Erik exhaled loudly. He got up from the table and wiped his plate clean with a paper towel.
“That was good. Thanks for warming that up, Dorian,” Erik said.
“Yeah, no problem.” Dorian smiled. “It’s the least I could do for you taking me in when the world was collapsing around us.”
I couldn’t help but feel like they were making fun of Archer for talking about romantic thunderstorms when we had bigger things to worry about. Of course, they didn’t make fun of Sam for wanting to sit at the bar and drink the night away.
“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out more,” Archer said. “I’m pretty handy if I do say so myself.”
“Handsy?” Dorian asked.
Archer’s smile fell from his face. “Handy.”
“Oh, sorry.” He pointed to his ear. “I have a bad ear. My dad liked to smack me upside the head because I sucked at sports.”
Archer stared at him as if he were trying to decide if he was serious. Sadly, he probably was.
The stairs creaked, and I got to my feet. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Don’t be long,” Archer said, grabbing my hand. He squeezed it, holding on until our fingers slipped apart.
“I won’t,” I said, keeping my head down as I zipped past Sam.
“Hey, Mel?” Sam’s voice was soft enough that I felt comfortable pretending I hadn’t heard it. I jogged up the stairs and closed the bedroom door.
“Let’s get to some packing,” Sam said. “Few hours of light left.”
I didn’t hear anyone respond, but I did hear the front door open and close. I should have been helping, but I wasn’t ready to be around Sam.
The bed squeaked under my weight. I flopped back and stared at the ceiling.
When my eyes opened again, it was dark. Mister Cat was perched on top of me—his purrs vibrating through my chest.
“This is my room now, cat,” I said, sitting up more and more until he hopped off onto the mattress.
He kept his eyes on me as he spun in two complete circles. Mister Cat slowly blinked once as he settled into place.
“Fine,” I said. “You can stay in here for now.”
I groaned and stretched my hands over my head. A yawn pulled the muscles in my neck tight. I could have probably gone back to sleep.
Instead, I got to my feet and walked down to the basement.
Erik was behind the bar, leaning across, talking to Dorian. Sam was behind Archer, pressing her chest into his back as she massaged his shoulders.
“There she is!” Archer said, spinning in his chair. “What took you so long?”
“I fell asleep,” I said, pressing my fingertips to my throat as I swallowed.
I wasn’t sure if my mouth was dry because I was thirsty or if it was because I was having trouble swallowing from seeing Sam all over Archer. Either way, it made me want to go back upstairs. Archer had seemed truly happy to see me, but he also hadn’t seemed to mind Sam groping him.
It wasn’t like I had any claim to him. In fact, I hadn’t wanted any. Last night was a silly mistake, and it was out of my system.
“I need to get something to drink,” I said back away.
“Then you’ve come to the right place,” Archer said, getting off his stool.
Erik’s eyes were on me. His eyes narrowed with confusion. I forced a smile that felt like it wasn’t mine.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, turning.
I practically ran up the stairs to get away from them. It felt like the walls were closing in around me.
I sat down at the kitchen table. My knuckles were white from gripping the edges so tightly.
The sound of someone knocking on the window startled me out of my seat. I moved back abruptly knocking over the chair. It crashed to the ground with a rattling thud that echoed throughout the room.
I dropped out of sight from whoever was at the window, crawling on the ground until I was hidden by the lower kitchen cabinets. My heart was pounding and my chest was tight. I couldn’t breathe.
The knocking turned into pounding. Each thud rattled through my body, shaking my bones.
I reached up and opened the drawer. My fingers fumbled through the utensils.
Stinging pain shot down my forearm as I sliced my finger on the edge of a knife. My hand shook as I grabbed it and held it out in front of me.
Glass shattered, and out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something roll harshly over the floor. My mouth opened, and I screamed.
28
The thundering sounds of feet against the stairs echoed through the house. It felt like they were miles away.
“Mel!” Sam said, sliding on the tiled floor. She dropped to her knees and wrapped an arm around me. “Are you hurt?”
My hand with the knife was still shaking. Each breath painfully squeezed my chest. The tears rolling down my cheeks scalded my skin.
“Help her!” Sam shouted over her shoulder.
Archer and Dorian rushed to me. Archer pried the knife from my fingers. Erik was in the middle of the living room, his gun in hand.
“Get her to the couch,” Sam ordered.
Erik’s eyes darted around the room. Dorian appeared in front of me, holding a glass of water.
“Mel,” Sam said, crouching to meet my eyes. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “There was knocking on the window.”
Sam’s eyes focused on my hand. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing,” I said so quietly I wasn’t even sure if the words left my mouth.
“Knocking?” Erik asked. “It’s completely broken.”
Dorian held something in his hands. “Might have something to do with this.”
It was a massive rock. He held it with both hands.
“Why would someone throw a rock at the window?” Dorian asked.
“They were knocking first,” I said.
“I don’t have any rocks like that outside,” Erik said. “Someone brought that here with the intention of throwing it through the window.”
