by SM Olivier
I wanted to feel bad for Katie. A part of me did, but Wyatt was right. She was ridiculously smart and should have realized she wasn’t there just to hang out.
“I did my job,” Natalie snarled as tears and snot ran down her face. “This virus is unpredictable, and you know that.”
“You didn’t inspect everyone,” Officer Rhys spoke up at the back of the crowd.
He stepped forward with another man I didn’t recognize. Between them, they carried a slip of a woman. I assumed she was the one Mike thought was detoxing, because she was almost frighteningly thin. She was covered in blood, and I had to force myself to look at her despite the roiling sickness in my stomach.
Officer Rhys leaned forward and lifted her shirt slightly. There was no denying the evidence of a bite mark on her stomach. I didn’t study forensic science or was an expert on wounds, by any means, but there was no doubt that the teeth indentations were old. Judging by the bruising and deterioration of the skin around the mark, it wasn’t recently acquired. It reminded me of the bruising I received in tournaments. I had sported quite a few of them, even with the protective equipment. By my guess, she received the wound approximately three or four days ago.
“That wasn’t there.” Natalie still insisted on sticking to her lie.
“It’s been there for at least three days,” Officer Rhys confirmed my suspicions as his jaw clenched in something akin to anger.
“Well, with the evidence presented before us, who thinks she should remain here?” Uncle Mitch stated as he stepped forward.
I hadn’t realized Uncle Mitch was pretty much putting Natalie’s fate in the hands of those gathered around.
Natalie looked over at Garth and Jade. “Really? None of you are going to have my back, after I’ve had yours time and time again?” Then she smirked towards Katie and Nico. “Maybe I rushed things because Nico was waiting on me, but I shouldn’t be punished for a mistake.”
Jade looked away.
Garth shook his head. “You messed up, Nat. Big time.” He looked shaken and truly horrified by his friend’s actions. His head hung down in shame, as if his association with her made him culpable.
“Don’t place the blame on me,” Nico scoffed. “You told me when and where to meet you. I didn’t orchestrate any of this.” He looked over at Katie. I think he was silently trying to beg her for forgiveness, but his eyes showed no remorse. It was evident by his cocky stance this wasn’t the first time he had cheated on her, and if she remained with him, I doubt it would be the last.
“We will be driving you to the road,” Corbin told Natalie. “Your Jeep is waiting for you there. It’s already stocked with a week's worth of food. You are no longer welcome here, Burns.”
Natalie began to lash out and kick with everything she had. I could tell the men were struggling to keep their hold on her and their tempers, and knowing them, they would never hit a woman. I moved forward, hoping to help them out a smidge. I passed Isa off to Wyatt and walked over to Natalie. Then I pulled back my fist and smashed it into her jaw. She immediately stopped thrashing about, and her eyes rolled back. She was dazed but not knocked out entirely.
I wasn’t generally a violent person. I took my frustrations and aggressive energy out in the ring and never got in fights outside of it. Hitting her was way more satisfying than I’d anticipated. She deserved far more for her transgressions.
“That should make her more compliant,” I said coldly as I stepped back.
Wyatt chuckled maliciously before placing an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me close. I watched as Kingston and Corbin dragged her to a running, waiting vehicle.
“Be lucky they’re… holding me back, you… bitch,” Natalie slurred as she was hauled away.
“Nico, you can go with her,” Katie said tearfully. “I don’t want you here anymore, and since you were cheating on me with her, you belong with her.”
“What about you?” a woman sobbed out. “I lost my son and husband because of you, too.”
Everyone went deathly silent.
“Does anyone else feel that she’s guilty?”
It seemed to pain Uncle Mitch to ask the question. He was a fair man. If he determined to take it to a vote and they found her guilty, I knew he would do what he had to do, blood or not. He hadn’t heard from his son MJ in days, and we had no clue if he was safe or where he was, but my uncle would still do what was best for the community, even if it meant losing another child.
