Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (24 page)

“It’s second only to hers.”

Cesar moved closer, gold tooth glinting, “I have promised you her death. Do not make me kill you before I can keep my word.”

“Don’t underestimate them, Cesar.” Dean tried to reason with the Slaver, much calmer with so many guns pointed his way. “Hit them now, while they’re on the road.”

Cesar snorted. “With what? Our tank and team is missing and there is no bridge to cross. We will have to go around and these men desire a break first.”

There were mutters of agreement that told the evil leader he’d made the right choice. Passing that town, sparing those survivors so he could get close enough to attack Safe Haven, had been a mistake, but he would fix it right now.

“We will circle back to where they were hiding in the church and spend a few days teaching them our religion.”

The Slaver waited for the cheers to die down. The unrest of his men had caused him to consider their wants and now that he had, Cesar liked his new plan better. “I will have them, but it does not have to be tonight
señor
. We have nothing but time now,
si
? Time while Richard throw them in chaos.”

Dean’s growl was the only protest he made and Cesar waved a hand. “You will go find them and keep me informed.”

Dean stalked off without another word and Cesar wondered if he would do it. There was a stiffness to his stride that said he wasn’t coming back without a good reason. Not that it mattered. Once these men had been rested, the Slaver would put them back on the trail of Safe Haven. He had realized he’d rushed them, and made a foolish choice he couldn’t afford to repeat unless he wanted to be taking his cousin’s orders. The men didn’t like José, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t follow if his deal was better.

Chapter Seven

April 11
^th
, 2013

1

“They need you…”

The words flew through the fog, stealing her breath.

“You have to go back!”

Kendle jerked upright, startled from her nightmare by the sound of it. She shivered in the darkness, trying to make herself remember exactly who (what) had been speaking to her from the mist.

She glanced at the dim firelight and the cabin door, seeing everything was in its place. She listened for the sound of Luke’s breathing below her. It was even, calm, and Kendle forced herself to lie back down.

Just a dream
, she told herself, over and over until her lids began to droop and she yawned. “Just a dream.”

“They need you…”

Her eyes flew open to see Ethan’s leering face inches from hers.

 
“You have to go back!”
He lunged for her throat, infected fingers reaching out.

Kendle screamed, waking herself up.

LJ was out of the bunk and half pulling her into his arms an instant later and Kendle clung to him, hand in her mouth to stifle a second scream.

Luke rocked her as best he could. When she shuddered, he gently pulled her into his big arms and headed for the chair, dragging her quilt along.

She melted into his lap as he settled in the recliner, a huddling ball of live nerves. He rubbed her back as he got them rocking. “
Shhh
...”

Kendle sucked in a tortured breath, keeping her hand close to her mouth. Not the worst by far, it was still among her least favorite of repeat dreams and she tried to concentrate on the steady beat of LJ’s heart under her cheek.

Luke wanted to tell her she could talk about it, but didn’t, sure she wasn’t the kind to do that anymore than he was. Some things you had to suffer through as best you could. Her nightmares came often, though most didn’t end with a shriek. He hated feeling helpless, but didn’t know what else he could do for her. Their garden was full of half foot high seedlings in uneven rows that they tended daily. They were shopping with the crazy woman across the creek so they didn’t have to have fish every night. Other than that, it was just them, alone together.

Luke shifted at that thought. She hadn’t come to him yet, but he’d seen the light growing. Soon, he would make her his and then things would get complicated. Because once she regained her self-confidence, she’d want to go home and he would never be able to let her do that alone.

Kendle felt the warm comfort of his big body and the soothing motions of the chair, but the fear had turned into desperate worry. She’d had the Ethan dream for last three nights and though LJ thought it was her mind mixing things together, Kendle wasn’t sure. The Island Playboy hadn’t even spoken to her again after telling her she should be with her own kind, but there’d been twice yesterday that she was sure she was being observed as they worked on the garden. After so much time alone, it was a feeling that was impossible to miss and she worried things weren’t over with the Kraft heir.

