Page 29
“What about this?” Fallon asked gruffly, finger tracing a highway near the east coast. Before he had even finished marking his desired route, Davis was already shaking his head.
“Wouldn’t work. A tsunami hit the coast a month ago. Wiped out a good chunk of homes and roads.”
Tonya sat beside her husband, though her eyes occasionally flickered towards Fallon’s ass on display in his tight-fitting jeans. Not that I blamed her. My men were fine specimens.
I wasn’t even jealous of her blatant ogling. I didn’t care that she had her eyes on him because I knewhiseyes would only ever be on me.
Despite that, I liked Tonya and her crew. Davis was quiet, the gruff protector persona reminiscent of Calax, and Jared was funny and charismatic. Tonya herself was a good companion. She had willingly given me some birth control she had collected, a morning after pill, and a box of condoms.
“Sheathe it before you reap it,” she’d said with a wicked glint to her eyes.
“I still vote we head west,” Jared interjected now, turning towards Fallon.
“Do you truly believe paradise exists?” my rough leader asked. His lips were pulled down into a tight frown.
Jared chuckled, but the sound was hollow even to me, a person who didn’t know him that well.
“You, my friend, are a pessimist.”
“Or I’m just realistic,” Fallon countered. Ryder, sitting on one of the wooden kitchen chairs, clapped his hands to garner their attention and stop their bickering.
“What’s this I hear about paradise?”
I could see the others leaning in as well, expressions varying from curious to cautious to excited. The latter was mainly worn by Ryder and Ronan.
Fallon sighed heavily.
“It's folklore. A story about a place where the storms can’t reach and Ragers can’t attack. Something that doesn’t exist.” With the last statement, he stared pointedly at Tonya, Davis, and Jared.
“People have seen it,” Davis insisted. He forked his fingers through his dark hair, nearly down to his shoulders. Jared, on the other hand, had buzzed hair, so blond it was nearly white.
Tamson leaned forward, his palms pressing down on the oak table. “Where is this supposed paradise?”
The three of them exchanged uneasy looks. Tonya shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“We actually aren’t sure.”
Asher raised an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest. “Not sure?”
Jared once more broke in, raising his hands placatingly. “We only know what has been said at outposts.”
This time, it was me who couldn’t remain silent. “Outposts?” He had spoken as if it was capitalized, as if it was equivalent to a name or a title. As if it was supposed to be “Outpost” instead of “outpost.” Despite the normalcy of the word, goosebumps erupted on my arms and legs, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. Fear skated down my spine, and I leaned further against Declan.
“There’s a dozen of them around the United States now,” Tonya explained, eyes lingering on the minuscule space between my body and Declan’s. No doubt, she wondered about the unconventional relationship between me and the others. There were six of them and one of me, but we were not shy about showing our affection. Exchanged kisses, lingering touches, cuddles on the couch.
“They were once run by the U.S. military, but now they’re more of a safe spot for travelers.” Davis took over the explanation, eyes fixated on the chipped paint of the wall. “They offer food, a place to sleep, entertainment in the form of...um...services.”
Not wanting to interrupt him, I shook Declan’s shoulder. Once I had gained his attention, I signed, “What does he mean by services?”
His cheeks went red, and my stomach dropped.
Oh.
Oh.
“You didn’t buy any of these services, did you?” I continued, hands trembling with each sign. I worried my lower lip between my teeth.
Declan’s eyes widened in horror, and he shook his head vehemently.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29 (Reading here)
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134