What Remains: Untainted

by Kris Norris

  She didn’t speak, couldn’t, just nodded and looked at Darcy. The man grinned, giving her a wink as he held out his arms in a flourish and pivoted, allowing her gaze to rake across his body, memorizing every dip and curve. His chest was broader than Colby’s, his muscles more pronounced, but there was sleekness to his form that suggested agility as well as strength.

  He stopped when he was facing her again, a similar expression on his face. She held her ground, the feeling in her chest making it hard to breathe. Could it really be true?

  Barrett’s grunt of pain drew her from her thoughts, and she stepped forward.

  “That’s okay…Barrett, right? You don’t have to stand up again. I don’t want you to damage your leg any more than it is. I’ll just…”

  Barrett’s hard stare bit into her, stealing the rest of her words, the pain on his face more than evident, but she had a bad feeling it wasn’t from his leg. He clenched his jaw as he levered off the wall, motioning the other men back as he pushed to his feet with only a grimace as any proof he was injured.

  “I’m not damaged.”

  His tone sliced through her heart, and she fought to hold his gaze. She opened her mouth to apologize before abruptly closing it. She hadn’t lasted this long by allowing her emotions to rule her decisions. Life was hard…death inevitable, and only callous determination prolonged the first.

  Barrett hopped on one leg, turning in a circle before bracing his weight on the wall again. She scanned every inch, releasing a slow breath when nothing but the oozing cut caught her attention. They were clean. Human. Untainted.

  The reality of the situation hit her hard, burning tears in her eyes. She wasn’t alone. Wasn’t the last of her kind. Wasn’t…

  The tears she’d held back fell, streaking down her cheek as she choked on a sob. The men’s expressions changed. Colby turned to his friends as he shuffled on his feet. Darcy drew his brows together, a light flush coloring his cheeks. Even Barrett seemed uncertain, tracing his fingertips along the wall as if he couldn’t decide whether to remain standing or slide back down.

  Abby took an involuntary step forward, still not convinced she wasn’t simply imagining the entire scene. “I thought I was…that you were…” She reached forward, not missing how her hand trembled as she lightly brushed it across Colby’s chest. The sob broke free as she palmed his skin, closing her eyes against the rush of pleasure. “God. I can feel your heart beating.”

  She forced her lids open, snatching her hand away when his hand grazed over hers. It was too much…too real. She took a few steps back, putting some much-needed distance between her and the men. God help her, but she wanted to sink into their arms. Feel their warm skin encase her as she surrendered to the most basic needs she’d been denied for what seemed like a lifetime.

  Instead, she swiped at the tears, hating each one that dampened her hand. “I should take a look at Barrett’s leg. It can’t be left like that.”

  Barrett raised his chin, the stubborn expression recapturing his features. “I can bandage it, myself. I’ve tended my share of wounds.”

  She steadied her gaze, regaining some of her composure. “Oh, so you’re a field medic?”

  His eyes darted toward Darcy before he shook his head. “No, but I can bandage a cut.”

  “That’s more than a cut. You’ve nicked the muscle. It’ll need stitches.”

  He smiled at her. “So you’re a doctor, then?”

  She pushed down the images that flickered through her mind. That life was gone, and dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. “Once upon a time.” She looked at Colby. “I gather you’re the leader of sorts. Do me a favor and help his stubborn ass over to the counter. I’d rather not work with him slouched on the floor.”

  Colby stared at her as if she’d spoken in another language. “You’re a doctor?”

  She pressed her lips together. “In a manner of speaking.” She pointed off to his right. “The counter.”

  He inhaled, glancing at the other men before looking back at her. “Can I put my pants on first?”

  She didn’t hold back her grin this time. “Of course. Just make sure I can treat his leg. I’ll wash up and gather my supplies.”

