“What could they possibly want to tell us now?” Mara complained. Heaven forbid she take time out of – whatever it was she did with her time. Stella often wondered if her sister even realized how dismal things had become in New Berlin, the way she pranced around with her group of friends. It was as though they weren’t even conscious of the continuing war happening all around them.
Only a short while ago there had been more bombings in the eastern ghetto. They still had no idea why it happened, or what the consequences had been.
“It is not your place to question them,” their father said, finally lowering his paper. “You are to be where you’re told to be, and that’s that.”
Mara simply nodded. They didn’t argue with their father – ever. Finishing her meal, Stella excused herself to begin walking to school. They only had one bike, and Mara claimed it each morning. This left Stella to walk the long trek by herself, making her need to leave much sooner than her sister.
“Have a good day, dear,” mother called out.
“You too,” she replied with a smile.
“Be safe.”
“I always am.” She grabbed her knapsack and left the building. Their neighbour, Mr. Samson, sat out on his front step like always, watching from his perch with his usual scowl. Stella knew the old man wasn’t nearly has disagreeable as most people thought. She reckoned the man gave off that impression to dissuade people from bothering with him. It only made her want to be nice to him more.
“Good morning, Mr. Samson,” she called out, stopping below him with a smile.
His face instantly changed to a softer expression when his eyes met hers. “Morning, Stella. Sleep well?”
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Good, good.”
She looked around, before turning back to him. “Any news from your nephew?”
His face fell as he shook his head. “No, not yet.” It had been a while since Mr. Samson had received a visit from his nephew, and she knew he was worried about him.
She would never admit it to anyone, but Stella often waited by the window to spy on the boy whenever he came. She didn’t know his name or where he lived, but she always looked forward to when he’d come to visit his uncle.
Every time they were called to the community center, Stella would find herself searching the crowd for his wind tossed blond hair, praying she’d see those bright blue eyes looking back at her. But she never saw him. And she was too shy to ask much more about him from Mr. Samson.
He was something else though. Unlike the boys at her school, he was strong and built, with a confidence in his stride most people didn’t have anymore. He looked – untouchable. As though he didn’t care at all what people thought.
She admired it, knowing she herself would never be that way. It was intoxicating to observe. So she’d looked down through her window for when he approached, and waited there to see him once more when he left. And that was the sad extent of her interaction with the boy.
He didn’t know her, wasn’t even aware of her existence. But what did it matter really? Even if he saw her, he’d pass her over like all the other boys. Most likely, he’d take one look at Mara and be as love struck as the rest. Shoulders slumping at the realty of it all, she wished Mr. Samson a good day and went on her way.
Even though she shouldn’t, Stella knew that despite her best efforts, her eyes would scan the crowd at this evening’s meeting like they always did, looking for the beautiful boy that filled her with feelings she couldn’t quite explain.
“I’m so bored,” Garret complained, falling back onto the mattress.
“Well the fight isn’t until tomorrow, so we have no choice but to wait,” Missy said. She didn’t like being trapped in this room any more than he did. Her nerves were shaking, especially since she didn’t know where Tyler and Pixie had been pulled off to. She knew her love could handle himself, but that didn’t ease the fear slithering throughout her stomach.
What if his anger got the better of him? The General’s treatments still affected him, and there were times that she could see him falling into the rage that had clouded his mind for so many weeks when he was stuck in the Institute. Missy seemed to be the only one who could calm him down, and now they were separated from one another.
“Do you think they’ll bring us something to eat at least? I’m starving.”
Missy shrugged as she paced the small area beside the bed. She couldn’t sit still, and the thought of food was not a welcome one at this point with her nerves the way they were.
Garrett sat up then, looking at her. She wasn’t as nervous here with him as she might be with others. Garrett had always been the nicest of the bunch from the eastern ghetto. His kind eyes and easy smile made her feel more comfortable with him than she would have been had his brother, Trent, been there with her.
“Why don’t you sit down for a bit?” he suggested.
Missy shook her head.
“Miss, come on. You’re making me more nervous with all your pacing. There’s nothing to be worried about. This is what we do. Someone gets taken and we get them out. Plain and simple.”
She stopped and looked at him, unconvinced. “What makes you think it will be as easy as that?”
He smiled, splaying his hands out as though it were the most obvious of answers. “Because I just do. I have faith in all of us to always come out on top.”
She pursed her lips, and then started to move again, shaking her head. “I don’t think so. We don’t know these people like we do the New World Order, or the General. We have no idea what they’re capable of. And we’re stuck underground, separated from each other, with the other four locked up somewhere.” She stopped again, facing him. “I just don’t see how we’ll manage this one.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she could tell the instant Garrett spotted them. His smile slipped from his face as he stood to approach slowly, as though he were afraid to spook her.
“Now don’t go getting all girlie and emotional on me, Miss. Your man is like some super fighting machine, and Trent and Phoenix are two of the toughest people I know. This is all going to work out in the end.”
