by Sarah Bale
Harper crosses the room and puts his hands on Rocco’s shoulders. “Sorry, man.”
“No worries,” Rocco murmurs.
The man warns, “He’s more than likely going to pass out, which will be for the best.”
Harper and I nod. The man begins to dig in Rocco’s wound and Rocco cries out in pain. I hold his hand, whispering calming nonsense to him. Finally, the man holds up the remains of a bullet. The woman hands him a threaded needle and he sews Rocco’s leg in perfect stitches.
When he’s done, Rocco says to the man, “Thank you, sir.”
“Name’s Elijah. This is Daisy.”
I say, “I’m Nikki.”
“I’m Harper.”
“Name’s Jeff,” Jeff says with a nod.
Noah stands. “I’m Noah. Nice to meet you.”
“Even in the apocalypse this one still has manners,” Dave says with a grin.
Elijah crosses the room. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, it’s a funny story.”
He snorts. “I’m sure this is going to be good.”
Dave’s jaw ticks. “You were the only one I could think of who could help.”
Daisy goes to Elijah’s side. “Elijah, who is this man?”
Dave turns to Daisy. “Name’s Dave.”
“Nice to meet you, Dave.”
Elijah pokes Dave’s shoulder. “Don’t talk to her. Tell me what you did and what mess you’ve brought with you.”
“Fuck you, man. We’ll get out of here and you can forget we even stopped by.”
I stand and go to his side, touching his arm.
“Babe, you said he could help us.”
He sighs. “I was wrong, Nik.”
Elijah sighs. “For fuck’s sake. Tell me what’s going on, Dave.”
Dave straightens his shoulders. “We met trouble east of Tulsa. They’ve been trailing us.”
“How many?”
“A lot.”
Elijah runs his fingers through his hair, looking as stressed as I feel.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Dad’s last wishes were for me to find you. I was trying to honor him.”
Daisy stills. “Dad?”
This must be news to her.
Dave gives her one of his mega-watt smiles. “Yes, ma’am. Elijah here is my big brother.”
Daisy’s face pales, but she doesn’t say anything.
Dave asks “So, can you help us?”
I can see the debate in Elijah’s eyes. This was a bad idea. Obviously, these people are facing their own battles and it’s unfair to ask them for help.
I say, “I can tell this is a lot to process. We should leave.”
Daisy shakes her head. “No, there’s plenty of room here. You’ll each have a place to sleep.”
Finally, Elijah says, “You can stay tonight so I can keep an eye on Rocco. In the morning I’ll talk to my people. It’s up to them whether we help you fight.”
Dave nods. “Fair enough.”
We’re led by Daisy down several winding hallways. I wonder if it’s on purpose, so we can’t find our way out. She stops in front of a room.
“There are five empty rooms in this hallway. You can each have one.”
I shake my head. “We’ll be staying in one room, if that’s okay with you.”
Her eyes widen. “Sure, that’s fine. I’ll grab some towels and extra bedding for you.”
When she’s gone, I step into the room. Holy shit. It’s like stepping into the past, before the outbreak. The room is cozy, clean, and warm.
Daisy comes back a moment later, arms full of linen.
“There’s toiletries in the bathroom. We try to limit showers to five minutes.” She glances at my clothes. “But, feel free to take longer. I can try to dig up fresh clothing for you and we can wash the ones you have on.”
I shake my head in wonder. “How is this possible?”
“Believe me. It’s been a lot of work.” She smiles. “But, it sounds like we both have stories to share.”
She leaves us, closing the door behind her. Noah goes to the door, pushing the lock in. I can’t say that I blame him. I sit on the edge of the bed, running my fingers over the blanket. Rocco grabs another blanket and gets comfortable on the floor before falling asleep. It’s as if he’s too tired to do anything else.
I go to the bathroom to look around. Daisy wasn’t kidding. There’s shampoo, soap, and other toiletries. Stripping, I turn the water on. When it warms, I actually moan.
Dave comes into the bathroom. “Mind if I join you?”
I nod, stepping into the shower. Closing my eyes, I let the water pour over my skin. Dave steps in, too, wrapping his arms around me.
“I didn’t actually think I’d find him here.”
I turn so we’re facing each other.
“He seemed very surprised.”
“Yeah. He did.” He smiles. “But I think he’ll help us.”
This surprises me, given the way Elijah reacted to seeing him.
He must know what I’m thinking because he says, “We’ve always had an interesting relationship. He’ll come through for us, though. He always does.”
I sigh as steam fills the shower. “I want to know how they’ve managed to keep this place like this. It’s amazing.”
He reaches for the shampoo, pouring some into his hand. The scent of strawberries meets my nose as he lathers my hair. I smile.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever washed my hair before.”
“Really? That’s a shame.” He kisses the tip of my nose as his fingers work through my tresses.
Leaning back, I rinse the soap. He pours liquid body wash into his hand this time and gives me a wicked look as he washes my skin. When his hand goes between my legs, I moan.
“Dave.”
His lips meet mine again in a slow kiss that leaves me burning for more.
“I was so worried when you went with Harper to look for Rocco.”
