The Last Woman (All That Remains #1) (33 page)

“Airen, I can’t begin to
describe the depth of my feelings for you. I feel as if I’ve loved you forever.
No one has ever treated me with such love or shown me such kindness and
respect, even when I’m being a pain.”

Airen’s lips twitch as he
tries not to smile.

“I promise to be faithful, to
love and trust you, to try my best to be as kind, understanding, and
compassionate as you have been. I swear to stay by your side no matter what
comes and to love you forever,” I finish, my voice trembling. Airen leans
forward and kisses me softly.

“It’s not time for that, yet!”
Joseph scolds, making us all chuckle. “Airen.” He gestures for him to begin.

Airen fumbles the scrap of
paper in his hand and glances up at me. “Abby, my sweet girl, I love you with
all that I am. I swear to always be there when you need me, and to protect and
guard you and our children. I’ll always be a man you can count on and trust. I’ll
always treat you with love and respect.”

He sighs and lowers the paper
he’s been reading. “I wish you could see what I see when I look at you,
Abigail.” His eyes bore into mine, and he takes my hand, running his thumb
across my knuckles as he continues.

“I see such a wonderful,
caring person who is overflowing with love for others. I also see a beautiful
woman who has no idea of the effect she has on the men around her. I love you.
I’ll always love you.”

I can’t help the tears running
down my face, and I notice Joseph and Jayla are both wiping their eyes.

“You want to pull yourself
together there, buddy?” Airen smirks at Joseph, making us laugh again.

“Do you take Abby to be your
wife, to care for her in good times and bad, to be a faithful and loving
husband?” Joseph asks.

“I do.”

“You may place the ring on her
finger.”

“For infinity, my sweet girl,”
he whispers, as he slips the silver ring on my finger.

Joseph turns to me. “Do you
take Airen to be your husband, to care for him in good times and bad, to be a
faithful and loving wife?”

“I do.” I place the ring on
his finger, completing the symbol so we both wear the figure eight, the sign of
infinity, of forever.

“I now pronounce you husband
and wife, bound together for eternity in love and family.” He gives Airen an impish
grin. “
Now
you can kiss her.”

It’s a kiss I’ll remember for
the rest of my life, a kiss filled with promises, devotion, and love.

Troy

“You will resume your meals,
Troy.”

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” I
scoff. “Don’t do me any favors.”

How long since Micah was
killed? I have no idea. Long enough to become skin stretched over sagging
muscles with ribs and hipbones protruding. Long enough to develop sores from
lying on the rough cot for days without end.

“We can cane you until you
comply,” he threatens.

My laugh is hollow. “Maybe
that’ll kill me.”

“I will not allow you to die
before you’ve found Jesus.”

“Is he behind the chair?” I
laugh.

“I’m allowing you one more day
to come to your senses, Troy. You’ll be force fed, or I’ll have the doctor
insert a feeding tube,” he threatens, leaving me alone again.

I consider trying to hang
myself or cutting my wrists, but they’re a step ahead of me. Nothing is left in
the stable I could use to commit suicide. It sometimes makes me laugh to see
their reaction to my current state. They wanted to break me, and now they don’t
know how to repair their toy.

The chains rattle, as someone
slides them from the door again. Has it been a day already? No, the sun is just
beginning to set, and it’s still as hot as the devil’s balls. I chuckle again.
I wonder what old Abe would think of that expression.

“Oh, Troy,” a soft voice exclaims.
Jennifer sits beside me. I haven’t seen her since she became Sister Jennifer.

“What are they making you do
now?”

“Nothing. I overheard them talking
about you. They’re worried you’ll die. I told Abraham I had a dream in which
Jesus told me to save you. I needed to talk to you.”

“Why?”

She leans close and whispers
in my ear. “Because Eric and I have a plan to kill them.” Straightening up
again, she stares at me intently. “You need to be strong and healthy when the
time comes.” I have only met Eric a handful of times, but he always appears
embarrassed and ashamed of himself. If anyone would revolt, it would be Eric
and Jennifer.

“If you’re lying and Abraham
sent you to give me false hope to get me to eat, I’ll find a way to kill
myself.”