“She may have acted with naivety, but she never knew she was supposed to inspect everyone,” Axel spoke up first.
Natalie began yelling once more, but the guys had her hands zipped-tied behind her back and sitting on the tailgate of the truck.
“We’re sorry for you loss, Tara, but Katie can’t be held accountable for what she didn’t know,” Officer Rhys spoke up quietly. “I lost my wife and sister-in-law because of someone else's carelessness as well. I understand your need to blame someone. Katie may have been clueless, but she shouldn’t be held responsible for last night.”
I could see the relief in Uncle Mitch’s eyes before he carefully masked it. “Does anyone else find her blameworthy?” I knew he was just trying to be cautious.
No one else spoke up, and Katie stepped into her father's arms. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t know. I promise I’ll do better.”
Uncle Mitch held her close and patted her back.
“Let’s go, Nico,” Natalie said with jagged tears.
“Nah.” Nico shook his head with a smirk. “You weren’t that good of a lay.”
His audacity knew no bounds, and I hated him even more.
“Leave!” Katie sobbed. “I don’t want you here anymore.”
Corbin and Kingston stepped forward to grab Nico next, but Uncle Mitch held his hand up. “We can’t throw him out because he has reprehensible morals. As much as I despise the guy, he hasn’t committed any crime against the community. Did you want to stay or go with her?”
“I’m staying,” Nico said haughtily. “I came with Katie instead of going home to my own family.”
“You don’t even like your family,” Katie protested. “You wanted to come here.”
“Sorry, honey, but we can’t put him out because you’re upset at him. However,” Uncle Mitch quickly added as Nico smirked. “You, Nico, are on probation. Not because of how you treated my daughter, but because you’ve been hiding and trying to avoid working.”
He looked around the gathering crowd and addressed them, too. “Life isn’t like we once knew it. It isn’t going to be easy, and we’re going to have to work for our comfort. We will be holding a funeral for the lives we lost last night, but beginning tomorrow, no one is exempt from working. You will work in your assigned sections. Your workgroup leaders will report to me. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. If you continue not to work, we’ll be putting you out. No one gets a free ride here. I’ll explain more after breakfast.
“For all our newcomers, I’m sorry, truly sorry for your introduction to our community. If you want to leave, I’ll understand. I also don’t expect any of you to work today, and my wife and sister-in-law will be coming around to visit some of you later.”
There was silence after his announcement. I saw a few people whispering to each other, probably contemplating their next move. Even with what had occurred last night, I was positive our community was the safest place to be in our new world.
It wasn’t long before the whispering stopped, and Aunt Carol announced from behind us that breakfast was ready.
Chapter 24
I closed my eyes and sighed as I leaned back into Axel’s chest. I had crawled into his open legs, seeking comfort. He pulled me in closer and wrapped his arms around my middle. I tried to let the stress of the day go as I absorbed the warmth of the fire and relaxed to the sound of Wyatt playing his guitar.
“Want one?” Rhys asked as he held out two beers.
I smiled and took one. “Thanks.”
“Thanks, man,” Axel said as h
e tapped his bottle against the other man’s.
At first, when Corbin and Kingston suggested a bonfire at the RV lot, my first reaction was to decline, but now I was glad I had ignored my initial reservations. I thought it was what most of us needed after another physically and emotionally draining day.
We were able to acquire a substantial amount of RVs. The older couples and families with younger kids ended up taking the spots in the front half. The younger guys and girls like BJ, Mike, and Felix chose to take the back half.
The back half also boasted a large bonfire pit. Sylvia, Rhys, and I had temporarily commandeered Mike’s new camper to put all the children down for the night while we relaxed by the bonfire. Easton made sure to put a baby monitor in the camper so we could hear if any of the children woke up.
I took a sip of my beer and barely contained my wince. It was a local brew that was a little on the hoppy side. I never was a big beer drinker unless pizza or crab was involved, but when in Rome....
