She reaches up and squeezes my hand. “Everyone! Bring me what you have so far. I want you to identify everything you collected today.”
We head back to the caves after a warm afternoon in the sun. These warm days are numbered, getting colder with each setting of the sun. We’ve only got about a month to get our winter supplies in order, before the snow hinders us from our larger supply runs.
Sarah has lunch ready when we return. Everyone else has eaten while we were out, so the kitchen is relatively empty. I helped Azami get her bread and soup together, sat her at the table and returned for my own.
Halfway through lunch, a commotion sounds from the front room. Shortly after, Dane bursts through the kitchen door, a giant smile plastered on his face. “They’re back!” He speaks to the room, but stares directly at me.
A giant smile spreads across my lips. Azami jumps to her feet, clapping her hands. Sam and Tony are already out the kitchen door, Sarah trailing right behind them. James stares into his bowl of soup, appearing conflicted.
“James? Aren’t you coming?” Since our talk, James has been somewhat distant. He still spends time with us, but you can tell he’s still struggling with the information.
“I’ll be there in a few,” he mumbles. I get the sense that pushing him right now will not benefit him.
“Okay. If you need anything…” I trace a reassuring hand down his shoulder.
He smiles up at me, his eyes sad and torn.
I grab Azami’s hand and we race down the tunnel, bursting into the main cavern, just as they enter from the opposite side. My eyes connect immediately with Ian’s. His breathing increases, causing his chest to rise and fall faster than normal. His eyes travel across my body, assessing, making sure I’m unharmed. Immediately, his eyes drop to my side, catching the movement there.
Azami stands next to me, her little fingers threaded through mine, a giant smile lingering on her lips. She’s excited to see him. My heart takes on a buoyant pressure in my chest. We had a horrid history, but our future would erase those memories.
Seconds later, he’s standing in front of us.
“Hi,” I whisper, time slowing.
“I missed you—both of you,” he says just as quietly.
Azami squeals, catapulting herself into him. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s part spider monkey. She takes his cheeks in her hands, staring at him, causing him to laugh.
“You back now, Daddy.”
His eyes grow distant for a moment, amazed at the word Daddy. “I sure am, pumpkin.”
Ian’s deep chuckle has my belly warming, my breath speeding. I loved the group reunion, but at this moment, I wanted him alone. Holding Azami in his arms, he turns back to me. Sensing my emotions, his nostrils flare.
It hits me then, the reason Azami is holding onto Ian’s cheeks. The little turd is reading him. Knowing this, I attempt to wipe away all my longing and pent-up sexual frustration. Those images are too graphic for a toddler.
I reach over and take Azami from him, propping her up on my hip. Ian looks at me, confused. “We need to talk.”
Still confused, he asks, “Is everything okay?” He looks around the room. “How’s James?”
How could I forget? “Yes! He woke up a couple days after you left. He’s in perfect working order now.”
“Where is he?”
I look down, fiddling with Azami’s fingers.
“Lil, what’s going on?” he sounds nervous, and guilt surges through me. I’ve ruined his relationship with his brother.
“Not here,” I whisper, noticing the rest of the group making their way over to us.
“Lil! Azami!” Mason yells.
Azami jumps from me and monkey climbs her way up Mason’s side, making him laugh. She takes a moment to touch his cheek like she did with Ian. I know I should stop her, but to what end? Would I keep her from touching? Deprive her of human contact. Never. However, setting up guidelines with her may be reasonable. She can’t invade people’s private thoughts the way she’s doing, just because she’s curious.
“Mason.” I step in to hug him. “I’m so glad you’re all back.”
“Glad to be back.”
Luke stands over Mason’s shoulder, smiling his cocky grin.
I let Mason go, moving toward Luke. “Luke.” Each of their names leave my lips with the weight of a boulder. Having them home is such a relief.
“Hey, Lil.” He hugs me tightly, then steps back.
