Safe In Your Arms (10 page)

Mina covered her nose with her shirt. The stench of rotten meat and dairy products was suffocating. She followed Gabe as he skirted around the aisles. The sound of something falling on the uneven hardwood floor had him freezing in place. He looked back at her and motioned for her to stay put. She nodded, pulling her knives as she bent down to make herself smaller next to a shelf that used to contain cereal. One or two boxes remained, but there was also some scattered on the floor. She watched as Gabriel carefully stepped around the cereal to move down the aisle and around the corner.

Scavenging had occurred everywhere. She wasn’t surprised in the least. Up ahead she heard a commotion and knew Gabe was fighting one of them. Popping out of her hiding spot, she grasped both knives and rushed to help him. As she got to the end of the aisle, a head with black hair rolled right in front of her feet. The scream that formed in her throat was bitten back as she looked closer to see a gold earring in one of the ears. Relief flooded her system as she realized it wasn’t her man’s head doing the rolling.

“Ready?” Gabe’s whisper beside her did make her jump. She slapped at him in reaction, but he just shrugged and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her close. “It’s all right. Let’s get some supplies and the charger. We need to get out of here,” he whispered into her ear. His breath tickled as he spoke, sending a shiver down her body that curled her toes. Damn, but he had a hold over her. And she knew exactly what that hold was. Her heart was forever in his hand, the only part of her that felt safe at that moment as they began to move slowly through the store.

“Okay,” she said, wanting to just go back to the safety of the cave instead. He went to the checkout aisle. Mina grabbed a plastic bag, but Gabe quickly snatched it from her with a wry grin to hand her a big canvas bag.

“We aren’t here to browse, Duchess. Grab and go. Anything in a can or bottle. Don’t be picky. You have five minutes. Go.” He turned back to study the charging devices hanging on pegs.

“Sure thing, sergeant.” Mina saluted him as she clutched the bag and set off to collect what she could find. Most of the canned goods were gone, but she managed to grab tuna fish. Her bag was almost full by the time he met her with a case of water under one arm and another canvas bag in his hand.

“Grab the honey. It doesn’t go bad.” He waited while she dumped the last six bottles in her bag. She went to follow him, but a can of Vienna Sausages caught her eye. It was barely poking out from beneath the shelf. “Wait.” Reaching for the can, she paused as she heard a soft hiss. Her gut clenched as she pulled her hand back.

The idea of a Z being able to fit beneath the shelf in a four inch space was ridiculous, but there was something down there. “Damn.” She saw Gabe pause to look back at her in question as she dropped to her knees and slowly bent her head to the floor. A scream almost left her as a dark mass of fur moved toward her with a frightening speed.

Glowing eyes blinked back at her as a tiny mouth opened on a hiss that was meant to be a warning. Mina’s mouth opened on a soft sigh. “Ah...”

“Mina, what are you doing? We have to get out of here.” Gabe’s fierce whisper had the tiny animal swatting a striped paw at her.

“It’s a kitten. She’s so scared.”

“Leave it. We have to go, Mina.” He let out a sigh as she shook her head at him.

“She’ll be eaten.” Mina turned her attention back to the kitten. “You’re safe with us, baby.” Grabbing the kitten would be the only thing to do, but she wasn’t looking forward to it. Sharp claws, though tiny, could still give nasty scratches. There was only one thing to do, and that wasn’t to leave the poor thing to the Z’s.

“Damn it, woman.” She gasped as his strong hands circled her waist and hauled her to her feet. She was about to slug him when he took her place on the floor. “Ouch! I’m trying to help you, fur ball.”

Mina grinned as he sat up and held the little black and crème mixed tabby kitten up toward her. The small, helpless animal was shivering; its sharp claws dug into Gabe’s hands. She reached for it immediately. “Hold on, the flea bag is digging the crap out of me,” Gabe hissed between his teeth. “Open the bag, we’ll stuff it in there until we get to the house and find a box to keep it in.”

“Oh, she’ll settle down.” She watched as the kitten disappeared inside the big bag with a final hiss of panicked fear as Gabe tied the straps and held the bag together.

“You just had to find a cat.” He shook his head as she smiled up at him. “It couldn’t be a canned ham or a box of Twinkies.”

“Sorry. I did find a can of sausages, though.” She held up the can with a shrug.

