by K. A Knight
“Jago’s amazing,” I answer, and he flinched but nods. “But I always loved you, Evvie, since we were kids. My heart is his, that’s true, I love him. I’m sorry, I know that hurts.”
“No, don’t be sorry, it’s my own fault. I wasted the chance I had.” He sniffs, looking away, so I lean over and turn his face to mine, just like he used to do to me so many times before.
“But you are always in here, I think you always will be. No matter how much you hurt me or pushed me away, I couldn’t help it, because it didn’t belong to me. It belonged to you. I gave what was left to Jago, but you still have a piece. I’m not saying I—” I swallow then. “I’m not saying I can jump in with you, because I don’t want to hurt Jago and yes, even Archel. But if you want to be a part of my life, Evan, you need to accept them. If you came searching for that same girl, she’s not here anymore. I’ve grown up, so if you are hoping for that ghost, then you need to leave before you hurt me again, because I’ve had my heart broken by you too many times.”
“Pip, you have to learn to trust me. I know, I’m sorry, but if you trust me with your heart again, I won’t break it. If you let me, I’ll mend it, I promise,” he whispers.
“Can you? Can you accept that I love you…but I love them too?” I murmur, and he sits back.
“I don’t know, I hope I can, but I don’t know,” he tells me.
“Least you were honest.” I snort, wiping my face again. “Shouldn’t be surprised that others realised how amazing and sexy I am, though, can you blame me?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.
“No,” he chuckles, “I can’t. I’m going to try, can you let me try?”
“I can do that.” I nod, wiping my cheeks, which are probably splotchy, my eyes red. Just then, the tent opens and we both turn to see Archel and Jago who take one look at me and growl, both of them moving in sync.
Jago grabs me and pushes me behind him as Archel clutches Evan and holds him in the air. “What the fuck did you do?” Jago yells as Archel snaps, “I told you what would happen.”
“Guys,” I call, giggling, “let him go.”
They ignore me as Evan’s face turns purple from Archel cutting off his air, so I leap to my feet. “Let him down right fucking now!” I yell, and they all turn to me in shock. Archel drops him and he falls to the floor, wheezing.
I cross my arms and narrow my eyes on them. “Right, clearly we need to set some ground rules so you don’t go around killing each other.” I huff as Archel grins at me and Jago stares me down, not the least bit sorry. “Yes, he made me cry—” Jago growls and Archel palms a knife. “But that doesn’t mean you can kill him,” I finish. “That is between him and I, besides there are more important things to deal with than whose dick is bigger than whose, so you need to sort your shit out and get over it. Understood?”
“Understood, Princess. We can revisit the dick measuring in private if you wish.” He winks. I look at Jago who grimaces. “Fine.”
“Good boys.” I grin. “Now, let’s go find that woman and see whose ass we are kicking first! Team Piper the Asskicker unite!”
They all groan as I turn and head out of the tent. Maybe having three men isn’t as difficult as I thought….
Eight
A Queen
An hour or so later, we are gathered around a makeshift table, with Jago on one side and Archel on the other. I was excited just to be invited. I look around at all the scary motherfuckers surrounding me, and wonder how Worth deals with them all until she stands up and clears her throat. Her eyes narrow on everyone, power emanating from her. It’s what I imagine a queen looks like, so fierce, so determined.
Someone creeps up behind me and I jerk in my seat, grabbing a knife until I spot it’s just another person for the meeting, then, feeling embarrassed, I put my knife away and turn back to Worth as she starts to talk, focusing my attention on her as Jago’s hand lands on my back and rubs, obviously noticing what happened. It would be nice, but Archel’s hand lands on my thigh under the table and also starts to massage, and my head fills with thoughts of them both doing other things to me at the same time.
Bad, Piper, focus. War, bad men, things to do. Sex later.
“I’m going to make this fast and simple. We don’t know if they are dead and we don’t have time to stay and find out. If they are alive, they aren’t opening that door, and you could all die waiting for it. If they aren’t, then they aren’t opening it for a reason. My people and I are leaving this afternoon, we still have a war to win, so before then, we need to come up with a plan for you.” She looks around, stopping on the man she introduced as her father. He’s familiar from down below, he was always nice. “I say you leave Paradise for good.”
I watch as he leaps to his feet and stares at her in shock. “B-But this is our home! We don’t know how to live out here!” he yells, as we all watch. Worth’s men are starting to get itchy, so she lifts her hand to stop them from doing anything stupid.
“I feel like I need popcorn,” I whisper to Archel, who grins down at me.
“Then you fucking adapt. Everyone else had to. It’s time you stopped hiding in the bunker,” she snaps and then looks at me. I want to shout, “Oh snap,” but I restrain myself, which is harder than it sounds. “You offered your help, does that still stand?” she asks, so I sit up taller under her gaze, serious. I meant what I said, it’s more than just about adventure, it’s about saving lives now. A war would be bad for everyone, including my new family. If I don’t join now, we will be dragged into it later, and I would rather it be now with someone like her.
Someone likely to win.
A queen.
“Yes,” I reply.
