“Man crush?” Xander chuckled and patted his gut. “He may not recognize me now.”
“I cannot risk it. I don’t want him harmed or confronted. I want him here. My assistant and I have developed an antiserum and we believe we can cure him.”
“Interesting,” murmured Xander, still reading through the papers. “Has Erik decided he’s done wrong?”
“Yes, Xander,” Erik grumbled. “Keeping tabs on him will not be the only task.”
“Keep going…”
“I have a few more things I need to check out first before I can get into more details, but I’ll need you to use any and all of your connections.”
“Did you bring the fifty?”
Erik leaned back down and grabbed the paper envelope from the case. As he slid it to Xander, he said, “It’s all there. That should get you back and get you started.”
Gazing up at Erik, his wall momentarily collapsed. “I’ve wanted to get back home.”
“I know. That’s one of the main reasons I called you.”
“And because I am the best at what I do. Don’t forget that, Carlson,” he said.
“Precisely.” Erik packed up his briefcase, then stood. “Wait for further instructions before you make any moves. I may need your services here before we proceed. I will be in touch.”
“I’m already expecting your call.”
After a nod, Erik headed back to the facility.
-Camp North, North Carolina-
Once breakfast had finished, Sergeant Cane gathered us by families. When Elaina, my mum, and I were called in, the three of us were on edge as we sat in front of him.
“All right. Give me your address and we will see what’s going on.”
“How would you know?” Elaina asked.
“The military has been going street by street, logging down viable homes, removing bodies, et cetera. Address?”
As I took her hand, Elaina trembled. “42814 Hollyhills Way, Gamebridge, New York,” she rattled out.
The sergeant typed and sighed. “I don’t have a Daniels listed as a resident.”
“That’s my parents’ home. The Coopers. They’re both gone. We stayed there for a while before deciding to travel. We were running out of supplies. Then the bombings…”
The sergeant cleared his throat, his eyes darting around the computer screen. “I’m sorry, but I cannot disclose details without proof this was your place of residence.”
Fury hit me like a freight train. I lost control and slammed my fist down on the desk so hard, everything jumped. Both Elaina and my mum gasped, Elaina’s hands shaking as she covered her mouth. The sergeant recoiled and reached to his side, palming his gun.
“Son, calm yourself,” Mum warned.
I took a breath, trying to settle myself down.
The simple metal folding chair creaked as I leaned forward. With a slight growl in my voice and a jab at the desk with my forefinger, I said, “Sergeant, my wife shot her father and many more family members and friends the day of the outbreak because they were struck with the virus. We were lucky to get out alive. We were supposed to marry that day at Heritage Family Worship. Both of us had flats just outside the city. I managed the New York Blood Bank, and she was unemployed. That address? We buried her mother in that fucking backyard.”
His eyes narrowed at me. “Do you have any identification?”
“Of course we don’t! That shit was left behind because of a blizzard and planes dropping fucking bombs all around us!”
“Henry, enough,” my mum warned again, squeezing my shoulder.
“Please. This was my wife’s family home. We’re about to have our first child. She wants nothing more than to take our baby home,” I growled.
He looked distraught. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Not without proper identification. I can’t verify if it’s your or someone else’s home.”
Elaina began sobbing and it broke my bloody heart. I shoved my anger aside to comfort her. I wrapped my arms around her, continuing to glare at the sergeant.
“Shhh, love. Fuck them. We’ll go on our own. We will find a way after the baby comes. I will get us home. I promise you.”
“Our engineers are working on proper housing as we speak.”
Elaina pulled away from me, fire flaring in her eyes. “I don’t want proper housing! I want to go home. To my parents’ house. I want to raise our child where I was raised!”
“Hey, hey… Calm down,” I soothed, stroking her hair. My anger still lurked, but I had to try to keep her calm for the baby, keeping myself calm for the both of them. I looked back at the sergeant. “Come on, mate. Why would she pick an address out of the air like that? Look at her!” He took a hard look at my beautiful wife, sobbing to the point she was choking. “Please… I beg you.”