“You better go grab some cat food, then. I’m not sharing my sausages with a cat,” he groused, but she noticed the way he was being careful not to swing the bag and injure the kitten. He was an animal lover, for sure. It just made her want him even more. She hurried to find the pet aisle before she gave in to the impulse to kiss the air out of him.

Chapter Ten

The trip back to the house was slower and scarier, but they made it. On the way they saw something that made her hair stand right up straight on her neck. They were crossing one of the backyards when Gabe made her crouch down in a flowerbed behind a bench. In the side yard she saw what he’d seen. Two Z’s were standing there. They were two men. One dressed as a fireman in a blue shirt and suspenders holding up the yellow bottoms of his suit. His boots were missing and black feet held him up as he swayed.

The other man was still wearing a dress shirt and tie. Mina realized they were facing off. The fireman swung a massive arm and knocked the suit and tie guy across his face. A piece of flesh from the man’s cheek ripped off in the firefighter’s hand.

Mina covered her mouth as she watched in horror as the fireman stuffed the flesh in his mouth and chewed. Suit and tie guy retaliated. She stared in shock as they became a mass of growling arms and legs, their teeth biting into and tearing flesh.

Gabe grabbed her arm and yanked her along behind him as he ran for the next yard and the fence they had scaled only thirty minutes earlier. Mina didn’t make a noise as he hefted her up and over it to hand her the bag with the kitten and their provisions. He was the last one over the fence and she didn’t breathe until he was beside her.

They didn’t relax until they collapsed on one of the couches inside the Bradys’ summer house. Mina felt her entire body shake in revulsion. “What the hell was that? They were attacking each other!” She looked toward Gabe, who wiped a hand down his sweating face. He’d shrugged out of his jacket the second they entered the kitchen.

“They’re turning on each other, now.” He shook his head. “The spray won’t work for long. Not with them turning cannibalistic.” He looked at her with a tired sigh. “We have to get out of here.”

“I know.” She looked down at the bag where the kitten was struggling to get out. “I’ll go get a box for the little one.” She found a box in Callie’s room that was filled with books and photo albums. Dumping it out on the floor, she grabbed up the big box, but knelt down to pick up one of the loose photos that fell to the carpet. It was a picture of them eating candied apples at the fair. Callie was grinning with her perfect teeth as she held her apple. Beside her Mina was shoving a cut-up piece of apple in her mouth, silver braces shining as she looked up at the camera. They were so close when they were younger. A feeling of loss overwhelmed her as she looked down at the photo. Shoving it into her pocket, she vowed to breach the gulf between her and her sister, if she ever got the chance.

Downstairs, Gabe was keeping a watch on the street outside. The bag was still in his hand as he turned to nod at the big box. “That should do until she realizes we aren’t the enemy.”

“Let me put some water and food in first.” She dashed to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of water and a small bowl from her mother’s crystal collection. She might as well use the best, as it didn’t mean anything to anyone anymore.

“All right. I’m just going to slip her in the box. I don’t need any more scratches.” He bent down, placing the opening of the bag inside the box. As it opened the little ball of tiger-printed fur jumped out and landed in the box, spinning around hissing and swatting thin air.

“She’s so cute.” Mina sat on the carpet beside the box and held the flaps of the box, prepared to shut them if the kitten attempted to jump out; instead, the little green eyes rounded as she spotted the bowl of food and water. She slid a look up at Mina before going slowly to the water. One sniff and she was lapping at the water like she hadn’t had a drink in weeks.

“I wouldn’t get attached, Mina. Animals don’t last long around Z’s.” She looked up to see his worry written in the way his lips firmed and his brows drew together.

“Gabe, we can’t just give up getting emotionally involved. Not caring about people and animals won’t keep us from being hurt. It’s the only way to keep us human. The only difference between us and the Z’s is our ability to feel and think. Don’t let Z-Day take away your humanity. It’s what makes you a good man.”

“Yeah, well... I wouldn’t call an MIA SEAL much of a man, Duchess.” He settled on the couch with the bag beside him. “I’m sure your father wouldn’t either.”

“Nothing I’ve ever done has impressed my father, so I’m not that worried about his opinion on the matter.” She eased a hand inside the box and gently touched the kitten’s soft back. It turned its tiny head to look at her, ears flat, but continued to drink. “She’s calming down.”

