by G. K. DeRosa
His eyes blazed, the maroon almost glowing. “Man, what was I thinking? I should’ve just left you there to get eaten by stryx. Not even a thank you.” He raked his hand through his hair and mumbled under his breath.
A pang of guilt jabbed me in the gut. Maybe I was being a brat. He had saved my life after all. I chewed on my lower lip with my gaze to the ground. “Thank you,” I muttered.
He turned around, his dark hair dangling over his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that.”
Wow, this guy was a royal ass. Here I was looking for some humans, and I get this guy? How was it possible that the one person that decided to save my life was a total jerk? “I said thanks for saving my life back there even though I didn’t ask you to.” Two could play this game.
He held his hand out and smirked. “I’m Declan by the way.”
I eyed his hand and settled on a wave. “Liv.”
“Okay, Liv. I’ll make you a deal. We wait for an hour till the sun is out as far as it rises, and then I’ll take you back. Even the stryx avoid the sun at its peak.”
I paused for a moment to consider. Duke was smart; he’d be okay. With any luck, he’d run far away from there as soon as I’d yelled. Besides I was pretty sure neither stryx nor vampires ate dogs. At least I hoped not. “Fine,” I finally mumbled.
Declan scanned the woods, his eyes intent on the shadowy depths to the west. He trudged over to his motorcycle and grabbed it by the handles. “Let’s move closer to the highway. We can wait over there.”
I nodded and followed him, the glint of the silver metal of his bike catching my eye. “How’s your motorcycle still working?” I hadn’t seen a functioning vehicle in months. The gasoline supply had run out halfway through the war and almost everyone had run out of reserves.
“It’s solar-powered,” he answered over his shoulder.
My head tilted up, and I stared at the murky sky. Even when the sun reached its peak, I didn’t think it would be enough to power a vehicle. Weird.
We reached the cement barrier separating the tree line from I-95, and Declan leaned the Harley against a massive oak. He took off his jacket and sat down next to it. The tight black t-shirt he wore underneath clung to his sculpted chest, his biceps peeking through the short sleeves.
His eyes caught mine, and I dropped my gaze to the floor.
“Are you going to stand for the next hour?”
I wanted to say yes just to spite him, but if I was being honest, I was pretty tired. The few hours of sleep I’d gotten in the woods had hardly been enough. I moved to a tree across from him and slid down to the ground.
“You can sleep if you want. I’ll keep watch.”
“No. I’m fine.” I straightened, pulling my shoulders back.
He regarded me with an amused smile, highlighting that cute dimple. “So what are you doing out here by yourself?”
“I’m heading south to D.C.”
His eyes widened. “Why would you go there?”
“I’m looking for a friend.” I wasn’t giving him more than that.
“You’re going all the way down there on foot?”
I shrugged. “If I have to.” I eyed his motorcycle. “What are you doing by yourself?”
“I’m looking for someone too.”
I guessed I wasn’t the only untrusting one. He opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut as if he’d reconsidered.
“What?” I asked.
He huffed. “I’m headed south too.”
Was that an invitation? “Um, okay.”
Silence.
I picked up a twig and twirled it around my fingers. Maybe I should have taken him up on his offer to let me sleep. Now I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of asking.
“So this friend of yours, what are they doing in D.C.?” He barely looked at me as he spoke.
“He lives there.” There was no way I was telling this guy about my crazy scheme. He’d probably leave me right here.
“Are you sure he’s still there? The city’s not what it used to be.”
“You’ve been there?”
He slowly nodded. “I took off a month ago for the north.”
“And now you’re going back?”
“I’m not going back there. Ever. I’m headed to West Virginia.” He closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree. “You shouldn’t either.”
Chapter 11
Declan didn’t say another word until a half hour later. I was positive he’d fallen asleep, but how would he have known to wake up at the exact right time?
“You ready?” He stood, wiping the dirt off his jeans, his beefy frame towering over me.
I quickly jumped up and did the same. “Yup.” I followed him to his motorcycle and hopped on behind him.
“Here.” He turned around and handed me his helmet. “It’s gonna be big on you, but better than nothing.”
“What about you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really need it.”
I considered for a moment and then pulled it over my head. I’d already seen how he’d driven through the forest. I couldn’t imagine how fast he’d go on a deserted highway.
Declan pushed the start button and walked the motorcycle to a break in the cement partition. He revved the engine, and it roared to life. We sped down the highway, the wind whipping my top so it plastered to my skin. I was suddenly very grateful to be wearing a helmet.
Within minutes, we were back where I’d been attacked. The ride had been much shorter this way. He slowed the bike to a halt, sidling up next to the barrier. An image of him flying over the cement structure as I was being attacked flashed across my vision. In all the commotion I’d completely forgotten. How the hell had he done that?
“Come on.” He hopped over the partition like an Olympic hurdler.
I was not quite so graceful. I swung one leg and straddled the thing, slowly rolling over to the other side. When I landed, my eyes met Declan’s. His lips were twisted into a half-smile.
“Are you mocking me?”
He laughed. “No, not at all. I just figured with those long legs, you’d be a little more agile.”