Ian’s moved back to the rest of the group they’ve brought back, leaving me to welcome Luke and Mason. I can’t wait to meet the others, so I move to introduce myself. Dane is already speaking to them, playing with the fingers of the baby.
“Hi.” I smile. “I’m Lillie. I’m so glad you made it.”
The newcomers appear nervous, until one of them looks directly at me. “You?” He steps out from behind the small crowd, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Somehow, I knew I’d see you again.” My mouth gapes into a perfect O. It’s the handsome man from my dream, the one who’d said they were waiting for Ian. “You are a sight for sore eyes.” He swoops me up like we’re old friends, and swings me around.
Everyone looks at us like we’re insane. “How do you know each other?” Ian asks what everyone is thinking.
“This is her!”
“Deagon, what on earth are you talking about?” Mason looks back and forth between us.
“The girl I told you about, the one from my dream. She’s the one who told me where to look for you.”
Understanding crosses their faces moments later.
Mason steps closer. “Lil, did you have one of your dreams?”
“A few days ago, I had a dream about Ian. He was in a white house on Palomino Drive. When Ian disappeared from the dream, I moved to another, one with all of you in it.” I say, looking to the newcomers. “Deagon was there…he could see me. We danced to a really soft song and he told me about Ian coming to find them. I remembered the street you boys were on and told him. I didn’t know if the dream was real or not.”
Deagon moves closer. “How about another slow dance?” His voice is seductive.
He’s an extremely good looking guy. Olive skin, dimples, and chocolate brown eyes. Enough to make me blush.
Before I can reply, Ian moves in between us, a small smile playing on his lips. “Sorry, Deagon. Lillie doesn’t dance with anyone but me.” He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer, claiming me as his.
Luke and Mason chuckle behind me.
Deagon’s cheeks turn pink. “Sorry, Ian. I had no idea.” He laughs softly to himself. “I’ll take back what I said earlier too.” He looks at me and rubs the back of his neck. “Nice to know you’re the real deal, Lillie. Pleasure to meet you.”
Obviously, I’m missing something.
I look to Ian for an explanation. “I’ll explain later,” he says, laughter in his voice. “Let’s get everyone settled, then I want to go see James. Why isn’t he here?”
“I’ll explain once we’ve finished.” My cryptic response causes Ian to study me, wondering what kind of conversation we’re in for.
Introductions begin, even though a few people are missing from our group—Jane, Sam, and Tony’s mom. She only comes out of her room for chore hours and to eat. I think she’s still trying to get comfortable, even after living here for years. The boys assured us that she’s doing okay, she just needs time. She’ll get there on her own time. Whatever happened to her out there must have been atrocious.
James and Rosie are missing as well. Rosie’s off doing her own thing, which she tends to do more of lately. James isn’t ready to face Ian with the truth of what happened between us.
The newcomers introduce themselves to our group. Deagon is the middle brother to Sophia and Naveen. Naveen is the oldest, and the mother to Gage. The women in their family carry the same olive skin as Deagon, dark black hair, and chocolate eyes.
Quinn’s the other member of their group. Definitely not rela
ted, with his sandy blond hair and sharp steel blue eyes. His demeanor exudes toughness, but he’s easy to laugh and smile. His built frame is from years of manual labor. In a world such as ours, you’re always building, farming, anything to improve your living situation.
“It’s so wonderful to have you all here. Azami’s so excited about the baby. Say hi, Az.”
Since moving here, she’s come out of her shell, turning into a typical toddler. “Hi.” She smiles and waves her hand, watching the baby very closely.
“Hi, Az.” Naveen moves over to her and kneels down in front of her, baby Gage sitting on her lap.
The baby coos loudly, as if to say hello himself.
Azami giggles. “Hi, baby,” she says again, this time directly to Gage.
“This is Gage. He’s almost ten months old. How old are you?” Naveen asks her.
Azami looks up at me, making sure it’s okay to answer her question. I nod, telling her to go ahead.
“Two.” She holds up two fingers.
