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John lowered his lips to mine. The pressure was gentle, the kiss initially chaste, but it quickly turned hungrier as his hand moved from my lower back into my hair.

He nipped my bottom lip playfully, teasing me, and I remembered we were in public just in time to suppress a quiet moan.

The whole world seemed to fall away when he kissed me like this—sweet, but with an undercurrent of desire and a promise of more that made me feel weak-kneed.

I only realized that the song had ended when we broke apart, a little breathless.

“Hey Johnny, you too busy swapping saliva to hang out with your buddies?” Danny called, and I cringed a little, embarrassed. He stood over in a distant corner of the hall, drink in hand, next to Jonah and the oldest Armstrong son, Matthew.

John flashed me a sheepish grin.

“I better go mingle, or he’ll never shut up,” he said apologetically. “He’s even more…Danny when he’s a bit drunk.”

A new, livelier tune started playing, and Danny mimed a ridiculous dance move, swaying precariously.

I giggled. “That’s alright. I need the bathroom anyway.”

“Do you want me to walk you out?” he asked, glancing at the back exit. “It’s dark.”

I shook my head and pecked his lips.

“I’ll be fine, darling. Go have fun with your friends.”

As John made his way over to a clearly inebriated Danny, I went to gather my coat for the trek to the outhouse.

I spotted Kimmy chatting away with Jenna in the opposite corner, standing next to Asha.

Asha was tight-lipped as usual, but for once, she was actually smiling.

It didn’t take me long to understand why: Kimmy was holding her hand in a loose grip and stroked her arm absently while talking. Where everyone could see.

Well, that’s new.

Heading out the back exit, a rush of frigid air stole the breath from my lungs.

I hugged my coat more tightly around me and trudged toward the somewhat forlorn-looking outhouse.

A single small lamp hung from a hook next to the door, illuminating the way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a good fifty feet from the back door.

The snow drifts and biting cold made it feel like a thousand.

To my surprise, inside was relatively clean and had an electric light.

The composting toilet was not as horrible as I’d expected.

Someone had left a bottle of homemade hand sanitizer on a tiny shelf, which made it feel a little less pioneer-esque.

Still, I would continue to treasure the return of indoor plumbing to my life.

I pushed open the heavy wooden door to return to the Lodge. Suddenly, it swung open, pulled from the other side.

“John, I’m f—”

I froze. Zach Jameson stood in the doorway, his frame outlined by the light of the lamp. His mouth was twisted into a malicious little smile.

“Sorry to disappoint,” he said, amused.

I didn’t know what he wanted, but it wasn’t anything good.

“He’ll be looking for me,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “I should head back.”

He snickered. “Don’t think so. Last I saw, he was on his way to being in the same condition as that idiot McNeil. Useless, in other words.”

I swallowed reflexively, assessing my options. I was unarmed and in a tiny space where he blocked the only exit. My odds of fighting him off without a weapon would’ve been low to begin with, but in this scenario, it would be nearly impossible.

“Don’t look so scared, Red,” he goaded. “I just wanted a little alone time.”

“I’ll scream,” I said, sounding braver than I felt. “Like a banshee.”

He frowned. “The fuck’s a banshee?”

Oh, right. Not a reference a Wastelander would get. I had the absurd urge to laugh but choked it down .

“Doesn’t matter,” I replied forcefully. “All you need to know is that if you touch me, I’ll raise hell.”

Zach narrowed his eyes, but his stance remained casual as he leaned against the doorframe.

“You really think screaming would stop me? I’d have you on your back before you could make a sound.”

He nodded toward the outhouse door, held open by his bulk.

“Door’s heavy,” he said. “Pretty soundproof. They wouldn’t hear you. ’Course, you wouldn’t be doing much screaming with my hand around your throat.”

A shiver went down my spine. He spoke with the confidence of someone who’d planned this. My palms felt clammy inside my gloves.

“Lucky for you, Red, that’s not why I’m here. Not tonight, anyway.”

Startled, I shot him a disbelieving glance. “Then what do you want?”

Zach paused briefly, his eyes doing an active scan of my body. Uneasy, I shifted from foot to foot.

“You went out here all by yourself, huh?” he mused. “You’re too comfortable. The fact that you can waltz into the Valley and not even have to look over your shoulder? Not even sleep with one eye open? Don’t sit right with me.”

