From The Ashes (Life After War) (56 page)

“
Rick
raped
her, would have killed her. If not for Seth, she would be dead, maybe even by her own hand. He's helping her in the only way she
asked
for, and she’s surviving. Don’t you dare make her feel ashamed for that!”

Disgusted, Sam stood up, glaring in dislike. “By all rights, she should hate you. Accepting Seth might be your only chance at saving your relationship with your daughter. I’d think about that before you go gathering a mob.”

Sam left the woman on her ass in the dirt, where she belonged.

Around them, the Eagles nodded in agreement and respect. Samantha was earning her place among the Eagles. They had orders to prevent the riot from happening, and Sam had beaten them to it.

Peggy stared as the blonde woman vanished into dawn’s shadows, the words stinging. It was all true, every bit.

Realizing she’d gotten her child hurt was a terrible burden, and Peggy began to sob in guilt and shame. “I’m so sorry!”

Surprising everyone, Doug appeared behind her, unable to ignore Peggy’s anguish, even though she clearly deserved it.

He knelt down. “Come here, lass.”

The emotion in his voice allowed Peggy to accept his comfort. She let the big man hold her close while she cried.

9

Samantha's day had been a full one. Her night, however, was slow and frustrating as she struggled with the last line of morality holding her back. It wasn't that she wanted to act like a whore. She wanted to act like a man. It was a hard adjustment mentally, to be evolving in these things while she went about regular camp life, and some nights, she wasn't sure how she was doing in her fight.

“
Something's coming.”

Samantha felt the chill of mental links and closed her eyes as the warning door swung open.

On duty nearby, Neil and Jeremy both noticed, but it was Brady who came to her side and gathered the information.

Neither Eagle mentioned it, but both felt left out now. Neil's choice to give his team a break had been a solid one, but that likely wouldn't hold much longer. They were almost ready to come back to the fight.

10

“
She’s right.” Doug tried to be gentle. “It’s gone too far now.”

Peggy didn’t answer.

They were in a dim corner of the mini-Mess, Allan covering Doug’s post. He’d let her calm down and then brought her here, glad to be doing something more useful than just guard duty for a change.

“
Lass, he…”

“
Saved her life.”

Doug let the curt interruption pass. “When you see them together, you’ll understand.”

Her hand tightened on the cup at the thought of being around the couple, and Doug understood in a sudden flash of intuition.
That
adult male wasn’t the one she’d chosen for her daughter. How much of Becky’s freedom had been intentional?

“
You set it up for her to be with Neil!”

The hard woman didn’t blink. “I want her to be more than just some Eagle’s woman. He would have taken her there.

“
You want. What about hers?”

Peggy’s snort was bitter. “She doesn’t know anything about the real world.”

Doug expressed firm disapproval. “Not true. She’s a War survivor, a rape victim, and Seth’s lover. Those things are unchangeable. Your dreams for her are dead–like she should be.”

Slap!

Doug didn’t react, though everyone close enough to hear or see it did. He knew what he’d drawn, what he was forcing her to accept.

Peggy shoved herself to her feet. “I hate you!”

Doug was surprised to actually register the sting. He hadn’t felt much of anything for a very long time. “No, you hate yourself.”

Fury… and awareness. “I have, for most of my life.”

She stood there, clearly torn, and Doug nudged her cup of untouched coffee. “Sit down and tell me why.”

He didn’t think she would. The gambit of emotions crossing her lined face was dangerous for a man with only a very small amount of experience with females.

The fight went out of her in a rush. She sank down, looking at the bright red handprint. “I’m sorry.”

Doug gave her a small smirk. “Oh, I expect you’ll find a different target next time.”

To his surprise, she chuckled, hard but no longer violent. “Aye.”

There was a lilt to her single word that shook him. Not so much the sound of their shared heritage, but the attraction it aroused.

Doug shifted subtly and refilled his cup to buy time. He stole a quick glance at her. She was staring toward the male tents.

Doug grunted, drawing her attention. “You have questions, I’d imagine.”

Peggy traded some of her anger for fear. “What happens now?”

“
They’ll leave until she’s older if you refuse to accept it. They’re not going to be split up any more than Kyle and Jennifer are.”

“
She’ll leave me?”

Doug didn’t tell Peggy that the couple was currently making plans. Seth hadn't taken his correction as well as Kyle. “They'll probably trail camp. You could go out for visits, but if you can’t support them here and now, so they can stay, I’d guess you won’t be welcome.”

“
I won’t see her?”

Doug delivered the rest of the truth without any malice. “It all depends on what choice you make right now. She doesn’t need you to rouse these people against Seth or Adrian. That won't help her and she's smart enough to know it. She needs you to be her mother.”

Chapter Sixteen

10 miles south of Muskogee, Oklahoma

6/19

1

“
Convoy halt. Emergency plan A.”

There was pause of fear and then the entire camp was yanking hard on wheels and searching the apocalyptic landscape through dusty windows. The heavy winds that Sam had warned them of were gone, leaving fresh debris to be cleared or avoided. It also added huge trees that hadn't been able to withstand another storm, which made driving tense as limbs cracked and popped above them.