My cheeks burned, and I cursed under my breath.
“So where is this mutt?” He narrowed his eyes as he searched the tree line.
“I don’t know, and he’s not a mutt. He’s the only one I have left.” I clenched my teeth as soon as the words slipped out of my mouth. Dammit. Where did that come from?
The weight of Declan’s gaze bore down on me, but I refused to meet it. I knew what I would find there, and I didn’t need his pity.
“Just help me find him, okay?” My voice sounded small and weak, and I hated it.
“What’s his name again?”
“Duke.”
I whistled and called out his name as we walked deeper into the woods. I tried to remember which way he had taken off, but it was all a blur of red hair and fangs.
“I never had a dog,” Declan said, appearing by my side.
“You missed out. Duke’s the best. He’s my second German shepherd; they’re great farm dogs.”
Declan’s penetrating gaze moved over me, and heat rushed through my veins. What’s that about? “You grew up on a farm?” he asked.
I nodded. Damn, there I was spilling my guts again. Maybe it’d been too long since I’d been around other people.
“That must’ve been interesting.”
“It was. Things were simple, uncomplicated. And it’s probably why we survived for as long as we did.”
“You and your family?”
“Umhmm. And my best friend.” My chest tightened, my lungs inflating and deflating much too quickly.
“Your family’s gone now?”
I slowly nodded, trying to catch my breath. The feelings I kept carefully buried bubbled up to the surface. “How about you?” I whispered.
“Dad’s out of the picture, and I’m an only child. I thought my mom was gone too, but now I think I know where she is.”
&nbs
p; I glanced up at him and saw real emotions flash across his maroon eyes. Something dark lurked under the surface. Maybe I’d been too hard on this guy. “That’s why you’re going to West Virginia?”
“Yup.” He dug his hands into his pockets and exhaled a long breath.
I called out for Duke again as we circled. He had to be nearby. He just had to be. “Duke!” I shouted again and my throat tightened, a lump growing.
“Duke!” Declan yelled. “Come on, dog. I got some yummy steak for you.”
An unexpected laugh escaped my lips.
“What? Don’t dogs love steak?”
“Yeah, they do, but if you had a steak, I’d probably wrestle Duke for it right about now.”
He arched a dark brow. “You? Eat steak? You look more like a salad and veggies type girl.”
My stomach rumbled. “Only shows how little you know me. They just don’t make good steak out of a can.”
“I’ll give you that.” He walked a few more steps and called out for Duke again.
I shouted for him, cupping my hands over my mouth. Nothing. I turned to Declan. “Maybe we should split up.”
He shook his head. “Just because the sun’s up doesn’t mean the stryx aren’t around for sure.”
“Fine,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
We’d circled the perimeter around the attack three times and still came up empty. I wrung my hands together to keep them steady. What if those vampires had gotten him?
“Duke, come on! Where are you?” I cried out. My throat was raspy from all the yelling.
Declan’s head spun to the left. His brows furrowed as if he were concentrating on a particularly difficult math problem.
“What?”
“I think I heard something.” His hand closed around my fingers, and he pulled me along with him. The unexpected contact made my stomach flip-flop.
According to my compass, we were heading south again. Maybe Duke had tried to track me after I’d jumped on Declan’s bike. We trekked a few more yards, and he veered toward the west. “Do you hear that?”
I strained to listen. A barely audible whimper carried across the quiet woods. My heartbeat quickened. “It’s Duke!” I’d know that sound anywhere.
I raced through the thicket, the whine getting louder with every stride. “Duke!” I yelled, and a familiar bark echoed back. I pumped my arms faster, my footfalls pounding the ground. My foot came down and shot out from under me as the ground abruptly fell away. I teetered over the edge for a split second, my heart lodged in my throat. An arm shot around my waist and jerked me backward before I plummeted down the steep decline.
I panted, my heart thrashing in my chest as warm arms encircled me.
“Are you okay?” Declan’s lips pressed behind my ear. A swarm of butterfly wings battered my insides, and it wasn’t the near fall that incited their mad fluttering.
“Yeah,” I choked out. He released his hold, and I spun around to face him. “Thanks. Again.”
Declan peered over my shoulder into the ravine I’d almost tumbled down. “I think we found Duke.”
Chapter 12
Duke’s head popped over the ledge, and I yanked on his collar with both hands, pulling him over. His fur was matted with dirt and mud, but he seemed okay. He rewarded me with a big slobbery kiss as soon as he got to his feet, knocking me off my own. I wrapped my arms around his thick furry neck and squeezed. “Thank God you’re okay.”
Declan appeared next, his dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He leapt over the ridge and pulled the rope up behind him.
There would’ve been no way I could have gotten Duke out of there without him. I didn’t have a rope or the brute strength to push the dog out of the eight-foot crater. Declan had run all the way back to his motorcycle for the rope then jumped down into the hole like nothing.
I glanced up at him. “I guess I owe you another thanks.”
“You just keep racking them up, don’t you?” He coiled the rope up and swung it over his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll think of some way for you to repay me.” He shot me a playful wink.