Wyatt started to strum a tune I recognized as Stay With Me by Sam Smith. He looked over at me and winked before he began singing the lyrics. I felt the goosebumps erupt across my skin as his smooth tone caressed me. When he changed the notes to make his voice break out into a high falsetto, I smiled at him.
Someone next to him began to play the guitar, and I still couldn’t tear my gaze away from Wyatt. He kept eye contact with me the entire time, and when he was finished, I grinned like a fool.
He bent down and whispered into one of the younger newcomer's ears before he stood, put his guitar down, and held his hands out to me. I didn’t want to dance in front of everyone, but it was hard to resist his smile. That and Axel had placed a kiss on my shoulder before grasping my waist and hoisting me up.
I took Wyatt’s hands and let him pull me close. The new guy began to play Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran, and this time, Wyatt sang to me as he danced with me around the bonfire.
“I wanna dance too,” I heard Emery whine somewhere to my left.
When Kingston and Corbin suggested the bonfire, they had left an open invitation to everyone. Most of the older people chose not to join us, but I was surprised by the number of people who had shown up. Wyatt had procured some beer, wine, and liquor for us from the restaurant, and Uncle Mitch had given us his blessings to “let off a little steam.”
I ignored Emery as she continued to whine. I tried to shut her out. At dinner tonight, she looked like she was still angry about having to work all day. True to his word, Uncle Mitch had kept her by his side all day. He hadn’t shown her any mercy. When he delivered building material to Borris, Emery had to do it. When he helped in the supply building, she had to assist as well. When he helped Chad and Samuel in the poultry house, she was required to pitch in, too. She did a lot of whining, according to Aunt Carol, but she had no other choice but to stay by his side.
Katie, apparently, had learned a lot from last night’s nightmare. She had jumped into helping in the greenhouses with both feet. When she was done with that, she had gone up to the campers’ cabins and began emptying them so Borris could get in there and erect walls. By the time the project was done, they were hoping to have four decent sized rooms for the transients and people on a probationary stay.
“I need to hold you tonight,” Wyatt murmured in my ear as the song ended.
“If you don’t mind sharing me with Easton,” I whispered back to him.
When I had visited Easton earlier tonight to make him come to dinner, I could tell the day had emotionally drained him. Only the six-year-old girl remained from all our critically injured. Eddie had offered to “take care” of the others that had turned, but Easton almost wore his responsibility like a heavy mantle. He chose to do it, and I knew it weighed heavily on him.
If Aunt Pam hadn’t forced him from the clinic and reassured him that she was going to remain there− in addition to a couple of guards− he would have stayed there all night. I already told him he was sleeping with me tonight. I may have only known him for a few days, but I knew he took comfort from physical touch.
I wanted to just hold him and allow him to take comfort and strength from me.
“I’m okay with that.” Wyatt smirked.
“My turn,” Kingston insisted, pushing Wy out of the way and twirling me around.
The music changed to a faster number, and I found myself laughing and smiling as Kingston danced eccentrically with and around me. Kingston was seriously a great dancer. He gyrated his hips and moved his body like a practiced dancer, and I would have to be blind to not notice his passionate moves. I began to wonder if those hips moved just as well in the bedroom. In no time, I was getting all hot and bothered by his seductive moves.
Sylvia jumped up and pulled her men up with her. Soon she was sandwiched between Joe, Cal, and Chad. My eyes widened slightly when I noticed the touches between Chad and Sylvia. I hadn’t realized they had started gravitating towards each other as well.
Other people joined us, and I just let the atmosphere carry me away from the pain, fear, and hurt. One song blended into another, and all the guys took their turn dancing with me, save Axel. Wyatt couldn’t do anything but slow dance, but I was okay with that. Corbin was comical when he danced, but he had some moves. Some. Easton and Kingston were the most skilled, by far.
