When he finally came up for air, they were in Lena’s bedroom. Her shirt was gone, her breasts cupped by a simple black cotton bra. Her hair was loose, falling in waves past her elbows. She was so Goddamn beautiful.
He needed to touch every part of her. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, and her fingertips. He chased the line of her collarbone with his tongue. Her clothes melted away under his hands.
It wasn’t until they were both naked in her bed that a semblance of sanity returned to him. He wanted her so badly he could hardly breathe, but he forced himself to do the right thing.
“Lena.” His voice was gruff. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”
Her arms tightened around him. “If I wasn’t ready I wouldn’t be here, dummy.”
Dal didn’t possess enough sanity to try and talk her out of it. He was raw with feelings he couldn’t control. Thank God he always kept a few spare condoms in his wallet.
He forced himself to slow down, to pull back just enough so he could look into her eyes. “Is this your first time?” He didn’t want to hurt her. There’d been a few boys here and there throughout high school, but Lena never kept any of them around for long.
She nodded in silent answer to his question. Her hand came up to trace the line of his jaw. “I always wanted it to be with you, Dal.” Her fingers slid around to grip his hair. She pulled his face back down to hers.
Dal gave himself over completely and lost himself inside her.
AFTER, SHE FELL ASLEEP on his chest. He could hardly believe she was sprawled on top of him. He had never, ever let himself dream of a moment like this.
He rested one hand on her hip, eyes closed. His other hand fiddled absently with the friendship bracelets on Lena’s wrist. He was exhausted, but knowing there were Russians and nezhit out there made it impossible to sleep. At least Lena could rest for a while. They’d have to leave soon and go to the cabin.
How could the best day of his life also be the worst day of his life? He’d lost Mr. Cecchino and found Lena all in the same day.
Lena twitched violently in his arms. She jerked awake, eyes wild as she looked around in momentary confusion.
“It’s okay.” Dal caressed her back, pulling her close. “You’re okay.”
She burrowed her face into his chest. He wanted to hold her forever.
“I love you, Lena.” The words came out before he could think better of them. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” he said, attempting to back pedal. “I just want you to know. You know, in case the Russians barge in here and kill us in the next five minutes.”
She blinked in surprise, gazing at him. Then she tilted her head and smiled at him. “Dallas Granger, I’ve been in love with you since I was six years old and you saved me from Nonna’s goat.”
He stared stupidly at her. “Really?” Of all the things he might have guessed she would say in response to his declaration, the goat story hadn’t been on his radar.
“Yeah.” She grinned at him. “Don’t you remember? That big billy goat got mad when I fed an apple to the nanny goat. He rammed me in the butt and knocked me down.”
“I punched the goat.” Dal still remembered that day. He’d been horrified at his display of violence, worried the Cecchino family would think he was like his father.
“You yelled and punched the goat and told him to stay the hell away from me.” Lena kissed his cheek. “My knight in plaid. It was all over for me after that.” She kissed him again.
It was a long, slow kiss. Dal savored every second. It was nice hearing her retell the story.
“Why didn’t you say anything before this?” he asked.
She raised a brow. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to disrespect your parents.”
She let out a long sigh. “I know. That’s probably another reason why I love you. Because you loved my parents as much as I did.” She relaxed against him again, returning her head to his chest. “I knew Dad wouldn’t let you stay if we were dating. But I knew you’d eventually move out.” She raised a teasing eyebrow. “You were going to be fair game once you moved out. I had a plan.”
“Did you?” He chuckled and tightened his hold on her. “What was your plan?”
“I was just going to show up at your place all the time. I figured I could bring you Nonna’s leftovers at least three times a week. Then I figured I could probably talk you into helping me with homework at least another two nights. If I got desperate, I figured I’d offer to come help you clean your place. Eventually, I figured you’d ask me to stick around and watch a movie or have a cup of coffee. That’s when I planned to make my move.”
