Page 25 of Bait (After the End #2)

Chapter Thirteen

“I didn’t expect this domestic side of you, Torch Bernal,” I teased while the man in question worked on changing the bed sheets—which were admittedly a bit dirty—as instructed by Candela.

She was currently making me a second lunch.

I was freshly showered and drying in the sunlight of the window.

Leonel had not lied, it was nice. The thought of my old friend brought some anxiety, especially now that we were so close to the township.

Torch stopped arranging blankets and focused on me. “What’s wrong?”

Before I could say anything, he grabbed what looked like one of his old shirts and handed it to me. “Here.”

I pressed my nose to it and inhaled. Candela’s citrus and ginger were in there too, and it did a lot to calm me down.

I slid it on and that helped even more, but I still had that nagging feeling that would not leave me.

I knew it was nerves about seeing the bunker folks. About how they’d feel about me.

“Do you think they’ll want me there? Like, won’t they be mad at me?”

“Mad at you?” Candela frowned like she had no idea what I was talking about and Torch looked just as lost.

“For what I did, for believing Becker. I should’ve suspected something was wrong after Gregorio went missing.” I knew in my heart something was suspicious, but I’d feared asking questions. “For turning you in, Torch.”

He let the quilt he had in hand fall on the mattress and came over to me. The scowl on his face was intimidating, a little scary even, but I wasn’t afraid because I knew that look.

“None of it is your fault, the only people responsible for the wrongs that have been done against anyone in that bunker are Becker and the council members who condone it.” He took my chin between his fingers and stared me down.

“No one will ever question your place in the township or anywhere else.”

Candela growled in approval and my belly swooped instantly. I was soothed, safe again. “Not as long as we’re alive.”

“I want whatever it is we started.” I grinned at Torch’s look of disbelief.

“Okay, mostly I started. I feel so protected with the two of you, and for the first time in my life, I’m looking forward to something.

For the first time, I feel like my choices will be mine.

” I hadn’t even voiced that for myself, but it felt real.

“We want that too.” Candela spoke for both of them, but Torch didn’t refute her. She was frowning at me like she didn’t understand the issue. But there was something I knew they would not like.

“I want to get back with you to the bunker. I want to try and get everyone out.” They did that thing again where they had a whole conversation with their eyes, and I could tell once again there was something they were not telling me. “What is it? Please tell me.”

To their credit, they both seemed chagrined. Well, Candela seemed chagrined. Torch looked like he got caught off guard and was working hard to on a comeback before I could gain more ground with my argument.

“I promised Gregorio to keep you safe, and I’ve done a shit job of that.

I don’t want to drag you back into any of this bullshit with Becker.

” Damn, he was good, but I wasn’t going to let him distract me.

I was not going to sit in the township when I knew there were people down there still being controlled by Becker.

My brother had lost his life trying to tell them the truth. I wasn’t going to let it be in vain.

“Gregorio wanted everyone to know the truth. They deserve to know that the world has started over. That the world order Becker and the council are trying to uphold is dead.” I looked out the window of the rig and sighed.

The green of the trees, the flowers, the beauty of this world.

Its resilience. “We have a chance to do this right.”

“Why don’t you want to be comfortable and safe?

” Torch pleaded with me. He was still at my feet.

His chest bore the scars of what had been done to him by the council.

Of what he’d survived after he’d been pushed out.

Strong and beautiful. A protector, but he needed some protecting too. Candela and I would be that for him.

“Why do you want things for me that you don’t require for yourself, Torch?” Torch let out a long breath, his shoulders falling in defeat. Candela winked at me, and my heart thumped hard in my chest. She was so strong. The picture of defiance, extraordinary, and she was mine too.

“You cannot be reckless. We can’t just go and knock on the door of that bunker.

We have a plan, and we’ll execute it to make sure everyone makes it out okay.

You didn’t create this mess and I’m not going to let you take it on as if you did.

” Torch was up now. He lifted me off my chair, and I had to scramble to put down the bowl I’d had on my lap.

With absolute tenderness, he sat me on his lap.