Speaking of Kraft heirs
, she thought, seeing the Sheriff in her mind. It hadn’t occurred to her while they were there, but if Jenna was the Mayor’s daughter, then Cole was his nephew. The sheriff was also a Kraft and therefore, couldn’t be trusted. There was a lot going on here that Luke didn’t want to talk about, didn’t want her to become a part of, but Kendle feared their involvement might be mandatory.

Then there was the stress of her new obsession. Finding a way home was something she’d begun to worry over. She hadn’t talked to LJ about it yet, but was sure he suspected why she now insisted they spend every free moment working out or running through the jungles. She was slowly getting stronger and he had to know something was coming.

“You want a pill?”

Kendle shook her head, grip on him tightening, “No.”

Luke shifted again, settling her further back onto his lap and he rocked them, eyes closed. The feel of her in his arms was wonderful. She smelled so good! Like ripe berries in the sun that needed to be picked and he let his mind wander their previous kisses. Any day now, she’d be his and for a little while, he would be happy.

“Are you worried?” he asked suddenly.

She didn’t lie. “A bit.”

The town was gathering for a meeting about the lack of contact with the outside world, and Luke planned to voice his own theories, no matter how unpopular. There were less than 100 people here, but that didn’t mean they were helpless. If War had destroyed their homelands, didn’t that give them a duty to offer shelter to those left?

That was a question most of Pitcairn had been pondering since Mayor Kraft called the town meeting. They were gathering in the backyard of his estate and that was the part Kendle was dreading the most. After the nightmares, it didn’t matter if Ethan never leered at her again. She wanted nothing to do with him and that included being on his property.

“I’ll be…looking after you while we’re there. Try not to get out of my sight.”

She was relieved to know he had felt the same menace from their hand-delivered invitation. The sight of those three green-eyed men on muddy dirt bikes had sent a chill into Kendle and she had instinctively backed out of the doorway to let Luke handle it.

“Unless you’d rather I stayed away from you while people are around.”

Kendle raised her head, mouth opened in shock, “I’d never treat you that…”

Luke sealed their lips at her denial, finally accepting she would always be on his side. When she tightened her grip, he deepened their kiss. He wanted her so much!

Kendle felt the shudder of need run through him and moaned in response, pressing her body to his. With that huge hand tangled in her spikes and the other crushing her close, she couldn’t move far and was glad when he drew back and let her breathe. As soon as she could, she assaulted him the same way, not letting him move until she was full of his taste.

Luke grinned as they broke apart, painfully hard against her thigh. “Still worried?”

She leaned down to place a kiss at the base of his throat. “I don’t want to hide this, when we go.”

Before he could protest, she used her tongue to taste his throat, and felt him tense under her, fighting for control. “I mean it, Luke.”

She drew back. “The people here like to gossip.” She smiled softly. “Let’s give ‘em a reason. We’ll be nothing more or less than what we are.”

He shrugged, loving and hating the image. “Not a good idea, darling. These people can be cruel.”

“Do we need them for anything?”

Luke considered that question very carefully, wanting to be open about their growing relationship as much as she did. “I’m not sure…”

“I am.”

He studied her intently, seeing the rings of contentment around her pupils and the dilation from hormonal responses, and still shook his head. “It’ll hurt you later, if we’re wrong about the War.”

“We’re not and it wouldn’t matter anyway. You say no because of your past, not my future.”

She moved out of his arms and back toward her own bed. “And I won’t give myself to a man who makes me hide our love in public.”

“What did you say?”

Kendle wasn’t sure of his mood now, she’d never been sharp with him before, and she kept walking without answering.

“Kendle.”

He was right over her shoulder, steps silent in the dark and she stopped, but didn’t turn.

“Did you say…love?”

She was saved from answering by a knock at the door and LJ spun towards it with a frown, ready to growl at whoever had interrupted them.