“I swear. I convinced Abraham
that God wants me to stay with you to nurse you back to health. Can you play
along a while longer, Troy? Give them what they want until we get our chance?”

I sigh. Can I?

Jennifer stays with me for
nearly a month. In the beginning, I’m almost too weak to move. She feeds me
vitamin drinks through a straw until I can keep down solid food again, and
cleans me up, treating the bed sores with antibiotics. She brings a fan to cut
through the stifling August heat. She even buzzes off my long, shaggy hair, and
gives me a battery operated electric razor to shave off my scraggly, itchy
beard.

Gradually, I begin to feel
like a person again, although I don’t suppose I’ll ever be the man I was before
the plague. Jennifer is the only person I see for weeks until Abraham shows
unexpectedly.

“You look much better, Troy,” he
says with a smile.

“Thanks to Jennifer.”

“And Jesus. He sent her to
save you.”

“Yes, she told me.”

“Do you believe He saved you?”

“Yes, and I promised Him I’d
do my best to please Him and live a good life,” I reply, bullshitting my way
through what I know he wants to hear.

“That makes me very happy,
Troy.”

I give a fuck
. “I want to be honest with you about two things,
Abraham.”

“Of course.”

“I was gay. I thought I was
born that way, but I was wrong. I no longer have those feelings.”

He beams at me. “Jesus took
them from you, my son.”

 “The second thing, I swore to
Jesus I’d do my best to live for him, and I intend to, but you should know
something.” He raises his eyebrows expectantly. “I won’t survive another
caning. If I have to endure that again, I’ll find a way to kill myself. I won’t
be able to help it.”

I hold my breath, waiting for
his reaction. I have essentially given him an ultimatum. I’ll cooperate and
survive if he retires the cane.

He considers for a moment, his
eyes darkening. “I can’t promise you won’t meet with punishment. You’re on the
correct path to salvation, and I must keep you on it. However, you’ve come a
long way, and I see no reason I should need the cane again.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Since you’ve
recovered, Jennifer will be returning home. Don’t fear. You won’t be alone for
long. There are others to be saved.”

“Can Jennifer visit with me?”
If they really have a plan, I’d like to be kept in the loop.

“If she wishes.”

“Thank you.”

We eye each other as he rises
to leave. A tentative truce has been declared, a line drawn in the sand. I feel
I’ve won a slight victory. In a small way, I have beaten him and forced his
hand. And for that, I have no doubt he’ll make me sorry.

Abraham

It takes an enormous amount of
self-control to resist killing him on the spot. Who does he think he’s fucking
with? It’s blackmail. If I cane him, he’ll commit suicide. I have no doubt he’s
being truthful. It’s in his eyes. He just doesn’t care anymore.

I will not allow him to die,
simply because he longs for death now. How do you control someone who would
welcome death? We must watch him constantly to prevent him from being
successful. Did God really talk to Jennifer in her dream? Is this his way of
helping me save Troy’s life? I’ve allowed her to nurse him back to health, and
it appears she was successful.

I can choose from plenty of
punishments that don’t require the cane. He’ll be sorry, lying to me about his
attraction to men, pretending to be cured, and giving me an ultimatum. I’m
nowhere near finished with him.

At least Micah is no longer a
problem. The thought of his body rotting in the woods, being feasted on by
animals brings a smile to my face. He killed Steve, and he deserves no better.
Still, he was a large man, and would have made a formidable Soldier of Abraham.
If only he had been trainable. A slight tap at the door pulls me from my
reverie.

“You asked to see me?” Eric
hesitates at my door. His eyes dart nervously back and forth before settling
reluctantly on mine.

“Close the door. Do you have
something you would like to tell me?”

He pales. “I...I don’t think
so. Have I done something to upset you?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of
time with Sister Jennifer since she moved back to the house,” I remark.

“She’s very nice.”

“Yes, and a pretty one also. She
may make you a suitable wife in the future, Brother Eric.”

“Do you think so?”

“I do. I thought you might
want to ask my blessing in courting her.”

Eric grins in relief. “May I
have your blessing?”

