by Bale, Sarah
Theo said, “You’re fighting a losing battle, my friend. They never stop coming.”
Lilly told her men to search for footprints while we kept the biters occupied. That pissed me off. I killed one more and then followed her to the bank. Briefly, I wondered if I could push her in without anyone noticing.
She said, “There’s a boot print. Looks deep enough to be human. See any more?”
And sure enough, I did. Had Grey and Kat come to the riverbank and left tracks or was someone else walking around the area?
She mused, “So they stole a horse and made it this far. Must have crossed the river, too. I don’t see any other tracks.”
Theo joined us. “What do you want to do now?”
“We’ll have the guards on the outside of the fence keep their eyes open for any movement out here. If they’re dumb enough to come back then they’ll die.” She turned to me. “And Daisy will take their punishment.”
I opened my mouth to reply when Theo surprised me by speaking.
“You’ve taken her family home. Killed her dad. And left her mom a ghost of her former self. Isn’t that enough?”
“Excuse me?”
Theo didn’t back down. “You’ve made your point to her, Lilly. You’ve won. Can’t that be the end of whatever issue you have with her?”
Lilly’s eyes flashed. “Come on, everyone. We’re going home.”
She practically stomped away, something she was quite good at.
Theo fell in step next to me. “I hope she listens to me.”
“Does she ever?”
“Sometimes.” He sighed. “I’m tired of seeing her hurt people.”
“Then maybe you should do something about it.”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried? She surrounds herself with people who think like her- people who will kill brothers and sisters to make a point. I’m lucky she hasn’t killed me!”
“Why stay?”
“Because it’s home, even if it doesn’t look like it.”
He was silent as we made our way back through the woods. I glanced up as I walked past the tree Grey had been in. He was gone. Good. I smiled the rest of the way back to the ranch. At least they were gone.
Now it was up to Daisy and me to get the fuck out of here.
13
Daisy
I glanced out the window. They still weren’t back. What if they’d found them? What if they didn’t?
Cooper came into the kitchen and said, “I need some help outside.”
I followed him through the door. He’d been trying to make small talk all morning, but I wasn’t in the mood. He was a traitor.
He led me to a spit, where a hog was roasting. My stomach growled at the scent.
“The pig was heavier than I thought. I need you to help me lift it and walk it to the butcher’s block.”
He went to one end of the rod and I went to the other. We lifted at the same time and I struggled under the weight.
“I’m not a monster.”
I huffed, “Are you sure about that?”
“I’m not. A coward, maybe, but not a monster.”
“You ratted out my friends. You could have gotten them killed.”
We were so close to the butcher’s block. My arms ached under the weight of the hog.
“She’s going to kill me.”
We reached the block and I let my end of the hog fall onto the wood.
“What?”
He let his end of the hog down, too, and said, “She’s going to kill me. I’ve made too many mistakes. I thought that by telling on your friends I might buy myself some time.” He frowned. “But I only made things worse. Theo won’t even be able to talk her out of this.”
“What have you done?”
He laughed bitterly. “Nothing, really. My first offense was not having her breakfast ready on time. The second was burning dinner. My third strike was talking to Theo too long. She told me to stay away from him.” He exhaled. “The night she caught us, I took the blame for everything. That was my last chance.”
His words registered.
“Caught you… and Theo? Were you… were you being intimate?”
He nodded once.
I’d known Theo my whole life, but I’d never known this side of him. It made me sad that he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to tell me.
Cooper went on, “I said it was my idea and it’d only happened once.”
“But that was a lie, wasn’t it?”
Another nod.
“She doesn’t like people doing things she can’t control. And if he loves me, she can’t control that. So I have to die.”
“Cooper-”
Our conversation was cut short as my mother came from the house carrying the box with her. She waved at me and I felt sick.
“That’s how I’m going to end up. But, she won’t let him keep my head, I’m sure. No, I’ll end up at the fence.”
I touched his arm. “Have you thought about leaving?”
“I have. But he won’t. He said he’s done so much to have a spot here and he can’t just walk away and let it all go.”
That sounded like something he would say. Stupid man.
“If there’s anything I can do…”
“There’s not.” He glanced at me. “Besides, you have your own head to worry about.”
His words unsettled me.
I managed to stay busy. The sun was overhead when Elijah and the others came back. He found me in the living room and pressed his lips against my head, kissing me twice.
“Did you…”
“We lost their tracks at the river. Too many biters around there to stick around and see if they showed up.” He added in a lower tone, “Hopefully they go far away. She’s putting extra guards outside the fence.”
Lilly bumped into us as she walked by. “Stop whispering. I don’t like it.”
That was the god’s honest truth. She’d been in more fights than I could count as a kid over people whispering around her. She’d always thought they were talking about her. Her paranoia had only gotten worse, it seemed.
