by Ellie Aiden
Setting my glass down on the table, I ask, “Would you like something to drink?”
When she nods and says, “Thank you,” I get the bottle of moonshine back out, pouring her two fingers before placing it back where it goes and picking up my own glass for a swig. I don’t worry about her telling the elders I’ve got contraband, she’d have to explain why she was in my room, and I know she won’t do that.
She takes a small sip, her big doe eyes connecting with mine over the rim, and then she asks, “Did you like your gift?”
My gift? What gift? I ask her just that and she giggles before revealing what it is. “Ash, silly.”
I’m positive my eyes nearly bug out of my head with her words. Out of all the people in the compound who could have possibly left Ash bound and gagged in my room, Tara would have been the last one I would have thought of. On top of that, even if she knows now that she’s about to be assigned as my wife, she wouldn’t have known then. I didn’t alter our medical files until yesterday afternoon. Also, how does she know she will be assigned as my wife?
Taking another big swig and raising a brow, I ask her to elaborate. “I’m intrigued, Tara.”
With a shrug of her shoulders and another giggle she says, “I followed them out of the north wall. They didn’t stay together, which was stupid. I hit Chase over the head, then Ash, and drug her back to the compound. And then I brought her here, for you.” She takes another sip of her drink, not even coughing. This woman was definitely meant for me.
But I have to know why. “And why exactly did you give her to me? Because I’m running the security department right now?” I set my glass down, and slowly approach where she sits.
“You’re going to be appointed as the new elder, and I want to be an elder-wife.” She shrugs, eyeing me as I approach.
Ambitious, I’ll give her that.
When I stand directly in front of her, I pause, gaging her response. She seems receptive, so I step another inch closer, my middle brushing her knees lightly, and she lets out the softest of sighs. Reaching a hand up and gently grasping a pigtail, I run my thumb down its length. I watch as her chest rises and falls.
When she speaks, I wasn’t expecting it. “Have you…punished her…yet?”
I’ve spent my life positive I was incapable of love, but in this moment there is no doubt I’m about to fall very hard for this gorgeous creature before me.
I nod my head, letting my hand fall to the outside of her thigh, brushing my thumb in a wide arc over her dress. The moan that escapes her lips is my undoing, and it takes everything in my power not to throw this girl over my shoulder and cart her off to bed. That would not be good for either one of us. The elders conduct random checks on girls, and if her virtue was found not intact, well, it could ruin everything we both clearly want.
So instead I ask, “Would you like to watch?”
The quick intake of breath tells me the question affected her deeply. She nods a confirmation, and even though I shouldn’t, I wrap both my big hands around her tiny waist and set her down off the counter. Grabbing my drink and downing the last swig, the two of us embark on our first torture session as a couple.
***
ANNA
After John had showed everyone to their rooms, and he’d left me at the corner room on the second floor with a bathroom, I decided a quick shower would be great for my sore muscles. I had washed away all the dirt, soot, and blood, and then stood a little longer, letting the water wash away everything that wasn’t physical. It washed away the nightmares from watching the last breath fade from one of our friends. Granted, I didn’t really know Talon, but he’d lost his life defending Chase, and for that I loved him. It washed away the deep seated emotion of having walked away from the only home I’ve ever known and knowing I might never see my parents again. And the panic of knowing my best friend was still there, living through God only knows what. If I was to guess, David is doing awful things to her, either to get information out of her or just for the fun of it. I think he’s more like Elder Jacobs, the original Enforcer, than we thought. In fact, he might be worse.
While I had thought the shower would help to wash away all those things, I was sorely mistaken. It may have cleaned my body, but it most certainly did not cleanse my soul. Only God and I could do that, and as I lay here on the patchwork quilt atop my temporary bed, my mind rushes with thoughts of Ash. That is, until the knock at the door.
Barefoot, I cross the hardwood floors to the door and open it, revealing Luke. He looks freshly showered too, his platinum hair still damp from the water, his cheeks flushed from the heat.
Stepping aside he enters, and the two of us cross to sit at the foot of my bed. The room is filled with silence, with the exception of one of the guy’s snores coming from down the hall. Luke repositions his body, turning slightly and pulling his leg that’s closest to me up on the bed between us, and then he reaches for my hand, clasping it before resting it on his thigh.
Luke is the first to speak, and his words sound nervous, although I’m not sure why. “Can we finish that talk, Little Minx?”
I’m filled with a lot of emotion today, so I don’t trust myself to speak, instead I nod and he continues.
“I was wrong for what I did in Bonham. I should never have let you walk away without knowing exactly how I feel.”
This is it folks, get your popcorn ready.
“It was stupid to think that just because I didn’t say it out loud it wasn’t real. I was stupid.” He pauses, eliminating another inch of space between us. “You have every right to hate me, every right to not trust my feelings for you. I get it, I mean, how could I possibly love you and let you walk away without making sure you knew it.”
I nod my head in agreement because honestly, that’s exactly how I felt about it. You never know what tomorrow will bring. You have to make sure people know how you feel because otherwise, it might be too late.
