Devon released my hand when we reached the table, and I slid into the seat beside Kiaya while he took the one next to me. Lisa sat across from me, and despite Gabe agreeing to let the women and children learn to shoot, she didn’t look any happier than she had when I’d first arrived at the command center. That was when I realized he hadn’t agreed to let us go when they headed to Gander Mountain. He’d only said we could learn to shoot. Well, he was going to have a fight on his hands if he thought he could dictate something like that.
Buck was sitting beside Lisa. He hadn’t said anything while we were in the command center, and I’d been too focused on the men from this group to pay attention to him, but the expression on his face said he wasn’t any more thrilled with the setup than the rest of us were.
“That guy likes throwing his weight around,” the older man said, keeping his voice low.
Devon was chewing, but he shook his head to let Buck know he wasn’t any happier with the way Gabe had acted.
“It’s not going to intimidate me,” Lisa snapped. “Let him try.”
“Nice group you found us,” Miller grumbled from his position at the end of the table.
He was probably loving how unhappy everyone was.
Devon had to grind his teeth to stop from replying, and while I wanted to be able to tell Miller to shut the hell up, I couldn’t because, for once, he wasn’t wrong. Not that it was Devon’s fault.
“We made this decision together,” I pointed out.
“And we don’t know anything yet,” Kiaya said, her expression as calm as always. “Give it a day or two. Things might end up being fine.”
I wished I could be as optimistic as she was. Or maybe she was just a realist. Either way, I didn’t have a great feeling about any of it.
Miller muttered something under his breath, but I wasn’t able to catch it.
Gabe chose that moment to stand and clear his throat, and like a king calling his court to order, the talking and laughter in the room died away. Even the kids were silent, which was a big feat for such a group, and they stared up at him like they were in some kind of trance. It was weird.
“I’m sure at this point a lot of you have had a chance to meet the newcomers,” Gabe began, and a barrage of nods followed. “We’re happy to have them, and not just because it means there are more survivors in Troy, but because Devon comes to us with years of experience as a police officer.” More nods followed, as well as a chorus of quiet chatter. “He’s brought something up that I hadn’t thought of before now, which means we’re going to start doing things differently.”
“Differently?” a thirtyish woman I hadn’t met said, her voice rising a little like the news excited her.
“Yeah,” Gabe replied, not even looking her way. “Over the next few days, we’re going to be making trips out to the farm, and everyone over the age of seven is going to learn how to shoot.”
“Shoot?” Grace asked, sounding aghast. “You can’t really expect the kids to handle a gun, can you?”
“I get your hesitation,” Gabe began, focusing solely on her as he spoke, “but as Devon pointed out, these are uncertain times, and while I pray to God none of them ever needs to use the skills they’ll learn, we have to prepare them in case something were to happen.”
Grace’s eyes were huge as she looked from Gabe to the kids, and the way she clung to the child closest to her, a little girl of about eight, made it clear it was her own flesh and blood. It also told me Gabe’s words had hit home.
“What if we don’t want to learn?” another woman asked.
“I’m going to ask you to reconsider,” Gabe said. “I won’t make you, Trudy, but I think Devon has a good point about the necessity of making sure everyone knows how to defend themselves.”
“It’s a good idea,” the woman who’d spoken first said. “I, for one, have been wanting to learn since I got here. Doesn’t make sense to be stuck in a kitchen all day, and I’m not a damn maid.”
“Language,” Grace hissed, glaring at her.
The woman groaned and threw her hands in the air. “Good Lord, there are fucking zombies roaming the Earth. Get some perspective.”
Grace didn’t correct her a second time, but she did continue to glare.
“You can go with the first group if you want, Lane,” Gabe said, but his tone wasn’t at all friendly. Not the way it had been when he addressed Grace and Trudy.
Lane only rolled her eyes.
She was sitting sideways, making it tough to get a good look at her, but the rigid way she held herself said she wasn’t at all thrilled about being here right now. She was older than I was, but still young, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, and she looked fit from what I could tell. Like a runner or someone who went to the gym a lot. Maybe that was even how she knew these guys. Either way, it was clear she didn’t appreciate being put into the role of homemaker and was wanting to contribute more, which meant I liked her already. I especially liked her because she wasn’t putting up with Gabe’s bullshit.
He looked around the room, taking everyone in as he waited to see if anyone else had something to say. When no one spoke up, he nodded and said, “Okay. We’re going to head out in morning, probably around ten. I’ll take volunteers first, and since this is our first trip, I think it’s a good idea to start with the adults. Once we get some more experienced shooters, we’ll start taking the kids with us. Sound good?”
Most of the adults nodded, but a few still didn’t look thrilled by the change. Trudy and Grace among them, but Brian as well. He seemed to be Gabe’s right-hand man, and it was obvious he wasn’t very happy that Devon’s advice had been heeded so quickly.
“Let’s go,” I said, not focusing on a single person but instead addressing our entire group.
