The Reset Series | Book 4 | Swamp

by Greene, Kellee L.

  He growled as he burst forward, grabbing the hem of my shirt. I didn’t care about the rest of our clothing. All I wanted was to feel him.

  I rolled over and pushed him down on the bed. I straddled him and closed my eyes as I lowered myself down on him.

  “Mmmm.” The sound came from my mouth but it didn’t sound like my voice.

  “Wow,” Shawn said. He looked intoxicated and he sounded that way too. “Stevie.”

  “Shh,” I said wanting silence as I concentrated on the sensations our bodies created. The absolute bliss that surged through my veins was calming and energizing at the same time.

  With each rocking motion, it felt like my body was rising up toward the ceiling. My muscles tensed, tighter and tighter and tighter. I ached for my release.

  I dug my fingertips into his shoulders, desperately needing to hold on to something. Shawn growled as he sat up and wrapped his arms around me.

  My head fell back and I bit my lip as we rocked together. Shawn let out a mostly soundless, animalistic growl.

  I exhaled slowly as every inch of my body vibrated with pleasure. Shawn held tightly as his body eventually came to a stop.

  “Stevie,” he whispered into my ear. He leaned forward and kissed my neck, just below my ear. “That was out of this world.”

  I blinked several times and inched backward until I was sitting on the bed next to him. “It was.”

  Shawn scooted closer, keeping his arm around me. He shook his head.

  “Don’t do this, Stevie.”

  He kept saying my name and each time a part of me sparked as if it wasn’t going to let me forget what had just happened.

  “Do what?” I asked playing dumb.

  I wasn’t as slick as I thought I was. He knew I was going to act like it was no big deal. Or maybe like nothing had happened.

  “This was real. This was amazing. I can’t just let you turn away from me,” Shawn said. He grabbed my hand with both of his. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. I’m not just someone you can push away.”

  “I wasn’t going to—”

  “Please, Stevie,” Shawn said. “No games.”

  I huffed. “Are you kidding me? I’ve never played games.”

  “Fine, you’re right. But don’t run. Don’t push me away,” Shawn said. “Can you tell me those are things you wouldn’t do?”

  “I have stuff to do,” I said but it was just an automatic response.

  Shawn shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

  He exhaled and threw his hands in the air. I watched as he slowly leaned back until he flopped backward, his head bouncing slightly when it hit the pillow.

  My skin started to itch, just like it had earlier. Instead of running out of the room, I pulled my pants back on and laid down on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling.

  Shawn reached over and touched the back of my hand with his fingertips. I pressed my lips together and took his hand.

  I was surprising myself.

  We couldn’t have been asleep long when I heard the gunshot and shot straight up in bed.

  25

  Joss

  Robby had a much better time at his job than I had. In fact, he almost seemed excited about helping the town. When we parted ways this morning, he walked away with a small smile on his face.

  He’d asked how my job went, and I hadn’t been completely honest. I told him it was fine. Boring. Tedious. Those things were all true but I hadn’t told him how Bill had acted when I didn’t instantly know how to do the job. I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t excited to go back.

  Bill had sent one of the other workers to come for me. I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t come himself. I couldn’t remember the girl’s name even though she told me three times during our conversation on the way to the school.

  “Thanks, Alexis,” Bill said as she hurried past him. He was waiting in the hallway for me with his arms crossed and his foot tapping.

  A short stepped out of another room and handed him a notebook. Bill looked it over, wrote something, and gave it back to him.

  “Thanks, Bill,” the guy said without looking at me. In fact, I don’t think he even noticed I was there.

  Bill walked over to me and slid his arm around my shoulder. “Our plans for the day have changed a bit.”

  “Oh?”

  “I didn’t think this would happen but Rex says we’re running low on rice,” Bill said leading me back toward the entrance.

  He picked up two backpacks and my heart started to beat double-time. “Where are we going?”

  “We just need to take a little trip to get more supplies,” Bill said.

  “A trip? Where?” I asked.

  “It’s not far,” Bill said.

  I looked over my shoulder toward the hotel. “There is another supply building?”

  “Yeah, just outside of town,” Bill said patting my shoulder. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

  “I’m not sure if I should just leave without telling my friends.”

  “We all do our part here, Joss,” Bill said. “Your friends might have to leave from time to time too. Officers sometimes have to chase down the occasional thief.”

  I wiped the sweat off the back of my neck. “Well, yeah, of course, but I just want to let them know.”

  “They’ll know when you get back,” Bill said with a grin. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll take good care of you. Think of it as a nature walk.”

  “I don’t much enjoy nature anymore.” I held out my hand and let the raindrops fall into my palm. “And I hate rain.”

  “I’d bring the umbrella but we’ll travel faster without it. They’ll get you new clothes. Might already be in your room,” Bill said picking up his pace. “Let’s move!”

  I stayed one step behind, constantly looking over my shoulder. More than once, I considered running back.

  “How far away is this place?” I asked.

  “Not far,” Bill said.

  “Like in miles?”

  Bill chuckled. “I don’t know miles anymore. Just relax. It’s not that bad being out here with me, is it?”

