by Belle Harper
“I don’t think we can move Kento, he is too weak and so are we.” Lucas spoke to Ryker.
I went over to Kento and gently held his hand. He gave me the smallest of smiles, it gave me a small bit of hope. “Hey, Kento, how are you doing?” I asked.
He squeezed my hand. “Leave,” he whispered to me. I didn’t understand what he was saying until he said, “Leave me… Save…yourselves.”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I cried hard and painfully. Harlow told him she wouldn’t leave him, that they would find a way to carry him.
“Leave me,” Kento begged. His eyes focused on mine, I could feel his pain.
“You can come with us to Eden. We are going to a place called Eden in the north,” I told him. I held his hand tighter as everyone discussed things around us.
“I need to find my son Joseph. Is Eden…real? Truly?” Harlow asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded. Because it had to be real. We were going to find it, and if not, we would make our own Eden. With Colton, Noah, Ezra and Ryker, I will have Eden wherever I am.
“I don’t know where exactly. But it’s north.” Ryker explained to them how we were waiting on people. We had a Jeep that was taking us north and if they wanted, they could come with us, or we could leave signs of some kind so they could find their way after us. After a lot of discussion with Lucas and Jake, Harlow started to cry as she approached Kento.
“I’m going to leave you with Nova and her family to take care of you. I will come to Eden with Joseph and we all will see you very soon.” Kento murmured something to Harlow and she kissed his head. She hugged me, and so did Jake and Lucas. Ryker shook their hands but didn’t say anything as they left. Then it was just the three of us.
“Hey, buddy, I’m going to find some water. You hang in there, okay? Nova will protect you while I’m gone. She is tough, this one. I heard she stabbed Ezra with a fork.” Ryker chuckled, lightening the mood. It made me smile. I don’t understand why the guys didn’t think they could trust him. I did from the moment he reached for me, when Colton pulled me away from him in that garage, worried that Colton had hurt me. I knew he would never hurt me or do anything to put me in danger. And now the way he was caring for Kento. My heart skipped a beat. Ryker…I have developed very strong feelings for him in such a short time.
Ryker smiled as he turned to me. “Hey, I will just look for some water. Don’t go anywhere. Keep your ears open, I’m hoping the guys find us here. But you will need to listen for the Jeep while I’m gone.” He came up to me, and I wrapped my arms around him. He was so much taller than me, and I felt him bend to kiss my head again. I looked up to him, my throat felt tight as a tear broke loose. Can he feel this? Between us. The way my body reacts around him. He cocked his head and brow as he brushed away the tear that fell loose.
“Ryker,” my voice hoarse, as he cupped my face and kissed my forehead. But I didn’t want that; I wanted to kiss him. Really kiss him.
I reached up and cupped his face, pulling him toward me. He hesitated “Nova, you don’t have to…I didn’t do this for…”
“I have wanted to do this…I want this.” I let him make the next move. When our lips met, it was soft and sweet. His beard tickled my chin, and I couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped his good hand around the back of my neck to deepen the kiss. When he pulled back, he ran his thumb over my bottom lip and I chased it with my tongue.
“I have wanted to do that since the first moment I saw you.” I told him. His grin lit up his face as he gave a chaise kiss and walked to the front door. He smiled and winked as he quickly left the house. I stood there, my hand going to my mouth. I smiled.
I Just kissed Ryker. And it was so much better than I dreamed.
39
Colton
It was dark and the stupid Jeep didn’t work for crap in the dark. We were better off on foot. We were further than where we needed to be but didn’t have much of a choice. We hid the Jeep in some shrubs, hoping that it was hidden enough and continued on foot. We would get to Eagle Point by morning Kade had told us. I knew we could have waited for morning to drive in, but I also didn’t like the thought of alerting anyone to our presence. And with a Jeep just rolling in to town would have brought a lot of attention. Either way we were going to get Nova back. Then Ezra could stop beating himself up about it.
If anything, I just hoped Ryker made it to her. I saw the signs he left us. If I wasn’t looking for Nova, I wouldn’t have noticed that they were signs. The way different objects he found had now become arrows was smart. I had to give it to the guy. He knew what he was doing.
