Sole Survivors: Crux Survivors, Book 2 (7 page)

“Damn, Boss, just shut up.” Dorian walked to the bigger man and rose on his toes to kiss him. He grinned at Ross until Ross smiled back. He then turned back to Keera. “We are
together
together now—that is all that matters. Do you have family at home?”

She shook her head. “It’s just been me about three years.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry. Would you like to join us for some food? We were about to combine some—canned veggies from us and some of the food packs Chase so generously offered.”

Keera stepped closer to Chase. It surprised him, but also filled him with warmth. There was an implicit trust being offered…one he hadn’t earned yet.

“I brought food for Chase and Tripp. We can eat that instead.” She touched his arm but still spoke to the others. “I grow and can my own food. There’s enough gumbo for everyone. There’s also deer sausage. Fresh.”

The younger kid took another step forward. “Deer sausage? I haven’t had that since I was home.” He smiled, still looking at Tripp more than anyone else.

Tripp nearly fell over his own feet as he lurched back toward Keera’s little car. “I’ll get the food.”

Keera chuckled.

Chase watched her, hardly able to take his eyes away. “Thanks for bringing the food.”

“I brought some clothes, too. They might fit. Most of them were set aside for my father and he was shorter than both of you. But the ones that belonged to Dax should fit you both. They’ll just be a little wide.”

He wondered who Dax had been when he saw the shadow that passed over her expression when she said his name. Chase stuck his finger through a hole in the thigh of his jeans. “This is my best pair.”

She smiled and his heart lurched into his throat. She had full, full lips and they stretched into a wide smile that lit up her whole face. “I have a better idea.” She took a deep breath, tightened her fingers on his arm and called out. “Hey Tripp? Instead of unloading that now, how about we all go to my place? I have a nice, big fire pit and a pot. We can heat up a lot of gumbo.”

He stood by the car, the excitement on his face bright. “Sure, okay.”

Keera looked back at Chase. “It’s safer there, a lot farther off the road and if more raiders show up, we can barricade ourselves inside. It’s a warehouse, camouflaged, and my father built it with high windows great for firing if needed.”

“Wow. Sounds about perfect.” He lowered his voice. “Are you sure you trust us…all of us…enough to take us there?”

“No.”

He lifted his scarred eyebrow.

“I don’t trust any of you fully yet, but I’ve done nothing but be alone and prepare for the future for a long, long time. If I want more, I have to take some chances, right?”

“For what it’s worth, I believe these are all good people.”

“Then it’s not much of a chance, is it?”

Chapter Five

She’d made the decision to risk bringing all these people to her home. Once she made a firm choice, she always followed through, but Keera couldn’t stop her hands shaking as she led the two other vehicles to her warehouse. Built to blend, the green and brown building nestled in the midst of a thick stand of trees. The small clearing let in enough sunlight to power the solar panels on her roof. From the outside the warehouse didn’t look like much. Just a square, metal building with a large garage door on the right side. Her fenced-off garden was on the right and wrapped around the back. In the spring and summer it would be overgrown with plants, but now it was bare. She parked her car, jumped out and opened the garage door so she could pull her car inside. But she hesitated, left the car out when she remembered they had yet to unpack her gifts. She held up a hand to tell Chase and Ross to stop their vehicles. They’d have to leave them outside. Her warehouse held the car, but with the built-in apartment, there wasn’t room for more.

The noise of their engines sounded so foreign in her normally quiet home. She hugged her arms to herself, trying to calm her nerves.

Tripp and Cadmar jumped out of the RV as soon as Chase turned the engine off. They walked up to the open garage, Tripp looking inside while Cadmar chattered at him. She wondered if the younger man had once taken his eyes off Tripp—even in the RV.

Chase got out of the RV, his gaze going to her first, then around the area, before coming back to her. He looked so tough standing there with his muscles bulging in his crossed arms and his scruffy hair and beard picking up light from the sun. He’d pulled on a long-sleeved flannel shirt over a T-shirt that had faded to a grayish color. Neither shirt was thick enough to ward off the chill in the air today.

“Oh,” she breathed. “I forgot to give this to you right away.” She opened one of the back doors on her car and pulled out his jacket. “Thanks for loaning this to me yesterday. I have another in my car I think will fit you too.”

“Thanks.” He took the jacket, lifted it toward his face, then stopped abruptly to squeeze it in his fists.

She thought he almost sniffed his coat. Butterflies filled her stomach at the thought of him trying to get a whiff of her.

“This place is great,” he murmured, faint red filling his cheeks as if he realized she’d caught his intention.