“Good. I need you to stay here for two days, that is all. Help them pack up and move out. There is an empty town near The Rim. It’s called Spring, and it’s probably the safest place, even if it’s not as habitable as everywhere else,” she instructs.
I bite my lip, but I have a better idea. She doesn’t seem like the type to ignore someone and want all the power, so I give it a shot. “Can I offer another suggestion?” I query, raising my hand and she smiles at me.
“Sure,” she agrees.
“We wait for two days, and if they don’t open the door, we abandon Paradise like you suggested. Then we take them with us.” I look at Archel then, hoping I’m doing the right thing. “To The Forgotten. There is enough room and they will be better protected. They will need to earn their place, but the people are friendly and will help them.”
“The Forgotten will accept them all?” she inquires.
I hesitate, unsure and not wanting to lie to her. “Not any who harmed those there. I speak for my people, and they will face punishment for that. The others, yes.”
I lift my head and face her down, not backing off. They hurt my family, so they deserve whatever they get. “Then do that, your punishment and vengeance is yours to have, and Piper?” She leans forward, her eyes filled with a frightening intensity. I would really hate to be whoever has pissed her off. “Make them pay for what they did, make it fucking hurt.”
I smile, I can’t help it, as the others hail her and me. “Too fucking right, hotness.” I raise my hand in a fist bump and she raises her eyebrows, making me sigh—hot, but clearly not used to people. “You’re too hot to be dumb, you bump it with your fist,” I explain, before grabbing her hand and bumping our fists together, then I pull mine back and make an explosion sound and gesture.
“It is sorted then,” she declares, leaning back.
I spot Jago glaring at her, so I distract him. “I bet she has a bigger penis than even you. You should have a measuring contest,” I whisper to him, and he turns to me with a snort.
“It’s not sorted! My people should have a choice!” her dad shouts, and I lean back as I physically see her lose her shit on him. Her face goes cold and she spins and advances on him. Damn, popcorn is needed again. Why does the apocalypse have to ruin my dreams?
“Listen and listen hard. I will say
this only once. My men, the people I love most in this world, are being tortured as we speak so I can babysit your fucking pompous ass. I don’t give a fuck if you are scared out here, or that the last time you came outside was when you lost my brother and me. You will do as you are fucking told for once or so help me God, we will leave you here to die. You are being given a better choice than most—protection and a new home. Everyone here had to earn that, had to fight for that, and you want to complain it’s not fair? Life isn’t fucking fair, sweetheart, but you keep on going, keep fighting, because it’s the only life you get. So you are going to go back there and tell your people what is happening, then you will pack up. You will listen to Piper, you will do as she tells you, or you die, but I am not wasting another moment of my life on a man who left his own daughter to die at the hands of a madman. Not when the men who saved me and brought me back to life are suffering. Do we understand each other?” she finishes, her voice deadly. Everyone else is frozen, watching them as he shrinks back before her wrath.
“I understand,” he says thickly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he shit his pants. She is one scary woman.
She storms away then, turning her back on him and raising her voice. “Pack up! We are rolling out soon!” she yells, then strides away, her hands balled into fists and her body wired tightly. She disappears into her tent and I get to my feet, knowing now isn’t probably the best time, but there will be no other. I gesture for Jago to stay there and go after her, finding her packing her bag in her tent.
“Worth, can I have a minute?” I ask, and she turns with a sigh.
“Sure.”
I lick my lips and force my head higher. I won’t back down, not now. “I want to help with the war, I think I can.”
She raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms. “Piper—”
“No, I was always saying I wanted an adventure and, well, this is it. I can fight, I can lead my people. If you fail, you said it yourself, the Wastelands are theirs and they will probably kill us all. If I can stop that, I will. When I take the Paradise people back to my tribe, I will speak to them and gather our fighters.” I’m not asking permission, not this time. She might be a queen, but I’m the leader, and she has my respect…and yes, fear, but this is important.
The thing is, that thing worth fighting for isn’t always a person, it can be a place…and this place? This Wasteland is worth fighting for. No matter what.
She takes in my stance and smirks. “Good, then help us, fuck knows we will need every man we can get.”
I relax then, I was ready to fight her if necessary...or run away, ‘cause I doubt I could take this bitch in a fight. The tent pushes open and we both turn to see Evan, Archel, and Jago standing here, obviously looking for me. She groans. “This isn’t a fucking counselling chamber, take your lover’s spat elsewhere.”
“Worth, I’m going with them,” Archel says, shocking me.
“I know,” she offers. He grins then. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Look after her and meet us at the front line,” she adds.
“I’m going too, if she will have me?” Evan requests, looking at me worriedly.
I swallow but nod and a giant smile curls his lips.
“Shit, who’s going to patch me up now, Doc?” she teases.
He laughs and narrows his eyes on her. It’s cute they are friends, I’m happy for him. I’m glad he has others, and not at all jealous…okay, like ninety percent happy and ten percent jealous. “Stop getting fucking hurt. Don’t let anyone else patch you up or do it yourself. I’ve seen your needlework on your skin already and it fucking sucks. No getting shot, stabbed, burned, tortured, or captured. I will see you after the Cities.” He nods.
