by Lilly Black
"I'm sure Reid would probably like that, but I'm a vegetarian. You could hand me an egg and a straw, and it will be the best meal I've had in months."
"I think I can do better than that," Olivia said with a giggle, and all the way to the gate, they talked. To Amina, it was surreal. Olivia was so relaxed...and clean. She actually smelled good. Amina hadn't been around people who smelled good since the apocalypse began, yet in this place, it was almost like it never happened...well, until they saw the pit of zombies outside the stone wall at the top of the hill along with other reanimated corpses crucified on either side of the gate.
Amina's eyes grew wide, as did the young men who followed several paces behind them, then when they met the new shift at the guard house, both of whom addressed Olivia as "my queen", it made them all nervous, especially Amina, who realized that although this women seemed delightfully kind and welcoming, she actually had the power to do terrible things to her. When Olivia noticed the look on her face, she leaned in close and breathed a confession in Amina's ear.
"The zombies on crosses are not what you think," she whispered. "I'll explain it to you when we have more privacy."
"Okay," she said, nodding her head nervously as Olivia scanned the area around the guard house for Alek. Realizing he must have left, she told Amina she would have to meet him later, then she asked her guards to arrange to give Chase and Mateo one of the empty trailers on the back of the property. Technically, they should have gone to one of the cabins outside the inner ring for surveillance, but she trusted her husband's judgment.
"Yes, my queen," the guards said, and she gave them the same modest smile as every other time she heard the phrase.
"There's running water in the trailers and plenty of food in the main lodge if you're hungry," she told the young men before ushering Amina out of the guard house and into the Deadfall. "I'll show you to your room, then I'll make sure we have everything for that quiche. Do you like cheesecake?"
"Cheesecake?"
"It's Reid's favorite. I had hidden a few packets of cream cheese in the freezer for his homecoming, but don't say anything to him in case someone ate them. I'd hate to disappoint him after everything you all went through to get here."
Amina remained uncertain when it came to Olivia because she couldn't tell if her lover's wife was truly being sincere or just fucking with her head as she kept up the Queen of Sunshine and Roses shtick while she led her into the lodge. Then they ran into Olivia's lover, and things started to make more sense. This wasn't just some random guy named Alek. This was actually the hottest actor on one of Amina's favorite TV shows, standing right here before her in some out of the way West Virginia town in the apocalypse, and he looked a little surprised to see her there, too.
"There you are," Olivia said. "Amina, I'd like you to meet Alek..."
"Aleksander Hellström," she said, every bit as pleased as Olivia predicted. "I'm a big fan of your work."
"The feeling's mutual," he said, shaking her hand.
"I watched your show every week. Well, until I had to go on location in Florida, but the last six episodes were waiting on my DVR at home."
"I'd be happy to fill you in on what you missed," he offered with a bashful laugh.
"I'd like that," she said, and even though Olivia had every episode from last season on her bedroom DVR, she just hung back and let them interact as she fought to squelch a twinge of jealousy.
"You know, we might have ended up working together next year if the world hadn't ended," he said. "We wrapped shooting on the final season about four months ago, and the new series I was about to start had a part in it that would have been perfect for you."
"My agent didn't tell me anything about it. What was the project?"
"A show based on a romance murder mystery series called Jaded. Ever heard of it? I was supposed to play this billionaire named Cain, and when I met the author to talk about the show and her work, she said she had you in mind for a character named Mila. She doesn't show up until the second season, which is probably why the casting director never got around to calling your agent."
"That's too bad. It would have been an honor to work with you," she said, and he gave her a humble smile.
"Well, I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you're eager to get settled in," he said, then he turned to Olivia, his subtle grin now spreading from ear-to-ear because he understood what Amina's presence meant. "When you're finished, I need to talk to you about something."
"I'll catch up with you as soon as I get Amina situated," she said, and as she walked past him, she brushed up against him softly so he would know she wasn't blowing him off. She just didn't want to make a show of affection in front of Amina, who might tell Reid what she had seen. This was going to have to be handled delicately.
At least Amina seemed to like Alek. All the way to her new room, she gushed about his work, but what Olivia heard was her going on and on about what a delicious consolation prize he would be on the nights when Reid was with his wife. Choking down her burgeoning jealousy, Olivia opened the door to the guest room and led Amina inside.
"You should find everything you need in the bathroom," she told her. "There's a robe on the back of the door, and I'll get you something to change into. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"You can accept my sincere thanks," Amina said. "I know this isn't going to be easy for any of us, but I really appreciate how nice you've been to me."
"We live in a different world now. We all have to adapt," she said, then she smiled. "Welcome to the Deadfall, Amina. Enjoy your shower."
After Olivia left, though Amina had never been more excited about a shower in her life, she had never been more apprehensive either. The wife of the man she had been sleeping with was being so unnaturally kind to her, she half expected to be scalded or see a swarm of bees come out of the spout when she turned on the water. None of that happened. All the showerhead yielded was clean, hot water spraying out at a gloriously high pressure. It felt like heaven.