He glanced back and forth at all three of our faces and sighed. “I’m not supposed to do this… According to the listing, there are eight houses viable on that street. One is the Cooper’s residence.”
Elaina turned and choked into my chest. “Thank you so much. When can we leave?” I asked.
He tapped on the keys, mumbled to himself, then said, “We have a scheduled take off from an air carrier out in the port in two weeks. We will fly out once a month to different areas thereafter.”
Knowing what else was at the port, I shuddered, but tried to reassure Elaina. “Perfect. See, love-”
He raised his hand. “I’m sorry, but it’ll be doctor’s orders when she and the baby can fly.”
“Right. Well, at least we know what to expect. Thank you so much.” I picked up her chin and the sight of her made me well up. “We’re going home, love. We are going home,” I roughly whispered. My mum choked out a sob and wrapped her arms around both of us.
I pulled Elaina to her feet, helped her out of the sergeant’s office, and walked her back to our tent. I held her for a while until she calmed and decided to lay down. I got her as comfortable as possible and left her alone to rest.
A thousand thoughts ran through my mind as I stood outside the tent, leaning against the barricade. The soldiers paced, the kids kicked a ball around, and my mum wandered past me and into the shade. Josie and Jake snuggled up in a small patch of grass while she played a few songs on the guitar. Gunther bounced a giggling Grey around, and Cora stood quietly, watching the kids, her hands tucked into the front pocket of her baggy hoodie.
From the moment we rolled up to camp, it was a near instant divide between the two groups. Chris and Mara were walking hand-in-hand, which I still didn’t get. Jane, Lauren, and Eli were playing with Maggie off to the side. James, Savannah, Farren, and Eden were playing a game of cards on a table just outside of the food tent.
It was weird how things were turning out. I wondered what would become of us. We all had been through so much together as individuals and as a group…as a family.
I decided I needed to do something.
“Hey, Gunther?”
He headed toward me, setting Grey down. He wobbled around while holding Gunther’s finger. “What’s going on, mate?”
“Come with us.”
His brows furrowed. “Sorry?”
“Elaina’s parents’ house is still viable. Come with us.”
“You want Grey and me to live with you?”
“Yeah, absolutely. We’re brothers.”
He gazed at me for a moment, then shook his head. “You have no idea how much I appreciate the offer, but I can’t do that.”
He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm. “Why not?”
“Because… I just can’t.”
“I don’t understand-”
“Please, don’t. Not right now.” He swallowed hard and walked away.
“That went well,” I mumbled. I headed over to Josie and see what her plans were.
“Hey, Henry,” she said as she and Jake stood.
“I was wondering if you talked to the sergeant about your homes yet.”
Josie and Jake exchanged glances. “Well, there’s
no word on mine yet, but Jake’s is still viable.”
“That’s great, but I’m sorry to hear they haven’t gotten to yours.”
“I don’t think I can handle going back there anyway.”
Jake adjusted the cap on his head and smiled. “I’m pretty stoked over mine.”
“I’m happy for you. They didn’t give you shit about ID?”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. “I have mine.”
“Right. When are you heading home?”
“They haven’t decided yet. They said they should have a flight to Charlotte soon.”
I glanced over at Josie, who also had a grin on her face. It was apparent she was quite pleased over something. “What are your plans, Josie?”
She reached out to Jake and took his hand. “Jake wants me to go with him.”
I raised a brow and half-smirked. They reminded me of how Elaina and I used to be when we first started out as a couple. “Have you talked to Gunther about that yet?”
She sighed. “No. Honestly, I’m afraid to tell him. I don’t want hurt him.”
I reached out and rested my palm on her shoulder. “Listen, it’s guaranteed your decision will hurt him. He loves you like his own. However, he wouldn’t want to hinder what you want for your future. If this is what you want to do and this is what will make you happy, so be it. Follow your heart. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”
Jake clenched her hand. “I love her so much and I want to share my life with her.”
