Sole Survivors: Crux Survivors, Book 2 Read online

  He was halfway up the stairs when Tripp and Cadmar came into the garage.

  “This place is perfect.” Tripp’s mouth dropped open when he saw the fruits and vegetables. He looked up at the windows with their ledges, turned a full circle with his arms out.

  “I want you all to feel welcome while you’re here. If you don’t mind helping, I have long cushions stacked in that big cabinet by the back door. We can put them around the fire pit in the back while the gumbo heats.”

  “Sure.” Cadmar walked to the cabinet and opened it. He handed two to Tripp. They couldn’t carry more than that at a time because they were all super thick and had been made for lounge chairs. “How come these are in such good shape?”

  Keera shrugged. “I reupholstered them last year. Just don’t look too closely. I hate sewing.”

  Tripp stopped at the door and looked up at her. “Then why do that if you were here alone?”

  “What else do I have to do?” She shrugged. “My dad passed on the ‘be prepared’ gene. It’s in my blood. Can’t help it.” She didn’t add that she’d hoped people would show up. For a long, long time she’d hoped. It had only been recently that she’d quit. She looked back at Chase, bit her lip. Maybe she should have stopped sooner. Maybe he would have shown up sooner.

  He stood on the stairs a couple down from the landing. It put him at her height. She had the sudden urge to reach out and see if his hair was as soft as it looked, but instead, she curled her hands into fists.

  “I’ll just get the pot. Come inside and look around.” She offered him a smile. “It’s not much but it’s been great.”

  “This is so much more than not much. Try living in an RV with mostly broken appliances.” He looked around, still holding that jacket. “I will take you up on that shower later.”

  “Good.” The warmth that filled her this time had nothing to do with wanting to rip all his clothes off and everything to do with sharing. Having people here…having an opportunity to share food and have actual conversation. To be able to make others’ lives a little nicer even if it was just for a short time…this was living. This was something beyond surviving—it was feeling and experiencing and it was so damned good not to be alone.

  She walked into the small kitchen with this incredible feeling of belonging flowing through her veins. She planted her hands on the white, chipped countertop on either side of the sink and stared out of the window over it. Dorian, Tripp and Cadmar were smiling as they carried more cushions to set around the fire pit. Dorian said something to Cadmar that had the youngest man falling onto one of the cushions while holding his stomach laughing. Ross walked into sight. He’d taken off his jacket, leaving a black T-shirt that showed off his huge arm muscles as he carried a heavy box and set it between a couple of the cushions. Dorian’s eyes went half-lidded as he watched Ross walk back the way he’d come, then he followed. She chuckled to see the sexy half grin on the man’s face. She had no doubt Ross was about to be kissed to within an inch of his life somewhere.

  “This is a fantastic place,” Jenna said as she came up to the window just in time to catch the look on Dorian’s face as he followed Ross. “Uh oh, somebody is about to get attacked. I should sneak down to watch.”

  “I should go with you,” Keera murmured before instant heat in her cheeks let her know she was blushing like an idiot. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m the luckiest woman in the world getting to watch those two men together.”

  “And getting to be in the middle.” Keera slapped a hand over her mouth.

  Jenna nudged her with her shoulder, still laughing. “I like you.”

  “I have no social skills. None.”

  “Don’t know what you mean. You just invited complete strangers into your home and offered us food, hot showers.” She pointed down to the fire pit. “And we’re going to have dinner out there with new people to talk to, so we’ll all be able to work on our social skills. This is really nice, Keera. So don’t apologize for wondering what it’d be like to share a bed with my two gorgeous men. If you didn’t…now that would be weirder.”

  Keera turned and the heat in her face got worse as she saw that Chase hadn’t missed any of the conversation. She resisted the urge to squirm in humiliation. But that urge left when she caught the sadness that crossed his expression briefly before it disappeared.