He was loving every second of this conversation. “What was your move?” He was dying to know.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t worked that out. For some reason, making a move seemed way harder than offering to clean your bathroom sink.”
He wrinkled his brow, unsure if she was teasing. “You weren’t really going to offer to clean my future apartment, were you?”
“If that’s what it took to get you to notice me.”
“Shit, I’d have moved out the day I graduated high school if I’d known that.”
Her laugh vibrated all the way through his chest.
“Do you remember that time you spent an entire Sunday afternoon making raviolis?” he asked. “Nonna was sick and you decided it was your job to make dinner for the family.”
“You’re really going to bring up the time I dumped homemade raviolis into boiling water and blew them all up?”
Dal smoothed his hands up and down her back. Her skin was so soft. “I remember thinking you were going to make some guy really happy one day.”
“Because I blew up raviolis?”
“No. Because you loved your family enough to try making a hard meal from scratch when you could have just boiled store-bought noodles and dumped a jar of sauce on it.”
“Dad took us all to McDonald’s that night for dinner. Anton and Leo teased me about that for weeks.”
Dal remembered. They had called her the Italian who couldn’t make Italian.
“My brothers can be real dickheads sometimes.” Her mirth faded. “We should get to the cabin.” She swallowed, giving him a sad smile. “We have to tell them about Dad.”
He sat up and pulled her into his lap. He got one last long kiss, not sure when they’d have a chance to be alone again.
A short while later, they left the house. The sun was just beginning to rise. With the transmitter and the horses, they started the long trek up Pole Mountain.
Chapter 30
Homecoming
LEO WAS UP AT DAWN. Worry for Lena, Dal, and his father had gnawed at him all night. He wasn’t surprised to find Nonna already up, bustling around the kitchen.
“Oh good, you’re up. I need you to make me a fire.”
Leo was grateful for something to keep him busy. Leery of spiders, he grabbed a flashlight and went outside to the woodpile. There were black widows and brown recluse in this area. A strong flashlight beam was enough to scare them if any happened to be on the logs he grabbed.
He had just picked up the first log when he heard it: the nicker of a horse.
What the hell? Alarm spiked through him. There sure as hell weren’t horses in these woods. Foxes, yes. Bobcats, yes. Coyotes and mountain lions and raccoons and skunks, yes.
But no horses.
Leo dropped the wood and tore back up the stairs. He snatched up his rifle, flipped over the picnic table, and crouched behind it.
“Leonardo. What’s going on?” Nonna demanded.
“Stay down, Nonna. I heard a horse. Someone’s coming up the road.”
Nonna tensed. He heard her moving behind him. Seconds later, she crouched beside him with her rifle.
“Nonna, get inside.”
She smacked him on the side of the head.
“Ow!”
Nonna glared at him. “Don’t tell me what to do, Leonardo.
I am head of this household until your father gets back.”
“Sorry.”
She huffed as she rested the barrel of her rifle on the edge of the table. They waited in tense silence, watching the crest of the road. The sky had lightened to a pale gray, increasing their visibility.
A horse nickered again, this time closer. Whoever was out there was almost to the cabin.
“Get ready,” Nonna murmured. “If you see a Soviet, pull the trigger.”
None of this made sense. How could Russians have found the road to Pole Mountain? The road was at such an angle that it couldn’t be seen from the farm. You could only find the entrance if you practically fell over it.
He had a nagging worry they’d been followed from the Craig farm. Setting the truck and the bodies on fire had been a brass move. Maybe a stupid one. To make it all worse, they’d left their name on the destruction. What if the Russians had somehow tied the word sniper to the Cecchino farm?
This wasn’t a stupid football game. Big risks could get them killed. He should have been more careful.
Something moved on the road. A pair of horse ears appeared.
“They’re here,” Nonna murmured. “Be ready, Leonardo.”
He rested his finger on the trigger, sighting down the barrel.
The head of a black horse appeared. Beside it also came the dark brown head of a bay. The horses walked calmly into view, nickering.