“Ezra, seriously you’re starting to piss me off. It’s going to be okay. She isn’t going to be upset with you. Hell, none of us are so stop acting like this.” I yelled. I shouldn’t have, and I knew nothing I said would change what he was feeling, but we had been walking for hours and he had got on my last nerve. He was my second, always the one I could depend on. To keep a level head in any situation. And he was upset and mad at himself. Which was understandable, but it was affecting everyone now. I was mad at myself for leaving Nova to go to Fort Collins with Noah, I should have left him and gone alone. But I can’t dwell on what ifs. If I didn’t go, if I didn’t bring Noah he wouldn’t have met Kade. And we wouldn’t actually have a real lead on where Eden was.
“Ezra?” The sound of a man’s voice called out in the early dawn light.
Fuck. I ducked down and held my pistol in the direction the voice came from, holding my position. The sunrise bringing some light to see finally. The three behind me got low and scattered themselves in formation.
I could see a figure standing off to the side of the road around twenty yards away, near the tree line.
“Ryker?” I called out, but I didn’t think it was him. The lone figure turned into three. Holy shit. They slowly started to approach, Ezra snapped out of his funk, returned to my side as I stood. My pistol aimed towards them.
“That’s not Ryker,” he stated. And I could tell that. But how the fuck did they know Ezra’s name. “Shit” I hissed out. I yelled it out when I got frustrated at Ezra before. That’s how. Fuck.
“Fucking stop now. Or I will shoot you.” I growled out to them. I still couldn’t see them clearly but there was two tall and one shorter one.
Kade and Noah came up and stood tall beside us. Three against us four, plus my pistol. The odds were high in our favor.
“I know where Nova is. She is safe,” a female voice called out. My heart almost stopped at the mention of Nova’s name. Nova is safe. I lowered the pistol and stumbled forward slightly as I caught myself. Noah grabbed my shoulder and I leaned into him. I had been so sick with guilt, but I didn’t dare to feel it until now. I feared the worst but I couldn’t show the guys that. I needed to be the one to keep a level head, to be strong. Be their leader.
Ezra ran over to them, not even waiting for me. Or checking if they had weapons. I stood there and let Noah hold me a few more moments. Comforting me. When I was ready, I walked over. There were three people talking with Ezra. Giving directions to where Nova and Ryker are.
The woman was my height, she had short cropped white hair. The man next to her reminded me of Noah, tall and young. Except he had a darker complexion. And on the other side of the woman was a man with short blond hair. He was tall, but very thin. He introduced himself to me.
“I’m Lucas, if it wasn’t for Ryker and Nova we wouldn’t be here right now. We owe them our lives. Truly. Anything you need just let us know.” I nodded to Lucas. Amazed that Ryker got all them out without the Raiders noticing. I’m sure Nova had a big part of that. My girl has the biggest heart.
“We are going to Eden. You should come with us,” I asked.
The woman shook her head. “No, I have to go find my son, then we will come to Eden. Nova told us it's somewhere north.”
I nodded and gestured to Kade who finally spoke. “My sister lives in Eden. You need to go to Apex Falls and speak to Jeremy there. He knows where Eden is. He will take
you there.”
After a few minutes of talking, Kade explained to them about the women there having more than one lover who they call husbands for protection. That you can go to Eden as a couple, but strength in numbers is what keeps Eden going.
“I can bring Lucas and Jake, they are with me. They are my boyfriends. And my son, I have to find my son. The Raiders sold him. Once I get him back I will go to Eden.”
“Harlow… I don’t know Nova. I was helping them come find her. If… If you would be willing. I would love to help you find your son. And I can help you find Eden. I know Jeremy.” Kade looked at his feet when he spoke. There was a few looks between Harlow and her two men, then she smiled.
“Come with us.” she said to Kade. “I need all the help I can get to help find my son and take us to Eden.”
Kade looked to Noah then quickly back to Harlow. Yep, he had a thing for Noah. But the way his eyes lit up at Harlow’s words, he wanted want she could offer more. I was glad when he accepted. Because I wasn’t going to share Noah, and I’m sure Nova would have very strong words about that also. I am a little possessive. But Noah belonged to Nova and me only.