  The three of them in the kitchen made the small room feel even more so. It was square-shaped with the appliances and counters along three walls. Chase, like Ross, was a big man and he took up a lot of space. Keera looked at Jenna to find the woman returning her gaze with a knowing smile on her face. She knew she had nothing to worry about when it came to Keera and Ross and Dorian. She could probably see how very much Keera really wanted Chase. Hell, a blind person could probably see it.

  This home of Keera’s was just the sort of place he’d hoped to find for his brother. With more people, maybe, but the self-sufficient set-up was perfect. Ross had told him a little about where he lived with Dorian and Jenna, along with others. It sounded wonderful. For the first time since they’d left Oklahoma, he was truly glad they’d taken this trip. Just on the ride here, Tripp and Cadmar had bonded in a way that gave Chase hope.

  It was overwhelming really, coming upon so many people in such a short amount of time. Seeing this home and hearing about the kind of compound the others shared in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. It was like he’d stepped in a surreal sort of time warp.

  He’d watched Keera walk into this kitchen and listened to her talking with Jenna and when he’d truly clued in to her words, for a moment, he’d felt kicked in the chest. Ross and Dorian didn’t have mangled faces. But then he thought about the way she’d looked at him on the stairs and mangled face or not, she’d wanted him.

  The war over his desire for her to choose Tripp was getting worse. With every moment he spent in her presence, he wanted her to be his and his alone. And though Tripp found her pretty and had seemed sad the night before when they’d talked about her, he hadn’t seemed that broken up about Keera’s interest in Chase. With the addition of the others, there were more options. Not with these people—it was pretty obvious three of them were together fully—and the only unattached one was young…and male. But Tripp had made a friend, possibly more than one. And if they’d found these people, they could find more.

  Overwhelmed didn’t come close to describing what Chase was feeling. It was more like this tangled wave of excitement, panic, worry and hope filled him so fully, he felt on the verge of exploding. He stepped away from the others, really needing a few minutes to himself. He flushed when he looked down to realize both women had been watching him and from their concerned expressions, some of what he was feeling had been on his face.

  “I should grab the pot,” Keera said softly. “It’s actually in the hall closet because it’s too big for the kitchen cabinets.” She started to move past Chase.

  “I’ll get it and take it down,” he said. “What else do you need down there?”

  “Jenna and I can bring the jars of gumbo.”

  “Aren’t they still in the car?”

  Keera chuckled. “No, you and your brother keep those. I have more. It’s easy, I like it. Jenna and I can grab bowls and glasses for drinks. I only have water or tea, though.”

  “Oh, we have a lot of tea and even a few surprises.” Jenna rubbed her hands together. “I bet that’s what’s in the box Ross took outside. We are going to have fun tonight. It’ll be our last big hurrah before we go in after Cadmar’s family.” She frowned.

  Chase knew what she was thinking. That people would get hurt. Or worse.

  “I’m sure there will be more hurrahs for you after, too.” Keera smiled. “I’ll grab a basket we can stack dishes into. Oh and some blankets—I’ll grab those. Even with the fire, it gets cold at night.”

  “The pot?” Chase reminded her.

  “We passed the closet when we came in. You can’t miss it.”

  He nodded and wa
lked out of the kitchen, noticing there was a ball of hot anticipation in his belly for the first time in longer than he could remember. He was already thinking he might offer to help these people rescue that family, but in the meantime, he was really looking forward to this meal.

  Chapter Six

  Keera watched the firelight play over Dorian and Ross’s faces as they sat on the other side of the fire from her. Darkness had fallen fast and she’d set out a few oil lanterns and some covered candles so they had plenty of light.

  Tripp sighed, pulling her attention away. He and Cadmar were playing cards and she had to laugh when Tripp looked longingly at the pot over the fire. He caught her grin and shrugged. “It smells so good, my mouth keeps watering.”

  “It does,” Cadmar said. “It reminds me a lot of my mother’s.”

  “It should be ready in another few minutes. It’ll only be lukewarm if we eat it now.”