  Colby stepped in front of her when she turned to go. “You know, sweetheart, you’ve all but seen us naked, and we don’t even know your name.” He held out his hand. “Though I gather you’ve picked ours up by now, I’m Colby Harrington. This is Darcy Newport, and the man with the slight British accent is Barrett Stevens.” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

  She glanced at each man, knowing this was the moment where everything changed. Where they became more than just strangers passing through. “Abby. Abby Brennigan.” She stepped around him, not daring to touch him again. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Colby watched her leave, her shoulders hunched, her hands clenched at her sides. Something had changed in the last few minutes, though he wasn’t quite sure what. He didn’t move when Darcy ambled up beside him, the man’s gaze following his.

  Darcy nodded after her. “What the hell just happened? The woman took out zombies like some special ops soldier, but give her your name and bam…she’s terrified.”

  He spared Darcy a quick look before staring after her again. Darcy was right. It’d been fear he’d seen in her eyes. Colby glanced away, finally turning toward Darcy. “I think we just caught her off-guard.”

  “Sure, but…wouldn’t most people be happy?”

  Colby chuckled, wrapping one arm around Barrett’s waist. “I don’t think she’s unhappy, man, it’s just…we have no idea what she’s been through. How long she’s been alone.”

  “How many she had to watch die,” added Barrett. He caught Colby’s gaze. “That changes you, even if you are a doctor.”

  Darcy scoffed, supporting Barrett’s other side as they moved across the room to the table. “She said in a manner of speaking. I think she’s keeping something from us.”

  Colby shrugged, helping Barrett onto the surface. “Either way, I reckon she’s got more medical knowledge than us. The last first-aid course I took was before Afghanistan, and that was years ago. And it’s not like the one doctor we have at the compound has time to give any refresher courses, not that he’d offer. Ten months hasn’t improved the guy’s bedside manner any.”

  “Still, I wonder why she’s hiding the truth.”

  Colby nodded at him. “Maybe because we just met her, and already, she’s stitching us up?”

  Barrett held up his hand. “Hey, for the record, I got this thinking I was going to have to save her ass.”

  “My ass is just fine.”

  The men turned as she walked back in the room, a box clutched in her hands. She’d changed her shirt and rolled up her sleeves.

  Darcy laughed, not hiding the way his gaze slid up and down her body. “That it is, darling.”

  Abby all but rolled her eyes as she moved over to the counter, waiting for the men to separate before placing the box on the top. She leaned over Barrett’s leg, gently probing the edge of the laceration. “Hell of a cut. There’re still some bits of glass in it, though it doesn’t look like you hit any major blood vessels. But I’ll need to clean it before I stitch it.” She rummaged through the box, removing a small needle and vial. “I don’t have much left, but I’ll give you some freezing.”

  Barrett snagged her wrist, gaining her attention. “I can do this without the freezing, love. Save it for—”

  “For what? The next human we come across? I assure you, I’m it. And there’s no use suffering when you don’t have to. I can obtain more medicine if it comes to that. Now stop being some hardass super soldier and let me do my job.”

  Colby smiled, patting Barrett on the shoulder as he eased back slightly, giving Abby room to work. The woman didn’t hesitate, sticking the needle into a few spots on Barrett’s leg before removing more supplies. Barrett didn’t even flinch as he watched her with narrowed eyes.

  Colby sighed. There was no
mistaking the nearly crushing tension in the room, but he did his best to ignore it. Now was not the time to wonder why his heart fluttered at the mere sight of her, or why his cock had decided to take up permanent residence against the fly of his pants. She was already scared of them. Anything else might push her over the edge.

  Abby tsked as she pulled fragments of glass from Barrett’s leg. “Jesus, don’t they teach you guys to break the glass first then jump through?”

  Barrett chuckled. “It’s not like I had many options or anything handy to toss through first.”

  She raised her gaze for a moment. “You could have blown a hole in it with your shotgun or sent one of those rotting corpses through.”

  He shrugged. “I try not to make that much noise when I don’t know what I’m up against. And if it’s all the same to you, I prefer not to get that close to those things.”