Axel didn’t seem to want to join the festivities. He casually sipped his beer and talked to Rhys most of the night. I wouldn’t say he was having a horrible time, but I knew he wasn’t losing any of his careful control. He remained alert and watchful I could tell the big man was still feeling responsible for last night, but unlike Easton, there were no cuddles or coaxing to get him out of his somber mood.
I was out of breath and ready to take a break when I went back over to him and curled up into his arms once more. I took in the group and the conversations and general camaraderie around the fire. Even in these trying times, people were opening themselves up to new beginnings. They were meeting new people and bonding over shared experiences.
I noticed BJ had met a girl today. She was pretty and seemed nice, but I could tell it had bothered Mike.
Mike refused to go near him or talk to him despite their closeness the night before. I felt terrible for her, but she was young, and I was sure someone would recognize her worth someday.
Besides, I hoped she realized my brother was eighteen, and at fifteen, he wouldn’t look at her the way she wanted him to.
“Having fun?” Axel asked with a gentle, teasing tone.
“It was exactly what I needed,” I admitted to him before stealing his beer from his hand and taking a long pull from it.
He raised a brow at me as his lips twisted up slightly. “Thirsty?”
“Just a little bit,” I said saucily.
He chuckled and pulled me in close. He lowered his head to my bare shoulder and kissed it, then buried his head in my hair and inhaled. “Has someone already claimed your bed tonight?” he asked.
I nodded. “Wy and Easton,” I told him and wished we had a bed big enough for all of us.
“Good,” he murmured. Always the martyr. The one that always put his team’s desires above his own. “They seem to need you tonight.”
“What about you, JS Tacka,” I teased him. “Will you ever tell me when you need me?”
He grinned, and once again, my breath was taken away at the beautiful sight. “Yes, but my team’s needs will always supersede mine.”
I rolled my eyes and grasped his face in my hands before placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “One day, I’ll figure out a way to break you of that habit,” I taunted him.
“Oh yeah?” he flirted.
“Yeah,” I answered with conviction.
He captured my lips with his own. I melted into him and took comfort in his open display of affection for me. For someone who didn’t like kissing and had used sex as a release and not an emotion, he had no reservations in showing me how much I had come to mean to him.
He put his hands through my hai
r and tilted my head back, taking more command of our kiss. I slid my tongue along his and moaned. My turned-on state only heightened under his passionate demonstrations.
“I need new tennis shoes.” Emery planted herself in front of us.
I sighed at her rude interruption.
“So?” I asked her with a raised brow.
Why was she always so determined to engage me in her drama? I was having a great night, and all she wanted to do was ruin it. I knew she was upset that Trevor wouldn’t dance with her. She behaved as if she hadn’t grown up with him, too.
Trevor hated dancing, and unless you fed him a lot of alcohol, he wouldn’t ever be caught on a dance floor, even a makeshift one.
“I was talking to him,” she sneered at me.
“So?” Axel asked her with a deadpan look.
“Em, I told you I’d figure it out,” Trevor stated as he tried to pull her back to their seat on the other side of the fire. “We’re here to enjoy the night.”
“Well, I’m not enjoying myself, and you say a lot of things. You fail to come through with most of your statements,” Emery snarled. “I need new shoes. I don’t have enough underwear. My flat-iron broke, and I need new Armani Beauty Silk Foundation.”
“And you’re telling Axel this, why?” Kingston asked as he took a seat on the other side of Axel and me.
“If you’re out running around, I need those items,” Emery explained as if Kingston was dense.
I blinked at her. Seriously, what did she not understand about our new situation? We weren’t making a run to the local department store for our enjoyment. We weren’t running out for a gallon of milk and driving by a store she wanted stuff from.
Kingston began to laugh uproariously as the baby monitor started emitting a baby’s cry.
“I got her,” Easton reassured me as he headed towards the camper.
How he had recognized Isa’s cry impressed me beyond belief.
“How does that work?” a younger woman in her mid to late twenties crept over.
I recognized her as one of the women who had helped Aunt Carol, Trudy, and Winnie in the kitchens for most of the day.
