Violent banging on the motel room woke Max, causing her to jump from bed half asleep. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her brain. She looked over at Jack who was now standing on the other side of the bed, her book still clutched in her hand. The sun had started to dip, and the motel room was getting darker. Max figured she had slept three hours at least.
Slamming on the door happened again. Max grabbed her 9mm and walked cautiously to the small window next to the door. Using the muzzle of her gun, she moved the gauzy curtain out of the way to peek at who was standing on the other side. A bloody man stood there, his eyes wide with fear and panic. Max couldn't see the source of the blood, but she noticed some of it was blacker and probably from infected bodies and not the living.
"What?" Max yelled through the door. More quietly, she turned to Jack "Go hide in the closet."
"I saw a light, please let me in," the man yelled. Max looked around and Jack held up the flashlight she had been reading by. Max nodded and motioned toward the closet.
"Go get your own room. There are keys in the motel office," Max called.
"Please. They are out here. I need to hide. I don't want to be alone," the man cried out. His voice cracked and to Max's astonishment, the man started to sob at her door. Max stood debating. She backed up, watching the door and went to get her boots. She slipped them on and then grabbed her tomahawk to slip into its holster.
"Back away from the door," Max yelled. She watched through the window and watched the man back away with his hands held high. Max pointed her gun out in front of her as she opened the door and looked at the man. She surveyed the area quickly and didn't see any immediate threats. Just then Griffin and Turner came running with their shovels, apparently hearing the man bellowing at the door.
Max stepped from the room and shut the door firmly behind her. She faced the man, who's anguish rolled off him in waves.
"What happened to you?" Max asked.
"My family, oh god, my family. We were trying to get away from a group of them. My wife tripped, we were walking, our car broke down. I had our son, so she told me to keep going. Oh god, they ate her..." the man fell to his knees and Max put her gun into its holster as well. Griffin and Turner slowed as they got closer and saw the man on the ground.
"What did you do to him, Max?" Griffin asked breathlessly. Max shot him a dirty look before looking back at the man.
"I'm so sorry. Where is your son?" She asked quietly.
"I was running, and suddenly he was yanked out of my arms. So fast. He was just gone. I killed the ones that killed him."
"Did you get bit?" Max asked. The man just shook his head, looking at the asphalt in front of him. Max just watched him for a moment. He looked down at himself and seemed to suddenly realize he was covered in blood. Panicking he started pulling his clothing off.
"Ok, ok, you're alright," Max said, stepping closer and holding her hands up to try to still his movement.
"I have to get it off. Oh Jesus, oh God...it's my son's blood. It's his."
"We have clothes that might fit. You can clean up and put those on. Come on," Max said, standing up and motioning for the man to stand. Griffin stopped her.
"Max, you don't know this man. You're gonna take him inside?"
"Do we just leave him out here to die? He's in no condition to handle himself," Max whispered.
"Turner is going to take Sarah's body. At least put him in that room. Keep him out of our room," Griffin said. Max wished she could tell him how much he was acting like a father. But she pushed that from her mind and just nodded at him.
Going to the SUV, she popped the back and led the man there. They were out of sight of the body being moved from the motel room, which Max was sure wouldn't go over well with the distraught man. She pulled clothing that they had scavenged for Griffin. Turner was too small, nothing he had would fit the man. She gave him two bottles of water to clean up before putting the clean clothes on.
Standing there watching the man just stare, Max realized he wasn't in any state to clean up. The tears were still falling from his eyes, as he looked out across the parking lot. Max was sure he was picturing his wife and son. Part of her broke for the man, even while the other part admonished anyone that wasn't ready to survive in this broken world. She tried to tap into what she thought Alex would do, her sister with all the heart.
Softly, she touched the man's arm to bring his attention to her. He looked down at her and Max was able to get a better look at his face. Max guessed he was in his 40's with salt and pepper hair. She used a cloth and water and wiped his face, cleaning the blood from it. He just stood still as she worked. As his tears fell, she wiped them away and continued to clean his skin.
"There you are," Max said, smiling softly at him, once his face was visible. He was a handsome man. His dark eyes were bloodshot from his tears, but they were surrounded by soft laugh lines that told Max he had been part of a happy life before the infected took away what made him smile.
"I'm Max," she said. She continued to clean the blood from his neck and arms.
"Cliff. My name is Cliff," he replied quietly.
"Nice to meet you, Cliff. We'll get you cleaned up and settled in a room ok?"
Cliff didn't answer her, just looked over her head at Griffin who was standing guard. Max hadn't seen him there, but she sensed they weren't alone. She had guessed Griffin was concerned and refused to leave her alone with the man. But the longer she cleaned him up, Max didn't feel anything to be afraid of with Cliff. He could have hurt her by now, grabbed her weapons from their holsters, or tried to run when he realized she wasn't alone. Instead, he stood still and let her take care of him.
"I'm not going to hurt your girl," Cliff said over her head. Max looked up at him and then looked back at Griffin who just nodded from his place against the motel wall.
"I'm not his girl," Max said, feeling like someone should correct that.
