Everyone’s acting strange thismorning.
Theo is quieter than usual, almost contemplative compared to his usual antics of annoying the fuck out of me in any way he can. Alex has this smug expression permanently etched onto his face while constantly flicking his gaze to the princess. And Ollie… well, she’s being the weirdest out of everyone. She’s not said a damn word since she woke up this morning and is sitting as far from Alex as possible.
Did something happen between them while Theo and I were on guard duty? Is that why Alex was naked last night?
I narrow my eyes at Alex over the table, hating the sudden surge of molten jealousy that erupts in my chest. Why does it matter if something happened? It’s not like I’m interested in her or anything. She’s annoying and frustrating to deal with.Definitelynot my type.
I prefer my women quieter, more submissive. I’m not a brat tamer. It’s never something I’ve been interested in andeverythingabout Ollie screams brat. From her attitude to her blatant disregard for my orders; she’s everything I shouldn’t want.
But there’s something so magnetic about her. While she may be a pain in the ass, she’s also loyal and one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. And I served for over a decade—both in the Army and then in the SAS—and met some damn fine people.
Although none of them made me want to fuck them like Ollie does.
No. Stop that train of thought right now.
Not only is it a bad idea to fuck a woman I barely know, but I doubt she’s even attracted to me. No woman has been since the shrapnel from that damned IED blast scarred my face and body. Even my own fuckingwifedidn’t want me once she got a good look at my ugly mug. And with the apocalypse decimating the female population, my chances of finding someone willing to find me attractive enough went from tiny to zero.
Besides, I don’t care that she’s not attracted to me. She’s just a means to an end and once we free the people being held captive by the Scourge, I’ll never have to see her again. She’ll go back to wherever the fuck she came from with her brother and I’ll move on with my life. It’s for the best.
So why does it hurt so goddamn much?
“Here,” Mark says, disrupting my thoughts as he slams a piece of paper onto the table next to my half-eaten bowl of porridge. “This is what I can remember of their secondary camp.”
Grabbing onto the new conversation like a lifeline, I turn my full attention to the paper. It’s a crudely drawn map of what appears to be a large farm. There are several buildings clustered on one side of the map,all of them labelled as either captive housing or guard barracks. On the other side of the map, fields have been outlined, as well as several small barns and workshops. Surrounding the entire camp is what I assume is a perimeter fence, complete with watchtowers and patrol routes.
While it’s not as detailed as I would have liked, it’s better than nothing.
“Do you know the number of guards we might face?” I ask as I glance up from the map.
Mark’s brow furrows and he shrugs. “It’s not accurate, but I’d say twenty. Probably more since their operation has grown in the past month or so.”
“Twenty?” Ollie says, speaking for the first time today. She’s looking between me and Mark with wide eyes and a look of horror on her face.
Mark turns his attention to her and nods. “At least. You sure whoever you’re trying to save is worth it?”
Her jaw clenches and her shock morphs into steely determination. “Verysure.” There’s not an ounce of doubt in her voice.
That’s my girl.
I can’t help but smirk at the bewilderment on Mark’s face. What, did he think she’d back down that easily? I knew from the moment I saw her pinned beneath that man, slamming her knife into his thigh, that she’s a fighter and not someone who backs down when things get tough. I hate that something happened to her in her past to make her like that—you don’t get that kind of determination from an easy life—but damn, is it fucking sexy.
Mark shakes his head. “You guys are fucking nuts to even attempt this.”
Probably, but we have no choice. Since we ran into so many problems on the road, this is the only way we’re going to free our people. Judgingfrom the grim yet determined expressions on Alex’s and Theo’s faces, they feel the same.
“Is there any other information you can give us? Anything that might help us?” A plan is already forming in my mind—not a great one, but it’s something—so anything he can give us will help.
Mark shrugs. “Nothing really.” There’s a pause. “They do their deliveries every Friday on the back of these huge horse-drawn carts.”
I perk up. “What time? And how long are they gone for? Do they take guards from the farm to escort it?”
“I don’t know, sometime in the early morning. Maybe seven or eight? They’re gone pretty much all day, but return before sunset and I guess? I didn’t pay much attention to it.”
Well shit. This is it. The information that might save our asses. “Great. Thank you for all of this.” I turn my attention back to the map, dismissing him. However, Mark lingers, shuffling from one foot to the other. I sigh. “Spit it out.”
“What?”
“You obviously want to say something, so spit it out. We have planning to do.” I know I’m being a surly bastard today, but I barely got any sleep last night, and I’m antsy to get back on the road.
