Page 27 of Brood (After the End #5)

Chapter Ten

Will’s face is between my legs. His tongue works my clit, and his beard scratches my sensitive skin deliciously. My legs are hooked over his shoulders, so my heels dig into his back.

I’m trying my best to keep quiet, but I can’t.

I really can’t.

I woke up early and got up to go to the bathroom, since my bladder is as nervous as the rest of me about today. My attempts to get up quietly failed because Will was awake when I returned to bed. As soon as I got under the covers, he climbed on top of me and started kissing me hungrily.

It’s still dark in the room. It can’t be much after four. But I love when he’s in this soft, passionate mood, so despite my nerves, I responded enthusiastically.

That has led us here. Will’s head between my thighs while I clutch at his hair and sob loudly through my third orgasm of the morning.

He’s pleased when he finally lifts his head. My eyes have adjusted, so his wolfish grin is faintly visible.

“I’m pretty good at that, aren’t I?” I ask, reaching down to pull him farther up my body.

He laughs softly as he settles on top of me. “Yes. You, my love, are an excellent orgasmer.”

I caress his face and his messy beard, ignoring the fact that it’s damp around his mouth. “And you aren’t too bad at that either.”

“Orgasming?”

“Well, yes. But also giving them. You’ve developed a few skills over the years.”

“Have I?” He’s murmuring through one short, sweet kiss after another.

“Yes. Of course, you’ve had many more years than I have.”

He huffs. “Many?”

“Yes. Many.” I’m smiling against his mouth as I tease him. “But I don’t mind.”

“Don’t you?”

“Of course not. I have no idea how I made it through every day without my sweet, grumpy old man.” I run my hands from his head and down his bare back until I’m cupping and squeezing his bottom through the underwear he’s still wearing.

Mine came off a long time ago.

He grunts with amused objection at my choice of words.

But I can sense rather than see his expression changing—softening, deepening—as he holds himself above me, gazing down.

“Cadence, I’m going to say this now just in case things go wrong today: This old man remembers exactly what one bleak, hopeless day after another felt like before you got dropped into my life.

Even the good things couldn’t break through the oppressive weight life was for me back then. ”

I reach up to cup the side of his face. “Will.”

“It didn’t happen immediately. But it happened. And one day I woke up and realized I was excited to see what would happen. I wanted to live out that day and then the next day because I got to do it with you.”

“Will,” I whisper again, emotion tight in my throat and my eyes.

“I’d never experienced anything like it, so I wasn’t sure what to do with it. That’s why I was so grumpy and closed off with you even after things got better between us.”

I giggle at this. “I thought grumpy and closed off was just your normal personality.”

“Maybe it is.” He smiles as he presses a soft kiss against my lips. “But I think I just didn’t…I didn’t know how to deal with all these feelings.”

“I didn’t know either. We dealt with it differently, but I wasn’t much better at it than you. But we figured it out.”

“We did. And I have hope now. That we’ll get out of here today. And that we can make sure Bun grows up understanding real feelings like that.”

One tear leaks out of my eye at that, but I get distracted when Will kisses me again. This one is long and deep and hot, and it’s not long before my body pulses with new arousal.

Will has been turned on this whole time. The shape of his cock is hard and tempting against my middle. As we kiss, I work on pulling off his underwear until he finally straightens and reaches down to yank them all the way off.

Then he fits himself between my legs. Edges his cock all the way inside me. And kisses me again as he starts to thrust.

We manage pretty well for a while, both of us making hungry sounds into the kiss as our bodies move together in a steady, eager rhythm. But eventually the effort and pleasure are too much. I break out of the kiss and gasp and moan, dragging my fingernails down Will’s back.

He straightens his arms for better leverage and fucks me fast and hard, grunting and gazing down at me in the dark room.

The bed squeaks as I buck my hips up to meet his thrusts, and it’s not long before the coiled pleasure releases in waves.

I cry out hoarsely when I shake through the climax and fight to focus enough to see Will as he comes too.

His hips jerk. His low grunts turn into a stretched exclamation that sounds like “love” and my name. Then he’s releasing inside me with a satisfied groan.

I love the feel of him coming in hard spurts. I might get pregnant again.