“Thanks, Doc,” she replies. “I’m glad you found her,” she whispers, almost too low for me to hear, and I watch his face soften as he smiles at her.
Okay eighty-forty, but I will totally work on it.
“You’ll find yours again, Worth. They wouldn’t dare die on you. You aren’t saying goodbye again, not this time, and I won’t sing you a fucking song like Vas,” he jokes, making her laugh…
Okay like fifty-fifty.
“No goodbyes, not anymore,” she agrees, and then hugs him. They embrace and I debate if I really like her at all, then I feel childish. They are friends, clearly, and share memories. I can’t begrudge either of them that. Plus, there are other nice people out there, he can have other friends than me. I hear her whispering to him, but I let them have their peace and privacy. She pulls back then and looks at us.
“I’ll see you at the front,” she states.
“What? I don’t get a hug?” I pout, and everyone groans, making me smile. “I’m just saying, thought we were going to all hug it out? No? Guess not.” Jago huffs and grabs me, throwing me over his shoulder and making me laugh. As he walks out, I carry on talking.
He drops me to my feet outside when I shut up, and we look around before diving in to help pack everyone up. Before I know it, the bikes are in a line and everyone is ready to leave. I linger near the edge, watching them, and Worth sees me and heads my way, looking all sorts of sexy and badass in her leather biker getup.
“Hey.” She nods, standing next to me and observing everyone.
“I gotta say, you don’t seem weirded out by the three men thing,” I comment, unsure what else to say. I was never good at goodbyes.
She snorts. “Three? That’s nothing, come back when you have five.”
I turn with a grin. “Five? Fuck, that’s a lot of cock. Like, I guess I have three holes, you know, but do you take turns? Is there a schedule? Do they play pick a hole?”
She laughs and I feel high as hell making that happen. “If we make it through this, I’ll tell you,” she promises.
“I mean like, three, I get it, I have three holes, you know,” I repeat, but she turns serious.
“Evan never stopped looking for you, and even when he thought he was going to die, all he thought about was you—that he never said sorry, that he never told you how he felt. Just thought you should know.”
I stare at her profile, lost for words for a moment. “I loved him for such a long time, but I don’t know if I’m that same person anymore,” I admit.
“So? Be the new you and see if the love is still there. He’s different too, I’m betting. Maybe this time, you can both love each other and get it right. Sometimes the person is right, but the timing is off.”
“Fuck, you’re smart. Brains and beauty, no wonder you have five cocks,” I tease.
“Stay safe, Piper.” She nods, starting to walk away, but freezes and grabs the goggles off her head and comes back, offering them to me. “You’re going to need these out there.”
“But they’re yours,” I reply, not grabbing them, so she throws them and I catch the goggles automatically.
“Then I’ll get them back next time we see each other. Keep them safe for me.” She winks and leaves, heading over to her bike.
I look down at them and smile, holding them to my chest. It means a lot, it’s a peace offering from one woman to another. She doesn’t know it yet, but we are totally friends—hell, girlfriends. After the war we can meet up, drink some beers, kick some ass, and talk about all the penises.
She doesn’t look back, not once. I get that. I watch her leave, a new purpose filling me, one greater than I ever imagined. I won’t let her down, I won’t disappoint her people or mine.
Shit just got real.
It gets dark quickly, and there still isn’t any contact from the bunker. I agreed to stay only two days, I will keep that promise. With Worth and her people gone, the Paradise citizens seem more relaxed. I keep away from them, since I don’t belong with them anymore, even if I promised to protect them. It feels wrong.
Instead, I take Worth’s tent—not like she is going to need it—and we lie our bikes out front like she did, making a ring of protection, while some guys called Lupin and Jason work on getting us a line to the bunker.
I’m also info
rmed there is a shower out back. I plan to have one later, but for now I stand on the next building’s roof, keeping lookout. I needed a minute, just some space to decompress after today. A lot has happened, blasts from the pasts, new friends, and a new job…it was a lot. I was really overwhelmed, so I slipped away from Jago’s protection and headed up here, leaving him glaring at Evan.
I feel a shift of air behind me, and despite myself, I smile. “I know you’re there, Shadow.”
He laughs from the darkness next to me, leaning on the roof lip, looking out into the Wastes like I’m doing. “You always do, Princess.”
I sigh. “You come to fight with me or ask me questions?”
He doesn’t say anything, so I turn to him, begging him with my eyes.
“Archel, not now, please, I can’t deal with anymore emotions or crying today, please,” I implore, as he wraps his arms around me.
“It can wait, I would wait forever for you, for now this is enough,” he whispers.
“I guess you kept your promise, though I don’t think it counts if I have to help you,” I taunt playfully, and he laughs, pulling me closer.
“I told you I would always come back to you, Princess, no matter what it takes. As you command,” he whispers, and I pull my face away as he cups it, searching my eyes. “Are you okay? Do I need to kill anyone?”
“Maybe later.” I sigh. “I’m okay, just a lot to take in.”
“I bet, your boyfriend meeting your other two,” he teases, and I narrow my eyes.
“Evan isn’t my boyfriend.” I huff and his grin grows.