  “I’m not sure he’d care,” Chase said. He’d propped his cushion on a boulder and leaned back with his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles.

  “Trust me.” Keera dragged her gaze off his legs with effort. “It’s best hot.”

  The way his eyes narrowed on her mouth sent heat pooling in her lower body. Maybe she shouldn’t have used the word hot.

  Ross’s soft laughter pulled her attention back to the two other men.

  Dorian had pulled two cushions together and he leaned back against Ross, cradled between his legs. Every now and then, Dorian twisted his neck and raised his face for kisses. Ross held on to the younger man like he needed him to breathe. That affection, that caring embrace was just as strong when Jenna was around. Keera had caught the men pulling her into a hug earlier when she’d rounded the warehouse into the front yard.

  Now she watched them and saw that both men occasionally looked up for Jenna, who had taken up the shower offer first.

  Loneliness hit Keera with the force of a blow.

  These people would get into bed together tonight. Hold each other. Probably make love.

  She’d known this feeling briefly, but even then, a part of her had known the relationship she’d shared with Dax had been more about friendship and convenience. She’d loved him a lot…just not with the kind of passion she witnessed here.

  Jenna came outside and walked around the fire. She surprised Keera when she sat on a cushion next to her instead of the ones with Ross and Dorian. Ross frowned at her.

  Keera shook her head. “Again, you might be the luckiest woman alive.”

  “No doubt.” Chuckling, Jenna leaned back on her elbows and crossed her booted feet at the ankles. Her hair was wet and combed back off her face. “But that isn’t hard considering how few of us there are left.” She sighed. “This is so nice. Food smells fantastic and damn, that shower felt good. Thanks again for letting me use it. We’ve been bathing in cold rivers since we left home. There we have hydro-electric generators and all the electricity we could need because our place is built over a running stream. But we’ve been on the road for weeks. We had to come farther south than planned because of the roads.”

  “So you are going to help rescue his family. Did I understand that right?”

  Jenna nodded. She reached up to smooth her wet hair behind her ears. She’d put on a baggy blue sweatshirt and jeans. When she shivered, Keera handed her a blanket.

  “Thanks,” she said, tucking it around her body. “Yeah, we’re going to help Cadmar. Not too long ago, Ross was out on one of his supply runs and was taken by surprise by some raiders. Caddie helped him escape.”

  “And Ross took him with him?”

  “No. He tried, but Caddie was actually trying to help an even younger boy the scumbags had taken. Neither boys were in a good spot with these men.”

  “Oh.” Keera looked down at her lap because the anger, disgust and hurt for Cadmar rose up so fast in her chest and throat, she thought she might choke on it. He was just so damned sweet.

  “Yeah, I see you understand. Ross didn’t plan to leave the boy, but he got stabbed and the raiders got away with Caddie. Ross and Jake—that’s the other man who lives on the property—tried to find them, but ended up having to bring only Colin home. Caddie later showed up with the raiders. They’d followed our trail.”

  Keera wanted to ask what happened, but could guess.

  “We killed them. We had no other choice. They knew our hideout. And trust me, it’s not something anyone is going to find without prior knowledge. It’s even more hidden than this place and what you have here is pretty damned nice.” She lifted the blanket to her chin. “This is great. Soft.” She smiled. “We asked Caddie to stay with us, but he told us about his family.”

  “So you all left the safety of your home to come rescue people you’ve never met?”

  “Wouldn’t you?” Jenna looked over at Cadmar, who was once again blinking at Tripp with puppy dog eyes. “Could you look at that kind boy, know what he’s gone through, and not want to help him get his family free?”

  “No, I couldn’t.”

  “I’d like to help.”

  Both Jenna and Keera jumped when Chase’s low voice joined the conversation. Jenna sat up, tucked the blanket around her again and looked around Keera at him.

  “Tripp and I live nowhere,” he continued. “That RV is our home. We’re looking for a town, something like that, but I want to help free that boy’s family.”