Meanwhile, Olivia went to her room to get Amina fresh clothes. She found Reid there collecting some of his own things to take into the guest room.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want you to see me do this."
"Why?"
"Because it feels like I'm leaving you," he said sadly.
"You're not taking all your stuff, and in a few days, you'll be back here with me. It's all going to work out. I promise."
"How did I ever get so lucky?" he asked as he walked up to her, kissing her atop the head. "I love you so much, baby."
"I love you, too," she whispered, and Reid dropped the stack of clothes he was holding on the floor and picked her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Now that he knew Amina was safely inside the gates of the inner ring, there was something he had been dying to do since he first laid eyes on his beautiful wife. He kissed her deeply, his grip so intense, she could feel the impressions of his fingernails through her shirt, and it was so amazing to be back in his arms, she lost sight of everything for the moment as he laid her down on the bed and moved his lips to her neck, knowing just the right spot to send chills down her spine while setting a fire between her thighs. He pushed up her shirt, kissing the tops of her breasts as they spilled out of her bra before making his way down her body, over her belly and toward the snap on her jeans.
God! She wanted to surrender to him, just melt into their bed and forget about everything else in the world while her husband's exceptional tongue worked its magic, but she knew she couldn't. And he should have known it, too.
"Reid," she whispered, reaching down and touching his face, and the sensation of his smoothly-shaven chin against her fingers was torture.
"Shhh...it'll be okay," he protested.
"But I..."
"I don't care," he said, thinking she was going to remind him that she had been with Alek last night. That didn't matter to him. He could smell body wash on her skin, and besides, it wasn't like he was going to tongue fuck her.
He just needed to trace it over her tiny button clit until he heard the glorious sound of his wife having an orgasm. "I don't care what you've done with him."
Though confused at first, she quickly realized what he meant. "That's not the problem, Reid. Come here."
Reluctantly, he moved back up to lie beside her on the bed, listening impatiently as she explained why they couldn't have sex right now, specifically the kind of sex he had in mind, and though he hated to give up the opportunity to be with her after missing her for two months, he had to concede.
"God, baby, you're amazing," he said, kissing her sweetly, then he met her eyes with a serious gaze. "I know I'm going to fall short of measuring up to the example you're setting, but I promise I'll try my damnedest."
"Just don't fight with Alek, and I'll be happy," she said.
"That's going to be the hard part, but I'd do anything for you," he vowed. "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep myself under control until we switch in a few days, and then I'm going to fucking destroy you."
"It's all I've been able to think about since I saw your face this morning," she whispered as she stared up at him with a desperate longing, and he kissed her once more before getting out of bed and picking up his clothes lest he fall back under her spell. Olivia got up to find some things for Amina to wear, and then Reid headed for the door to the office, the quickest route to the guest room.
As he opened it, Olivia felt a flash of anxiety when she saw Alek from where she stood. He was sitting at the desk, and he looked up from the book he was pretending to read as he waited for her. Before she could draw his attention to her, he locked eyes with Reid, and suddenly the air temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees. No words were exchanged, but it required a great deal of willpower on both of their parts as Reid walked through the office carrying his clothes past the man who was going to sleep in his bed tonight. He hadn't seen Alek since the bargain was struck, and he didn't realize it was going to make him feel so abruptly and intensely angry.
He darted out the door into the hallway so fast he left it ajar, and Olivia had to stifle a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Alek asked, irritated by her amusement.
"Men," she said. "You always like to talk about how jealous and petty women are, yet Amina and I have been communicating exponentially better than the two of you."
"I suspect you and Amina know more about what's going on than I do," he sniped, and she remembered that she hadn't even told Alek the plan yet. Of course, she didn't need to. It was pretty obvious to him, and as she stammered, trying to figure out how to phrase it for fear that in his present state of mind, he might reject the whole notion, he let her off the hook.
"Just tell me the schedule," he said impatiently as he stood up to face her.
"Schedule?"
"I get you for, what? Two days, then he gets you for two? Or every other day? Is it a week?" he tried to disguise the dissatisfaction in his voice, but even with all of his acting talent, it was impossible.
"Alek," she sighed. "I know this isn't ideal, but what else can we do?"
"Baby, I get it, okay? And I'd rather share you than lose you altogether," he said, looking down into her eyes with a serious glare, then he scowled. "Just don't expect me to be happy about it."
"I don't know," she teased. "You seemed pretty impressed with Amina, and you get to fuck her when you're not with me, so there's something to be happy about."
Alek rolled his eyes. "Amina is a lovely woman, and I admire her work," he said. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to just jump into bed with her."
"Well, it won't upset me. I'd probably feel better about things if you did."
"Really?" he demanded. "You're not at all bothered by the thought of me with another woman?"
"Are you trying to parlay this into a threesome?" she asked.
"No, Olivia. I'm trying hard not to be hurt by the fact that I mean so little to you."
Olivia felt like she had been slapped in the face. She was doing all of this - accepting that she would have to share both her lover and her husband of fifteen years - just to keep him in her life, and though she thought he should have realized that, she hadn't spent a moment trying to put herself in his shoes. She walked closer, looking up into his pale, blue eyes, her own overflowing with love and pain.
