by Nikki Landis
Sawyer was a complete fool.
He left the one person he cared about above all else alone and without protection.
Fuck.
The girls were in danger. Bailee, most of all.
Chapter 10
“Bailee!”
I jumped up from the mattress and ran toward the door where the sound of Matt’s frantic voice called out to me. “What’s happening?”
“Oh, shit. I think something happened to Sawyer. He was yelling and asking for you. The northern end of the compound was breached. There’s fucking undead coming in!”
“Is he hurt?” I asked, my whole body trembling. Please say no.
“I don’t know, but he said to head that way and hurry.”
Without a second of hesitation, I ran toward the northern end of the compound, passing the barriers Sawyer and his team had erected that were supposed to ensure nothing came inside the building. Spinning in circles and dashing in and out of empty office rooms, I saw no sign of his tall muscular frame.
“Sawyer?” I called out, hoping he wasn’t pinned down or ambushed.
The crash of something heavy falling to the ground off to my right caused sudden fear to flash through my veins. I rounded the corner in time to see a metal object by the far double doors, normally chained and padlocked closed but now completely free and unencumbered.
My body was catapulted across the room when those same doors suddenly exploded, the boom so loud that I was rendered temporarily deaf. A high pitched squeal echoed in my ears afterward as my head began to spin and my vision blurred. Rolling over, I noticed the pain in my left abdomen for the first time. My hand instantly went to my side as a warm thick fluid trickled through my trembling fingers.
Blood.
A soft groan issued between my lips as I pushed myself to my knees and used the wall for leverage as I tried to stand. My entire body ached as I bit my lip against the pain and grimaced as another wave of pain pulsed in my side. A large gash stretched across my stomach where a piece of jagged metal had ripped open my shirt and sliced through my skin. Stumbling forward, I began to retreat knowing any moment this corridor would soon be filled with undead.
I was right.
The first zombie stumbled through the opening as I reached for my knife . . . and realized in my haste I didn’t remember to grab a weapon. My gun was also in my room.
Fuck!
Popping and hissing noises as well as the crackle of a small fire would attract the H.I.M.S. for miles. The smoke would act as a beacon. Add in my blood and I was in serious trouble. A volatile cocktail that would ensure my demise.
“Bailee!”
I blinked in surprise as I heard Charlotte’s voice. She ran around the corner in time to catch me stumble and nearly face plant. Several undead were behind us as the gnashing and chomping of teeth were quick to confirm. She pulled the revolver from her side and fired several shots, buying us time.
“You alright?”
“I think so” I groaned, wincing as she placed her arm around my shoulders and helped to pull me along as more undead filtered through the open doorway. “What exploded?”
“I don’t know for sure. We need to hurry. The Rotters can smell your blood.”
I nodded as we stumbled down the hall, desperate to lose the H.I.M.S.
Just as we were reaching the next set of double doors, another explosion rocked the air and both of us flew backward. I landed against a metal filing cabinet only feet away, but Charlotte was flung into the window of an office as it shattered, cutting her skin with deep lacerations as she landed with a muffled thud.
“Charlotte!” I screamed, crawling forward as the first few undead reached me.
Kicking out, I knocked a middle-aged man with a big gut backward and the momentum threw several of the H.I.M.S. farther away. A young woman tried to snatch my arm as her jaw clicked open and shut. Pitching to the right, I managed to escape her grasp. An empty glass coffeepot sat on the nearest desk. I picked it up and whacked her against the side of the skull as I called out again to Charlotte.
“Bailee, I need help.”
“I’m coming!” I shouted, spurred on by adrenaline as I darted across the hall, one hand pressing in on my side and the blinding pain. Slamming the door shut behind me, I knew we had only minutes before the room was breached. Broken glass covered the entire floor as it mixed with her blood. The undead were becoming excited, bumping into one another and trying to break down the door. Soon they would be unstoppable and whipped into a bloodthirsty mob.