My nod of confirmation must have scared him because when he speaks again, his words are filled with emotion, fear. “I was terrified. This whole situation is crazy. Yes, I truly believe in love at first sight, and I know that’s what I felt for you, but the situation just…” His words trail off and enough time passes that I’m sure he’s about to get up and walk away again. But finally, his next words are spoken on a whisper. “I love you, Anna. And I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you know it. If you’ll let me.”
I don’t even think, I just move, crawling into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. The kiss tastes like cinnamon, and it’s slow and sweet. Neither of us feel the need to take if further, both of us seeming to be content with this.
When I pull away, I see nothing but love and devotion in his eyes, and even though his choices back in Bonham hurt me deeply, the moment he showed up at the compound to help me and my friends, I forgave him.
“I love you too, Luke,” I say, brushing my lips across his one more time. “Stay the night with me, please.” It’s not a question, instead it comes across as a plea, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Standing, Luke picks me up, my legs wrapping around his middle as he carries me to the other end of the bed before throwing the quilt back. Laying me down, he climbs over to my other side and then rolls us both so that my front is tucked securely to his. I breathe in his scent as I close my eyes and prepare for what I think will be the best night of sleep I’ve had in weeks.
chapter 6 - Shaking Hands And Kissing Babies
ANNA
Last night was one of the best nights of sleep I have ever had, and when I woke this morning, surrounded by Luke’s warmth, it took everything in me to get out of bed. But I knew it wasn’t an option to stay there cocooned when I smelled the mouthwatering aroma of bacon. When my stomach growled as loud as a bear, we had both jumped out of bed, rushed getting dressed, and with our bags in hand raced downstairs.
John had cooked an amazing spread, and with the six of us plus John, there hadn’t been a s
ingle bite left uneaten. Luke had even snatched the last strip of bacon away from Easton and handed it to me. That’s love right there.
After breakfast was over, we all helped John load his wagon with the canned goods he intended to trade in town, and it wasn’t long before we set off. The trip toward a town called Greenville was much quicker by horse. It would have been faster without the wagon, but we made pretty good time. We left John’s ranch around eight a.m. and arrived in Greenville about eight hours later.
I was surprised to see Greenville was a bustling town, with people on horse and foot, traveling one road to the next. John had said after everything collapsed, the people of Greenville banded together with the help of the Diablo gang and rebuilt. There hadn’t been many buildings left standing back then, considering Greenville was like many cities across the country and had mostly been burned to the ground. But from the looks of it, they had been able to salvage some, and what they couldn’t, they built on their own.
We’re on the main thoroughfare now, the street lined by one and two story buildings. To my right is a general store, a fabric store, and a restaurant called Midge’s Diner. On my left is a saloon with wild west swinging doors leading in the front, a bakery with a glass case just inside the window lined with loaves of fresh baked bread, and at the very end is something called a barber shop. I’m not sure what that is, but it has a beautiful glass tube out front, the center spinning with red, white, and blue. There are dozens of other buildings boasting various businesses, including one with the front glass tented and reads Greenville Police Department. Everything the church has told us over the years would indicate total lawlessness outside their walls. Vater Henry even spoke of the people in a sermon not long ago, referring to the people and few towns that were left as archaic. This doesn’t look like archaic. Sure it’s not the high tech world my parents grew up in, more like the time my great grandparents lived in, but from the looks of Greenville, our people have the potential to be back where they were in just a few generations. Well, maybe we shouldn’t go back to the exact way things were, but instead to something better. This town gives me hope.
I’m jerked from my thoughts when I notice Luke is staring at me with a wide smile. What, do I have something on my face?
“What is it?” I ask him, running my hand across my mouth just in case.
He lets out a brief laugh, and then answers my question. “You don’t have anything on your face, if that’s what you’re thinking, Little Minx. I guess I just enjoy watching you see everything for the first time. Kind of puts things in perspective.”
From my right, Easton interrupts him, and I turn to give him my attention. “It really does. Look at ‘em, they all have that same look on their face.” He nods toward Cody and Chase, and I see they too look enthralled with this place. Their eyes are large, tracking from one building to the next, and their mouths are slightly agape. “Kind of makes me feel like we’ve taken what we have out here for granted.”
Tommy on his other side nods and grunts in agreement, as Chase and Cody realize they have an audience. They both close their mouths, turning to follow John once again, and only a few minutes later we come to a large open area filled with rows of tables covered by tents of various sizes and colors. Seeing the row closest to me, the tables are filled with a multitude of wares; canned goods, fresh baked pies and bread, quilts and clothes, and the last one in the row is lined with handcrafted bows and arrows, as well as several leather quivers.
Gimme. Gimme.
We turn the corner at the last row, and stop in front of an empty set of tables, shaded by an off white tent. I assume this is where John intends to set up the items he brought to trade, and I’m proven right when he dismounts from his horse and begins unloading the items from the back of his wagon.
None of us seem to think twice as we begin to help him unload, and then I start setting the canned goods out on the tables. So far I’ve displayed jars of honey, canned tomatoes, green beans, and pickles, as well as quite a few jars of what looks like peach cobbler filling.
