“What did she tell you?” he asks at last.
“Just about what happened. You were down south near the bend of the river and got hit from behind when you were attacking that gang. And Burgundy got lost, and you refused to go home.”
“Most of that you already knew.”
“I know. She just told me some more details. Who was the gang?”
“I don’t know. Roaming raiders but not with a drove. They were just moving through the area when they hit Logan’s territory, so we had to follow them south to hit back.”
“And you took out the gang completely when Logan came down to retaliate?”
“Yes. They all were killed.”
“And you checked all the communities around in caseshe went to them for help?”
“Yes. I checked everywhere she could have reached on foot, and then I kept going down the river just in case she got swept away or something. I asked everywhere I went. Every small township and community I saw. No one had seen a trace of her.”
“Would they even know who you were looking for?”
“I think so. A woman as good-looking as my sister all alone would have gotten noticed. Plus, when she was lost, she had dyed pink streaks in her hair.”
“Really? How did she manage that? Did she scavenge some hair dye?”
“Yeah. Well, no, not her personally, but some of Logan’s guys brought back a haul from an old drugstore. Most of the really useful stuff had already been looted, but there was a bunch of makeup and beauty stuff. Burgundy was so excited. She had to try like three different times to get the pink she wanted, but she was so happy when it was done. She always managed to hold on to her smile even when things were the worst, but she was so happy that evening.”
There’s a bittersweet note in his hoarse voice that makes my chest ache. I stroke his beard, the only comfort I can think of.
“So anyway, the pink streaks were an easy thing to ask about. If it was possible to find her, I would have found her.”
“Yeah. That makes sense.”
He didn’t get as far as the Holy Compound. It would still be quite a distance away—much too far without a vehicle.
But they’ve been known to drive around and bring women back.
It’s a long shot. A very slim possibility. But it’s something, and it would explain why and how she completely disappeared from the face of the earth.
“What are you thinking?” Micah asks in a different tone.
“Nothing.”
“You’re thinking something. You’ve gotta know I can tell.”
He can. He can read me better than anyone ever has, even when I don’t say a word.
“It’s just a lot of new information whirling in my mind,” I say. “I need to process it. But it’s nothing bad.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“You’re not gonna get scared and push me away?”
“Not if I can help it.”
He nuzzles my hair. “Please don’t, baby. I don’t think I can make it without you anymore.”
I awakena couple of hours before dawn the next morning. Micah is sound asleep. I get up carefully andpull on my clothes, raising a finger to keep Molly still when she lifts her head to see what’s happening.
