“I didn’t know anyone used those things anymore,” Theo muses.
Remington shrugs as she continues to shake the film, waiting for the photo to develop. “This old thing was my mom’s. I’ve always held on to it.”
She looks at the photo and beams. “See?” she asks, flipping it around to show us. “That’s a keeper.”
She walks over to the fridge and uses a magnet that looks like a shotgun casing to hang it up. “Perfect,” she says proudly.
I notice she has several other photos hung up there as well, most of which are animals, but I spot one with her and Sheriff April standing side by side, his arm around her shoulders and her beaming at the camera.
I don’t know what the deal is between them, and even though I’m curious, I keep my mouth shut. I have shit I don’t like to talk about, and the last thing I’m going to do is force someone to air theirs.
Remi moves to a calendar that’s hanging up on the fridge and taps it with a slender finger. A frown takes over her face and her eyebrows scrunch down with concern.“My delivery should’ve been here yesterday,” she says, more to herself than to us. “It always comes. Rain or shine, that delivery has never been late,” she adds, tilting her head slightly to the left like somehow the new angle she’s using to look at things will suddenly provide all of the answers.
I exchange a knowing look with Brant and Theo. “The world is ending, remember?” Theo says sardonically. Brant gives him an exasperated look, but he just shrugs. “What? It is.”
Remington rolls her eyes. “Right. There is that.”
I shove my plate away and stand up. “Remington, I know it all sounds far-fetched, but I assure you, this is happening. If it takes your delivery person not showing up to convince you, then so be it.”
She waves me off dismissively, which instantly irritates me. “There are a million logical explanations for a late delivery. Just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. It doesn’t mean the world is ending.”
When she starts to walk away, I stand up suddenly, my arm shooting out to keep her from leaving. Her stomach bounces off my forearm and I cage her in against the edge of the countertop as I lean forward and place my arms on either side of her. She stiffens, but instead of leaning away from me, she does the opposite, and presses into me instead.
“Okay, Remington April, it’s time for you to listen up,” I begin sternly. “Your father sent us here to retrieve you because there’s a virus that’s burning through this country like fire, and we’re all just kindling. People are dying, and people are scared. That is not a combination you want to run into alone, and I don’t care how off the grid you are, someone will eventually find this place. The best thing for all of us to do is to hole up with people we can trust to watch our backs, stock up on supplies, and try to make it through this. Endstone is our best option.”
Her full lips part slightly, and I can tell she’s preparing to argue. “I don’t know what the fuck happened between you and your dad, and honestly, I don’t care. Whatever issue you have with Endstone, you need to get over it. People care about each other there and are willing to help each other out, and we know that because we’re a part of the community now. As soon as this weather clears, we’re getting the hell out of here. We came all this way to get you, because your dad wants you to come back. So are you coming or not?”
Our eyes stay locked on each other, but when her tongue peeks out to lick her lips, my gaze moves down to track the movement. I’m suddenly very aware of her body as it presses into mine. This is probably not the right moment to observe that this wild, outdoorsy girl looks like a fucking wet dream, but I do.
Way too many screws loose,I remind myself. Gorgeous, yes, but her shade of crazy is a bit too bright and outside the lines for someone like me. I’m more of a color-by-numbers kind of guy.
Her eyes dart down my body, and I barely keep myself from leaning into her even more when her glacier-blue eyes settle on my crotch. My dick responds, clearly missing the memo that sleeping with her would be a bad idea.
I study her face more astutely now that I’m so close, and notice she has a grouping of very faint freckles that look like the little dipper on her cheek. I clear my throat a little, the sound helping me to rein in my scattered thoughts. I take a step back and fold my arms over my chest in an effort to re-tap into my talent for intimidation. “Well? Are you coming?”
She shocks the hell out of me when she reaches around me, grabs my ass with a smirk, and says, “With you three? God, I hope so.”
She drops her hands from my ass and rubs past me, strutting out of the kitchen before I can pick my fucking jaw up off the floor. She definitely wasn’t talking about coming back to Endstone.
All three of us stare after her as she shakes her ass down the hallway, disappearing from view and singing some weird ass song about licking frosting off someone.
“Goddamn,” Brant whistles.
I clench my fists, trying to force my blood to collect anywhere other than my dick. “She’s going to be a problem,” I finally say, turning around to face them.
Theo chuckles and runs a hand down his face. “You think?” he snarks, one eyebrow raised in a look that says,no shit, Sherlock.
Fuck.I hate when he’s right.
10
Brant
Ipull back the curtains just enough for me to see outside but not enough to give myself away. Crickets sing their nightsong, and I run my eyes over every inch of the surrounding landscape, looking for anything that might be out of place or different from the last time I did this half an hour ago.
It’s just past three in the morning, and the only sounds are the occasional noises a house makes as it hunkers down for the night. I hear insects chattering, the walls settling, and Madix’s heavy breathing coming from the direction of the couch. Theo took the guest room despite Remi’s offer to double up in her bed. The fucker probably would have taken her up on her offer if Madix and I hadn’t shut that down right away, and I’m not sure just what the fuck to think about any of that.
Remi and I kissed up on the roof, and it wasn’t your average,Hmm wonder what this would be likekind of kiss. It was hot as fuck, filled with need and pent-up sexual aggression, and felt right in ways I don’t want to examine.
