Laurel answered her curiosity with a quirk of her mouth. “In a committed relationship.” She shook her head. “Honestly, it would be easier if we weren’t. A couple of people have come to the meetings and then never returned. I could tell they saw Grav and wantedno part of a community that included a Progg. But I love him. I truly believe that love and hope will save us.
“Besides, what’s the alternative—mutual annihilation? Their weapons are far superior to ours, but now that they’re outnumbered, we have the upper hand. Do we keep killing each other until there’s one lone survivor?”
“Maybe the way to defeat them is to win them over,” Chloe said.
“In all honesty, I accept Grav only because he doesn’t personally have blood on his hands. He didn’t kill anyone,” Laurel said. “If he did—that would be a deal-breaker.”
“I feel the same about Rok.”
“That won’t matter to people who will deem Grav and Rok as guilty as the rest, and I can’t blame them for that. Different people draw the line in different places. For me, it comes down to murder. I can’t accept a Progg who participated in a killing march. Nor can I accept the colluders who helped them.”
“Me either. How does Grav feel?”
“He opposes what Progg-Res did. It never sat right with him; he could never buy into it. He’s still worried about it. The GM aborted the campaign, but with theircomms down, it’s anybody’s guess how many know that.”
“It’s not over yet, is it?”
“No, but the situation is much improved. In three months, we’ve only seen a single Progg—and he’s been dealt with. We established a militia, and Grav—and now Rok—are probably our best defense.”
“He’s up to speed on the generator!” Grav announced as the men reentered.
Rok sat next to her, and she reached out and threaded her fingers through his. Their gazes met, and she could see the caring and concern in his eyes. The gentleness and the desire. The warmth of belonging and homecoming spread through her.
“Did you fill Chloe in on the food and electricity situation?” Grav asked.
“Planned to, but then we got to talking,” Laurel replied. “There’s a small assortment of canned goods in the kitchen cupboard. There’s a limited amount of vegan, but it will tide Rok over for a day or so. You can open the fridge—it’s been cleaned out. But it’s unplugged. I recommend dry storage only, because it will go on and off with the generator, and that will promote mold growth.
“With regard to the generator, it’s gassed up, and we’ve provided an extra five gallons, but fuel has to be siphoned from cars. Without electricity, gas pumps don’t work. Use the generator to heat water, run the AC to make the temperature bearable, wash clothes, cook on the electric stove. But unless you want to be sucking gas out of cars all the time, I recommend you turn it off when you can get by without it.”
“Got it. After going so long without electricity, having it part-time will be a luxury.”
“Oh, before I forget—there’s a tub-shower combo in the master bath. Don’t soak your head until the bandages come off. You can bathe, but don’t shower. Blot your hair if you have to.”
“Okay.” A bath sounded like heaven.
“Lastly,” she said, passing a sheet of paper to Chloe, “these are the current residents. Most everyone lives on this same street. An Amish couple lives outside of town. Grav and I are two houses down from you on the right.” She glanced at Rok. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come get us.”
Chloe perused the printed list of names, addresses, and areas of expertise and responsibilities. “Did you do this on a computer?”
“Yeah. When we run the generator, I update the list and print out current copies. I’ll add you at the next update.”
“You’re organized!” She was impressed.
“We’re getting there. We’ll let you rest. Damon and I will drop by in the morning to check on you and change the dressing.”
“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done,” Chloe said.
“Our pleasure. We’re in this together. We have to stick together, support one another, and care for each other.”
“We do,” she agreed, her throat thickening with tears of gratitude. She’d known all along she’d needed people but hadn’t realized how much she’d neededthis—to be taken care of, to let somebody else carry the load for just a little while, to meet people she could trust—and she included Rok and Grav in that. “As soon as I’m back to fighting form, I’ll be pulling my weight,” she promised.And then some.
“Get well. Rest. Take all the time you need.” They left, and she and Rok were alone.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As soon as Grav and his human mate were out the door, Chloe got up from the sofa.
“What are you doing?” Rok asked. “You heard them—you’re supposed to rest!”