I thrust against his hand. “I know. But I’m a part of this team too.”
His finger scrapes over my clit. “Yes, you are. But you’re also my woman.”
This makes me smile. “And Harper’s. And Noah’s. And Jeff’s. And Rocco’s.”
A gasp leaves my mouth as he finger-fucks me. “I don’t mind sharing, Nikki. Anything to make you happy. What I can’t stand is the thought of losing you.”
I rock against him. “Dave! I’m so close.”
His cock rubs against my stomach and I reach down, fisting him.
“Dave, I need you inside me. Now.”
“I don’t have a condom.”
I kiss him. “I don’t care.”
With a growl, he removes his fingers and slides into my aching pussy.
“I’ve wanted to take you raw from the moment we met,” he admits as he thrusts.
I wrap my legs around his waist as he bangs me against the shower wall. My orgasm builds until I’m crying out his name. When he comes, he fills me with his seed.
“Damn. That was-”
I kiss him. “Everything I’ve wanted since I met you, too.”
“Really? I always thought you hated me in the beginning.”
I smile. “I wasn’t sure what to think. You were kind of a dick when you burst through those church doors.”
He kisses me. “I’m glad I was there, though. Can’t imagine this journey without you at my side.”
I can’t, either.
We finish showering and wrap ourselves in soft towels. When we go to the bedroom the other guys grin at us.
Jeff winks. “We’re just going to pretend we didn’t hear y’all having a good time in the shower.”
I laugh. “Thanks.”
He stands. “I’m going to go next, though I doubt mine will be as enjoyable.”
“You never know,” I quip back.
The door closes.
Noah says, “Daisy left some clothes. Said she thought it should fit.”
I go to the
basket and lift sweatpants and a baggy shirt. Perfect sleeping clothes. As I dress, I’m reminded of the day I met the guys. Dave dresses, too, and I realize how much he looks like his brother. Soon, Jeff comes from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. I cat-call him and he wiggles his pec muscles in response.
“You clean up nice, Jeffie.”
He grins. “Best shower and shave of my life.”
He kisses me and I get a whiff of the aftershave on his skin.
Harper says, “I’m going to shower next.”
Noah calls out, “Don’t use all the hot water.”
Harper flips him off as he closes the door. I climb into bed. My eyes actually water when the clean sheets caress my skin. Jeff gets in next to me, pulling me close.
“Hey. What’s wrong?”
Dabbing my eyes, I reply, “It’s so crazy the things I took for granted before the outbreak. Clean sheets. Warm water. Soap.” I let out a watery laugh. “This just feels like a huge blessing right now, even knowing Air and his group are after us.”
He rubs my back. “That’s not crazy. It means you are able to appreciate the good things in life.”
There’s a knock on the door and we all go silent.
“It’s Daisy. I brought some food and was going to check on Rocco.”
Dave opens the door and Daisy enters, with a tray of food. I catch a whiff of chicken. My mouth waters and I know I’m not the only one.
“Is that… chicken?” Noah asks.
Daisy replies, “It is. And some eggs to go with it.” Her smile falters. “Hopefully, we’ll have pork next year.”
Jeff says, “Ma’am, this is amazing. Thank you.”
“It’s no problem.”
She sets the tray down and goes to Rocco’s side, checking his wound.
He opens his eyes. “Thank you.”
“I brought some chicken broth for you. Should be easy on your stomach.”
Dave asks, “Are you a nurse? Is that how you met my brother?”
Her lips twitch. “No, I’m not a nurse. As to how I met Elijah, well, you’ll have to ask him about that.”
Her eyes are twinkling and I know there’s some kind of story to tell.
“I’ll let you eat and get some rest. Elijah will talk to the others in the morning and we’ll have an answer for you then.”
She doesn’t give any hint as to which way she’s leaning.
Dave gets into the bed on the other side of me. “Guess we’ll know in the morning. Might as well enjoy this bed.”
Agreeing, I snuggle in between Jeff and Dave.
As I drift off to sleep I know that tomorrow is going to change everything. It’s terrifying, but it’s also out of our hands now. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be ready for either outcome.
Rule 15: Always have a plan. And a back-up plan.
Sixteen
Nikki
I awake the next morning feeling like a different person. I haven’t been this well-rested in – well, I can’t even remember the last time. In the hallway I hear voices talking in low tones. Slipping from bed, I open the door. Daisy and a woman with red hair are there.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you. We were just leaving your clean clothes.” Daisy says.
She points to the basket by the door.
The other woman says, “Better get out of here before Boss realizes where we are.”
Daisy rolls her eyes. “He’ll get over it.” To me, she says, “We’re heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Would you like to join us?”
I say, “Give me a few minutes to change.”
I grab the basket and close the door. Dave is sitting up in bed.
“Did you hear all that?”
He nods. “Will you be okay?”
I reply, “I should be. I’ll hurry.”
He runs his fingers through his hair. “I might try to find Eli. Maybe talk to him before he talks to his people.”
I finish dressing and run a brush through my hair. It’s strange. I’m actually nervous about spending time with Daisy. I guess that’s what happens when you’re not around different people on a daily basis. You forget how to socialize.