“You may. I must remind you
that sex before marriage is a sin, so don’t do anything inappropriate,” I warn.
“Come and see me when you’re ready to propose marriage, and I’ll be glad to
perform the ceremony.”

“Thank you, Abraham.”

I lean back in my chair as he
closes the door behind him. Sometimes, it’s just too easy. He’s obviously
smitten with Jennifer. They have their heads together every time I see them.
Why wouldn’t I agree with their relationship? What better way to keep Eric
towing the line than to have control over the person he cares about the most?

I can never be confident of
his loyalty, but I will have his obedience. If he disobeys, he may find his
future wife has been demoted back to the stable, or perhaps God will insist she
is meant to become my second wife, and bear a child with me. Diane plays the
part of dutiful wife quite well, but she isn’t nearly as attractive. It isn’t
as if I’m forced to choose. Abraham had multiple wives, after all.

It’s nearly November, but the
weather has been unseasonably warm and dry. I’ve regained my energy, and I feel
good. I think it’s time to approach Airen with an idea I’ve been considering,
but I know he’s going to fight me on it. Since I spent the night with Joseph in
the barn, I’ve thought about how we could help him get the pictures of his
family. He has been through so much, losing his husband and child, and I want
him to have his memories of them. He has done so much for us. It’s the least we
can do.

The town he lived in is called
Carbondale, in Illinois. Getting there would be a longer trip than the
Evansville journey, and I have no intention of being left behind this time. I
hope to leave Carson, Jayla, and Walker with Julie for the two to three days it
should take for us to make it there and back. I wait until Airen and I are
alone before bringing up the subject, and his reaction is exactly what I
expected.

“Are you out of your damn
mind? Let me get this straight. You want to leave the kids and trek across the
state while you’re pregnant.” His glare could start a forest fire.

“Christ, Airen! I wasn’t
planning to go on foot. The kids can stay with Julie. I feel great, and I’m
barely showing. If it’s just you, me, and Joseph, we’ll be able to move
quickly. Three days at the most.”

“No way, Abby. Anything can
happen out there.”

“Anything can happen right
here. Both times I was in actual danger, I was in the yard.”

He sighs and runs his hands
through his hair. His frustration is palpable, but I can’t give up this easily.
“All of this for a picture?”

I scowl at him in disapproval.
“Do you have family photos?”

“You know I do.”

“He lost a child and his
husband, the only people in the world he loved besides Walker. He’s worried
that he’s losing the memory of their faces, and that breaks my heart.”

Airen’s face softens, and he
runs his fingers across his forehead, closing his eyes, as if I’m giving him a
migraine. “I feel bad for him, darlin’, I do, but...”

“We owe him, Air. I realize he’d
never see it that way, but we do. He’s done so much for us. Where would we be
without him? In the dark, still hauling gasoline and firewood. He was there
when Mandy tried to kill me, and when Sara died. We should do this for him.
It’s a few days out of our lives.”

“I’ll take him. You stay here
with Julie and the kids.”

Like I didn’t see that coming.
“No. I was a wreck the last time you left. Besides, I haven’t been farther than
Paducah since the plague, and I won’t get another chance for years after the
baby is born.”

“It’s not a vacation,” he
lectures.

“It could be.” I smile at the
thought of a get-away with Airen.

He shakes his head, but the
corners of his mouth tighten. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Fine. We go armed, and you
never leave my side.” I open my mouth to agree, but he keeps going. “If
something goes wrong, and I tell you to run or leave us, you do it,” he orders.

“Or you’ll wear my ass out?” I
reply sarcastically.

“If you put yourself in
danger, especially while you’re pregnant, I’ll make sure you can’t sit down on
that beautiful ass for a week,” he threatens, giving me a long smoldering stare
that sends delicious shivers down my spine.

I tackle him and wrap my arms
around his neck. “You’re all heart.” He tosses me on the bed, and I stretch
out, watching him undress.

He catches me smiling at him.
“What?”

“I won an argument,” I brag.

He snorts. “You’re gloating
because you got your way?”

“Well, it’s a rare
occurrence.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he
replies with a threatening look.

“Give me time, I’ll have you
wrapped around my little finger,” I sing.