“Wow! You’re a big girl.”
Azami stands taller, expanding with her compliment.
I stifle a giggle behind my hand, and Naveen smiles. “You and your mommy will have to come over to see us. Gage would love to have someone to play with.”
Her eyes light up. “Weawy! Momma, can we?”
“Not today, princess. They have to settle in. Maybe in the next day or two, okay?”
She frowns, but agrees. “Otay.”
We’d spent the last couple days getting rooms ready. Since Becky and Jeff no longer live in the caves, we had two rooms available. I changed the blankets on the beds, attempting to make them feel at home. Leading the way, I show them their rooms. Naveen, Sophie, and the baby would share, while Deagon and Quinn would get the other. Mason unpacks a few bags that hold vacuum sealed blankets.
The house I’d seen in my dream provided them with items that were as good as new, the baby picking up an entire winter wardrobe of clothing, while the rest of us gained plenty of clothes, blankets, and sheets. This is a good addition to the items we already possess. You can never have enough supplies.
Chapter 9
Ian
Home.
I’ve been away for far too long. Injuring myself in the last supply run kept me away for months on end, recovering from my wounds. Getting back to my girls was my number one priority. I thought salvation was mine when I arrived. I was dead wrong. Instead, Becky and Jeff had been infected, Lillie was attacked, my brother was beaten within an inch of his life, and my daughter was kidnapped. On top of all that, I still had another group to rescue, and I had failed. They’d lost two more members before I could make it back to them.
Realistically, I know it’s not my fault. Priorities are priorities. My family comes first, always. But the realization does nothing to settle the guilt in my stomach. If we’d only been a couple of days earlier. If only…
After the introductions, I begin searching for James, wondering why he hadn’t come to see me. Lillie looked upset about something, I could sense it pouring off of her. Fear, guilt, sorrow. What else could possibly happen to our family?
Just as we begin showing the newcomers the sleeping tunnel, James steps into the group. He makes eye contact for a moment, then looks away. The same emotions I read from Lillie are radiating from James as well, added with disgust and loathing. All directed at me.
My breathing speeds. What happened to cause such a reaction? The first chance I get, I pull James aside, snagging his arm as he walks by.
“James? What’s going on? I’m so happy you’re all right.” I lean in to hug him, but he ducks out from under my arm, his face twisting with an unknown anger.
“Don’t touch me.” He growls in a voice I’ve never heard from him before.
Lillie comes to stand next to me, placing a hand on my arm. “Let’s move this somewhere a little more private. I don’t want our business announced.” She looks at James, who seems to soften at her request. “Thank you,” she sighs. We move off to the side and let the tour continue without us.
Mason takes Azami with him to finish the tour, giving us some time alone. As soon as the last person turns the corner, I level my eyes to Lillie and James. “What’s going on? You two are beginning to scare the shit outta me.”
James grunts in response, leaving Lillie to explain.
“He knows…about Azami. That you’re her real father. I told him everything.”
I shake my head, shocked. My heart expands to enormous proportions, aching beyond belief. “James…I…” My voice cracks. How can I expect him to forgive me when I can’t begin to forgive myself?
Lillie interrupts my thoughts when she drops her next bomb on me. “That’s not all. Our daughter has developed her own little gift.”
This causes a small smile to cock on James’s lips.
“What?” I ask, skeptical.
“When she touches you, she can hear what you’re thinking.” She pauses, gauging my reaction. “She knows you’re her father. She’s the one who originally told James. I just elaborated.”
After a moment of complete silence, I rake my hands down my face, mumbling, “Anything else?”
“No. That’s everything.”
I take a deep breath. Manning up, I look James in the eyes. “I’m not going to give you some bullshit excuse, James. I know what I did. I know what I took from her. No one can hate me for what I’ve done more than me. For some crazy fucking reason, Lil has forgiven me for something I can’t even forgive myself for. When I think about it, I go crazy. She and Az are the only things keeping me calm.