“Leo,” a familiar voice called. “Leo, we’re home!”
Leo jumped to his feet, a grin splitting his face. “Dal!” he boomed. He took the steps two at a time.
The horses fully crested the rise in the road and emerged into sight. Atop them were Dal and his baby sister, their clasped hands dangling together in the space between the horses.
“Lena!” Leo had never been so happy to see her. He dragged her off the horse, swinging around in a big hug. “Anton,” he shouted. “Get up, you lazy ass! Our family is back.”
Lena was laughing as Leo twirled her around.
“I just want you to know I’m sorry about that time when I put ants in your bed,” Leo told her.
“I was ten, dummy.” Lena punched him playfully in the arm as he set her down.
“I know.” For some reason, his worry for Lena had led him to regretting that stupid prank. Lena had been mad at him for weeks. “But it was a dick thing to do.”
“It was. But I forgive you.”
Anton and the others piled onto the porch. There was a huge commotion as everyone ran into the clearing at the same time.
Lena ran to Anton. She laughed when he, too, picked her up by the waist and swung her around.
“What the hell, dude?” Jim Craig said to Dal, slapping him on the back. “You scared the hell out of us.”
“You missed Leo and the guys savings our asses from Russian kidnappers,” Tate said.
“It wasn’t just the guys,” Jennifer said. “There was a gal who was there, you know.”
Twin frowns marred Lena and Dal’s face when they caught sight of Jennifer. They disliked her on his account. Leo loved them for that, but he needed to dispel the tension if they were all going to live together at the cabin.
“Jennifer was pretty badass,” he said. “She pulled a rad gymnastics move and took out a Russian with a knife in the back.”
“Don’t forget about the zombie she killed with a stiletto,” Anton added.
Nonna embraced Dal. “Thanks for getting my Angelina back safely,” she said, voice gruff.
“She got me back safely,” Dal replied.
Lena slipped in close to Dal and took his hand, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “We got each other back safely.”
Leo blinked, staring at the two of them. He dimly recalled them holding hands when they arrived here, but he’d been too distracted to process it. But now he saw.
So did Anton. And Nonna. And everyone else. You could have heard a pin drop.
Anton scowled.
Lena met the stares with a bold one of her own. Her hand tightened on Dal’s.
His best friend looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground, but he remained rooted beside Lena. He didn’t try to explain or make excuses. What he did do was tighten his grip on Lena’s hand like he never intended to let her go.
Leo grinned. “About damn time.” Dal had been crushing on his sister for years, but he was too decent to ever make a move. It must have been Lena’s doing.
“You’re seriously okay with this?” Anton gestured angrily at Dal and Lena’s linked hands.
“Take a chill pill,” Leo told him. “Can you seriously name one guy you trust with our sister more than Dal?”
Anton spluttered. “That’s not the point. She’s our sister.”
“Yeah, and I’m not a nun.” Lena shot back. Dal gave Anton an apologetic shrug, but remained firmly attached to Lena.
“Where’s my Giuseppe?” Nonna’s voice came down like a hatchet. “He went to find you in Rossi.”
The clearing went deadly quiet. Leo searched the road for his father. There was a third horse who had come with Lena and Dal, but the animal didn’t carry anyone.
Then he saw the stricken expressions on Lena and Dal.
“Where’s my Giuseppe?” Nonna repeated, her voice rising to a shout. Her fists were bunched at her side, her face white. “Where’s my son?”
“I’m sorry, Nonna.” Lena turned to her grandmother. Her voice hitched as tears spilled out of her eyes. “He—he—”
“What are you saying?” Leo demanded. “Where’s Dad?”
“He didn’t make it,” Dal said softly. He squeezed Lena tight, grief etched into his face. “He ... he died so we could get away.”
Silence. Leo could hear nothing beyond his own ragged breathing. The world tipped beneath his feet. He grabbed the stair railing to keep from collapsing.