“I was just telling Daisy that we lost the tracks.”
Lilly glared. “I don’t want to talk about them. That does remind me, though. One of you has to be punished.”
Elijah tensed and a tremor rolled through me. I knew what I had to do.
“I’ll take the punishment.”
Lilly’s eyebrows shot up. “How bold. You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“Lilly, please don’t do anything that won’t heal,” my mother said.
I hadn’t even realized she was in the room.
“Aunt Rose, you should take Uncle Brad and leave.”
Well, shit. That didn’t sound promising. My mom didn’t need to be told twice and scurried away.
Elijah stepped in front of me. “I’ll take the punishment.”
Lilly’s lips twitched. “Y’all are too much - both sacrificing themselves to protect the other.” Her expression soured. “But I don’t give a shit what you want. I get to pick who gets reprimanded.”
Elijah and I nodded. Lilly walked a circle around us, humming to herself.
Finally, she said, “I want to spend the night with Elijah.”
“What the fuck, Lilly!” I exclaimed.
She shrugged. “It’s either that or one of you is going to lose a body part. An important part, too.”
Her gaze landed on Elijah’s crotch.
He shifted uneasily and glanced at me. He was actually considering it!
“No.”
Lilly said, “I don’t think it’s up to you, Daisy-dear.”
We both looked at Elijah. When he wouldn’t make eye contact I knew what he was going to say.
“One night?”
She nodded.
“You won’t physically hurt Daisy?”
She said, “Not one single hair on her head.”
“And that will make us even for Grey and Kat leaving?”
“Yes
.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Bile rose up my throat and I swallowed it down. I wouldn’t give Lilly the satisfaction of seeing me toss my dinner again.
Holding my head high, I said, “I’m going to help Cooper in the kitchen.”
I was surprised when Lilly let me leave. I was devastated when Elijah didn’t come after me.
14
Elijah
I had no fucking idea what Lilly was up to, but I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her hurt Daisy. Except, I had just hurt her by agreeing to Lilly’s fucked up plan.
Lilly said, “I’ll expect you to be in my room by nine.”
She went down the long hallway into one of the rooms I had yet to explore. The men who were still there all gave me sympathetic looks. Theo stood by the door glaring at me. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and stepped outside. I followed him to the front porch.
“I get why you agreed, but you’re a dumbass,” he said.
“I’m not going to let her hurt Daisy.”
Theo snorted, “And yet…”
“You know what I mean. We’ve all seen what Lilly can do.”
Normally I would shut that shit down, but I didn’t even have a weapon and she was always surrounded by her guards. But if we were alone tonight-
Theo said, “You underestimate her. You both thought she was going to do something horrible.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe what she suggested was horrible, but in another way. Do you realize you played right into her game?”
Had I?
“She made it sound like the punishment would be physical.”
He took a drag of his cigarette. “Guess you’ll find out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You made sure Daisy wouldn’t be touched… but you never said anything about yourself.”
Fuck.
Daisy avoided me for the rest of the evening. She ate in the kitchen with Cooper. When I tried to get her attention, she rolled her eyes and walked away from me. When she went to the bunks I almost followed her. But the clock in the living room chimed. Nine o’clock.
I made my way up the stairs, passing Daisy’s old room. I reached the door at the end of the hallway. It was closed, so I knocked.
“Come in.”
Was she trying to sound sultry?
I opened the door and stepped into the room. She was sitting in a chair by the window, sewing. That was… unexpected. I bit back a curse. Her entourage of men sat on the bed.
“Close the door.”
I did as she said and waited for her next command. I wasn’t dumb- this was a power trip. I stood there for a while, shifting my weight back and forth from one foot to the other. Finally, she put her sewing down.
“Come over here.”
She pointed to the chair next to her. I crossed the room, sitting. She watched me.
“You’re something else. Definitely not the type of man I thought Daisy would end up with.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“She always liked the pretty boys.” She looked me over. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re good looking, but in a rough, alpha male kind of way. More of my type.”
Warning bells went off in my head.
“Maybe you just don’t know your cousin very well.”
“Maybe.”
We sat in uncomfortable silence.
Finally, she said, “Did Daisy tell you about the network?”
“I don’t know what that is.”
She hummed to herself. “That’s interesting. I thought she’d go running to you with that information.”
“What is the network?”
“A source of knowledge.”
“Okay.”
This made her laugh. “If you had been smart enough to see what was going on around you, you would’ve seen the attack coming.”
I sat up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You asked me how I knew they called you ‘boss’. I told Daisy how I knew.”
I wasn’t going to play into her game.
“If Daisy wanted me to know something, she would have told me.”
“But she didn’t. And this is something you should know.”
Taking her bait, I said, “Then tell me.”
“Wyatt is a smart leader. That’s how he outsmarted you.”