She sniffled and tried to nod in agreement, even though she didn’t really feel it. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, and she let him. Leaning her forehead against his shoulder, he patted her awkwardly on the back.
“We just need to keep it together for a bit longer. Trust me.”
She wanted to, she really did. It just felt like every time they seemed to get ahead, something else happened to pull them right back. She wanted everyone home and safe for once. Of course, in this world, the likelihood of that wasn’t good. If only Tyler had been allowed to stay in the room with them. It would have made her feel slightly less scared.
“Why don’t you go try and find Pixie,” Garrett suggested, letting go of her. “Tell them you need to see your fighter. They probably won’t give you a hard time. And then use that opportunity to snoop a bit.”
“Yeah, okay,” she agreed. “I can do that.” She was used to looking around where she shouldn’t, considering that’s all she did while at the Institute. Well, until she found herself locked inside a cell with Tyler. At least it would give her something to do rather than just waiting here and worrying herself to death. “What are you going to do?”
“Find food.”
Missy and Garrett split up outside their room, both of them surprised that no guards waited there. Apparently they weren’t prisoners, a minor plus to all of this. As she walked the halls, she didn’t come across anyone for a while. The emptiness was strange, especially how quiet everything was. The earth that surrounded them blocked out the world, making her feel as though she was all alone. It gave her the creeps and she sped up her pace.
Turning a corner, she almost ran into the one person she’d hoped not to see most of all.
“Oh! Hello, Mr. Black,” she said quickly, stepping out of his way.
“Ma’am,” he said ple
asantly, tipping his head toward her in greeting. “Where are you headed to?”
She wasn’t fooled by the light conversational tone of his question. His eyes were shrewd and calculating as he watched her. Her mouth got dry as she tried her best to keep an outward calm. She got the impression nothing got past this man, and she couldn’t help but wonder how well they were fooling him – if at all.
“I…I was just going to look for our female fighter. I wanted to make sure she was okay, since she’s a girl…and all.” She cringed at her explanation. God, even an idiot would realize something was up. She hadn’t recovered at all from her surprise at being caught out and about by him, and now he’d certainly know something was up.
“She’s fine, I assure you,” he replied, his tone offering no argument.
Missy nodded once, understanding that there was no way this man was going to direct her to the cellblocks.
“Okay then, well I’ll just head back to my room then,” she said.
“I’ll walk with you,” he said, motioning for her to lead the way. “I’d hate for you to get lost.”
Missy gulped, stepping in front of him. The hairs on her neck rose at having him follow behind. Her gut screamed that this man was not buying it, although he was playing along for some reason. She needed to get the others together fast, before none of them saw the light of day again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Phoenix landed blow after blow, welcoming the slight pain that ricocheted up her arm each time. Her muscles flexed and screamed, sweat dripping down her face and back, but still she did not cease. She needed to think, and what better way to do so than to mindlessly punch a bag? Her mind had zoned out, letting her body take over while she tried to work out their situation.
She hadn’t seen the guys since their run yesterday, after which she’d been promptly returned to her cell and given a meager dinner, at best. Her heart had sunk when she’d realized Pixie still wasn’t an occupant of the other cells. Unease still settled in her belly this morning, so she decided the best thing to do was work it out.
Guards watch her from the sidelines. She hated being watched all the time. If only she had a moment to look around, maybe she could figure a way out for everyone. The longer she stayed, the less likely it seemed that would happen. She just hoped Garrett and Missy would find the opportunity.
The doors opened behind her, and she could hear the male fighters enter. Some spoke to each other, as though being here and forced to perform was perfectly normal. Of course, maybe it was a better situation for them than what they’d had before. She had no idea. She knew a lot of the people were from the ghetto, and probably had shit apartments with equally shit food. At least here, there was electricity and someone constantly providing meals. She could see how some of them might count their lucky stars.
She wasn’t one of them. She missed her home. She missed her dad. It had been too long and all she wanted was to tell all these fuckers to sod-off and walk her fine ass out of here. Smirking to herself, she picked up her pace, landing combinations that would certainly knock someone out should she use them during her fight.
“Picturing my face, princess?” His voice appeared just beside her ear in a sensual whisper that had a shiver running down her body and goose bumps rising along her arms. She punched the bag extra hard, sending it flying backwards.
“Now I am,” she said sweetly, looking over at him with a batt of her lashes.
He stepped closer, and she could feel his heat at her back. It made her instantly thrilled and uncomfortable at the same time.
“Wanna step out of my personal space, there, hotshot?” she said, fighting down the urge to lean back into him. He was twice the width of her, like a human wall of muscle and flesh at her back. It made her feel petite and feminine, something she didn’t often feel with her loud and badass personality.