There wasn’t time to barricade the entrance. We had to move as quickly as possible.
“Hey girls! Need some help?”
I’d never been so relieved to hear Tonya’s voice.
“You bet your ass!” Charlotte called out, swaying slightly as I helped her to her feet.
Tonya was on the far end of the room, holding the other door open with her hip. It was the only exit. “This door is heavy. Hurry up!”
We both laughed, but were cut off by the splintering of wood as the H.I.M.S. burst through and began to file into the room. We’d never make it fast enough with our injuries. The undead seemed to be moving faster than usual as we picked up our pace in desperation.
“Charlotte!” Razz’s frantic cry reached us only moments before the undead.
We were both knocked to the ground and fell as Tonya left the doorway and ran forward, jumping into the horde of zombies as she shoved us behind her. Her gunshots echoed in the small room as Razz picked up Charlotte and she clutched him closer.
“Bailee!”
Undead were everywhere. I couldn’t see beyond the snarling mouths and decaying bodies of the H.I.M.S. There were so many. I’d never seen such a big group up close. Someone was calling my name but I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the clawing hands that reached forward with desperation.
It was too late. I’d never get free.
“Bailee!”
Sawyer’s terror filled voice seemed to fill the space, his terror almost palpable, and I turned in time to see him running in my direction. Razz had reached the doorway with Charlotte.
Tonya’s scream snatched my focus as my eyes widened.
Dozens of undead were ripping her clothes as they grabbed at her body. Some of their claws began to scratch and tear at her skin. Jagged teeth chomped down on her neck, face, shoulders, and limbs as her skin erupted, blood dripping down her body as the frantic H.I.M.S. began to feed. Muscles and tendons were stretched and pulled like rubber bands as they snapped and filled the hungry jaws of the horde.
I’d never seen anyone torn apart like that before, just ripped to shreds, their skin exploding open as blood spurted in every direction. The shredded and raw fingers of the H.I.M.S. kept pulling . . . tugging . . . and ripping . . . even as their teeth sank into her flesh like bloodthirsty sharks.
Oh, God.
I couldn’t breathe.
Spots danced in my peripheral vision. In horror, I watched the entire scene unfold as if I was in a dream, my feet adhered to the ground cemented with invisible glue. I was unable to move. Frozen in terror, my body wouldn’t listen to my commands to run away.
I think I was in shock.
“Bailee!”
I heard Sawyer calling to me frantically but I couldn’t seem to snap out of it. Maybe it was more than shock. Maybe I thought I was next and there was nothing he could do about it. I wasn’t sure. The only thing I knew was the moment he picked me up, his strong arms wrapping around my body as he held me close against that wide muscular chest, and the second I heard him say my name, a strange sort of strangle to his words like his throat was closing up.
“Baby, I have you.”
I didn’t answer, my eyes wide and staring.
“Bailee.”
The horde faded into the distance as we left the room, safe for the moment thanks to the brave sacrifice of one of our own.
I think I remembered the tears in my eyes when he said my name, the longing in his v
oice and the concern etched into his brow until he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips. After that . . .
I remembered nothing at all.
SHE ALMOST DIED.
Bailee almost fucking died.
Sawyer brushed a stray strand of auburn hair back from her face, trying to control the rage trembling inside, ready to burst forth from his skin. He was betrayed by one of his own. Matt. He couldn’t believe he thought Tonya was a traitor. Her jealously of Bailee was obvious from the start but she wasn’t capable of such deceit. Bailee almost lost her life because of Sawyer’s distraction and Matt’s unstable mental condition. He could almost kill Matt for this.
If Bailee had died, he might very well have done it.
Maybe he should just exile Matt, but it wasn’t his choice alone. This was a democracy or he would have already kicked his ass out. In truth, he wanted to see him suffer. Matt’s actions were premeditated and he meant for Bailee to be hurt. That alone was fucking treason. He would have to gather the others together and let the majority decide. If it were up to him, Matt would be gone now, forever.