I nodded. “I completely get what you’re saying. I say go for it.” I squeezed her shoulder, then patted Jake’s. “The only thing I ask is you stay in contact with Gunther somehow. If you can, visit him from time to time. That would make him happy.”
“Absolutely. He’s done a lot for me. Do you know where he’s going? I have all of Quinn’s paintings. I’m sure he’ll want them.”
I laughed and jammed my hand through my hair. “Well, I just asked him to go with us, but he refused and I have no idea why. Talk to him. Maybe he’ll open up to you.”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
“Well, I’ll let you two get back to whatever it was you were doing. I won’t say anything to him. It’s on you to let him know.”
“Right.” She looked at Jake, who shrugged.
Chapter 24
Weeks had ticked by and it was getting close to the time Elaina would be giving birth. The baby had dropped, and her body was paying the price. It was uncomfortable to do anything from sitting to standing to walking. Henry felt terrible that he couldn’t do anything to make her feel better.
In between the medics checking on her, she and Cora had been spending a lot of time going over breathing techniques, also working on her focusing and meditation. Elaina was fearful of the pain to come because, admittedly, she was a wuss. Cora knew all too well how painful a natural birth was, but she told Elaina once she saw that little face, she wouldn’t care how much the birth hurt.
As she was showing Elaina different positions to use for getting through contractions, Cora hissed in pain and grabbed her lower abdomen. She looked a little concerned for a moment, then brushed it off.
“Are you all right?” Elaina asked as she turned on her side.
“Uhh… Yes. Yes, I’m fine. Just a cramp.” She smiled.
Elaina narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“I’m fine,” she snapped.
“Moody, I see,” Elaina mumbled. She looked at Cora’s abdomen as she knelt. Her shirt caught in the waist of her pants and a soft swell was exposed. “Oh, my god, Cora!”
Startled, Cora panicked. “What?! What’s wrong?”
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” she whispered harshly. Cora’s expression was nonplussed. “Cora, give it up! I can see your swollen belly.”
Cora sighed and hung her head. Elaina sat up and pulled her into a hug. As she cried, Elaina held on, allowing her to get it all out.
“Are you in love with him?” Elaina questioned precariously.
Cora nodded. “I am, but he doesn’t love me. He’s still hung up on Quinn. He talks about her all the time. Quinn used to say this, Quinn would do it this way, Quinn was his life… It’s almost like he’s rubbing it in my face, making me feel like he could never love me and I’ll never matter.” Elaina wiped Cora’s face as the tears trickled down her bright red cheeks. “You see where he sleeps.” She nodded to the other end of the tent. “He’d rather be away from us than be with the rest of his family.”
“I’m so sorry, Cora. I hate to say this, but I don’t think he’ll ever stop loving her. She was everything to him. To be frank, you can’t ask him to stop.”
“I know, and I know I could never possibly replace her, but he won’t even talk about the baby with me. He just skirts around it or changes the subject. I want some sort of acknowledgment from him. Something.” She put her face in her hands and sobbed.
“So he knows?”
“Yes, he knows, but he didn’t seem a bit excited at all. He just said, ‘Right… Okay.’ That was it. No emotional reaction whatsoever. I don’t even know if he wants this baby. Before we had sex, I could have sworn he had feelings for me. It was the way he looked at me, touching me with purpose. I almost wish I never slept with him…or fell for him. He’s distant most of the time. He won’t open up to me. He won’t even take off that damn wedding band. He tells me all the time how grateful he is that I took on Grey, but I don’t know what’s going on in his head. We only had sex the one time. I thought we were going to be a couple, but I was just a fuck for him. A tension release. He used me. I’m such a fool, Elaina.”
“Maybe he’s just afraid to get attached again. Quinn’s death did a number on him. She was the first person in his life who ever showed him love. He never even had parental love, Cora. She molded him into a caring and loving man. She helped him see his potential. However, I don’t understand why he’s treating you this way. You don’t deserve it. Do you want me to talk to him?”