“I get your anger. Just know that I love you whether you can find it in your heart forgive me or not. I know Lil talked to you about what happened, but if you want to ask questions, which I hope you will, please come to me.” Lillie may have told him what happened the day we met, but she didn’t know the stories the group had shared. The images those stories conjured were not disappearing any time soon. The thought of something like that ever happening to her drove me out of my mind.
Conflict flashes across James’s face, the information weighing heavily on him. “Give me some time,” he finally says.
I nod and grab his shoulder, happy he’s granting me this small contact. “I can definitely do that. I’m glad you’re okay, brother.”
I leave it at that, not pushing him. We go in search of the group and find everyone in the kitchen, where Sarah’s preparing dinner. Once she heard that everyone returned, she was ready to play the perfect host. She explains to everyone how we normally run things. Everyone has their day in the kitchen, but it’s mostly to assist her. She’s basically our chef. We’d chop, boil, and knead, whatever she requires. When we sit down for meal times, we do it buffet style. Help yourself, only have seconds after everyone has eaten, and always clean up after yourself.
“I try to keep something in the kitchen to munch on at all times. Mostly bread, but I keep you guessing,” she giggles, glancing over at Deagon.
Deagon stares directly at her like she’s his prey, and I can’t help but smile. Sarah’s extremely shy and soft spoken, the sweetest person in the world. Deagon, on the other hand, is loud and boisterous, a complete player. Soon enough, Deagon will be eating out of the palm of Sarah’s hand. The thought has me laughing out loud.
Lillie elbows me. “What?”
Staring at her like a loon, I notice everything I love about her. She’s the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, pre or post flash. To me, she’s flawless. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, I tell her, “Two things. The first, you are so beautiful. I’m lucky to have you.”
She leans in and kisses me, teasing me with a small amount of tongue. “That’s a good start. And second?” she asks, pulling away too soon.
I groan, missing her lips. “Second, I think Deagon and Sarah have a good connection.”
She glances over and watches their silent flirting. Lillie’s smile grows, coming to the same conclusion. “They sure do lo
ok smitten with each other.”
I wrap my arm around her and chuckle, feeling like a king to have her in my arms again. “Smitten? How old are you?”
She slaps my chest. “I can say smitten if I want to.”
“Yes, baby, you can.” I kiss her head and tuck her under my arm, moving over to where Mason has set Azami down.
Everyone settles in for dinner, discussing our journey and the infected we encountered. Lillie clasps my hand tightly, searching my expression, hoping that the details are wrong. Dane wants to know the specifics, was it pack mentality, or running wild on their own. We’ve come to the conclusion that the infected are learning, banding together, and hunting people. Not the best news to deliver after your arrival home.
After dinner, I get my girls back to our room. Unfortunately, Azami had already passed out before we left the kitchen. Lillie points me to the small bed that she made her at the head of the room. My little girl is already getting too big, but I have to admit, her having her own bed is a bonus for me. She sleeps like a crazy person, sprawled out in every direction. Granted, she probably gets that from me. Laughing, I lay her down and cover her with the new little blanket I snagged from the house.
“What are you laughing about?” Lillie asks from behind me.
“Nothing.” I turn to find her stripping out of her clothes and into her very small tank top, and her even smaller sleep shorts.
“Close your mouth or a fly will get in there.” Her giggle chimes through our little room. Hands down, it’s one of the best sounds ever, only beaten out by our daughter’s laughter. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She’s still so innocent. Even after everything she’s lived through, after all we’ve lived through, she’s still pure. “Come here.” I meet her halfway and pull her into me. Twining my fingers in her hair, I crush her even closer against me. I have to feel her, know she’s real. This is the first time in months that we’ve had to just be.
She seems to understand my desperation, as her fingers dig into the skin under my shirt. She buries her face in the crook of my neck, snuggling in deep. “I’ve missed you so much.” Her voice is hoarse, full of emotion.
Flash Series (Book 2): Immune Page 6
