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Authors: Keira Andrews
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before?”
Parker couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. We’d just met, but we couldn’t stand each other. We got over it. Now he’s crazy about me. And I guess he’s okay.” Beside him, Adam snorted softly.
“So you’re a couple?” Craig asked.
Tension zapped back into Parker’s limbs. “We are,” he bit out. “If that’s a problem—”
“No, no.” Craig shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Of course not,” Abby added with what appeared to be a genuine smile. She glanced at Jacob, who jerked his head down.
Parker frowned. “Anyway, amazing how everyone dying or turning into bloodthirsty creepers puts shit in perspective.” He glanced at Lilly. “Um, stuff, I mean.”
“Creepers,” Jacob echoed. He wrapped his arms around his middle, and now he stared at Parker intensely with dark eyes. A few red pimples dotted his chin and forehead. “Do you know what’s wrong with them?”
“It’s apparently a virus.” Parker shrugged. “Some people say it was engineered by religious nuts. But we don’t know for sure.”
“Hard to know anything these days.” Craig tried to smile. “Never thought I’d miss those darn twenty-four-hour news channels.”
The coffee machine’s chime filled the air, and Parker leapt up to pour it into mugs. He got water for the kids and opened the box of cookies as well. They passed it around, sipping and chewing and sharing rumors they’d heard on the radio and from other survivors.
“What happened here?” Abby asked, indicating the side of her head and nodding at Parker.
Adam went rigid beside him, and Parker tried to calm the sudden skipping of his heart. “Had a little run-in with some modern-day pirates the other day. Word of warning: If you see a boat called The Good Life ? Give it a wide berth. They stole most of our supplies, but I’m fine. Adam was on land stocking up.” He held up a cookie. “Good thing, huh?” Shoving it in his mouth, he chewed. Everything was fine. He was fine. Yes, his head still dully ached, but he’d hardly noticed it once the storm had set in.
As for the rest of what happened, he was a big boy. He wasn’t going to let it get to him. Besides, nothing had really happened . So it was stupid that his skin itched and he imagined he could still feel that asshole’s grimy hand on him.
“I’m so sorry.” Abby’s face creased sympathetically. “How awful. We’ve come across a few unsavory characters, but we’ve been lucky.”
“We were thinking of trying for this Salvation Island. Have you heard their messages?” Craig asked.
The cookie was like a stone traveling down Parker’s digestive system. “We’re not going near it.” Adam was a wall of tension beside him, and Parker could almost hear the “ But maybe…” in Adam’s head.
“Oh, have you heard something bad about it?” Craig’s brows raised. “Please tell us.”
Adam cleared his throat. “We’ve only heard the messages they’ve sent out. Parker’s just cautious.”
Parker ground his molars together, trying to keep the flash of irritation contained before it sparked into more. “I think we just covered why I’m being cautious .” Don’t act like I’m paranoid out of the blue. He hoped he got that message across with his glare.
His eyes soft, Adam nodded. “You’re right. We’re both cautious, with good reason.”
“It’s stupid to drop our guard.” Parker motioned across the saloon. “I’m sure Craig and Abby agree.”
In the awkward silence, Craig said, “Right.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I admit it does sound a little too good to be true.”
“Yes! Exactly.” Parker nodded vigorously. “Too good to be true. They’re probably canni—” He broke off as Lilly’s eyes widened. “Um, just… Probably not the nicest people.”
Abby shared a glance with Craig, who held Lilly closer. Abby said, “I suppose we hadn’t thought enough about it. Want to hope for the best, you know? You really think these people are up to no
Parker couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. We’d just met, but we couldn’t stand each other. We got over it. Now he’s crazy about me. And I guess he’s okay.” Beside him, Adam snorted softly.
“So you’re a couple?” Craig asked.
Tension zapped back into Parker’s limbs. “We are,” he bit out. “If that’s a problem—”
“No, no.” Craig shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Of course not,” Abby added with what appeared to be a genuine smile. She glanced at Jacob, who jerked his head down.
Parker frowned. “Anyway, amazing how everyone dying or turning into bloodthirsty creepers puts shit in perspective.” He glanced at Lilly. “Um, stuff, I mean.”
“Creepers,” Jacob echoed. He wrapped his arms around his middle, and now he stared at Parker intensely with dark eyes. A few red pimples dotted his chin and forehead. “Do you know what’s wrong with them?”
“It’s apparently a virus.” Parker shrugged. “Some people say it was engineered by religious nuts. But we don’t know for sure.”
“Hard to know anything these days.” Craig tried to smile. “Never thought I’d miss those darn twenty-four-hour news channels.”
The coffee machine’s chime filled the air, and Parker leapt up to pour it into mugs. He got water for the kids and opened the box of cookies as well. They passed it around, sipping and chewing and sharing rumors they’d heard on the radio and from other survivors.
“What happened here?” Abby asked, indicating the side of her head and nodding at Parker.
Adam went rigid beside him, and Parker tried to calm the sudden skipping of his heart. “Had a little run-in with some modern-day pirates the other day. Word of warning: If you see a boat called The Good Life ? Give it a wide berth. They stole most of our supplies, but I’m fine. Adam was on land stocking up.” He held up a cookie. “Good thing, huh?” Shoving it in his mouth, he chewed. Everything was fine. He was fine. Yes, his head still dully ached, but he’d hardly noticed it once the storm had set in.
As for the rest of what happened, he was a big boy. He wasn’t going to let it get to him. Besides, nothing had really happened . So it was stupid that his skin itched and he imagined he could still feel that asshole’s grimy hand on him.
“I’m so sorry.” Abby’s face creased sympathetically. “How awful. We’ve come across a few unsavory characters, but we’ve been lucky.”
“We were thinking of trying for this Salvation Island. Have you heard their messages?” Craig asked.
The cookie was like a stone traveling down Parker’s digestive system. “We’re not going near it.” Adam was a wall of tension beside him, and Parker could almost hear the “ But maybe…” in Adam’s head.
“Oh, have you heard something bad about it?” Craig’s brows raised. “Please tell us.”
Adam cleared his throat. “We’ve only heard the messages they’ve sent out. Parker’s just cautious.”
Parker ground his molars together, trying to keep the flash of irritation contained before it sparked into more. “I think we just covered why I’m being cautious .” Don’t act like I’m paranoid out of the blue. He hoped he got that message across with his glare.
His eyes soft, Adam nodded. “You’re right. We’re both cautious, with good reason.”
“It’s stupid to drop our guard.” Parker motioned across the saloon. “I’m sure Craig and Abby agree.”
In the awkward silence, Craig said, “Right.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I admit it does sound a little too good to be true.”
“Yes! Exactly.” Parker nodded vigorously. “Too good to be true. They’re probably canni—” He broke off as Lilly’s eyes widened. “Um, just… Probably not the nicest people.”
Abby shared a glance with Craig, who held Lilly closer. Abby said, “I suppose we hadn’t thought enough about it. Want to hope for the best, you know? You really think these people are up to no
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