“Food, water, and your soothing touch, the fur ball didn’t stand a chance.” He winked at her as he began rummaging inside the bag he held. Pulling out a plastic case holding a phone charger, he smiled. “Mind lending me one of your blades? Mine is a bit too big for this job.”

“You definitely can’t open it with that thing you hack away with,” she teased him as she handed him one of her knives, handle turned toward him.

“Saved your life, didn’t it?” His eyes clouded with pain as he turned to attack the plastic. Once it was opened, he went to retrieve a plastic baggie from his leather jacket. Inside was a smart phone. Mina looked up at him as he plugged it in.

“It seems to be working. We have a couple minutes to wait.” He bent down and pulled out two Snickers bars from the bag. “For you, Duchess.”

“That’s it. I have to be in love with you now.” She sighed as she opened the candy bar. She felt him tense up beside her.

“Well, if that’s all I needed to do...” he commented.

“It’s not.” She met his searching gaze head-on. Swallowing the chocolate, she nodded. “I’ve crushed on you from afar, but seeing who you are...” She shrugged a shoulder helplessly. “Grabbing a vicious little kitty for me with no regard for your health, how could I not fall in love with you?”

“Mina.” The look in his eyes curled her toes as he came to the floor beside her. She shivered at the hot look in his blue eyes as he reached out to push a loose curl behind her ear. Sliding his hand to the back of her neck, he eased her closer to him for a hot kiss of pure possession. She was immediately lost in his taste and the heat building from his needy kisses. He pulled back after a few moments to grin at her as he leaned his forehead against hers. “I love everything about you, Duchess.” His words and his look made her want to melt in a pile of girlie goo at his feet.

“Hmm... Still regretting saving me?” she asked softly.

“Nope. Now let’s make that call before I take you upstairs and show you just how grateful I am that you’re with me.”

“The call can wait for a little bit.” She grinned and kissed him again.

“I wish it could, but I don’t want to take the chance of the Z’s out there sniffing us out.” He got up and began to prepare the phone. Mina sat petting the kitten as she watched Gabe fiddle with the smart phone in his big hands. They were capable hands, able to give pleasure to his woman and death to his enemies. She loved his hands.

“Earth to Mina. The phone lines are working. Time to send out an SOS.” He offered her one of the hands that had held her captivated moments before. Mina felt an excited shiver travel up her spine as she took his hand and let him help her up.

Mina sat on the couch holding Gabe’s hand tightly as she waited for someone to answer her father’s phone. It rang and rang. She was just about to hang up and try her mother’s cell phone when a gruff male voice barked out the name, Brady. She looked at Gabe with wide eyes.

“Daddy?” There was a pause, then he swore loudly in her ear.

“Mina, honey! Is that you?” His voice sent a warm feeling pooling in her chest as she clutched the smart phone to her ear.

“Yes, Daddy. We’re at the summer house. We need help. Are Callie and Mom there with you?” She had so many questions, but the silence on the other end of the call told her something was wrong.

“We’ll talk when you get here. I’m sending a chopper for you now. Wait, you said, ‘we.’ Who is there with you?”

“Gabriel Landing. He saved me.” She rolled her eyes as Gabe blew on his knuckles, then waved at her like it was no big deal. “Where are you, Daddy?”

“Alaska. We’ve got a compound here secured. There has been very little infestation here, though the bigger cities are lost. I’ll explain the particulars when you arrive.” His authoritative tone didn’t surprise her. She was used to his direct manner. Only his voters got to see a personality within his suit and tie exterior.

“I’ll see you soon then, Daddy.”

“Mina?” His tone changed to one of concern, so rare for him. “I’m so relieved to hear from you. I love you, girl. ETA is forty minutes. See you soon, Mina.”

“Soon, Daddy. I love you, too.” She heard the silence as he hung up. Gabe’s hand gently pushed her hair behind her ear as she turned to him.

“He’s sending a chopper here in forty minutes.”

“Your mother and Callie?” She shrugged at his question, her eyes watering as he pulled her to him. Mina snuggled into his strong chest. She didn’t know the particulars of her family’s safety. It would worry her until she saw her father, but she found reassurance in the man she loved. Knowing he would protect and love her through any hardship made it easy for her to accept the unknown future ahead.