s Path:
Peyton’s Path: Finding Fate Book 1
Peyton’s Path: Fighting Fate Book 2
Peyton’s Path: Book 3…. In the works!