The betraying fucker.
He just didn’t understand the reason why Matt would do this. Was he angry with Sawyer? Was this about revenge for Liz? Did he want to hurt Sawyer by taking away the one person he cared about above all others?
Barking orders for Matt to be confined, he left Razz in charge. Right now, all he needed was to concentrate on Bailee.
“Sawyer,” she whispered, moaning lightly.
“I’m here,” he answered, picking up her hand and pressing a soft kiss against her palm. He didn’t quite understand how it happened or when, but he had feelings for this girl, deep feelings. No longer could he deny them. Nothing seemed as important as her knowing, even if she rejected him.
“Why?” she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
Delicately he traced the contour of her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Cause you’re mine.”
It was as simple as that.
She didn’t say another word but pulled him closer until they were only a few inches apart. In her eyes he saw the vulnerability she let him witness, raw and unchecked, the truth visible in those dazzling hazel irises. It was then that she kissed him, letting her arms slip around his neck, her fingers kneading the back of his head. A moan sounded low in his throat as he deepened the kiss.
“Bailee.”
“You’re mine, too,” she whispered, and he couldn’t disagree.
Sawyer wrapped his arms around her and knew he wouldn’t release her anytime soon. Fuck everyone and everything but him and his girl. He held her in his lap, unable to let go for even a moment. Too much happened. His heart couldn’t take anymore. He realized now he was never going to be able to complete his mission. There was no way he could drop Bailee off and walk away. No one knew yet that she was alive. For some reason, he still hadn’t informed anyone outside of their small group.
Perhaps his heart understood long before his mind could catch up.
Maybe he could just say that he never found her or she was dead. Who would know the difference?
“Hold me,” she whispered. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t,” he promised, kissing her softly. He was a Marine. Loyalty was his specialty.
Semper Fi.
Always faithful – in life, in combat, in peace or at war – but most important, in his heart.
They lay together in the bed, limbs intertwined as close as they could get with their clothes still on. As much as he wanted to lay her back against the sheets and make love to her, he also understood her fragile state of mind. Today had been a big scare. She was strong, his little Bailee, and she was tough, but she still needed him.
Only five minutes later, he realized she was crying. His heart clenched inside his chest. Not his baby. “Shhh sweetheart, everything will be alright now. I’m here and nothing like that will ever happen again.”
Stroking her back until her tears ceased, he listened for her slow even breaths. Exhausted, she fell asleep on his chest. He never moved all night. The thought of waking her upset him. Bailee had been through enough. Too much.
Alone for months in the beginning thinking she was a lone survivor and now all of this mess with Matt and almost dying on multiple occasions. Everybody had a breaking point. Bailee’s was longer than most. He knew she needed love and comfort now so she could recover from the shock. He wanted her to feel safe. She was going to stay with him from this day forward and if she wanted him to give her some kind of commitment, he could do it.
After all, who gave a fuck now anyway? It was obvious how he felt about her.
He would make it clear to everyone tomorrow. Bailee was now his girl. It would be understood. She was to be protected and treated with respect. He kissed her forehead and continued to hold her close until sleep claimed him many silent hours later.
Chapter 11
Day 393, A.Z. –
Bailee awakened screaming, stuck in nightmares that he could only assume were full of ravenous undead ripping her apart like Tonya. His heart ached at the loss, but he was more concerned about the woman in his arms. Three days later and the physical wounds were healing, but her mental trauma he was less certain about since the nightmares hadn’t stopped.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, she began to tremble as his arms surrounded her slender frame. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.”
“Oh, Sawyer,” she wailed as she began to cry into his shoulder.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart, I promise.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Make me forget, Sawyer. Please,” she begged. “I can’t deal with these nightmares. I need it all to go away.”
He didn’t know what to say. Was she in the right frame of mind for such a request? Would he be taking advantage of her in a delicate state?