  “Why do you keep extra supplies so far away from your town?” I asked.

  “Man, you ask a lot of questions,” Bill said.

  “Sorry,” I said even though I wasn’t even a little sorry. I might have asked a lot of question but Bill sure wasn’t good at giving straight answers.

  I tried to memorize every little stone. Every tree and shrub. Everything down to the bumps my feet felt as I stepped into the mud.

  We’d probably walked a good five miles, maybe even more, up a steep hill when I saw another small town. There were fewer buildings, all of them painted red. Far off, at least another half a mile, there was a chair lift.

  “Was this a ski resort?” I asked.

  “Think so,” Bill replied. His voice was low. Like he didn’t want us to be heard. Something about what we were doing felt off.

  “Why do you have this place up here but everyone stays in the other town?” I asked.

  Bill grunted as he ducked his head down under a tree branch. “More room down there.”

  “Higher ground up here,” I said.

  “We need the room,” Bill said stopping abruptly. He turned to me… his eyes were cold as steel. “Now, can you stop with the questions for a while, hmm?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  Bill exhaled. “Good. Do your best to stay quiet and be invisible.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  Bill grabbed my shoulders. He dug his fingertips in as he stared at me for a long moment.

  “Stop. Asking. Questions.”

  I shook my head. “This isn’t your place, is it?”

  “I think they’ve been stealing from us,” Bill said finally as he turned away from me. His eyes moved around the area. “We had plenty of rice and now suddenly it’s low?”

  “Does Rex know about all this? Does he know we’re out here?” I asked.

  “Stop fucking asking me qu
estions and help me get the rice,” Bill said.

  I felt sick. Sweat beaded up on my forehead, not that anyone would notice with the rain on my face.

  “I’m going back,” I said.

  Bill grabbed my arm before I could turn away. “No, you’re not. I wouldn’t want you to get lost. Your friends wouldn’t like that. Not to mention if you take a wrong turn, you call fall or walk into someone that’s not so kind.”

  “Why did you have to take me?” I whined.

  Bill groaned. “Because Liam was the only other person that knew about this place. Since he was shot in the head, I needed a new partner.”

  “Surely, there was someone back at the town that was better suited to this than me.”

  “Literally, hundreds of people,” Bill said.

  “Then why not pick one of them?”

  Bill exhaled slowly and pulled me along. “Because I don’t trust them not to go back and tell Rex.”

  “What makes you think I won’t tell him?”

  “Go for it,” Bill said. “I’ll tell him you’re lying and that you and your friends are actually from there. You guys killed Liam, blah, blah, blah. Who do you think he’s going to believe? You or me?”

  Something hit me… it was like a fist to my gut. “How do you know Liam was shot in the head?”

  “I guess Rex must have told me,” Bill said with a shrug. His eyes were focused on a building behind the trees. I couldn’t remember exactly but I didn’t think we’d told Rex where Liam had been shot.

  It was a small shed-like building twenty feet to the north. Bill snatched the bag from me.

  “This is ridiculous. I’ll do it myself.” Bill grunted as he moved away, keeping himself low to the ground.

  “That’s what you should have done in the first place,” I muttered looking back over my shoulder.

  The sourness at the back of my throat was enough to make me gag. Bill had been Liam’s traveling partner. He would have known where to find Liam.

  Was he the one that pulled the trigger? I couldn’t think about it, though, because there was a chance I might not be able to make it back to town without his guidance. Even if I did make it back, would there be time for me to collect my friends and get away?

  I had to wait. If I didn’t, I was afraid of what Bill might tell those in charge. I didn’t want any of us to get in trouble.

  “Um, hey,” a melted chocolate voice said from behind me.

  I picked a stick up off the ground, spinning around like a somewhat uncoordinated ninja - if such a thing existed. My breaths came at me quickly.

  The guy staring at me was perfectly gorgeous, like a celebrity. His wet hair hung down over his warm, deep brown eyes.

  He held out his hands like he was trying to calm a feral cat. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. But it’s not safe for you here.”

  “I figured as much,” I said after I managed to find my voice.

  “They won’t hesitate to shoot you,” he said his brow wrinkled. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know,” I said before I could think of what I should say… what the right thing to say was.

  He took a step closer and I raised the stick higher. He held up both hands. “You need to go. I’m sorry. I wish I could help you.”

  “Hey!” a second guy behind him called out. “What you got over there.”

  “Go!” the guy said with strength behind his words. He didn’t blink. Somehow, I knew he was trying to save my life.

  I shook my head. “My friend.”

  “Go!” he repeated.

  Over his shoulder, I could see the other guy jogging toward us. His brows were squeezed together. The gun in his hand raised up.

  It felt like I had zoomed in on the end of his gun. It was true what they say about your life flashing before your eyes.

  A hand grabbed mine. I almost choked on the breath I sucked in.

  I was being pulled so fast my feet could barely keep up. It took me several seconds to realize it was Bill.

  “Faster!” he ordered.

  The bang caused my whole body to shake. Bill pulled me down to the ground and I slid several feet through the mud.