I hated to admit it, but he was right. I’d let my guard down; I didn’t even have my knife. Out in the Wasteland, I wouldn’t have been caught dead without it, but I’d grown used to the easier pace of life in the Valley.

He smiled without warmth. “And even Madigan thinks you’re safe enough to leave alone now?

Nah. Let me make one thing clear: my family owns this place, and I’ll be cold in the ground before I let an outsider whore warp the minds of kids.

You’ll never be safe here, so long as I have anything to do with it.

So, this is your last warning: get the fuck out while you still can, or my next visit won’t be so friendly. ”

I tried to take another step, but his arm shot out in front of me.

“Let me go,” I said through gritted teeth. I had a horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach. My heart pounded out a hideous staccato rhythm against my ribs.

He chortled. “That’s the spirit, Red. Pretend you’re walking away tonight because I was so scared of your big bad boyfriend…

an d not because I let you. And that’s why you’ll keep this our little secret, huh?

Because if he lays a hand on me, you’ll both be facing a firing squad. My father would see to it.”

He reached out to touch me. I recoiled away from his hand, but in the small space, there was nowhere to go.

“Touch her and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

John’s threat was a low growl, followed by the click of a gun being cocked. Zach whirled around and came face to face with the end of John’s pistol. He raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.

“No need to get bent out of shape, man,” he said casually, but there was a note of fear in his voice. “Just chatting with the lady.”

“Cut the bullshit,” John gritted out. “Move away. Slowly. Reach for your gun and I’ll kill you.”

Zach did as he was told, inching away from the outhouse. The heavy door shut behind him, and I was shrouded in darkness. Snow crunched under his feet as he walked away from the door.

“She doesn’t belong here, and you know it.”

“Didn’t ask for your opinion, asshole,” John snarled. “Keep walking.”

Silence followed, and I let out a breath as I slumped against the wall, equal parts relieved and terrified.

Another minute passed before the old door swung open again, the hinges squealing in protest. John stood in the doorway, his pistol back in its holster at his hip.

His expression was still hard and focused, the way it always was in the wake of a crisis.

“You hurt?” John asked. “Did he touch you?”

I shook my head, feeling mute with shock. He gave me a once-over, clearly looking for signs of injury that I wasn’t reporting. Satisfied that I was in one piece, he offered me his hand.

“Come on,” he said gruffly. “Let’s go home.”

I slid my hand into his and he led me back towards the Lodge.

“How did you know I was in trouble?” I asked, staring at Zach’s footprints in the fresh, shimmering snow.

“I saw him leave and had a hunch,” he answered, cold fury in his voice. “Thought he was being slick. Stupid motherfucker.”

Back inside the Lodge, everything seemed normal: music was still playing, and people were dancing, laughing, chatting amongst themselves.

Kimmy and Asha were dancing together in the centre of the floor, looking happier than I’d seen them look together.

Tonight seemed like a big night for them, and it was about to be ruined.

I pulled back on John’s hand, and he stopped, giving me a quizzical look. I leaned in close so he could hear over the music.

“Don’t tell them,” I said. “Just say I got sick or something. I don’t want to spoil things for them.”

“No,” John said firmly. “They can do what they want, but I’m not keeping this secret.”

He went to tap Kimmy on the shoulder. He spoke rapidly in her ear.

She looked over in my direction with concern but nodded at whatever John said.

She immediately leaned over to talk to Asha, who was still on her arm.

John returned to me and took my hand again, leading me through the lounge and back outside to the truck.

“They’ll be okay getting home without us?”

“Yeah,” he said. “They’ll get a ride with Danny and Jenna.”

“Hey, Red!”

Zach was standing ten feet away under a tree, but he wasn’t alone this time. The other four Jameson brothers were with him, smoking what I could only assume were hand-rolled cigarettes. My heartbeat resumed its frantic rhythm.

“The carpet match the drapes?”

A barrage of male laughter assaulted my ears.

“Hey Madigan, anyone ever tell you that sharing is caring?” one of the other brothers called. “Pass your compound whore around and let us all get a taste.”

I flushed with humiliation and turned away. In an instant, John had stepped between me and them, partially shielding me from view.

“Ignore them,” he muttered, glaring at the men as he held the passenger door open for me.

They continued to shout what I assumed were more crude comments, but at least I couldn’t make them out once the truck door was closed.

John said something in reply, low and menacing, before getting in the truck.