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It was nice to just talk. It was almost like the world wasn’t ending and zombies weren’t chewing on us like a happy meal.

So when we finally hit the home stretch, nearly a mile from the boats, I could feel the bile rising in my throat.

“I can feel your anxiety, love.”

I roll my eyes, taking a swig of my water.

“How about this; we check if your friends are here, and if they are, wonderful. We’ll plan our next move?—”

“And if they’re not?” I dare to ask.

“Then we leave and get back to the cabin.”

I try to smile, but my lips don’t quite tip up enough.

“I promise you, Noah, we’ll find them. No matter what.” Reed grabs my chin, forcing me to tilt my head up. Meeting his gaze, I see the seriousness in his eyes.

“I’m behind you, a hundred percent of the way,” he whispers before leaning down, pressing his lips against mine.

As long as I had Reed, it was enough.

CHAPTER45

Reed

My tongue slides into his mouth, my hand gliding up his neck to the back of his head. Noah tilts his head to the side, opening his mouth wider. The world suddenly fades away—the sound of nature disappears. My full focus lies on Noah, the way he tastes and the sounds he makes. I never want this to end; if I could wrap my arms around him and never let go, I would. It would just be us, fore?—

“Don’t move,” the cold metal of a barrel hits the back of my skull.

Noah’s breath catches, his hands stilling against my chest. Every nerve in my body turns to ice. I’m trained for this; I know better than to get distracted, especially out in the open like this.

“Slowly step away from each other,” another man's voice hits my ears. Tears form in Noah’s eyes; his hands shake as they drop from my chest. Raising my chin, I peer around, noticing six armed men standing behind Noah. I take a step back as my heart slams against my ribs.

“Scan him,” the man behind me mutters.

One of the guys steps towards Noah. My hand forms into a fist at my side; rage burns through my veins like a wildfire. It surges past the little fear I have with a gun at the back of my head. I couldn’t care less what happened to me, but they’re scaringhim.

I see it in the way he tenses, his breath hitching when they hold some device over his face. Noah’s finger twitches like he wants to reach for me but doesn't dare to move. He’s scared.

And that makes mefurious.

“He’s clean.”

“Do him.”

“Stop, stop this. I see—you all work for my father! Stop!” Noah screams.

The guy holding the device steps towards me, unable to look me in the eye. I could laugh and probably make some sort of joke, but Noah’s gaze stops me. My teeth clench so hard my jaw aches, and my hands tremble, not in fear—the sheer force of my anger. The need to make them regret scaring Noah hits me like a freight train.

Moving slowly, he holds the device over my face, scanning me. I swallow the fire inside me, knowing what’s going to come before he can even mutter a word.

“Infected.”

“What?” Noah screeches at the same time the man behind me screams, “Bag him!”

Noah moves forward, most likely trying to stop them, when another man behind him grabs ahold of his shoulder.

“Let me go!” Noah screams.