“I think you need a little
reminder of who’s in charge around here, Mrs. Holder,” he says, striding toward
the bed. Oh, this could be fun.

“I answer to no one.” I
struggle not to giggle while I slip off the opposite side of the bed.

“Except your husband.” He
circles around, moving in that graceful panther like way of his. Sparkling onyx
eyes travel up and down my form, as if he can see through my camisole and
panties.

“I don’t believe I promised to
obey in our vows.”

“It’s understood. A given.” He
grins and snatches me up when I try to dart past him. While it sometimes drives
me crazy during the day, I love when his overbearing bossy attitude spills over
into the bedroom. I’m more than happy to let him have control…eventually. My
own obstinance forces me to hold out as long as possible.

A loud crack echoes through
the room when he yanks my panties down and slaps my ass sharply. “Airen!” Joseph
had to have heard that.

Grinning, he pulls me back
against his chest and kisses the nape of my neck. “The kids are at Julie’s for
the night. It’s a perfect time to teach my wife a lesson. Now are you going to
be good and do what I tell you, or am I going to have to put you over my knee
again?”

“Joseph will hear!”

He tugs my shirt over my head
and tosses it aside. “Then I suggest you do as you’re told. Now, who’s in
charge, Abigail?”

Oh shit. He won’t really do
that with Joseph in the next room, will he? He chuckles when I don’t
immediately answer him. “He’s going to hear you scream one way or another,
darlin’.”

“No.” My voice is hushed.

“Have it your way.” He drops
to his knees and removes my panties. His tongue is between my legs before I can
take a breath, and my knees go weak. I moan, burying my hand in his hair. “Who’s
in charge?” he asks again, slipping a finger inside me while his talented
tongue works its magic.

“Oh God.” He knows how to make
me come so quick.

“Say it, or you aren’t allowed
to come.” His grin is wicked when he gazes up at me while his fingers keep me
right on the edge.

“Airen,” I plead.

“You’d better say it. If you
come without my permission, I’ll spank you. We’ll give Joseph an earful. Who’s
in charge?”

Oh, I have to fight it. His
tongue is on me again, and I try to step back, but he has an iron grip around
my thighs. It’s taking every ounce of my self-control to hold on. My words slip
out through gritted teeth. “You…can’t tell me…what to…do.”

His palm lands a stinging slap
on my ass again. “See what the backchat gets you? Say it, Abby. This is your
last chance.”

“Airen,” I moan. He locks his
lips around me perfectly and with one firm draw, shoves me into a nerve
splintering freefall. His arms tighten around my hips to hold me up as my legs
weaken from the force of the relentless spasms that seem to go on forever.

“Oh, darlin’. You came.” The
room tips as I’m bent over his lap before my brain can start functioning again.
After a quick slap to each cheek, I surrender. I really don’t want Joseph to
hear us.

“You! You’re in charge!”

“That’s my girl.” He scoots me
off of his lap until I’m bent over the bed, his lips pressing hot wet kisses
down my spine. “You look so sexy bent over this bed. I’m going to take you right
here.”

“Yes.” It’s all I can manage.
I’m on fire, desperate to have him inside of me. He works himself into me on
gentle strokes until I start to push back against him. It’s as if someone
released a wild animal. He pounds into me, deep and hard, keeping a ruthless pace.
It’s fucking amazing.

“Is it good, baby?” He pants,
sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Yes!” I scream, no longer
giving two shits about what Joseph might hear. “Don’t stop!”

His fingers dig into my hips,
and he grinds into me with a guttural cry, shaking and cursing. The sound of
him does me in, and I come harder than before, screaming a muddled version of
his name.

“Come here, darlin’.”

I’m not sure I can stand after
that. He pulls me onto the bed and cuddles me against his sweaty chest. Oh, if
I could bottle the scent of this man.

“Are you okay? Was I too
rough?” Soft lips kiss my temple as I drift.

“You were amazing. Perfect.” His
lips are salty when I kiss them. “I’ll never be able to face Joseph tomorrow,”
I groan.

He chuckles and runs his
fingers down my spine. “Did I forget to mention that he went to Julie’s with
the kids?” He laughs harder when I gape at him, shocked. “Don’t mess with the
master, darlin’.”