  A sharp pain jolted from my neck down to my knees. Bill’s hand was still in mine.

  I bit down on my cheek to stop the scream from erupting. Bill’s eyes were empty. Staring at nothing behind me. He was gone.

  My last thought… was of Robby.

  26

  Adam

  Leah hadn’t been thrilled when I told her how Leo had treated the woman who’d been smoking. She also hadn’t liked that I had to go back to work with him again.

  It had been hard to leave our cottage. Leah sat down at the table with a pen and a notebook and kept her head down. It was like she didn’t want to see me walk away.

  Which made it even harder to walk away. She was probably worried about the same thing I was… that I wouldn’t return.

  “What are you writing?” I asked.

  “My story,” she said.

  “Your story?” I asked even though Leo was probably already waiting for me.

  Her head bobbed. “Everything that happened to me since the light. Even a little before that.”

  “Can I read it?” I asked.

  “Maybe sometime,” she said. “When I’m finished.”

  “Will there be something about me in there?” I asked raising a brow.

  She didn’t look up but her lips curled into a smile. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.” Her smile dissipated. “You should get going. I don’t want you to get in trouble with Leo.” She said his name as if it tasted like a dead fish that had been pushed onto the shore by salty waves. “Or Eva or whoever is having Leo judge your trustworthiness.”

  I blew out a long breath.

  “See you later,” I said kissing the top of her head.

  “Be good,” she said keeping her eyes on her notebook.

  “Lock the door,” I said.

  After I left the cottage, I stood outside, waiting for the lock to click into place. It didn’t take long.

  I walked over to Leo, who was chatting with different guards than I’d met the previous day. He introduced me to them but I didn’t bother to even try to commit their names to memory. All I cared about was proving I could be trusted so that I could stop leaving Leah behind in the cottage.

  “We’re doing something a little different today,” Leo said.

  “Okay,” I replied knowing that it didn’t matter what it was… I’d have to do it anyway.

  “Don’t sound so excited,” Leo said with a laugh.

  I matched his laugh. “Sorry, didn’t sleep well last night.”

  Or any night other than the first night. Of course, I didn’t tell him that part.

  “Really? I sleep like a baby with the rain patting on the window. It’s really relaxing. Try to focus on that,” Leo said. “What’s troubling you?”

  “Not sure exactly,” I said. “Just stuff.”

  “I heard you went through hell getting here,” Leo said.

  I swallowed. Apparently, word travels fast at the resort. “Yeah, kind of.”

  “Want to talk about it?” Leo asked.

  “Not really,” I said giving him a smile that I hoped wasn’t as awkward as it felt.

  “It must have been really awful out there,” Leo said. “I was here about a week before the earthquakes back home but I heard about them. My dad has a friend that’s a friend of one of the guys that was part of the launch team. He had concerns and told certain people to take shelter, just in case. We came here. Too bad no one told you.”

  I drew in a slow breath. “Yes, too bad.”

  “Well, maybe they told your parents and they didn’t act fast enough. I guess that happened to some families too,” Leo said. “Suck though.”

  “Yeah, sure does.”

  “You used to date that chick that’s living with your dad now, didn’t you?” Leo asked

  My fingers tightened into a fist. E
va was pretty much the last thing I wanted to talk about with Leo… or anyone. “Yeah.”

  “That’s pretty fucking weird, right?” Leo laughed.

  “You can say that again.” I was in hell.

  “She’s flipping hot, though, but I guess you already knew that,” Leo said hitting me on the arm with the back of his hand. When I didn’t respond, he cleared his throat. “So, what we’re going to do today is patrol the perimeter. We’ll cover this section.”

  I nodded as I looked around the area. There were trees and shrubs scattered about, which kept the resort rather well hidden.

  “We have a few sheds out this way where we store some of our items that aren’t used on a daily basis,” Leo said.

  “So, basically, we just stand around?” I asked.

  “We walk back and forth.” Leo pointed along a thin path that had been worn down in the grass. “We keep our eyes on the distance and catch anyone that might be approaching. Just like what happened yesterday.”

  I pressed my lips together. “The people that were brought into the resort?”

  “Yup,” Leo said. “They were found lurking around the place.”

  “Did they do something wrong?” I asked.

  “Well, yeah, I mean, they were lurking, I said.”

  I nodded. “Oh, right.”

  That was probably what Leah and I had been doing when we’d approached. We were lucky I was recognized… otherwise, maybe we would have been dragged through the resort and been shot too.

  “Oh, shit,” Leo said running his hands up and down his chest. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back.” He hesitated. “You good out here on your own?”

  “Yeah, sure,” I said. I couldn’t tell Leo but some time away from him sounded good to me.

  “Good. If you see anyone approaching, come find me or one of the other guards. I won’t be long,” Leo said pointing at the ground. “Stay on this path.”

  I saluted him and quickly pulled my hand back down, tucking it into my pocket. He didn’t seem to notice or if he had, he didn’t care.

  I continued down the path, taking my time and enjoying the silence. Well, not so much the silence as it was more not having to hear Leo’s voice.