“Right here, right now. Take me!” She exhaled, her voice rising slightly.
His lips met hers in a scorching kiss that seared his brain. She was tossing clothing all over the bed as he joined her in removing his own, humored slightly by her impatience. “There’s no rush –”
“Shut up and kiss me,” she ordered and he pulled her naked body into his arms, rolling over on top of her as his cock pulsed in excitement.
His roaming hands brushed across her perfect skin and drifted below her navel as he spread her legs wide. Damn.
Her pussy was fucken beautiful and nearly glistened as he spread her apart with his fingers. Her back arched as she moaned, her hips swiveling with need.
She was so wet for him already and he barely touched her yet.
Sawyer leaned forward and positioned his cock, pausing for just a moment to make sure he hadn’t pushed too hard, too fast. “Bailee,” he groaned, forcing his hips not to thrust forward, “tell me you want this, that you want me.” For some reason his voice croaked like a stupid frog.
“I want you Sawyer, don’t doubt it for a second,” she assured him as she guided him closer with a grind of her hips.
That was all he needed to hear. Slowly he sank the first inch inside her, nearly abandoning his control at how tight and warm she was, and he was afraid he would lose himself fast and hurt her. The urge to fuck her mindlessly, deeply, with a primitive roar like a caveman burst inside his bloodstream.
“Look at me,” she whispered, her hand cupping his cheek. “It’s okay, Sawyer. You won’t hurt me.”
Her confidence in his ability to care for her sent a wave of calm to wash over him. Taking a deep breath, he plunged deep all the way inside her. She gasped, gripping his shoulders tight as a low moan escaped from between her full pouty lips.
“More,” she pleaded as he began to move, grinding his hips into hers, thrusting with long slow strokes as his mouth lowered to her tight pink nipples. Sucking on her right breast, drawing her taut flesh into his mouth, he teased with the flick of his tongue. Nipping on the tight little nub he let go with a slight pop and took the left nipple into his mouth al
l the while thrusting hard and deep inside her, never lessening his pace.
“Sawyer!” She cried out as his hand slipped between her legs and found her clit. He pressed little circles into her flesh, moving at a consistent rhythm that matched the wild thrusts of his body crashing into hers. His other hand reached for her own and intertwined their fingers, squeezing tight before releasing.
His heart pounded in his chest as he inhaled a shaky breath. Overcome with desire and need, he willed his body to remain under control. This moment was everything he’d been fantasizing about and so much more. She was perfect. Her body smooth and unblemished, her long tan legs pulling him in closer as he slid his hand down her thigh.
Sawyer wanted to taste her and take his time but not tonight. He would blow his load fast enough as it was and all he could imagine in this moment was to keep their connection, her soft breasts pressing to his chest and her warmth filling him body and soul.
His thrusts increased as he quickened the tempo. Every part of his body felt like it was on fire and he began to sweat as the slap of their flesh echoed throughout the room. His chin lowered as he watched his cock surge in and out of her sexy body.
Damn, everything about her was sensual and erotic.
Sawyer felt her body tense and he knew she was close. “Come for me, Bailee,” he ordered, driving into her harder and faster, the sweat dripping down his back while pulling her closer, the pads of two fingers circling her clit in a furious repetitive motion.
She was close, so close.
The excitement and anticipation were almost too much. He continued the pressure and rhythm of his fingers until he felt her legs tremble around his waist . . .
And then she released. “Sawyer!” Bailee screamed, her nails digging into his back in the most exquisite torture. He wasn’t prepared for how her walls clamped down tight on his cock, how she gushed around him and convulsed, gripping his dick in little aftershocks while she moaned her pleasure in his ear. He never felt a woman come like that, so hard and so fierce, and he couldn’t hold back his own climax. His head fell back as he roared her name. With rough fingers he clutched her closer to his chest and spilled his load, a good six or seven mind blowing thrusts until stars danced in his surprised eyes.