* * *
*

Joseph is overjoyed when I
explain the plan to go to Carbondale. “How does Airen feel about it?” he asks
warily.

“He’s excited for you.” I
suddenly find my feet interesting, and Joseph snorts.

“You’re a terrible liar,
honey.”

“He’s worried and
overprotective as usual, but he agreed. We can leave in the morning. You get to
tell the kids.”

“Can’t we just sneak out?” He
plops onto the sofa and closes his eyes.

“You and Airen, both scared of
children,” I mock.

The kids take it pretty well,
all things considered, although Walker is upset that he can’t accompany us.
Jayla steps in and promises to read him two bedtime stories every night, and he
reluctantly agrees.

“They’ll be fine,” Julie assures
us. “We’ll play games and watch movies. I’ll keep them occupied.”

“Stay away from the lake,”
Airen orders.

“Sure, Dad,” Jayla agrees,
smiling. She knows how to play him.

“And stay out of the woods. No
target practice, either. Don’t even touch the guns until we get back.”

“No hunting bears,” Carson
mocks, deepening his voice to match Airen’s. “No skydiving, don’t eat any
unfamiliar mushrooms or berries.”

Joseph cracks up laughing, and
Julie isn’t quite stealthy enough to hide her smile.

“Okay, smart ass.” I grab him
and hug him hard. I can count on one hand the nights I’ve been apart from
Carson.

“Don’t play with matches,
watch out for earthquakes, don’t wipe with poison ivy,” Carson continues until
Airen pins his arms behind his back.

“You can feel free to wipe
with poison ivy,” Airen says. “Take care of Walker and the girls.” He hugs him
and pats him on the back.

The sun has only just risen
when we get on the road. We take the truck with the winch attached, loaded with
food, water, and camping gear. We each have a handgun tucked away as well.
Airen is quiet for the first hour or so, and his face and posture are tense.

“Relax.” My fingers trail
through his dark leg hair as I rub his knee.

“I am relaxed.”

“You’re as uptight as a
constipated judge.” Joseph laughs, and Airen shoots him a look. “Let’s at least
try to have a little fun,” Joseph insists, popping a CD into the player. The
song
We Are Young
by the band Fun starts blaring, and Joseph laughs at
his own lame joke. Airen smiles in spite of himself and his shoulders soften.
“Let me know when you want me to drive,” Joseph offers.

“I’ll drive today, and you can
take over tomorrow.”

“In that case.” Joseph reaches
behind the seat, pulls out a bottle of whiskey, and takes a drink, grimacing.

“I’m not stopping for you to
pee,” Airen taunts.

“There’s a nice green hoodie
back here that will soak it up nicely, so no worries.” Joseph holds up Airen’s
favorite sweatshirt, a smirk on his face.

I giggle at the two of them.
It feels so good to be with them, out of the house, and on a road trip. I’m
having fun just listening to them and watching the scenery flow by. It’s a
gorgeous day. The sun shines on the bare trees, and the fields are a patchwork
of color, dark, rich brown fades into a pale gold, dotted with evergreens.

Crisp, late autumn air fills
my lungs and invigorates my senses. A clear, cerulean blue sky stretches above
us, broken only by an occasional wispy streak of white. It’s nearly winter, but
the temperature doesn’t reflect that. It’s sixty-five degrees, and the
temperature at night hasn’t dipped below fifty. I hope our good fortune holds
out until we return home. Leaning back in my seat, I focus on the beauty of the
nature that surrounds us. When we travel through the small towns and larger
cities, it’s a horribly depressing sight.

Desolation. Emptiness. Empty
houses and cars. Empty stores and schools. Buildings and whole neighborhoods
have been gutted by fires that raged unchecked. We have been forced to detour
often onto back roads due to the abandoned vehicles and pile ups, cars and
trucks filled with the mummied dead. Where were they trying to escape to? Where
did they think they could go that would be safe, where they could outrun the
plague?

It’s a little past five when
Airen suggests we stop for the night. “I realize it’s early, but it will be
dark in an hour or so. There’s a campground a mile ahead unless you want to try
to find a decent house.”