I want to. We both do. Despite the way I’ve been telling myself for two months that it will be easier to make our escape if I’m not overwhelmed with morning sickness the whole time.

Bun will be eight months old next week.

If everything goes according to plan, he’ll pass that milestone on the surface, all three of us out of the Refuge at last.

* * *

Later, I meet Bella in the Meadow during our afternoon break.

We have logistics to go over.

And I have to say goodbye.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” I ask for what feels like the hundredth time. “I’m really worried about you staying here. They might know you and Trevor helped us.”

“How would they know?” She’s as matter-of-fact as ever. She’ll always be mostly unflappable.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’d just guess. It feels like such a risk.”

“It’s a bigger risk trying to get out of here.

I thought about it, Cadence. I really did.

But Trevor refuses to leave, and I just don’t see myself leaving him for any reason.

We’ve settled into life here okay. We’ve managed to stay under the radar of Brody and whoever is working with him.

I’m not sure I have the energy or the courage to do what you and Will are going to do. ”

“That’s what Danny said when I asked him. He was sure Tara would never even consider it, and he seems mostly comfortable with life here. But I still worry.”

“It’s fine. We’ll be fine. I promise.”

She can’t really promise me anything. No one is truly safe when people as heartless and ruthless as Brody and his allies have so much power. But it’s her decision. Not mine. And she’s right. The risks are greater leaving than staying here.

For Will and me, it’s different. Every day it feels like there are more covert eyes on us. Every day it feels like the walls are closing in.

Plus, in another month, I’ll be forced to stop breastfeeding Bun, and then we won’t have access to him again. For years we won’t be allowed to even see him.

We have to make our move now.

“Okay.” I reach over to squeeze her hand. As always, we keep the gestures of affection discreet. “Maybe things can get better here. After all, Brody is in his mid-fifties. He can’t live forever.”

“No. He can’t. Things will change, and it might happen soon—particularly if it gets out that you, Will, and Bun actually escaped to the surface. It’s possible that, after a while, we’ll be able to see each other again.”

“I hope so.” I smile at her, slightly wobbly.

“We’re going to head directly for the Mill.

Hopefully, they’ll take us in. If not…well, we’ll figure something out.

We’ve managed to stash away enough provisions for at least a few weeks, and we have them all packed and hidden.

Will even managed to steal a weapon from the arsenal. ”

“It sounds like you’ve done everything you can to prepare. Be brave, Cadence. I’ll be here. And with every part of me that knows how to hope, I’ll be hoping that we’ll see each other again soon”

* * *

At a little before three that afternoon, I walk into the nursery. It’s my regular feeding time, so I nurse Rosie like I normally do.

I’m unexpectedly emotional as she finishes her meal. I kiss her little head and pat her back until she burps.

We can’t take Rosie with us. I actually suggested it early on, but carrying one baby is risky enough if we have to run or fight on the surface.

Two would make it nearly impossible for us.

She’ll be fine without my breast milk. She’s been taking formula a lot and has already started on solid food.

But she doesn’t have a mother. It feels like she’s my responsibility, but I’m going to have to leave her behind.

While I’m finishing up with her, Vera comes in and changes Bun, even though he was sound asleep and didn’t have a dirty diaper.

She has a schedule and sticks to it no matter what.

When she has returned him to his crib, she changes one of the other babies’ diapers, getting her ready to be carried to her mother’s room to be fed.

She ignores me, and I ignore her. That’s what I always do, and if I didn’t, she might suspect.

When she leaves, I wait two minutes. Then I reach into my pocket and turn on the device Will gave me.

After about thirty seconds, when I can be sure the cameras are disrupted, I kiss Rosie one more time and settle her in her crib.

Then I pick up a happily babbling Bun before strapping him to my back with a sturdy fabric halter contraption Will made last month.

It leaves both my hands free, and that might be important.

If I let myself process what’s happening right now, I’d be so terrified, I might fall apart.

But I don’t focus on the bigger picture.

Only the next step to be taken. Then the one after that.

I keep the camera disrupter on as I leave the nursery, walking slowly so the hallway cameras have time to go off before I pass into their view.

The halls are empty at this time of day. Everyone is on a work shift or on break in the Meadow or in their quarters. I see absolutely no one as I walk to the south end of the Refuge where the farm, gardens, and provision rooms are located.