I can see his mind hard at work, trying to come up with the right answer to that question. But, if anything, Chase has always been honest to a fault, and I know I can trust that whatever hesays is the truth. Even if I can hardly believe it when he sighs, then nods.
“And heletyou?”
Chase blows air out through his nose. “He actually was the one who told me to go.”
And that’s all I need to hear to know exactly how he got his hands on an antidote.
The sun is slowly peeking over the horizon as I wake up to find myself nose to nose with Chase. There are barely more than a couple of inches separating us; with each snuffle, I can feel the heat of his breath on my skin.
I must have rolled over during my fitful sleep. I know I passed out with my back to him once we finally found a small park that Maverick trusted enough to set up camp. He stayed on one side of the fire. Thanks to the handcuffs, I had no choice but to settle down with Chase.
We started the night flat on our backs. I unzipped the sleeping bag so that we both had something kind of soft to lie down on. Though it would’ve been more comfortable to scoot together and release the tension in the metal links on the handcuffs’ chain, I refused. The alternative was staring into his face and having him stare back, not knowing if he’s seeing me or Hallie. I couldn’t do it.
And, yet, as I wake up, that’s exactly what happened.
Damn it. Why does he have to be so attractive?
The pull toward Chase only gets worse when he wakes up, smiling as he realizes that I’m right there with him. As if I can go anywhere else. Handcuffs, remember? We’re trapped, andit’s another awful reminder when we both have to take care of business that privacy… yeah. We don’t have any.
Having to squat on the grass after Chase helped me unzip my jeans is my last straw. I already had to do it once last night. The second time is even more awkward, especially when I have to turn back and not sneak a peek when he pulls out his dick so he can take a leak. Eventually one of us will have to take a shit and I’d rather gnaw off my wrist than deal with that while attached to Chase.
I wait until we make it to another neighborhood before I say, “I don’t sense any lurkers here. Maybe it’s time we do a little scavenging.”
Chase’s face screws up. “Sense? Since when can you sense the lurkers? That was?—”
I cut him off before he has to say her name. “Once I left the Grave,” I answer him. “It didn’t start until we were on the Outside.”
“Really? Damn. That didn’t happen to me. Do you know how much easier it would’ve made coming after you if I could tell where the lurkers were? Because, let me tell you, I had to guess and, uh, I didn’t always guess right.”
My heart stops. “You had run-ins with lurkers?”
“Well, yeah. They’ve pretty much taken over. Half the neighborhoods have those assholes lurking wherever they can find a dark spot.”
Don’t I know it. “But you’re okay?”
A small shrug, and the return of his crooked grin. “I know how to take out a lurker.”
“With your bare hands?” I arch my eyebrow. “I know you’re good, Chase. I didn’t think you werethatgood.”
He laughs. “Nah. I had supplies. Handing them over to that goon in East Jersey is what bought my way in. Luckily, I smuggled my antidote in my underwear… and, not surprisingly,that Darryl guy didn’t think to check… but everything else, I gave up.”
I seize on that. Not the smuggling his antidote in his boxer briefs—and, yes, I know what kind of underwear Chase wears now even though I shouldn’t—but that he needs some supplies of his own.
“And that’s exactly why we need to do some scavenging. Mav, you saved our packs, but we need shit for Chase. What do you say? Let’s start going through these houses.”
Maverick sees through my concerns at once. “And maybe we can find some way to cut those cuffs off, too.”
I widen my eyes as though the thought had never crossed my mind. “It couldn’t hurt.”
It takes four houses to find a pair of wire cutters.
They’re not strong enough to cut through the thick metal of the actual cuff easily, but with a lot of groaning and a few muttered curses, Maverick finally manages to snap the chain that keeps me connected to Chase.
As soon as I’m free, I take a few hurried steps away. I’ve never appreciated my personal space so much before, and if he frowns with disappointment to see how eager I am to put distance between us… I pretend not to notice.
Instead, I fiddle with the silver bracelet still locked around my wrist. “I guess this is good enough. Who knows? Maybe we’ll start a fashion trend when we get back to the Grave.”
My flippant comment—or maybe the idea that I’ll be home again with him sooner or later—has Chase quirking his lips upward. He lifts his hand, twisting his matching bracelet. “We always were trendsetters back in high school.”