Hearing Lilly say his name made my anger flare. It was because of him and his people that my arm had been cut with a saw blade. Twice. It was because of him that I’d lost my home and friends!
But I needed to stay calm.
“Wyatt is a part of the network? I guess that means he didn’t die when Daisy shot him.”
“He’s alive and well.” She paused. “Take off your shirt.”
“I’m not going to have sex with you.”
She laughed. “I may be a bitch, but I don’t take sloppy seconds. No, I want to see what he did to you.”
She motioned with her hand for me to stand. I did and pulled my shirt over my head. I knew she wasn’t going to let this go. She stood, too, and walked around me. I hissed when she pressed her hand against the scarred skin.
“I heard he used a handsaw.” She pushed my shoulder harder. “I can’t believe how it turned out. I mean, this is legendary. I never thought I’d get to see it.”
I stepped away from her and put my shirt back on.
She chuckled. “Must have hit a nerve. Sorry.”
But I knew she wasn’t.
“Have you met Wyatt?”
She replied, “No. Before, he was too busy trying to get rid of you. And now he’s busy rebuilding.”
I clenched my jaw. That fucker was rebuilding my home.
“If he wasn’t with someone I might make the journey myself and join forces with him in more ways than one.”
This was news to me.
“Oh? Found someone to shack up with?”
Lilly’s eyes glinted. “He’s been with this person for years. Used her as a mole in your group. Worked, too, from what I heard. I think you were even fucking her for a while. Marianne?”
Fucking Marianne. It always came back to her. I really wasn’t surprised by this news.
“He almost lost her as an ally, though. She was ready to jump onto your team when Daisy came on board.”
“I’m sorry… you’re saying you know all of this because of some secret network?” I shook my head. “If that’s true, y’all must do a lot of gossiping.”
She said, “People like to know what’s going on in other camps. Reminds them of the old days. Though, things tend to get exaggerated from one camp to the next.”
“Such as?”
“When your group came down I-35 we heard there were hundreds of you.”
I wish. If there had been, she would be dead and we’d have a new home.
I replied, “Obviously they were wrong. There was a few more when we started. Some stayed in Gainesville and a few went their own way before we reached the Dallas-Fort Worth split on the highway.”
I chose my next words carefully.
“Does Wyatt know I’m still alive?” At her look I said, “I’m assuming you’re in contact with him via the network.”
Several emotions flashed across her face. She didn’t expect me to ask that question and she was afraid of tipping her hand.
I said, “It doesn’t matter. We’re here now and under your protection.”
She huffed. “From what I’ve heard of Wyatt, if he wanted you back in Oklahoma there wouldn’t be a thing I could do to stop him.”
“Maybe that’s something that’s been exaggerated.”
She stared at me, thinking it over.
Finally, she said, “He doesn’t know you’re alive. The network has a runner who moves from camp to camp. He hasn’t shown up yet.”
That’s what I needed to know.
I asked, “Are you going to tell the runner that I’m alive?”
“I don’t know.”
Her tone was conflicted and I actually believed
her.
“Well, I hope you don’t. Daisy wanted nothing more than to get back here. I would hate to have to leave again.”
Lilly smiled. “Oh, Elijah. Just because you leave doesn’t mean Daisy would. Or, if she were to be traded for information, you would still be here.”
I felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath me.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’m realizing how valuable you and Daisy are to me.” She pointed to the door. “You can go now.”
I left the room and heard the lock click when I was gone. I took the stairs two at a time, putting as much distance between Lilly and I as I could.
Theo and Cooper sat on the front porch. They were leaning in to each other, talking. Cooper jumped to his feet when he saw me and went inside. I felt like I’d interrupted something.
“I see you’re still breathing.”
I wasn’t in the mood for bullshit.
“When is the runner from the network supposed to be here?”
Theo’s eyes widened. “Shit. She laid it all out, didn’t she?”
“Theo, tell me.”
“He’s usually here right after the full moon every other month. Odd that he’s late. Maybe something happened to him.”
I asked, “Has he been late before?”
“Only when there’s conflicts between camps. He’s a smart man and knows when to lay low.”
“Has she said anything about trading Daisy for information?”
“What? No! She’s mentioned getting rid of-”
“Me,” I finished. “Yeah, I got that. But she just told me she’s been thinking about using Daisy as a bargaining chip.”
Theo ran his hand through his hair. “I- I don’t know what to say, man. We both know she’s unpredictable.”
That wasn’t good enough.
I said, “I’m going to bed.”
As I walked away Theo called out, “I’ll see if I can talk to her.”
It wouldn’t matter. We weren’t going to be around much longer.
I opened the door to the bunk. There was a candle burning on the nightstand and I could make out Daisy’s frame under the blanket. Kicking off my shoes, I slid in next to her. She stiffened.
“You’re back sooner than I expected.”
