This was a story he had no desire to tell her, but she deserved to hear the truth.“I lost my way when my ex-wife cheated on me,” he confessed.“I went through a lot of women, using them and discarding them afterwards.”
“I hope you used protection,” she murmured, but her tone wasn’t judgmental.
“Of course,” he confirmed.“I was depressed, not stupid.”
“Go on,” she said, checking the map of the city Pastor Hogan had given them to make sure they were going the right way.She didn’t know the other boroughs as well as she knew Manhattan.
“I got into some barfights and was tossed in the lockup a couple of times,” he went on.“Then I ran into the guy my ex cheated on me with.”
His grim tone was enough for GG to halt and give him her full attention.“Did you kill him?”she asked, tone heavy with skepticism.
“Almost,” he said with a grimace.“I put him in the hospital, but he managed to pull through without suffering any brain damage like the doctors feared he would.”
“You must have done a number on him,” GG said with a wince.“Did he have any permanent injuries?”
“Nah, he got lucky,” Dalton said.“I paid his hospital fees as part of my punishment.”
“You didn’t get any jailtime?”she asked as she began walking again.
“Nope.I did a hundred hours of community service though,” he said, lengthening his stride to catch up to her.“You don’t seem bothered that I almost murdered another human,” he said in surprise.
“I shot two men dead the same day I met Rahab,” GG told him.“I’m pretty sure my coldblooded murders were what drew him to me.”
“It didn’t bother you to take their lives?”he asked skeptically.
She checked her map again, then turned the next corner.“I thought I was going to puke,” she admitted.“It took all of my acting skills not to upchuck on Rahab’s expensive suit when he came over to introduce himself.”
Dalt chuckled and she snickered.“We’ve both done things we regret,” he said, sweeping his gaze around.A few people were scurrying through the streets in search of supplies.They were all gaunt and desperate.
“No kidding,” GG agreed.“The rink is still some distance away,” she said.“Let’s pick up the pace a bit.”
She started to run and he matched her pace.They passed a burned-out convenience store, then detoured away from some humans.The group was clustered around a fire they’d lit inside a metal drum.GG seemed to know where she was going.She led them unerringly to a large building with a vacant parking lot, occasionally checking the map.
“There it is,” his gorgeous blonde companion said in triumph, gesturing at the skating rink.“I can’t believe it’s still standing after all these decades.”
“It doesn’t look like anyone has broken in yet,” Dalton said when they reached the parking lot.“We should try to find a way inside.It might be a good place to use as our base.”
They split up and he headed around to the back of the rink, trying the metal shutters on the windows.They were all locked down tight.So was the back door.The lightning blasted remains of a tree stuck out of the snow a few yards from the building.He tilted his head back to scan the second floor.One of the shutters looked like it had been damaged.He doubted he would be able to pry it open even if he could reach it.
“No luck,” he said when he returned to GG.
“Damn it!”the wrestler said and kicked a nearby rock.It toppled over and she gasped in shock.“Someone hid some keys under the rock!”she said and bent to pick them up.
“Maybe Fate’s watching over us,” the cowboy joked as she tried one of the keys in the lock.
“She must be,” GG said in wonder when the key turned and the door opened.“Holy crap!”she exclaimed softly when she got a glimpse at the dark interior.“We’ve found the motherlode, Dalt!”
He flicked a flashlight on and followed her inside.Two mattresses complete with pillows, sheets and blankets lay in the center of the rink, along with a battered old black faux leather couch.A small folding table and chair sat to one side.A coffee table and desk were there as well.Boxes were stacked against the wall inside the rink.
They removed their shoes so they didn’t track snow and mud across the carpet, which looked like it had been vacuumed recently.“I think I just became a true believer, darlin’,” Dalt said when they found enough supplies of food, water and other essential items to last them for months inside the boxes.
“Thanks, Fate,” GG said, looking up at the ceiling.“The only things missing are a working toilet and a shower,” she said wistfully.She hadn’t checked upstairs yet, but they already suspected the plumbing had been removed like the equipment downstairs.
Dalton wished he could provide them for her, but he knew his limits.He’d only been with GG for a few short days and he already knew he was gone for her again.His love for his ex hadn’t died.It had just been hibernating all this time.She wasn’t ready to hear that confession.GG needed to recover from her ordeal of dealing with Rahab.Like always, she would be in charge.Dalt just hoped things might work out better for them this time, since it seemed Fate was giving them a second chance.