  She simply nodded, returning to her task. After a few minutes, she dabbed the wound and put down the tweezers. “That looks good. A dozen or two stitches and you’ll be good as new. Well, nearly new.”

  Abby removed a curved needle and thread, firmly holding the cut together as she slowly bound the wound. Colby noticed how steady her hands seemed, a vast difference to when she’d touched his chest. Even if they hadn’t trembled so much he’d seen them, he would have felt it. Tiny tremors that had clenched his heart. It was as if she’d thought they’d all simply vanish.

  Colby motioned to Barrett’s leg once she’d knotted the last stitch. “What about infection?”

  She gave him a small smile. “I’ll give him a shot of antibiotics, just to be safe. God knows what was on that glass.”

  Barrett grabbed her arm as she turned. “How do we know there wasn’t any…you know…blood on the glass before it ended up inside my leg?”

  “You’re not infected, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  He didn’t let go. “How can you be sure? If there’s any chance…” He looked away.

  Abby sighed, cupping a hand under his chin as she drew his face back to hers. “If you’d been infected, the edges of the laceration would already be gray. I checked. You’re fine.”

  Colby stepped closer. “How the hell do you know that?”

  “I’ve seen more than my share of bites and wounds, and regardless of how it was transmitted, the infection always presents the same. The skin around the site turns gray…almost immediately. We’ve been here long enough for it to have worked its way through his bloodstream if he’d come into contact with it. Barrett’s clear.”

  Colby could only nod, watching as she packed up her supplies before removing another vial and a clean needle.

  She smiled, holding it up. “All right, G.I. Joe. Roll over.”

  Barrett scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Sorry, champ, but it works best if given in the buttocks. So roll over.”

  The man shook his head, accepting Darcy’s hand to help him ease onto his side. Abby didn’t hide her grin as she tugged down the top of his underwear, wiping a small patch clean before gently injecting the serum.

  Barrett winced, looking at her once she’d finished. “Why the hell does the medicine burn worse than the damn needle?”

  She flashed him a brilliant smile. “To remind you to take better care next time.” She placed the items back in the box. “Now, in an ideal world, you’d give that leg forty-eight to seventy-two hours of rest before running around on it.” She sighed. “I’d be thrilled if you’d consider twenty-four.”

  “I can’t promise anything past dawn, love.”

  “As long as you don’t get all pissy when I have to stitch you up again.”

  “Deal.” Barrett snagged her arm again. “Now that you’re done, care to tell me exactly what kind of doctor you are?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Does it matter?”

  “Not really.” He cursed. “God, don’t tell me you’re a psychiatrist?”

  She laughed, the rich sound easing some of the tension. Colby felt his heart somersault again and knew he was in more trouble than just being surrounded by Gray.

  She glanced at each man, holding the box against her chest. “D.V.M.”

  Barrett’s brow furrowed as he looked from Colby over to Darcy and back. “A what?”

  Colby inched forward, grinning. “D.V.M…doctor of veterinary medicine.”

  Barrett stared at him then laughed. “You’re a Vet.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I used to work at the zoo…chimpanzees, gorillas, that sort of thing.” She leaned in slightly. “I assure you, you’re closer to an ape than you might want to admit.”

  Darcy laughed, swatting Barrett across the shoulder. “Buddy, I think the lady just insulted you.”

  Barrett smiled. “I’ve been called worse.” He nodded at her. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” She backed up. “There are mattresses on the floor behind that partition if you’d like to rest. I’ll grab some cans and make something to eat.”

  Colby stepped in front of her, blocking her way. “While we appreciate everything you’ve done for us, there is one small thing we need you to do first.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him.

  He waved his hand down the length of her body. “Strip.”

  Chapter Three

  Abby stared at Colby, praying her mouth wasn’t hanging open in shock as his words tumbled around in her head. Strip. Here. In front of them! The hysterical giggle she’d crushed earlier resurfaced, bubbling free on a shudder of air. Surely they weren’t serious.