Instead of taking a step back as she expected, he reached around her with one arm, splaying his hand on her midriff. His palm was so large, his pinky lay just above her pants, and his thumb was dangerously close to the underside of her breast. She sucked in a breath, not sure if it was from his audacity or from the heat that pulsed even hotter through her.
“We need to talk, and I don’t want anyone else to hear,” he said in her ear.
Ah. Now she got it. Of course he wasn’t coming on to her. This was like their little ploy in the ghetto that one day, when they’d been looking for her sister and Tyler. They’d pretended to be drunk lovers fooling around then, when soldiers had happened to come by them. Even then her body had reacted, against her will. It seemed the damn thing still didn’t know any better.
Cursing her damn libido, she forced herself to put on a smile she certainly did not feel. She did not want to think too hard about the reason for this. It certainly wasn’t disappointment or bitterness. Phoenix bitter? Never.
“So talk,” she said, relaxing her clenched jaw.
He bent his head forward, running his nose along the column of her neck, inhaling loudly.
“Do you mind?” she bit out. “I don’t think smelling me is necessary.”
He chuckled. “No, it’s just a perk of the job.”
She turned her head, startled, to look at him with wide, surprised eyes. Did he really just say that? Trent winked, his lips turning up into a wolfish grin that made her want to smile back, but she stopped herself. They hated each other. They shouldn’t be sharing smiles, and smelling one another. Although now that she thought about it, his scent surrounded her, and it was all male. Closing her eyes, she fought for control.
“Tyler saw Garrett not too long ago,” he said, oblivious to her inner turmoil. “They let him come into the cellblock to see his fighter. Apparently Pixie was taken by Bastian, and no one has seen her since.”
Her eyes popped open, dread filling her. They stared at one another in silence, each conveying their worry and apprehension wordlessly.
“What do we do?” she whispered.
“Not sure,” he replied. “I don’t know what that bastard is up to, and there’s really no way to find out. It’s not like we can come out and ask him.”
“Garrett can,” she said. “She’s supposed to be his. Get him to ask.”
He sighed, dropping his head down so his forehead rested on her shoulder. Seeing him so emotionally and mentally tired pulled at the rusty strings of her heart. She actually felt bad seeing the big guy so upset. Hesitantly, she reached up with one hand, patting his head awkwardly. At the feel of his soft strands of hair, her petting turned to slow strokes. He stayed like that, letting her comfort him in her own way.
“He’s avoiding Garrett, we think,” he finally said, his voice muffled against her skin.
“Of course he is,” she said morosely. What was going on that Sebastian would hide Pixie somewhere else? It didn’t sit well with her, although little did these days. She sighed deeply, letting her hand drop from his hair. He stayed that way for another moment before standing straight. She felt the loss of contact, not liking the way it made her shoulders slump a little more than they already were.
“Let me know if you hear or see anything,” he said, his voice still low.
Phoenix nodded. The feel of him just standing close to her back was starting to drive her wild. She’d been locked in cell for who knows how long, and apparently her body was starved for any human contact – even that of Trent’s. That was the only reasonable explanation for both of their strange behaviour.
Unable to stand it any longer, she looked over her shoulder at him, wondering why he was still standing there. She needed to get back to her musings, and he was interrupting them. She raised both eyebrows in question, silently asking if there was anything else.
A corner of his lips tipped up slightly, his eyes sparkling with something she couldn’t name, right before he leaned in and covered her lips with his. She gasped in shock, allowing him to deepen the kiss, his tongue exploring, demanding. To her utter horror, her knees actually grew weak, and she felt herself wobb
le under his assault on her senses. Before she could do something horribly girlie like swoon, she felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
Everything around her seemed to melt away as she tentatively started to kiss him back, her tongue meeting his in a sensual caress. What the hell were they doing? She wasn’t sure, but for once she didn’t care. The man knew how to kiss, damn it. It was making her skin heat to the point where she thought she might burst. Never in her life had she been kissed like this.
So absorbed was she in the feel of him, it took her a second to hear the soldiers calling out to them to stop. Taking his time, as though he had no care in the world, or that they weren’t surrounded by guards who held them captive, he slowly ended the kiss, drawing it out until she almost moaned at the loss of him when he finally broke away completely.
“What the hell was that?” she whispered, unable to put as much vehemence into her voice as she would have liked.
“Another perk,” he said with a wink.
Perk? What the fuck? Taking a step away from him, she turned so their bodies were fully facing each other, and she contemplated kicking him the balls right then. She would have – she told herself - if they weren’t surrounded by enemies and each other’s only allies. Oh yes, if the situation were any different, this guy would be eating his testicles for dinner.
“You two need to back away from each other, now,” one of the guards demanded, his face scarlet with anger.
“What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?” said the other man.
Trent turned from him, giving the men a lazy grin. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “we’re just having some fun. No harm done.”
She narrowed her death glare at him, but he wasn’t looking at her to truly appreciate the rage being directed his way.
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