  “We don’t have a town—just a few adults and some extra kids—but we have a lot of room on our mountain. Room left in the house itself and room on the property to build more houses that can use the water and generators. We have a greenhouse, a barn for creating biodiesel fuel and we’re hoping to build another for livestock. I’ll be honest. We’re hoping Caddie and his whole family come to live up there. We’d love for you and Tripp to join us too.”

  “You don’t know us.” Chase sat up straighter, raised his knees and propped his upper arms on them.

  “No, not yet. But if you go with us to help Caddie, we’ll have time to get to know each other.” Jenna looked at Keera. “You have a nice place here, but we’d love to have you too.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Keera couldn’t imagine leaving her home. Not permanently. “But like Chase, I’d like to help you rescue Caddie’s family. I heard him tell Tripp he has a little brother there. I can’t imagine what these people are going through.”

  “I don’t want to imagine it.” Jenna grew quiet and looked toward the woods as a chorus of coyotes sounded then abruptly cut off. “Bet you don’t come outside alone at night very much.”

  “I do sometimes, but no, not a lot.” Keera frowned. “I have more trouble with them in the summer when the rabbits come out in droves for the garden.”

  Jenna sniffed. “Speaking of garden, your food smells like heaven. I see steam too.”

  Keera laughed. “It’s getting close, but there are still a few minutes.” She turned to Chase. “There should be enough hot water if you want to go ahead and take a shower now. I left some clothes I had stored in the house for you. They’re yours to keep. I have enough clothes here to share with everyone.”

  Chase slowly stood. “Thanks again. I’ll take you up on that.”

  Keera watched Chase walk into her house. A tiny thrill went through her when she imagined what it would be like to always have him, always watch him walking into that house to shower. Or walking into it to shower with him. She was so involved in her fantasy that she jumped when Jenna spoke again.

  “Did you ever wonder why the Crux took so many more women than men?”

  Keera hoped it was too dark for Jenna to see her blush when the other woman chuckled at her response. Yeah, she’d been caught ogling Chase’s backside.

  “Not really,” Keera answered. “I barely remember the days when we still had television and in my experience, it took just as many men.”

  “How long did you say you’ve been alone?”

  “Three years. My father was with me a long time. He surv
ived two waves of the illness, then died from an infection after breaking his leg. We had Dax, my husband, with us but only for a few years. That was a long time ago.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s easier now, but sometimes it feels like the grief is never ending.”

  “Dorian and I were nine when we lost our families. I can still remember the smell of my mother’s hair. It hurts to this day, but there’s a kind of numbness there—I think it’s because we lost so many so fast and then there were such hard, hard times afterward.” She sent an affectionate smile across the fire. “I’m not sure Dorian and I would have survived if Ross hadn’t found us. We were all kids really, but he stepped in, protected us, then years later found our home. When he came home with a bad infection not that long ago, it scared us to death. Dorian managed to get it under control. He’s good with plants, reads a lot of medical journals.” She looked back at Keera, stared. “I can’t imagine being alone that long. For so many years, it was just Ross, Dorian and me and at times, it felt so lonely, keeping our spirits up was hard. But we had each other.”

  “My dad and I were loners pretty much before the infection. He was a survivalist. I have an emergency bomb shelter here and it’s full of things.” Keera pointed to Jenna’s boot with the hole in the side. “I bet I have boots down there in your size.”

  Jenna sat up. “Seriously? We could trade. We have supplies we’ve picked up on the truck. But better yet…” She trailed off, bit her lip. “You should come with us. Like I said. You and Chase and Tripp.”

  “You do realize I don’t know them. Just met them too.”

  “Ross always says the more people we have in our community, the safer we’ll be. We all have different strengths, so another person who’s good with plants is a real plus for us. Dorian is there for medical needs and he’s a dream of a gardener. Looks like you are too. I hunt. Georgia sews and thankfully, Lynn cooks.”