I only had a couple more bites of my sandwich left, and I shoved the whole thing in my mouth as I stood. It barely fit and took a lot of effort to chew, but I managed to swallow it down as I headed across the room to where Gabe stood. Lisa was behind me, as were Kiaya and Devon, but it seemed as if the others had stayed back. Not a big surprise from Miller, and really not Buck either, since he didn’t need target practice.
“We’re going,” I said when we reached Gabe.
“I figured as much.” His gaze moved over me, then behind me to where the others stood. He did not smile. “Like I said, we’ll leave in the morning. Right after breakfast. Be ready.”
“We will,” Lisa said, her voice ringing with a silent challenge.
Gabe sighed and turned away from us.
I watched as he moved across the room, stopping beside Brian. The tall man’s severe expression made him look even more like Lurch. He seriously reminded me of the villain in a Bond movie.
I turned my back on him.
“What now?” I asked, looking from Devon to Lisa to Kiaya.
“You see the room they gave us?” Lisa asked.
Again, she didn’t look happy, but after Gabe’s behavior, I had a feeling she was going to nitpick everything about this place.
“Briefly,” I said. “It looks okay.”
“Yeah,” Lisa replied, her voice slightly bitter.
“What else happened while we were gone?” Kiaya asked.
“Gabe took the M16,” Devon said.
“What?”
I practically yelled the word, and a few people turned to stare, Grace among them. She focused narrowed eyes on Devon like she was trying to shoot lasers out of her eyes, and I had the childish urge to stick out my tongue.
“He said it was too dangerous to have lying around, so he locked it in the armory.”
“They lock up all the weapons except what the men carry,” Lisa added, emphasizing the word. “All the time.”
“I let them know in no uncertain terms that we would not be giving up any more of our weapons,” Devon said.
“Good.” I shook my head. “I get making sure the kids don’t have access to them, but we have to be prepared.”
“Beli
eve me, I tried to tell Gabe that,” Devon said. “He was less than receptive.”
“That’s because he’s a giant dick,” someone said from behind me, and I turned to find the woman who’d stood up to Gabe. “I’m Lane.”
She was short but compact, and even more fit than I’d thought she was, with defined arms and thick, toned thighs. I took her hand when she stuck it out, nearly wincing at the firm handshake. She was pretty, though. Bronzed skin and brown hair that went to her shoulders, and big, brown eyes that seemed to see right through you.
“Rowan,” I said then introduced everyone else. “I take it you and Gabe have had a few arguments about this.”
“More than a few.” She rolled her eyes so far back only the whites were visible. “I wasn’t surprised, though. I’ve known the asshole for a while now. Of all the pricks to survive this thing, he’s not the worst one, but he sure is a big one.”
Devon was taking all this in, frowning. “Is he dangerous?”
“Depends,” Lane said with a shrug. “Does having an ego the size of Jupiter make you dangerous?”
“It can,” Devon muttered.
Lane only nodded.
“You knew most of these guys before all this started?” Kiaya asked Lane.
The other woman let out an annoyed snort. “Yes, unfortunately. We went to the gym together, but I wasn’t in the inner circle, which I’m sure doesn’t surprise you. My husband was, though. Sorry, ex-husband. We were going through a divorce after he screwed someone else from the gym. All those assholes,” she jerked her head to where Gabe and Brian stood talking on the other side of the room, “covered for him.”
“Nice.” Lisa glared toward the men.
“Oh, they’re gems, let me tell you,” Lane continued. “And smart to boot. We were in this group text before Mike started cheating on me. God, I hate group texts. I never interacted with them, and the morons were too stupid to remember I was there. It was how I found out my husband was screwing around. I almost left that damn group text a dozen times after we split, but there was a sadistic part of me that wanted to know what my asshole ex was up to. It’s how I found out there were other survivors. Right before the cell towers quit for good, Gabe sent a text telling people to meet at the gym. They almost shit their pants when I showed up.”
“You don’t like him, and I get it,” Devon said, speaking slowly as if trying to choose his words. “But you’re still here. Does that mean you trust him to keep you alive?”
Lane took a moment to think about that, her mouth scrunching up. “Shit. I guess. I mean, who the hell is prepared for something like this?”
“No one,” Kiaya said.
“Exactly. These assholes are at least trying, so until a better option presents itself, this is where I’m stuck.”
“Lane!”
We all turned to see Gabe waving her over.
“The emperor has summoned me.” Lane grimaced. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” I murmured as she jogged over to where Gabe stood.
Devon exhaled. “I think we have some stuff to talk about, but it might be smarter if we did it somewhere else.”
“Probably,” Lisa said.
I looked around, curious where Buck and Miller had gotten to. The corporal, we could do without. He never contributed much, anyway, but it would be nice to be able to fill Buck in on what we’d found out.
“Let’s head to our room?” I said when I didn’t spot the others.
“Yeah,” Devon murmured.
We left the cafeteria and headed toward the living quarters. I walked beside Devon, and even though he was close enough that his arm brushed mine every few seconds, we didn’t hold hands. It felt a little too high school, especially considering our surroundings.
“What are you thinking?” I asked after a few minutes of silence.
He turned his head, eyeing me for a few seconds before saying, “Honestly?”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I replied.