He jerked the door open to see Ethan Kraft standing at the base of the steps, where his slick green eyes were able to go over Luke and most of the living quarters. No doubt that he could see Kendle standing with her blanket in her hand, pointed
back
to her own bed.

Well, that makes the choice then, doesn’t it
, LJ thought, and pulled out the fierce grin of male pride he had been saving for this very moment.

“Who is it?”

Luke’s tone was delighted, “It’s Ethan. Not sure what he wants yet. Don’t think he can talk now that he’s discovered our secret.”

That sent Kendle flying to the door, wrapping the blanket around her bare legs.

Even in his shock, Ethan’s slimy gaze crawled over the skin showing from under her tank top. He had honestly believed her when she’d said there was nothing going on with her and Luke. She’d lied to him!

The anger was slowly bleeding into Ethan’s sickly-looking face and Kendle allowed Luke to slide an arm around her tense shoulders and tug her close. “He’ll tell us in a minute I guess. Brace for it.”

Luke’s tone was so happy that Kendle had to smile, feeling this moment was the least she could do to repay him for all the trouble she’d been. “If he’s going to be a while, I’ll go get some coffee on.” She leaned into him, placing a soft kiss to his jaw. “We’ll pick up where we left off when he leaves.”

Murder flashed in Ethan’s eyes and he spun toward the jungle. He kept walking, not stopping to deliver any of the other reminders he’d been sent out to give. He also didn’t head toward the family estate, where some of the townspeople were already starting to gather. His steps were jagged, uneven, and he swayed against the jungle like a sick animal. She’d lied to him!

They watched for a long minute, even after he was out of sight. The wick was now lit. Would it simply burn out over time or explode?

“Sorry.”

Kendle smiled, “I enjoyed it too.”

Very aware of her warm body against his, Luke glanced down at her. “Coffee?”

She smiled, shaking her head. “No. Just me.”

Luke swept her up into his arms, loving her ring of laughter. “That’ll do fine. You say when.”

Kendle nuzzled his jaw, finally feeling like the world might stand a chance after all. “Now.”

Luke’s grip tightened. “We’ll skip the meeting.”

Brought back to reality, Kendle gave a disappointed sigh. “Guess it’ll have to wait until after.”

 
“One more to hold me over then...”

Grinning, Kendle obediently tilted her head up for his kiss.

2

“I think she’s lying.”

Mary Jo stood with the Mayor and her voice was full of spite. “And I
ain’t
putting up anything without knowing for sure.”

“And how should we find out for sure? By waiting?” Luke snorted angrily. “We all know something’s wrong. The question is what should we do about it?”

The small crowd muttered and called unhelpful answers that seemed to make the Mayor’s green eyes glow brighter. The timid man they’d seen on their trip to the creek was gone and in his place was the lord of the manor.

“I don’t care either way and I think most folks here feel the same,” the Mayor spoke up firmly and was rewarded with quiet.

The well-dressed snob stood to be seen as well, earning a frown from Luke that Kendle hoped he might hide. Most of the people here had green eyes. Had he noticed that? And not the normal color, but glowing. They were infected.

“We don’t want the outside world to come here, even a small part of it, and we don’t need anything from there, so why should we risk our lives to go back?”

Wanting to help, Kendle forced herself to remain silent, knowing Luke’s cautions on the way here were right. She was an outsider and anything she might add would be instantly rejected. She subtly searched the shadows, wondering where the Mayor had shipped Ethan off to for this meeting.

“And I say that’s a shitty attitude toward your fellow man. What kind of person only thinks of themselves at a time like this?” Luke sneered. “Wait, I know. The rich kind who’ve never cared about anything, but themselves anyway. That was the whole problem with the world back home that made most of us come here in the first place.”

Mayor Kraft shrugged off the words with a wave of his gloved hand. “We’ve already voted no, and besides, over two thirds of this group are among that population you’ve so clearly dismissed. And that means you’ll not need anything from us,
the problem
.”