After we parted ways, we ran to where they had told us Ryker was. I didn’t know who Kento was, but he was waiting there for us too. And we were to taking him to Eden, Nova had promised to take care of him.
“Nova?” I called from outside the only white house on the corner. I didn’t see any other ones, so this had to be it. I felt breathless waiting for her to answer. When I heard footsteps and a voice said, “Just stay,” I knew that voice. “Ryker,” I called as I barrelled up the stairs, Ezra shoved past me as Ryker opened the door to let us in, and Nova practically screamed when she landed in Ezra’s arms. Noah stood beside me, but we didn’t go to her right away. Ezra needed this. He needed to see she was fine, she was okay. When she reached out toward us, I couldn’t stop my feet from running to her as we all embraced together. The four of us were back together. I never wanted to lose her again, to feel this way again. Like my heart had been ripped from my chest.
Sobbing, she choked out, “I missed you all. I knew you would come. I knew it.” And I didn’t have any words. For the first time in my life I cried with her. I never had let anyone see my walls down like this, I never wanted to show weakness in front of the guys. But right then I knew it was okay. They were my family. My reason to keep living.
After kissing Nova for what felt like the hundredth time, I pulled away and left her tangled between Noah and Ezra as I approached Ryker. I held my hand out and he took it. “Thank you… for everything you have done. I’m sorry I tried to leave you in the middle of nowhere… Honestly, I was scared you would take Nova from us, trust goes both ways. I trust you.” I told him.
He nodded and pulled me in close. “I would never have done that. I think the world of Nova. She is my world. I hope you can accept that I won’t leave her. Unless she asks me to.”
I nodded. I understood. And I was grateful.
“Okay let’s get the show on the road,” Nova called out to me. I laughed. Something I didn’t think I would ever do again. I kept touching her. More than I ever had before. She noticed but didn’t say anything. Like she knew I just had to know she was real, that she was with us again. But we needed to move soon and fast. So I need to stop, and get us moving.
Kento was this frail young man curled up into a ball on a faded blue couch. His hair was a mass of dark, slightly curled hair, and his face was black and blue from the beatings he must have received from the Raiders. His eyes stayed shut the whole time I was in the room. But as soon as Nova or even Ryker talked to him, he opened them. Nova told us we were not to talk about Kento in front of him. That we needed to take it outside or somewhere he couldn’t hear us.
Ryker’s shoulder was patched up the best Ezra and I could. He still had movement in his arm and fingers so I wasn’t worried too much about damage. And the wound was clean and didn’t show any signs of infection. He had no shirt on, but he said he wasn’t cold. And he insisted that Kento kept the blanket on him. That he needed it more. I didn’t doubt it after seeing that other guy, Lucas, with Harlow. He was thin like Kento. But he looked a lot better. Healthier. Kento, he looked like he didn’t have long left. He was very, very unwell.
“I will carry Kento to the Jeep,” Noah said.
As he approached him, I saw Kento flinch away and Nova ran over holding her hands out. “Hang on, we need to ask before we touch.” Shit. Noah flashed a worried look my way. I didn’t think Kento would be so afraid of us. He must have been through hell and back to be so scared. I owed him my life for protecting Nova in the cage she said she was locked in. Even the thought of it made my body tense with anger. I wanted to kill the Red Raiders.
I waited outside with Ezra, scanning the area looking for any Raiders. I turned to see Nova come out and down the stairs with Noah behind her. “Where is Kento?” I asked just as Ryker came out, Kento cradled in his arms, the blanket wrapped protectively around him. “Shit, man, let one of us carry him to the Jeep...” Nova put her finger to my lips to stop me from speaking further. My eyes flashed to hers and she shook her head.
“No. Ryker is fine. He only had a sore arm. He is better now. He is strong and brave like Kento. He can carry him.” I looked over to Ryker, who gave me a look daring me to say something to contradict what Nova had just said. I shook my head. Shit, if he wanted to carry him, then that’s on him. But it was long walk back to the Jeep, especially with his shoulder.