Sam ripped off a piece of paper towel and wrapped it around my finger. “It was probably those people from that town. Maybe they didn’t think anyone was here.”
“Candles don’t light themselves,” Erik mumbled as he pressed his hand to the back of his head. “I paid a shitload of money for these windows.”
“Man, if someone wants to get in, I guess they’ll find a way,” Archer said, rubbing my shoulder.
“I can board it up in the morning,” Erik said. “For the rest of the night, we’re going to take turns keeping watch. I’ll go first.”
Archer stood, stretching his hand out to me. “Let’s get you up to bed.”
I was still shaking, even though my breathing had returned to normal. Sam followed us to the stairs.
“Mel?”
I turned. “Yeah?”
“Is there anything I can do? Can I get you anything?” Sam asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Let me know if there is anything I can do,” Sam said, her eyebrows squeezed so tightly they nearly touched. “Oh, and I’m really sorry about what I said earlier. You know I didn’t mean it.”
I turned away. She definitely had meant every word.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
The truth was, I didn’t care. I didn’t feel safe in Erik’s house, and that was all I could think about.
Someone had been outside the window. They’d probably been peering inside… watching me.
What had they been looking for? If they saw me, why hadn’t they left?
Archer laid down on the bed with me, stroking my hair away from my forehead. At some point, I’d fallen asleep.
When I woke, it was to the harsh sounds of banging. I didn’t feel rested. It was like I hadn’t slept at all.
I opened the bedroom door and hesitated at the sound of voices.
“We should leave here as soon as possible,” Sam said. “You
might have enough supplies, but it’s not safe here.”
“It’s safer here than it will be on the road,” Erik said.
“I can’t let anything happen to Mel after everything she’s been through,” Sam said. “You can see what all this is doing to her.”
Erik groaned loudly. “Give her some credit. She can take care of herself.”
“You don’t know her,” Sam said.
“I know she got that knife. I know she managed to keep it together,” Erik said.
“You didn’t see her,” Sam said. “You were too worried about your broken window.”
Something crashed to the floor. “That is absolutely not true. Maybe you should go pack your things and let me worry about fixing the window.”
“Fine,” Sam said.
I backed up into the bedroom at the sounds of her feet thudding against the stairs. Maybe leaving wasn’t a terrible idea. We’d keep moving… never being in the same place. That had to be safer than people sneaking around trying to break into homes.
First, someone had broken into my mom’s house, and now they were trying to get into Erik’s house.
After Sam’s bedroom door closed, I wrapped my arms around myself and went down the stairs. Erik turned, but turned his attention back to the window.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning,” I replied, staring at all the glass sprinkled on the floor. “Sorry about your window.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Erik said, looking at me over his shoulder. “These things were supposed to be strong.”
I frowned. “It was a really big rock.”
“I’m considering boarding up all the windows.” Erik turned with his hands on his hips. “Although, Sam wants us to leave, so I’m not sure it’s worth the trouble.”
“Are we ready for this?” I asked.
“It’s going to be a challenge to get the vehicle, but if that works out, then there won’t be anything stopping us,” Erik said. “Archer and I are going to head out for some gas as soon as I finish up here.”
I looked around. “Where is he?”
“Getting some rest,” Erik said. “He was up half of the night sitting by the window.”
“You trusted him enough to take a shift?” I asked, biting back my smile.
“I don’t have a lot of choices,” Erik said. “If someone came poking around when Dorian was on watch, he’d probably just end up shooting himself.”
“Hey!” Dorian said from the kitchen. “I heard that.”
Erik met my eyes and smiled. “I knew he would.”
“You’re not wrong, though,” Dorian added.
“How long do you think you’ll be gone for?” I asked.
Erik’s house might have felt less safe, but I felt a bit safer with him around. He knew how to use his gun, and he would use it. At least, it seemed that way.
“Not sure,” Erik said. “We’ll go as quick as we can.”
“And then tomorrow we get the vehicle?” I asked.
“Guess so,” Erik said.
I sighed, hugging myself tighter. “I hope this is the right thing to do.”
“Me too,” Erik said. “Who knows, maybe we’ll find help while we’re out. We’re pretty secluded up here that maybe we’ve kind of just been forgotten about.”
“Is that possible?” I asked.
Erik shrugged. “I’m sure it’s possible, but I think it’s unlikely.”
“Hey, check this out,” Dorian said, coming into the room with a mug in each hand.
He gave one to me and the other to Erik. I looked down into the dark liquid.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“Took forever to make it,” Dorian said, beaming at the mugs. He flapped his hand. “Try it.”
I took a sip, expecting it to be hot, but it was only just warm. The flavor was rich and bitter and eye-opening perfect.
“Not bad,” I said.
“I think it was pretty good,” Dorian said.
“I have a French press in one of the cabinets,” Erik said.
Dorian frowned. “That’s the first thing you should have told me when we stepped foot in this house.”
Erik chuckled and chugged the rest of his coffee. He handed the mug back to Dorian.