"Of course, I don't want to share you with anybody, Alek," she said. "But I'm asking you to share me. How can I look at myself in the mirror if I expect you to do that while you remain faithful? Amina is a beautiful distraction for you because I need you to at least be content when I'm not with you."
"I'm never content when you're not with me," he insisted, enfolding her in his arms, then he kissed her atop the head. "I'm sorry, baby. I know this is hard on everyone. I'll learn to cope."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," she said, their faces nuzzling against each other as she spoke. "I don't know what I could have done differently, but I'm so sorry I've hurt you."
"Shhh," he breathed. "You're still mine. That's all that matters."
"Jag älskar dig, Aleksander," she whispered in his ear, pronouncing it just right this time, and he quietly held her, lost in the connection of the moment until the silence was suddenly shattered by Amina screaming from down the hall.
"Holy fucking goooooood!" she cried, and Alek and Olivia broke away from each other, snickering because they knew what had to be happening in the guest room. Then a few seconds later, they heard it again, louder and with more surprise than the last time.
"Didn't you say the walls were soundproof?" Alek asked.
"Apparently, not in the guest room," Olivia said with a laugh.
A few minutes after Alek pulled the door shut so Olivia didn't have to listen to her husband having sex with another woman, there was a knock on it. Austin's guards had brought him to Olivia's office at Alek's request. Alek had expected to be ready to interrogate him by the time they arrived, but Reid's intrusion and Amina's screaming orgasm had thrown off his schedule. He asked them to wait outside while he brought Olivia up to speed.
He gave her the abridged version of what Savannah had told him, and while she was furious with her daughter for going against her wishes, after hearing what she had learned from Austin about the group at the prison, she had to admit that maybe she was too quick to refuse Savannah's request the night before. They needed to know what was going on with the people surrounding them because if Monroe and Dave had taught them anything, it was that the Deadfall was not impregnable. As long as there were cruel people in the world, they were in danger, and Austin had come from a group of very cruel people.
When Alek let him in, Austin was nervous as they directed him to sit in a chair facing them, and though his instinct was to clam up, he knew he had to let go and tell them the truth, no matter how painful. He had told Savannah, which meant they probably already knew anyway, but it was just so hard for him to say it aloud because he was just so...
"...ashamed," he finally admitted in a small, weak voice. "I'm so fucking ashamed of the things I had to do. I didn't want to be a part of it. I was... I was trapped."
"It's okay, son," Alek said. "Just start at the beginning, and tell us everything. No one is going to judge you for Monroe and Dave's deeds."
"There's a lot of men back at the prison worse than Monroe and Dave - a lot more dangerous, too. I just wish I could go back in time and change the dumb things I did that caused me to end up there. If only I hadn't left my little sister alone that day..."
Austin's Story
Our parents got bit the first morning after the plague hit. None of us knew anything about it. It was a holiday weekend, and we were having a cookout in the afternoon, so Dad got up early to cut the grass and Mom was going out to pick up breakfast since she was fixing to be cooking the rest of the day. They knew I didn't like to get up early, so I put in my order for pancakes the night before and slept with a fan on to block out the sound of the mower, but when my little sister started screaming at the top of her lung
s, it woke me up fast.
I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room, and there she was, staring out the front window as these people attacked our parents. Our mom was just laying on the driveway with about five people hunched over her, and our Dad was probably trying to get to her to help when the others took him down because he was half way between the lawn mower and the car.
"What are they doing to them?" Sheri cried, so scared she was trembling. I tried to cover her eyes because she's only ten, and she's autistic. Our mom homeschooled her, and our parents were her whole world.
I tried to answer her question, but I was still kind of out of it from being woke up like that. It took me a minute to realize what was going on, that our parents were being eaten alive by our fucking neighbors - the same people who were invited to our cookout later! I didn't know why, but it didn't matter. I had to try to save them.
I went to my dad's gun rack, pulled down the shotgun, and stormed out the door. I figured if I fired a warning shot into the air, it would scare them, but when I did, instead of them taking off like I thought they would, they got up and started running at me all at once. They looked crazy, and they were covered in blood. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to save my parents, but I had Sheri to think about, so I ran back inside.
The neighbors made it to the door, clawing at it, trying to get to us, and after a few minutes, our mom and dad got up and did the same thing. I pushed some furniture in front of the door, then I took Sheri down into the basement so we could run out the back if they broke in. I played games with her and tried to keep her occupied, but we could still hear them upstairs beating on the door for hours before they finally gave up.
After they wandered off, we turned on the TV with the sound real low, and that's when we found out about the plague. I flipped through about twenty channels, and every one of them had the same thing on, talking about people getting sick, going crazy, and trying to bite other people. Even though I had seen it myself, it still felt like a joke, like my Mom and Dad were going to bust through the door any minute and yell "April Fools!" But it was September. And Mom and Dad were staggering around the yard covered in blood.