"Why not? He seems awfully protective," Cliff said. Max just laughed uncomfortably and shook her head. She reached up and pulled a shirt over Cliff's head and he put his clean arms through the holes.
"Thank you, Max. You are being very kind," Cliff said.
"Not many people accuse me of that," Max said grinning. She heard Griffin smother a laugh from behind her. She resisted the urge to flip him off. The banter would only make them seem more like a couple.
Max showed Cliff to the hotel room that Sarah had been in. The bed was stripped, but a blood stain still showed on the mattress. Cliff looked at it, then looked back at Max.
"We lost someone. We are burying her before we leave. You are welcome to stay in the other bed. Are you hungry?" Max asked.
Cliff just shook his head and sat on the bed with his head in his hands. Max hesitated, watching him from the doorway. She missed her sister. If Alex were there, she would know how to console, how to make the man feel more at ease. Max felt lost and incapable of taking on any of the painful burdens the man was feeling. She just stood, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.
"I'm not sure what to do now," Cliff said.
"Maybe lay down?" Max suggested. She realized after she said it, that her suggestion was lame and not at all what Cliff was getting at.
"Maybe. Yeah. I'll lay down. Maybe then I'll figure something out," he said. He was speaking more to himself than Max. He laid down, with his back to the door and was still. Max backed toward the connecting door and found Griffin on the other side waiting.
"Well?" Griffin asked.
"He lost his wife and son. They were attacked right in front of him," Max said. She walked past Griffin and found Jack still in the closet.
"You can come out. It's ok," Max said to her once she'd opened the door. The girl was completely unruffled. She smiled at Griffin and sat back on the bed with her book and flashlight. Realizing how dark it had grown, Max closed the heavier drapes, making sure no light could get out, and turned on a lantern to illuminate the room. Griffin was still standing in the middle of t
he room, shovel in hand, dirt covering his clothing and skin.
"You aren't done, right?" Max said, motioning toward the shovel.
"The hole is done. Turner was going to put Sarah in. We have to cover her now."
"Ok. Need help?" Max asked. Griffin just shook his head, but he didn't make a move to leave.
"Griffin? What's the deal?" Max asked, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him.
"I'm not sure about leaving you two here with him next-door," he answered.
Max looked at him exasperated. He was the one person that was well aware of how prepared Max was to handle herself and protect her daughter. She didn't need the macho protective man routine, any more than she needed a bullet to the foot. She pushed Griffin on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow her outside. She was going to argue with him, and she didn't want to do it directly in front of Jack.
Outside Max surveyed the twilight, not seeing anything moving naturally or unnaturally. She turned to Griffin as he softly closed the door behind him.
"Ok, aren't you pretty aware that I don't need you to protect me?" Max demanded.
"Oh I know you don't think you ever need help," Griffin said casually. His demeanor just grated on Max's nerves, and the small grin he had told her he knew it.
"It's not about help, Griffin, and you know it. I can handle myself, Cliff, and protecting Jack when it comes to it. I do not need you going alpha male on me, we do not have time for it...."
"I missed you, Max," Griffin suddenly blurted, interrupting Max's tirade. It effectively shut her up. She had to remember to snap her mouth shut because it just hung open at his comment. The next thing she knew, Griffin had dropped the shovel. The loud noise distracted her for a moment, just as his hand gripped the nape of her neck and his mouth was pressed against hers.
His lips were soft and undemanding against hers. Without much thought, Max melted into him. This was no longer the high school boy she loved years ago, this was a grown man. Nevertheless, kissing him felt familiar. When his tongue slid along the seam of her lips, she sighed and allowed him entry. His arms came around her smaller frame and crushed her to him as if he needed to breathe her in. She reacted and went up to her toes to deepen the kiss and put her arms around his neck. Nothing in her adult life could compare to that kiss.
"Oh crap, uh...sorry to interrupt," Turner's voice came from behind Max. She jumped away from Griffin as if someone had set her on fire. Her hand went to her mouth, lost at what had just happened. She walked away, walking into the motel room and closing the door behind her. Leaning against the door, Max tried to get her breathing under control. She could hear Turner giving Griffin grief and then Griffin laughing gruffly. The two walked away to handle more important things, like burying a body.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
They gathered around the freshly covered grave. Jack held Max's hand. Max was nervous being out in the dark, not being able to see what was around them in the shadows. But Griffin had wanted to do something proper to say goodbye to Sarah. Max didn't say it, but she barely knew Sarah. What was she supposed to say? She was an airhead and was attracted to her former high school sweetheart? That's all she really knew about the woman, not that it made it less sad to see anyone die.
Jack was somber, clearly understanding this was about death. For an eight-year-old girl, she was immensely smart and calm in the face of adversity. Her heart was gold and she clearly felt that Griffin was upset at losing Sarah. The little girl reached out to touch Griffin's hand as well. When he looked down at her, she offered her hand, as if it was the most normal thing to take comfort from a little girl.
Across the grave, Max could see Turner watching her in the lantern light. Their eyes met for a moment, his look charged with his emotions about Jack and Griffin. Max had to look away from the weight of the implication. She would tell Griffin when she was damned well ready, she had already decided that. Turner couldn't pressure her into something she wasn't ready for. The time hadn't been right since they found him in North Carolina.