His father couldn’t be gone. No way. It must be a mistake. Giuseppe Cecchino was the strongest, most steadfast man in the world. Soviets couldn’t get the better of his dad.
“Nonna, I’m sorry.” Lena broke free of Dal and went to her grandmother.
The older woman enfolded Lena into an embrace. Her chest shook with unspoken emotion. Tears ran freely down her cheeks, but she made no sound. Lena clung to her grandmother, weeping openly.
It nearly broke Leo to see their grief. He slumped to his ground, struggling to push down the howl of despair that rose in his throat. His chest heaved. Tears leaked out of his eyes. He slammed his fist into the ground.
Pain radiated up through his knuckles, but it didn’t help. He beat the ground a few more times and let out a garbled roar of pain and sorrow.
Dal slumped down next to him. His shoulder rested against Leo’s in shared brotherly grief. Leo knew he felt this as deeply as the rest of them did.
The fucking communist bastards had done this. They’d terrorized his town, murdered countless innocents, and stolen their father.
They had to pay. Leo was going to make sure every last one of those fuckers paid for what they’d done.
“Tell me how it happened.” It took Leo a second to realize he’d been the one to speak. His voice was strained. “Tell me.”
Dal drew in a breath and told him. Leo closed his eyes. Leaning his head back against the stair railing, he listened while Dal relayed the events of Rossi.
Halfway through the story, he opened his eyes. Anton sat across from him, hunched on the stump they used for splitting wood. His little brother’s head hung low, knuckles white around his rifle while he listened to Dal. Tears dripped off the end of his nose. His shoulders shook with quiet sobs.
The rest of the group was there, too. Jennifer, Bruce, Jim, and Tate. They stood in a loose semi-circle, also listening.
It didn’t feel like their dad was gone. It felt like he’d come up the road any minute now.
When Dal at last finished, the only sound was that of the whirring cicadas and the chirp of birds.
“So Dad was going to turn into a zombie.
” Anton scrubbed a hand over his face. “He made his death count for something.”
Leo was suddenly exhausted. He felt like he’d barely gotten through the pain of his mother’s loss, and now he had to deal with his father’s. It wasn’t right.
“Thanks for getting Lena home,” Leo said to Dal. “I know that’s what Dad wanted. Lena was always his favorite.”
“She’s his little girl,” Dal agreed. He squeezed Leo’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, man.”
Now that Leo knew the full story, it was shocking Dal and Lena had managed to make it out of Rossi. Their journey home was nothing short of a miracle.
He also knew his best friend. He knew without a doubt that Dal carried the loss of their father on his shoulders.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Leo said.
“It feels like it.”
“Screw that.” Anton got up, stalking over. “You went through hell to get our sister home. The Russians killed our dad. It’s their fault.” He bit off the words.
“Lena helped get me home.” Dal glanced in her direction, where she and Nonna still held each other. “Your sister is scary with a Russian machine gun.”
“Dad knew what was in store for him. He made his death count for something,” Leo said. “We lost Adam and Lars to the virus, too.” He and Anton relayed the tale of all that had befallen them since the invasion.
When they were finished, Dal regarded everyone in the clearing. “There’s something else we need to tell you guys.” He looked to Lena. “Tell them what you overheard.”
She kissed Nonna on the cheek before speaking. “You guys know how I’ve spent the last two-and-a-half years studying Russian? Well, I overheard some stuff when we were in Rossi.”
She shared everything she’d gleaned in their brief encounters with the Russians. Dal explained about the transmitter they’d lugged back from the junior college, which Leo had been too numb to notice before now. Tate and Jim also shared what they knew about the First Offensive, which aligned with the little Lena knew.
“We have to get this information out there,” Dal said. “It’s what Mr. Cecchino wanted. It’s the reason we went to the college to get the transmitter. It broadcasts on FM waves, which are compatible with what a television antenna uses. If we can find a big one, we can get the broadcast out to thousands of people. Someone around here must have one.”
Zommunist Invasion | Book 1 | Red Virus Page 18