Adrian waited, thinking Kyle would be staring at Jennifer right now. The hum of raw power had to be filling his truck.

“
One minute, moving slow.”

Adrian waved the scheduled guards forward as his camp fled for the Mess that was going up in record time. The canopy over it was now lined in lead, and three full teams struggled to erect it as camp members ran into them and each other, shoving.

“
I don't feel a direct threat, but...”

“
But it's dark when you look.”

“
How do you know that?”

Adrian got out of the semi without answering, heading straight for Brady's Blazer.

Marc was on guard outside it, Charlie and Dog nearby with Jennifer as Kyle patrolled the stopped refugee camp with his team and a group of female rookies.

Adrian waited impatiently, ready to reveal all sorts of secrets to save lives this time. He was tired of letting people die because the herd couldn't handle the things they could do. He wasn't sure how much more of that he could take.

“
Thirty seconds.”

“
Which direction?”

“
Ahead.”

Adrian waved two teams to their flank and sent three to the front.

Angela got out of the Blazer with the Witch's red eyes showing through in plain view for anyone to see. “Be careful of these...”

Marc started to step in front of her, but Adrian was already there. He grabbed her arm, meaning to turn her.

Lightning flashed overhead–thick and hungry.

Angela moaned at the feel of Adrian's hands on her skin.
Yes!

His instant wave of need in response washed over her like they were alone and allowed.

Adrian jerked backward, but too late. The Witch lunged forward, drawing what he'd been denying even in their dreams.

Marc blocked the view from the overloaded Mess, simmering. He knew she occasionally took energy from other men,
but to
see it!
He instinctively knew that Angie didn't crave
him
that way.

“
May I?”
the inner Marine begged.

Marc growled. “No.”

The sound of it snapped Angela and Adrian out of the intense power-lock and they stared in horror. There was no one to blame, no scene to cover up and no crime committed, but the line had been crossed.

“
They're here!”

Adrian turned from Marc's fury, now more determined than ever to stay back. When she and Brady failed, it had to be because of them.

Marc didn't care about the approaching threat or the asshole who'd just walked away. What he cared about were the dangerous realizations he saw in Angela's eyes. She had all of the truth now–Adrian wanted her in his bed–and her reaction,
that moan!
said she felt the same on some level.

Angela scowled cruelly, full of shame and anger at the unfairness of paying for not having done anything wrong. “I've always known, but you just couldn't leave it alone.”

She grimaced, confirming Marc's suspicions. “And neither could he.”

Angela left him there, moving toward the front of the convoy to join Kyle.

“
Now, may I?”

Marc moved to Angela's flank, not bothering to stand between her and Adrian as they waited for the slowly approaching vehicles. He'd already thought of trying to keep them apart. That was a waste of time, and Marc still hadn't found a better solution than the one he was already employing.

“
Because there isn't a solution to be found,” Adrian forced the words out. “Feed her more and shit like that won't happen.”

Marc wanted to snarl, but the man inside asked when she'd drawn from him last.

“
It's no excuse,” Angela protested. “I'm sorry for the disrespect I've shown you.”

Marc's inner man almost came forward anyway when Adrian didn't tell her the truth–that his need was pulling, not hers.

“
Not true.” Adrian moved forward as the five vehicles got closer. “She'll always have to draw from someone else. Her needs are more than
you
can satisfy.”

Any hopes Angela had for peace between the two men vanished with that one statement. Now that Marc knew, he would always suspect, always search her with those concerned blue eyes. His jealousy wouldn't give him any peace and Adrian knew it. He'd made sure Marc would hurt, too.

“
Not like what Adrian is suffering,”
the Witch reminded her.
“How does he continue to function while being eaten up that way?”

Angela shoved the demon back in fury.
“You caused this with your dream-walking–promising him what he can't have!”

The Witch cackled ruthlessly.
“And who says he can't, my pet? Keep the shields of the past up if you must, but there is no denying what we just saw–what you
felt
.”

Angela's frustration boiled. There had to be some way to change that future. She didn't want to be Adrian's. She wanted her Brady!

Marc turned suddenly, waving Neil over to take his place. Angela and Adrian weren't acting like the approaching cars were a threat and right at the moment, Marc didn't think he could stand to see even a single look pass between them. It wasn't just Angela's fragile emotions that Marc was worried over. This time, his competition wasn't a sullen, powerless wife-beater or a group of rookies who didn't know what they were doing. It was Adrian, and that extremely manipulative man was none of those things. He was... dangerous.

2

Angela motioned Jennifer toward Adrian.
“Keep helping him.”

It was the first silent order she'd given to any of the females, and Jennifer gaped for a few seconds before reluctantly moving that way. Dog and Charlie were her escorts.

Angela followed Marc's stiffly marching steps. When he got in his Blazer and immediately began to dig in his kit, her footsteps quickened. His rifle was in there.

Marc had considered it, but only briefly. Not only would it make her hate him, it wouldn't change what had happened. He would have to find a way to live with it.