The time was also wrong for some passionate kiss that left Max's head spinning. For the hour it took the men to bury Sarah and come back to the motel room to clean up, Max couldn't sit still. Jack commented on it, and Max brushed it off. Griffin had missed her. What did that mean? In eight years he never met someone, fell in love, moved on? Max had Jack, that had always been her excuse to not date. She also never wanted to be faced with the scrutiny of a man that she would probably be stronger and more equipped to handle life than him. Griffin had always been the exception to that in her life. He knew Mitch, saw her childhood, even trained with her at times.
As they stood around the grave, Max felt guilty thinking about the kiss again. Part of her so badly wanted to do it again. The other part of her was screaming at her, telling her this wasn't the right time to be thinking about a man. Griffin acted nonchalant as if it hadn't happened. Max took his cue and focused on the immediate needs. She looked down at the dark ground where Sarah would lay forever.
"I feel like we should say something, but what do we say?" Turner commented, breaking the tense silence.
"I didn't really know her," Max said quietly.
"I just met her a few days ago. But I guess I spent the most time with her. I didn't even know that much about her. So I guess I'll start. I'm sorry I didn't protect you better, Sarah. I hope you're at peace," Griffin said.
"I hope she finds Gramps in Heaven, he'll keep her safe," Jack commented. Max smiled down at her at the same time Griffin did.
"He sure would, Jack, that much I remember about your Gramps," Griffin said to her.
After a few additional moments of quiet reflection, the group slowly headed back to the motel room. Jack stayed between Griffin and Max holding their hands. The normal family feeling gripped Max's heart. She had to fight the urge to let go of Jack's hand and run for a hiding place. They arrived at their motel room before long. Turner opened the door and ushered Jack in first. He looked back at Griffin and Max and grinned before walking in after Jack. Max went to follow, but Griffin's hand fell on her arm.
"Wait, Max, we need to talk," Griffin said quietly.
"Do we have to? Like right now? I'm exhausted. I'm sure you are too. We should eat dinner and head to sleep," Max said, avoiding the subject with everything she could think of.
"Look at me, Max. You can't just ignore this," Griffin said gruffly. He reached around her and shut the motel door, making the decision for her. She turned to look at him warily. He laughed out loud, the sound echoing around the motel. She looked around and shushed him. They didn't need to attract more infected.
"You still get that caged animal look, ya know? You've always had it. Whenever something serious or emotional needed to be spoken about. You get this look," Griffin said, gesturing at her face and posture. Max purposely wiped all expression from her face and tried to loosen her stance. That only made Griffin smile again.
"I just don't think this is an appropriate time to talk about our history. It's there, we know it, but we have things to get done. We don't need the distraction," Max said firmly.
"After tonight, we'll be back on the road. And I don't know when we'll be alone again to talk about this. About the kiss."
"We don't need to talk about it. It happened, we can move on," Max said shrugging. Outwardly she fought to keep her tone light and unaffected. Waves of heat and wanting swept through her on the inside. She fought them down with everything she had.
"Move on? Did I say I wanted to do that?" Griffin said as he slowly started walking toward Max. She stepped back and bumped into the wall of the motel.
"Are you telling me you don't want me to kiss you again?" Griffin asked, his voice gruff as he closed the distance. Max could feel the heat from his body against her own. Her mind screamed at her to beg for more. However, her senses were stronger than her basic sexual needs. She just looked at him defiantly, saying nothing.
"Seeing you again has brought back so many emotions. Some that
I thought I would never feel again. You have barely changed from the girl I knew in high school. The one I had planned to spend my life with until she didn't respond to my letters," Griffin grinned when he spoke, letting her know he wasn't angry, but teasing her.
"I've changed. I'm not a girl anymore," Max said, her voice squeaky.
"Oh, now see, those changes I noticed," he said, as he ran a hand from her hip, up her ribcage and ever so close to her breast, before sliding back to her hip. He lifted her chin with a finger and she registered fire in his hazel eyes before his lips found hers again. He kissed her softly then pulled back again.
"I loved you, Max. And I've never loved anyone since," he said. With that, he pulled away from her and went to the motel room door. Max stayed right where she was, her breath labored and her heart beating loudly in her ears. What in the hell is he doing to me? She thought to herself.
"Are you coming?" He asked from the door, innocence in his tone. Max wanted to strangle him. Without a word, she went into the motel room as he held the door open for her.
The morning seemed to come more quickly than she had expected. When the sun woke her, Jack was already awake next to her. The men were still asleep in their shared bed, overly exhausted after their digging. Quietly Max moved around the room getting herself dressed and shoes on. They had to get on the road. Her intense need to keep moving was making her impatient and snappy.
A small knock came from the door separating the two motel rooms. The noise was quiet but was enough to have both men sitting up in bed, eyes wide looking for an intruder. Max shushed them with her hands, showing them it was just Cliff in the other room. The distraught man had stayed in the room alone all night. At dinner time Max tried to bring him food, but he didn't answer the door when she knocked. Though she could have used a key to get in, she refused to impose in that way.
Survive (Sundown Series Book 2) Page 18