“My father picked this heavily wooded spot when I was little. He called it our private getaway and we kept only the places close to the warehouse trimmed while letting everything else grow wild.”

“It was a good idea. I couldn’t see the place until we were right up on it.”

“Nice garden area.” Dorian said as he came up to them. He’d tied his shoulder-length black hair into a short tail. His eyes looked huge and dark in his narrow face. “Do you have a greenhouse?”

She shook her head. “No, but I grow some stuff inside the warehouse with growing lamps. Herbs, tomatoes and peppers.”

“Any fruit trees?”

She nodded. “Out back. Peach, apple and avocado trees.”

“Really?” He came up on his toes, excitement making his dark eyes sparkle. “Please tell me you’ve saved avocado seeds.”

When he grinned, Keera’s eyes widened. Holy shit, the man was a looker. “Of course. I’ve even got a couple of small trees growing in pots. Feel free to go see. The adult trees are around back. The babies are inside the warehouse.”

“Thanks.” He turned, his long, elegant legs moving quickly.

Keera watched him go. She couldn’t help it.

“I know. It’s hard not to look at him, isn’t it?” Jenna came up to her and lifted her hand to shield the sun from her eyes.

“Sorry,” Keera murmured.

“Don’t be. I’ve been watching him since we were kids and look.” She pointed at Ross, who stood next to the back of the semi-truck. He’d paused while opening the back to watch Dorian stride toward the backyard. “Everyone watches him. I’ve even caught Cadmar peeking a time or two. Dorian just has a way about him.” She waved at the warehouse. “Damn, it’s so exciting to meet you people. And this place is so cool! You know I’m dying to see inside, right?”

Keera grinned. “Come on, I’ll show you all. Should we wait for Dorian?”

Her blonde hair bobbed in its ponytail as she shook her head. “He’ll wander in after a while. He’ll explore the garden first.”

Pride filled Keera as she led them in through the open garage door. The plans for the place were originally created for a type of construction office with a big, open space and stairs that led up to offices. Her father had built the office part as a two bedroom apartment instead. She had a fully functioning kitchen, bathroom and anything else she needed.

Chase hadn’t said a word but he’d followed them and he stood inside, big arms crossed as he took in the long tables built against the entire left wall. They broke only for the stairs, then continued on to the other side. She’d installed the grow lamps herself and the long surfaces were covered in plants she grew throughout the year. “I keep tomatoes and peppers going all year. Lots of good nutrients in them. Cucumbers too.” She pointed at the trellis where huge, green leaves peeked out from the vines that had wrapped the white wood. “I also grow a lot of herbs for cooking and tea.”

Chase touched one of the ripe tomatoes, walked a couple of steps and just stopped.

She followed his gaze to the green bell peppers. “Those have done really well this year. I’m letting some turn red, but there are so many feel free to pick as many as you want.” She looked at Jenna. “You too. The tomatoes are good. I have way too many of those so I’ve canned a lot of them. I have enough canned to last years, but I grow them fresh because there is nothing like eating them right off the vine.”

He still didn’t take anything. “I haven’t had a fresh tomato or a pepper in a long time. I think I’ll wait until I can sit down and enjoy them.” He turned to look down at her. “Thank you.”

His low, deep voice and the intensity in that sharp, blue stare drew the air from her lungs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jenna smile and wander to the herb end of the indoor garden. Keera stared back at Chase, wondering if he was feeling even an inkling of the crazy emotion that ran through her. She could see his attraction to her in the way he looked at her, in the flare of his nostrils. He’d stared at her body back at the creek…but any man would have stared at the way that wet shirt had fit her.

Nerves hit her so hard, she stepped back.

Chase frowned.

“I’m going to get my pot for the gumbo. Why don’t you two come up with me? See the apartment? I have hot water in the shower if anyone would like to use it.”

“I love you already,” Jenna murmured as she followed Keera up the stairs. “This place is fantastic. Did your father install the ledges under the upper windows, too? I take it you use that long metal tool to bring down the rope ladders?”

“Yeah, my dad liked to be prepared. He always said the only way raiders would get us out would be to burn us out. He couldn’t figure out a way to keep that from happening. I did stop him from digging trenches around the property, though I think that’s what he was starting when he fell and broke his leg.” Stupid infection had gotten her father in the end. Pushing away the sadness, Keera opened the door to her apartment. “This part wasn’t built for comfort—just efficiency. But I have replacement parts for everything and have managed to keep it all going.” She frowned when Chase didn’t follow them in, then stepped back outside the door to find he stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Come on. You’re welcome to use the shower, have something to drink.”

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.