John sees me eyeing a jar of pickles, and walks over taking it from me before opening the lid and offering me one. I’d like to tell you I declined or hesitated, but instead I dove in face first. And I’d also like to tell you I stopped at just one, but that would be a lie.
After my third pickle of the day, I watch as John speaks to a lovely older woman as they barter for jars of John’s honey and her canned apples. It’s intriguing to watch the two haggle back and forth. In the end they settle on a deal, two jars of honey in exchange for eight apples. I feel like she got the better end of the deal, but John seems happy with the trade.
The afternoon passes quickly, and soon the sun has set. People begin to pack up their booths to head home for the evening, while we do the same.
“Since we got here so late in the day, I’ll need to set up again tomorrow,” John says as I help him load two crates of canned tomatoes in the back of the wagon. “But, once we get loaded, I’ll go ahead and take you to The Castle.”
Wait, what? There’s a castle? How is that possible?
When I ask him that, he simple chuckles, “You’ll see, hun”
***
ANNA
It was well after dark as we wound our way through the twists and turns of an old dirt road leading away from town. After we had loaded up from the market, we’d stopped in at Midge’s Diner for a quick bite to eat, Luke’s treat as repayment for John feeding us and putting us up last night. I’d loved that little diner. The food was amazing, and I prayed we had the chance to eat there again someday.
On our trip to this so called castle, everyone laughed and joked, no doubt a result of the full bellies and good company. I wasn’t sure how late it was when we came across a building rising before us, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised. I had assumed John was kidding about it being a aastle, or that it was named that in irony, but no. In front of me stood an actual castle, complete with turrets. It didn’t look like a castle from hundreds of years ago, this looked modern.
John sees me gaping and with a laugh, he explains, “I actually knew the family that built this place. Maybe back in two-thousand four or five. If memory serves me, they put it on the market back in twenty-twenty, and no one ever bought it. The family had already moved, but I heard they all died from the virus. Then just shy of a couple decades ago, the leader of Diablo at the time, took it over and turned it into their headquarters. Been that way ever sense.”
With his last word he dismounts in the grass near what Luke just referred to as a
porte-cochère, which I’m pretty sure is a fancy word for drive-thru. The rest of us follow as the large wooden front door opens and a beast of a man steps through.
“Well, it’s about damn time!” The man bellows, arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture.
Luke laughs before making his way over, the two embracing in a friendly bear hug. As they separate and engage in small talk, I take the time to check out the stranger. He has a deep brown complexion, his head is shaved bald, his face is clean shaven too, and his deep nearly black eyes are warm and friendly. He’s a good four inches taller than Luke, towering over him as they visit, and every part of his body is covered in bulging muscles. It’s very clear he works out, a lot. From his complexion and his accent, I would guess he’s Hispanic, slipping in a few words now and then I know to be Spanish. Overall he seems friendly, laughing at something Luke said too low for the rest of us to hear, and he seems young, maybe in his mid to late twentyies.
While the men talk, the rest of our group cautiously makes our way to the covered drive, waiting to be introduced. As the man lets out a roar of a laugh at something Luke just said, his eyes catch on mine.
“Well, Luke, is this the girl?” He asks, slapping the man in question on the back.
That actually looked like it hurt, but Luke just shakes it off motioning me to join them. “This is Anna. Anna, this is Lord Mateo.”
I extend my hand out
for a respectful shake, but he swats it away, pulling me in for a full body hug. Clearly he isn’t worried about boundaries, but I guess this is his house, and I assume he’s about to put us up here for the next few days, possibly weeks, so if the man wants a hug, then who am I to refuse.
“Luke’s told me a lot about you, and I must say, you’re even more beautiful than he let on.”
He gives Luke a playful shoulder punch, obviously giving him a hard time, and I feel my cheeks heat as I mumble a thank you and Luke introduces everyone else.
When the introductions are complete and Lord Mateo tells us to drop the Lord part, we’re all friends after all, he ushers us inside. Once again I’m blown away with my surroundings. Through the front wooden doors, we find ourselves in a great room with a massive fireplace to our right and a beautifully ornate staircase ascending to the second floor on our left. Pillars are spaced periodically throughout the room, and the ceiling boasts multiple wrought iron chandeliers. The floors look to be marble, but I think it’s possibly concrete stained to look that way. The furniture is no less exquisite, with two crimson settees facing the fire place in an L-shape, a large oval mahogany coffee table between them, as well as a few matching side tables. Along the wall is a grand bookshelf, with every shelf filled, and a dark wood credenza to the right of the fireplace, adorned with a large deep red vase. Above it on the wall is a painting in a gilded frame, although it looks modern. The people depicted wear jeans, t-shirts, and various other modern day attire. They’re huddled together in a group, surrounded by lush green grass with a line of trees behind them. There are at least thirty men and woman posing for the painting, and I wonder who they are.
“Do you like it?” I’m startled when Mateo suddenly appears next to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. While I smile, I don’t have a chance to respond because he continues. “Those are all the leaders in Diablo. I had it commissioned by a local artist about two years ago. I’d only been voted in as the new lord about two months before this was done.” His eyes are filled with happiness at the memory, and he turns to me with a smile. “See anyone you recognize?”