“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea. Maybe he’ll open up to you since you are far more aware of what’s going on up in that melon of his. But, please, don’t say anything to the others yet.”
“I won’t. I promise.” Elaina kissed her on the cheek. “Help me up and I will hunt him down.” Cora stood and pulled Elaina to her feet. She waddled off out of the tent to find Gunther and slap some sense into him.
She made her way through the camp, glancing into the food tent. Gunther wasn’t there. She decided to try the tent that held the gym equipment. She pulled open the flap and, sure enough, he and Henry were working out again. Gunther was spotting him while he was doing reps on the bench.
Seeing Henry pushing through the heavy set caused Elaina’s body to react. Gunther worked hard getting Henry back into shape. She was always rather appreciative when, acting casual, Henry would show her his eight pack.
“Five more! Let’s go!” Gunther coached.
She watched with pride as Henry growled through it, but he did it. They racked the bar and he sat up from the bench, drenched in sweat, shaking his arms out.
I looked up from the weight bench and saw Elaina standing just inside the door, half-smile on her face. “Hey, love. How’s my sexy wife doing?”
Elaina put her hand up. “Oh god, Henry. Don’t even start with me.” I laughed and sauntered up to her, placing a big kiss on her lips. I groaned. “For real, Henry?” She pointed at her belly. “This bulging stomach, wide ass, and swollen ankles do nothing for sexiness.”
“Sorry. I can’t help that you turn me on so much,” I murmured in her ear. “Honestly, you look so bloody hot, you’ve got my cock twitching.” I leaned back, wiggling my brows.
She rolled her eyes and fanned herself with her hand. “Oh, Lord. Must be the raging hormones making me so hot.”
I laughed and kissed her forehead. “Love, you are stunning no matter what. I have to go. We’re not quite done. I still have a few more sets I need to go through.”
>
“What are you up to now?”
“Three-seventy.”
“Moving on up, Mr. Daniels.”
“That I am, Mrs. Daniels.”
Elaina looked past me and whispered, “I need to speak with Gunther.” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Alone,” she added.
I furrowed my brows. “Everything all right?”
“We’ll talk later.”
I nodded. “Hey, mate?!” I called out to Gunther. “I’m going to go get water. Want some?”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure thing. Keep an eye on my sexy wife for me.” Gunther nodded with a smile. Elaina yipped when I smacked her on her ass as I headed out.
After Henry left the tent, Elaina tried to figure out how to word things with Gunther. It would prove to be one of the most difficult conversations she would ever have with him.
Gunther walked over to Elaina. “How are you feeling?”
“I can’t wait to get this over with. I’m just ready to meet the little person,” she murmured, rubbing her belly.
“Ah, yes. I remember the last few weeks with Quinn. She was knackered all the time, miserable, in pain, and couldn’t wait to kiss my lad’s face.” He frowned and his gaze lowered to the ground.
“I’ve been a little grumpy. I’m surprised Henry hasn’t divorced me yet.”
“Here, sit.” He waved to the weight bench. “It’s not a comfy spot, but it’s better than you standing.” He smiled and took her hand, guiding her to the seat.
“Thank you.” Elaina inhaled and sighed. “Listen, I need to talk to you about a few things.” He licked his dry lips as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “It’s about Cora.”
His eyes closed for a moment. “Right.” He sighed and plopped down on the opposite end of the bench.
“Gunther, I know she’s pregnant.” He nodded while picking at the cracked vinyl. “I found out today while she was helping me.” She reached out and took his hands. “Just for the record, she didn’t tell me. I was the one who figured it out. How are you feeling about this?”
He pulled his hands away from hers, lifting them to his face. The silence was deafening. When he finally gazed up at her, she could read the burdening feelings coming from his stare.
Blind Faith (Shattered Lives, Book Four) Page 22
