My ex-fiancé flashes in my mind and re-hardens the walls around my heart. I’m not going through that shit, not again. Third time is definitely the charm when it comes to pricks shattering your heart.
Alex opens his mouth again, and Iknowhe’s going to ask some other inane question because he can’t seem to handle the silence between us. Thankfully, before he can get the words out, the front door of the house flies open and out steps Rhys. He looks calm, and I didn’t hear any guns go off, so I guess the house must have been clear.
Good. I don’t want to sleep around zombie blood. I had to do that last night and it wasnota fun time.
“House is clear. Let’s move,” Rhys barks, sounding like a drill sergeant. But beneath the harshness of his order, there’s a slight musical lilt to his voice that makes me wonder if he’s Welsh. It would explain his name and, for a moment, I wonder what his life was like before the world ended.
He’s a handsome guy, but there’s a savageness to his good looks that the other two lack. Maybe it’s the network of scars that line his face, neck and arms or the dark stubble that coats his strong jaw, but everything about him screams rugged and dangerous. Like he’s the type of guy who’d bend you over in a dark alleyway, fuck you until you scream his name and then walk away without saying a word. Either that or beat you into the ground because you looked at him wrong.
The guy is fucking intimidating. Not just from his size, although he’s definitely tall and well built. Not as much as Alex, but he’s packing muscle. No, there’ssomethingabout the way he holds himself, a confidence in his step and the dark glint in his honeyed eyes that tells me this guy won’t take anyone’s shit.
Or maybe it’s the big fucking assault rifle he’s carrying.
Yeah, it’s probably that.
Alex gives Harlow one last pat before unfolding himself from his crouch. Harlow huffs, not happy at losing access to her pets, and rolls back onto her paws before trotting over to me.
Oh, now you want to spend time with me, you traitor, I think as I shoot her a dirty look. Obviously, the dog just ignores me and simply sits at my side once again.
“Come on, princess. We haven’t got all day,” Rhys grumbles, clearly not happy that I’m not moving toward the door like Alex is.
I grind my teeth and narrow my eyes at him. I swear this guy is purposefully pushing my buttons just to piss me off.Well, fuck him and the horse he rode in on. Speaking of horses… “I’m taking Bean round the back,” I say as I grab the mare’s reins and lead her to the side of the house.
“By yourself?” the infuriating man asks.
“Won’t be the first time. Don’t worry your pretty little head,” I shoot back just before I disappear from view. The back garden is in a similar state to the one I found the first night I started my mission, except this one borders onto a stream.
I close the gate behind us and set about slipping Bean’s saddle and bridle off her just as the last rays of sunlight fade and darkness descends. The mare walks off to find a thick patch of grass to munch on while Harlow trots over to the stream and laps at the water. Ketchupcawsat me once before flying off to find a place to roost for the night.
I’m both looking forward to and dreading the night ahead. While it’s nice to have other people there to watch my back, I don’t trust them and the less time I spend with them, the better. I’ll take one room in the house and staying there for the night.
But, of course, my life can’t be that easy.
As soon as I walk through the back door with Harlow in tow, I realise the entire ground floor is open plan. Before the world ended, I’m sure the place was stunning in a modern, clean kind of way, but for me, it’s the worst case possible. There’s nowhere to hide, no place to curl up and let myself break in private.
The kitchen takes up one wall with counters that were once a gleaming white, now grey and dull from a year of neglect. Next to the kitchen is a dining area with one of those fancy glass and metal dining tables with uncomfortable looking metal chairs. The living room area is on the other side of the house, the area only separated by a sprawling L-shaped black sofa sitting in front of a huge TV. Beside the TV is one of those modern fireplaces that isn’t actually a fireplace, it’s just electric. Which, during the apocalypse, is fucking useless.
The guys have already claimed the living room area, so I camp out in the kitchen near the back door. As I crouch on the floor, I place Bean’s tack on the ground next to me and then begin my nightly ritual of preparing food for both Harlow and me. I ignore that at least half my rations are now missing.
It’s a future Ollie problem.
I go through the motions of turning my camping stove on, pouring in the food and waiting for it to heat. It’s soothing and familiar, exactly what I need if I want to stave off my impending panic attack.
And then it shatters.
“What are you doing?” Rhys barks at me, cutting through my meditative state.
All at once, my emotions hit me like a fucking freight train and I suck in a desperate breath as my chest squeezes painfully. I clench one hand into a fist while the other threads through the thick fur of Harlow’sscruff. She presses against me, probably feeling the hurricane of emotions whipping through me. I force myself to focus on her; the warmth of her body seeping through my clothes, her rhythmic breathing, her distinctive doggie smell. It’s enough to keep the worst of my emotions at bay.
And then my anger takes over.Goddammit, the bastard justhadto fucking order me around like I’m a solider or something.
“I’m knitting,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “What the fuck does it look like I’m doing?”
I keep my attention on the food in the pot. I’m pretty sure if Harlow wasn’t half on top of me, I’d march over and punch the guy in the face. Or stab him with the fancy knife Andy gave me. Or shoot an arrow at him. All of those sound like good options for the arrogant twat. I know I should be grateful that he saved my ass, but his attitude is making that impossible.
There’s a snort and cough that sounds suspiciously like suppressed laughter, followed by a growl.
“I think what the neanderthal over here is trying to say is, why are you all the way over there?” Alex asks, barely contained laughter in his voice.