His lips twitched, but his usual smile remained hidden. “I’m torn. On one hand, they’re doing their best to plan ahead. No, it’s not perfect, but since we have no clue what the future holds, I can’t imagine anything is.”
“On the other hand?” Kiaya asked, looking over her shoulder at us.
Lisa, who was walking with her, looked back as well, and while she didn’t comment, I could tell she had a lot she wanted to say.
“They’re short-sighted in a lot of ways, and relegating women to the kitchen is only one of them.” He sighed, and the sound was all frustration. “I’m not ready to say this was a bad move. We all know we couldn’t have stayed at the house. Plus, Gabe listened to me, which is a good sign. Hopefully, we can make a difference here.”
“You think the school is safe?” I asked.
“I think it could be, but they have some work to do.”
“I agree,” I said.
Devon gave me a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes, but it wasn’t because of me. He was worried. Worried we’d made a bad decision, worried something would happen and he’d spend the rest of his life feeling responsible.
“We made this choice together,” I reminded him. “You weren’t alone in the decision.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not going to feel responsible if something bad happens.”
“We all will,” Lisa said, turning so she was walking sideways, her focus on him.
Kiaya glanced back and nodded, and Devon let out a deep sigh. He didn’t look like he felt any better about the situation.
We jogged up the stairs when we reached them and headed into our new living space. Like I’d thought, Buck was already there—glass in hand—but Miller was oddly absent. Where he’d ended up, I had no clue, but I wasn’t worried about it either. He’d come slithering in at some point.
The cubicles were a nice idea, but when I stepped inside, I immediately realized just how little privacy they provided. An extra sheet to put over the opening would have been nice, and it was something I definitely wanted to bring up to Gabe. Especially considering the mixed company in the room and the fact that Miller still creeped me out. Then there was Hank. The way he was always staring at Zara and the uncomfortable way he’d made me feel the other morning. I just didn’t like it.
In the meantime, I would have to use the blanket on my bed when I wanted some privacy.
“Think we could squeeze one of those air mattresses in here?” Devon said from right behind me, his lips inches from my ear.
I turned to face him, my eyebrows raised. “That’s pretty presumptuous of you.”
“Is it?” he asked.
I had a hard time biting back my smile.
“You two are hornier than teenagers,” Buck said.
“With a hell of a lot less privacy,” Devon replied with a chuckle.
“Just stop rubbing it in everyone’s faces.” Lisa shot us a pointed look from the doorway of her own cubicle. “Some of us aren’t getting any.”
“I could give you a ride if you’re interested, darlin’,” Buck said, tilting his glass her way.
Lisa belted out a laugh. “You can’t handle me, old man.”
Buck let out a low chuckle. “I don’t doubt it.”
Kiaya listened in silence, taking in the exchange with little to no reaction. As usual. How she could listen to the exchange between Buck and Lisa without cracking a smile was beyond me, though. My cheeks ached.
Devon was grinning and shaking his head when he turned back to face me.
“I’m serious, though,” he said, his voice low.
I grinned up at him. “Are you asking me to shack up with you?”
“I think it’s a little late for that, but I am asking you to keep me warm at night.”
He reached for me, pulling me against him.
“How could I refuse a request like that?”
“I knew you found me irresistible.”
His mouth covered mine before I had a chance to respond. The kiss was d
eep and slow, like he wanted to take his time with me. I was vaguely aware of the others, but I couldn’t make myself care. Not even when they started edging toward the exit.
By the time Devon broke the kiss, we were alone. Thank God, because I could have sworn I was panting.
“Do you even know where those air mattresses are?”
He grinned. “I might have made sure they made their way up here.”
“All three? Were you actually expecting Buck and Lisa to hook up?”
He chuckled. “No, but I did think the kids and Randall might appreciate it.”
“Thoughtful as usual.”
“I try,” he said.
I stared at him, waiting for him to get the air mattress, but he didn’t move. He just stared at me the way he so often did, and even though it made my body tingle, I couldn’t stop from laughing.
“What?” he asked.
“The air mattress.”
He belted out a laugh and turned away from me, heading back into his own cubicle. “In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to get a little distracted in your presence.”
“Believe me,” I said, “I noticed.”
He knelt beside his cot and pulled a box from underneath, and I immediately recognized the mattress I’d looted from Meijer. “I thought we could put your cot in Kiaya’s cubicle so she and Zara could still share. That would probably give us enough room.”
I eyed my little cubby. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“After last night,” the sound of cardboard ripping made me turn back to face him, “you better believe it.”
“All we did was sleep,” I said, grinning.
He smiled up at me, winking. “Together. That’s the important part.”
I grinned until my cheeks ached.
I had no business being this happy and distracted during the apocalypse. It was crazy, but impossible not to embrace. Just like it was impossible to resist Devon. It was like he was a spacecraft pulling me in with his tractor beam. I couldn’t get away no matter what I did.
I wrangled the cot out of my cubicle while Devon pried the air mattress from the box. Once he had, he rolled it out on the floor of my now empty sleeping space, and I was happy to see that there was more than enough room.
Far Series | Book 2 | Far From Safe Page 29