Waving at Dave, I step into the hallway. Daisy is there, but the other woman is gone.
“Sorry if that took too long.”
She smiles. “You’re fine. Kat had to feed her baby.”
This surprises me. “Baby? How old?”
“She’s almost four weeks old now. The first one born here.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
Daisy nods. “We’re hoping more families will follow suit.”
There’s something in her smile that makes me wonder if Daisy and Elijah don’t have a secret of their own.
Daisy leads me down several hallways. As we get closer to the cafeteria, my stomach grumbles.
“How have you managed to keep fresh food around?”
Daisy frowns. “That’s a long story. Once we get breakfast prepared I’ll fill you in.”
We go to the kitchen where a few women and a man work. The man is in charge, telling everyone what to do.
“That’s Cooper. He’s our cook.”
Cooper waves. “Nice to meet you. Know your way around a kitchen?”
I nod. “A little.”
“Perfect. Can you crack fifty eggs?”
I’m sure my mouth is open. Fifty eggs. How?
Daisy touches my arm. “I promise I’ll fill you in.”
Nodding, I go to a stainless-steel table with two large bowls. One is empty and the other has the eggs. I soon have them cracked and mixed together.
Cooper takes the bowl and says, “We’re having omelets today. Hope that’s okay?”
My stomach growls loud enough that he hears. “Good lord. That sounds amazing.”
He winks and takes the eggs to a large grill, pouring the eggs. He adds vegetables and a little meat, making several large omelets. When they’re done cooking, he cuts them into smaller portions.
Daisy says to me, “As soon as the door opens, people are going to come through. It’s easier on something like this to have the omelets ready to go. On other meals we let them self-serve.”
“That’s impressive. I can’t remember the last time we ate something that didn’t come from a can or that we killed.”
“Cooper is a god in the kitchen. He can make roadkill taste good.”
Cooper laughs. “Girl, you’re going to make me blush.”
Daisy says to me, “Let’s open the door. After the first wave, we can sit and talk.”
She goes through a swinging door and opens a large door. True to her word, several people come through. As they grab their food I listen to their chatter. Some talk about working on a house. Others talk about barn duty. I’m surprised when they mention watchtower duty. This place is a functioning miracle in the middle of the apocalypse.
The red head, Kat, comes through the line with the bearded man. He carries a tiny baby with red hair.
I gush, “Oh my gosh. She’s so tiny.”
The man preens. “She might be small, but she’s feisty as hell.” He holds out his hand. “Never introduced myself last night. I’m Grey. This sweet thing is Hilly and her mother, Kat.”
“I’m Nikki.”
Kat nods her head at me. “Nice to meet you.”
I get the feeling it takes time for Kat to warm up to people. She takes Hilly from Grey and goes to a table to feed her baby.
Grey says to Daisy, “Do you happen to know where Boss went?”
She gives me a look before replying, “If I were to guess I’d say he wanted to speak to his brother before the meeting.”
I say, “Sounds like they both had similar ideas, then.”
Grey nods. “Thought at much. I’ll give them some time.”
He goes to the table with Kat, looking at them with so much love that my eyes actually water.
“It’s sweet, isn’t it? He’s like a mountain of muscles, but when he looks at them you
realize he’s all gooey inside.”
I grin at Daisy. “That’s accurate.”
“Come on. Let’s find somewhere quiet and sit.”
She picks up two plates and leads the way into the cafeteria. People shoot me curious looks as we make our way to an empty table in the corner.
“I’m guessing you don’t get very many visitors here.”
She shakes her head. “No. And, in our experience, not all visitors are good.”
“Is that what happened to the gate? And the outside of the building?”
She takes a bite of her omelet before replying, “You noticed?”
I nod and wait for her to speak.
“You asked how we were able to have all of this. There used to be so much more, but another group came in and tried to kill Elijah.” Her face falls. “We lost a lot of good people that day. Elijah was wounded, so we decided to go to Texas - to my family home. That was a mistake, to say the least.”
“Why didn’t you just stay here?”
“We weren’t sure who all was against us. Some of the people we trusted most turned on us. Going to Texas was the best option at the time.”
She gazes off into the distance, as if remembering. “You always think your family home isn’t going to change. I have wished a million times over that we hadn’t gone back. There are things that I saw there that will never leave my mind.”
Maybe not going back to my apartment after the outbreak was a blessing. I just didn’t know it at the time.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Don’t be. Not everything that happened there was bad. Cooper left with us, and we met Jo and Norman there, too.” She blinks. “That’s right. You haven’t formally met them. Jo is the woman who brought the water while Elijah was working on your friend last night.”
I vaguely remembered her.
Daisy goes on, “When we came back to Oklahoma we were expecting a fight, but discovered that our enemy had died. Just like that it was over, or so we thought.” She shakes her head. “We’re finally safe and things are starting to turn around again.”
I sigh. “And then we show up.”
She nods. “To be blunt, yes. You arrive and bring trouble with you. We’ve spotted this new group from our watchtowers. And another group nearby has reported seeing them, too.”