I rolled my eyes and started picking leaves and twigs out of Duke’s fur. “I wonder if there’s a river nearby. He needs a bath bad, and I could definitely use some freshening up.”
Declan sat beside me, brushing the fur and dirt off his shirt and swept his hair behind his ears. “No need to be so barbaric. There are some housing developments not far from the highway. I passed them on my way down; they looked pretty deserted.”
“Okay, but we’re going to have to walk. Duke can’t exactly hop on your motorcycle.”
Declan huffed. “This is exactly why I never had pets.”
Just when I was starting to like the guy, he had to say something stupid. I stood and started walking back toward the interstate. “Listen, I appreciate your help and all, but no one said you had to come with us,” I said over my shoulder.
Declan shot up, catching up to me in no time. “I could use a shower myself. I’ve been on the road for a while. Plus I’d hate for you and the dog to get eaten by some stryx after I busted my butt saving you both.”
I suppressed a smile.
“Besides I have an idea on how we can get there faster.”
I arched a brow. He smirked but didn’t go into further details. We trudged the rest of the way back to the highway in comfortable silence.
The motorcycle was right where we left it, leaning up against the cement partition. Declan jumped over the barricade, and Duke and I followed him.
“Do you know how to drive one of these?” He straightened the motorcycle, holding it by the handgrip.
“I’ve driven a scooter, does that count?”
His lips twitched. “Close enough.” He held out his hand and helped me on. “Give me your backpack. I can hook it onto the saddlebag on the back.”
I reluctantly handed it over, nervous to part with my gun. “Wait, what about Duke?”
“You drive, and I’ll carry him across my lap.”
My eyes bugged out like a crazy cartoon character. “You can’t be serious.”
He shrugged. “You got any better ideas?”
I didn’t. I straddled the seat and flicked the ignition on.
Declan’s arms came around my back as he placed my hands on the grips. “This is the clutch.” He twisted my wrist forward. “This is how to give it gas.” He motioned to the opposite side. “And this is the brake. Also very important.”
“Okay, okay, I got it.”
Declan bent over and hauled Duke into his arms. “Geez, how much does this dog weigh?” he grumbled.
“About a hundred and twenty-five pounds but that was before. I’m sure he’s lost weight over the past few months.”
“Not much.” He climbed onto the back of the motorcycle as Duke whined. “Hey I’m not enjoying this either, dog.”
Duke’s front and back legs dangled over either side of the bike as Declan’s arm around his middle held him in place. Duke looked up at me, and I could’ve sworn he rolled his big brown eyes.
Declan’s fingers closed around my hip, his thumb grazing my exposed skin. Heat ignited where our flesh touched, sending a rush of warmth through my body. That was unexpected.
“You ready?”
Declan’s voice snapped me back to the present. “Yeah,” I squeaked.
“Just take it nice and slow.”
I revved the engine and lifted my feet, and we were off. My heartbeat accelerated as the bike picked up speed. Ten miles per hour, twenty, thirty. My palms were sweaty against the rubber grips, but I didn’t dare let go to wipe them off. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and the fear gradually melted away into excitement. This was way better than the scooter. I had to suppress the urge to rip the helmet off and feel the rush of wind through my hair.
“Take the next exit,” Declan shouted in my ear.
I slowed down, switched lanes and cruised down the off ramp. The street looked like it had been a main boulevard
at some time. Small restaurants lined both sides of the wide avenue, and a large shopping center sprawled to our right.
“That’s it over there.” Declan pointed straight ahead. A few blocks away, an apartment development sprung up off the main road.
I drove up to the abandoned guard gate and Declan lowered Duke to the ground, jumping off behind him.
“I think I’ll walk the rest of the way,” he said as he brushed fur off his shirt and jeans. His clothes were completely blanketed in black, silver and brown fur. “This is so gross.”
“Sorry. I forgot to warn you about that.”
“You better hope this place has hot running water.” He pushed the gate up as I walked the Harley through.
“I’d settle for any type of water at this point.”
We walked up to the first building and peered through the glass doors. The lobby remained intact, a sleek white desk lining the back wall. Modern white furniture completed the space giving it a clean and airy feel. It was the complete opposite of what I’d grown up with on the farm.
I pulled the handle, but the door didn’t budge. “No wonder it’s still so nice in there.” Looters had gotten into a lot of buildings according to reports. I wondered how this one had managed to escape untouched.
“Here, let me try.” Declan dug into his pocket and pulled out two thin pieces of metal. They looked like nail files but without the attached handle.
“What are you doing?”
“Watch and learn.” He stuck one in the lock and then the other. He gave it a jiggle, and the door popped open.
My jaw dropped. “How’d you learn to do that?”
“How did you not? You can’t expect to survive the apocalypse without figuring out how to jimmy a lock.” He held the door open and motioned for me to enter. Duke snuck in first, and I followed right behind him.
To the right of the front desk was a long hallway; shiny elevator doors caught my eye. I pulled a flashlight out of my backpack and shined it down the dark hall. There had to be a stairwell nearby. I took the lead, my sneakers silent against the fancy marble floor.
“You know where you’re going?” asked Declan. He’d been walking around the lobby, but apparently hadn’t found whatever he was looking for.