40
Nova
We drove wide around Eagle Point, as far away as we could. Colton was a great driver. We still hit a lot of bumps, and Noah and Ezra jumped out a few times to move things that were in our way. But I felt so much better to see that town and the Red Raiders behind us. Far, far behind. I sat in the middle between Ezra and Ryker. We had Kento on our lap, his feet on Ryker and his head on my lap. I stroked his hair over and over until he finally fell asleep. He was lifeless when he slept, it would worry me if I didn’t know this was normal for him, it wasn’t normal for anyone else. It was the only time his face looked truly relaxed. He wasn’t in pain when he slept. I wanted to be brave and strong too, but just thinking about what he had gone through... It was hard to keep a brave face.
Ryker nudged my shoulder and gave me a sad smile. “It will be okay. He will be fine. I promise.” But I could see that smile hid the fears he had. He didn’t really know if he would be fine.
Ryker had carried him the whole way to the Jeep. He was in so much pain you could see it etched into the lines on his face. But Kento had said he would rather stay than have Noah carry him. Even though I insisted that Noah was safe. He kept tensing up when he got too close. When Ryker came over, he didn’t do that. He seemed relaxed with Ryker, so I asked if he would mind Ryker carrying him. Kento agreed and I helped pick him up and nestle him in Ryker’s arms.
We didn’t drive far. The battery was partially dead, it didn’t get to charge enough. So, we pulled up to an old farm house. The best part was there was a dam that had water. Not really drinking water, but we could boil it, and I wanted to swim. But Colton said it might be unsafe, or have dead animals or even people in it, so we could wash but he wanted us to boil it first. ‘I’m not taking chances.’ He had said to me, when he stroked my hand. I noticed he touched me a lot more then usual. But I chalked it up to him scared and needing to reassure himself that I was here. Safe with them. I wasn’t complaining. I loved the extra attention he was giving me.
“I have never been happier in my whole life than I am right now.” Snuggled into Ezra’s arms watching the water boil on a little gas stove. I wanted a fire, but we weren’t as far away as they wanted from the Raiders so we used the little gas stove that almost didn’t have enough gas left to use. We boiled a big pot and I washed my face and armpits as best I could. Nothing you could really do about being smelly out here. I chuckled to myself. My boys all smelled like their own musky scents. They were all different, even Ryker.<
br />
I turned to Ryker, and he smiled at me and tipped his head. Like a gentleman. “Can you help me clean Kento? I cleaned him last night with Harlow. And I think it would be good to be able to really clean and maybe dress his injuries. He has a lot of them.”
Nodding, he held out his hand and I took it. The guys looked at me but didn’t say anything about me touching him, or him touching me. They finally trusted Ryker. And I think they knew, that he was just as important to me as they were. He led me over to the tent that we had put Kento in earlier to sleep.
“Kento? Are you awake? It’s just me and Ryker. We want to help clean and dress your wounds.” He didn’t say anything, so I touched him. He was limp and easy to move. Shit. I had never known anyone to sleep like this. It was like he was fully unconscious, it was starting to worry me.
“Shit, I don’t think he is okay,” Ryker said. “We will need to give him food, slowly. When he wakes up. I don’t know how much he has been eating. But we can’t give him too much.”
I nodded. It reminded me of the time Ezra, Noah, and Colton had found me and they told me not to eat or drink too much after starving for a week in the desert. That felt like years ago. Not just weeks. I am so lucky to have them all in my life.
Noah appeared at the tent, but he didn’t say anything as he dropped a bowl of freshly boiled water and handed me a fresh clean rag and small dry towel. I smiled as I took it from him. And he left without a word. It made my heart skip. He knew how much Kento meant to me, and he didn’t want to upset him by speaking.
I started to undress Kento with Ryker. After taking his top off, I started washing his face and chest and Ryker dryed it as best as he could. I saw all the marks, scars. Bruises new and old. It broke my heart. He still had on the same pants, which hid the more freshly open wounds that I knew where there. Ryker helped me remove his pants. I felt terrible about looking at his naked body while he lay their unconscious, so I quickly placed the towel over his privates. Even though he had no idea he was naked in front of us. He still deserved dignity. I would never deprive him of that.