I thought he’d be angry, but he just looked worried. Almost in agony, really.

“What are you not telling me?” I wasn’t expecting an answer, but Torch began to talk. Candela slid into the bed with us and wrapped herself around me while Torch lay on his side facing me.

“We have been working with Xavier organizing an evacuation,” Torch admitted, and I almost jumped out of my chair, but he held a hand out to stop me.

“But we must do it when the time is right. He’s been working on getting some people together and on setting up the plan.

The moment he’s ready, we’ll be there to help.

We don’t want to do something that will end with people hurt or worse.

” I could understand that. As much as I wanted to go out there guns blazing, I knew it would probably do as much harm as good.

I knew they’d waited for me for years. That they never gave up. That despite the challenges I knew they faced on the outside when I came out, they were there waiting. Waiting to bring me home.

“It will be hard being patient when I know people are suffering.” The moment I said it, I regretted it. “I’m not saying you did that, either of you.” I pleaded and both of them sighed. They gave me so much grace.

“It won’t be easy, some of them won’t want to leave.” That was Candela, who would always help, but would never lie to me. I turned away from the window and watched them both, my lovers. My soulmates. Even if this was new, I knew it was right.

“I’ll go where you go. That is the only place I want to be.”

“Let’s go with that before she changes her mind and stars bossing us around again.” That was from Torch the smartass.

Candela pressed a smile my brow and whispered the words I needed to hear. “Let’s go home, then.”

* * *

Just like they said, the drive to the township was barely another half day. We were in the desert again, the reds and blues laid endlessly before us. It was so beautiful, the sky seemed almost endless. Not in my wildest dreams could my brain had conjured the colors of this place.

Before we arrived at the gates, Torch stopped the rig in a clearing, and we jumped out. From there we had a clear view of the small cluster of houses and the green trees surrounding them.

“It’s one of the areas that has been replenished after the Burst. The lake had dried up hundreds of years ago, but everything including the native plants and animals are back.” It looked beautiful and lush. We were too far to see any people, but it seemed alive from here.

A knot formed in my throat, the swell of emotion surprising me.

It was the kind of place Becker told us we could have and never intended to let us see.

He’d willingly forced himself to a life in a dark cave instead of letting go of the little power he had.

But we would help our people get here. I was determined to.

“Are you ready to see our people again, Alma?”

I was, and I wasn’t.

“There’s one person who has been waiting for you, for a very long time.” I stiffened at the softness in his voice, like he was expecting me to shatter at whatever he was going to say. I felt Candela behind me and her arms wrapped around my waist.

“Look,” she pointed at the township, and I noticed a small vehicle driving through the gates. I couldn’t see who was coming, but my heart started to pound hard in my chest just the same. A sob escaped my throat as we watched them come our way.

“Who is that?” I asked, not daring to hope or guess. Torch took my hand and kissed the palm.

“You know what the name of our township is?” I shook my head and looked at Candela first, then at Torch who was smiling wide. It was the kind that reached his eyes. “It’s called Serafina.” I cried then as I saw the figure driving up.

“My mother?” I could barely get the words out, but they both answered at once. “Yes.” “Why didn’t you tell me.” I demanded, sobbing now as my heart beat so hard in my chest I could almost hear it.

“She didn’t want us to tell you until you’d had time to acclimate,” Torch told me, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “And we wanted some time with you.” My cheeks warmed as I looked between them, uncertain about so many things, but growing less and less so by the minute.

“But how—” I began, but Torch shook his head.

“That is her story to tell.” The small vehicle stopped just below us, at the bottom of the hill we stood on. She pushed down her cloak and waved.

“Alma.” I never thought I’d hear that voice again and here she was. I looked at my two lovers who had tears in their eyes.

“Go, Brains,” Candela said, before planting a kiss on my cheek. “We’re right behind you.”

I ran down as fast as I could into my mother’s waiting arms, with Candela and Torch at my heels.

The sun was hot, and it warmed my skin, even as the breeze made my shirt flutter in the wind.

There were still others who needed us, and we would get them out.

For now, I could start again, in this new world that I could help shape, with them.