“Well,” Dorian turned to me, “I hope you appreciate my hard work.”
“I do. Thank you,” I said. “Is there more?”
Dorian shook his head. “Took forever to brew that much. Although, now that I know about the French press, I suppose I could make more.”
“I’d take more,” Erik said. “It’s going to be a long day.”
“Okay, for you, I’ll make more,” Dorian said.
“And make more for me,” I said. “Oh, and I bet Archer will want some.”
“Some what?” Sam asked, coming down the stairs. Her hair was wrapped in a towel.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Did you shower?”
“Just washed my hair,” Sam said. “What are we all wanting some of?”
“Dorian brewed coffee,” I said, raising my mug.
“Oh! Yes, please,” Sam said.
Dorian pivoted and walked back toward the kitchen. “From a gas station clerk to a barista. Guess which paid better?”
Archer came up from the basement wearing only a pair of boxer shorts. It didn’t take long for him to get comfortable around people he barely knew.
“Good morning, Archer,” Sam said, her eyes moving down his body.
He smiled at her. “Morning.”
“Hot in here today, isn’t it?” Sam fanned herself as she sat down on the couch.
Archer walked over to me and kissed my forehead. His voice was soft and filled with concern. “How are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks,” I said.
“Erik and I are going to head out and get the gas for the trip today,” Archer said.
“I heard,” I responded, looking into his eyes. “Does this mean you’re going to join us?”
He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Someone’s gotta look out for you.”
It sounded like Erik had started to groan, but managed to turn it into an awkward cough.
“What can we do while you’re gone?” Sam asked. “I want to be ready to leave as soon as we get that vehicle.”
“Absolutely nothing,” Erik said. “Stay inside. If you want to go through the pantry again for anything we might have missed, feel free, but don’t bring it to the garage.”
“You’ll be leaving us the shotgun, right?” Sam asked.
Erik ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, but I’d prefer no one had to use it.”
“Fine,” Sam said, holding up her hand. “We’ll just sit around being lazy, I guess.”
“Perfect,” Erik said.
“You almost done there, Erik?” Archer asked, walking toward the window with his bare feet.
Sam reached up and grabbed his shoulders. Her hands slid down his arms.
“Careful! There is glass everywhere,” she said.
Erik had been right. Sam was completely interested in Archer.
“Go get dressed. I’m done,” Erik said, turning to Sam. “I still think this is a bad idea.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “I think staying here is a bad idea. Look at your window.”
Erik closed his eyes and exhaled. He turned to Archer and jerked his head toward the door. “Meet me outside.”
Archer squeezed my shoulder and vanished to the basement. He was back up and fully dressed before Dorian had even returned with the next batch of coffee.
Erik opened the door and froze. He quickly closed it and pressed his palms to the back of his head.
“What is it?” Sam asked, her brow wrinkled.
Erik locked the door and stepped over to the unbroken window. “There’s a man out there.”
29
Erik waved at us to back away. His eyes moved as they followed whoever was outside.
“What are they doing?” Sam asked.
“They ran off when t
hey saw me looking at them,” Erik said. “Looked like he was carrying a fishing pole.”
“You were scared of someone that was just passing by to go fishing?” Archer asked with a teasing smirk.
Erik glared at him. “After what happened to Mel last night, I guess I’m a little jumpy too. Especially when a dude dressed all in black is lurking outside behind the trees.”
“I guess a lot of people have the same idea to go fishing,” Dorian said.
“Yeah,” Erik said. “We’re lucky to be close to a plentiful food source.”
Erik was telling Sam in his own way that leaving was a bad idea. It wasn’t going to work, though. Sam wasn’t going to just sit in Erik’s house waiting for however long it took to fix things. If things ever got fixed.
“He’s gone,” Erik said.
“Maybe it was Bobby Bennett,” Dorian said, handing me a mug. “He likes fishing, and they aren’t too far off.”
“Could have been,” Erik said. “But I don’t think I’d be able to pick him out of a lineup.”
Dorian squinted at Erik. “They were just here.”
“I didn’t pay much attention to him,” Erik said. “It was his dad that was the leader of their little group.”
“Who’s the leader of our little group?” Dorian asked, raising his brows.
Archer laughed. “It’s Sam, right?”
“Archer!” Sam squealed, placing her hands on her hips. “We don’t have a leader. We’re all in this together. Right, guys?”
There was a brief second of silence before everyone mumbled their agreement. Sam’s lip quivered, but she quickly bit down on it.
“Of course, we’re all in this together,” I said. “What a silly question.”
“I was just teasing,” Dorian said. “Sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She forced a big smile and bounced slightly. Sam didn’t want anyone to see that everyone’s reaction had bothered her. “I know. Maybe it would be better for everyone if you all just stayed here.”
“You know I’m not letting you go alone,” I said.
“Ready, Archer?” Erik asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Archer said, rubbing his palms together.
Erik held my gaze for a long moment. “Stay inside.”
Absolute Darkness - A CME Survival Thriller Page 15