  Colby stood firm as Darcy moved in behind her, preventing her from backing away. Even Barrett pushed onto his feet, bracing one arm on the table as he formed a lop-sided triangle around her. And while they weren’t holding any weapons, she was sorely outnumbered, and judging on the fixed expressions on their faces, noncompliance wasn’t an option.

  She forced herself to swallow, nearly coughing at the dry rasp to her throat. “Why?”

  Colby met her gaze. “Same reason. To make sure you’re not infected.”

  “Did you see any blood on my clothes?”

  “Nope, but then you changed your shirt pretty damn quickly.”

  “So I wouldn’t spread anything to your friend…while I was stitching up his leg! There’s far more that can kill a man than just becoming one of…” She pointed at the windows. “Them.”

  Colby’s eyes darted to the side for a moment. “Again, we greatly appreciate your kindness and medical skill, but…we need to make sure that come morning—”

  “I’m still human. Yeah, I know how it ends.” She shoved the box at him, anger breaking through any lingering fear. “And if I am infected? Then what?”

  Colby didn’t answer as he looked away, the vein in his temple pulsing. She glanced at Darcy, but the man seemed intent on staring at the floor. Only Barrett held her gaze, the deep blue of his eyes nearly florescent in the fading light. She hadn’t noticed how beautiful they were before, or that he was the only blue-eyed man of the three. He was also the only blond.

  She stared into his eyes. “You’ll kill me.” She held up her hand when Barrett sighed and looked as if he was going to feed her some kind of line. “Don’t. The truth is written all over your face.”

  Abby took a deep breath. If she were honest with herself, at that one moment, death wasn’t what scared her. She’d been facing it daily for over a year. But after six months alone, devoid of any form of human contact, shucking down to her bra and panties in front of three men—three brave, hard as nails, handsome to the point her eyes hurt men—terrified her, especially when she knew what they’d see. Nipples puckered into tight buds, poking against the thin fabric, practically begging for any of the men, hell, all three of them, to take the sensitive peaks into their mouths. She’d had to bite her lip when Colby had stepped in front of her, his muscles ripping as he moved. Every inch of him beckoned to be touched, caressed, tasted. Then Darcy had blocked her in, his broad chest almos
t touching hers. Even through her shirt, she’d felt his heat.

  She’d used the box to hide the sight of the twin nubs pressed against her shirt, too embarrassed to face the scorching arousal coursing through her. And her crotch…damn, wet spot didn’t begin to describe what she’d done to her panties. They felt soaked. And all because she’d insisted they do the same thing.

  She clenched her jaw, knowing she had limited options. She tried to ignore the way her hands trembled as she reached for the buttons, fumbling with the first one as she tried to pop it free. The tiny disc slipped between her fingers, refusing to slide through the hole.

  Colby’s features tightened, the edges of his mouth fading into a thin line. He shook his head, stepping forward as he gently pushed her fingers aside. She closed her eyes, unable to watch his reaction as he flicked each button free before grabbing the sides and easing it over her shoulders. The rustle of fabric broke the silence as the garment fell to the floor in a mound of white.

  Abby concentrated on breathing, ignoring the way a second pair of hands reached around her waist, tugging at her jeans. The teeth of the zipper inched apart as Darcy lowered it, Barrett’s hands helping him to push the pants over her hips. They fell in a heap at her feet, and Darcy gently lifted her, kicking them away. Fingers trailed along her skin, brushing the edge of her underwear before vanishing, leaving a cascade of goose bumps in their wake. Her pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out all but the frantic beating of her heart. One innocent touch and she was already unhinged.

  Darcy growled behind her, his hand caressing the side of her hip. She steadied her resolve and glanced at him, determined to hold on to any shred of anger she’d felt before. The concern in his eyes quenched it, and she had to ball her hands into fists to stay on her feet.