Read Online Surviving Passion by Maia Underwood - Free Book Online
Authors: Maia Underwood
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Her question seemed to jolt the others back into talking all at once.
“How many?” Cal asked again.
“That’s the problem,” Dan said, still watching Bear. “There were more than twenty.”
Even from behind, Selena could tell that the man was fuming quietly, but Dan went on, “This isn’t the kind of thing where we ride out and get revenge tomorrow. We get into a scuffle and people are going to die, not just on their side. The odds are terrible. It’s not a good time.”
“There is no good time,” Bear growled obstinately, looking angrier by the minute. “There are more and more of ‘em. If you hadn’t gotten in my way—”
“You’d be dead,” Dan finished for him, looking even more immovable.
After a few moments of terse silence, Bear went on. “Not so easily. I’ll be damned if I couldn’t have taken five out with me.”
“Bear!” shouted the blonde woman at his side. She looked horrified. “And what about Becky?”
A daughter?
Bear dropped his gaze to stare at the ground.
Dan let her words sink in before pushing on. “The odds were bad before. Now they’re worse. Three to one.”
“Either you’ve got the math wrong or you’re being a damn sexist,” Gina glowered quietly.
Selena was impressed. This bold accusation had clearly taken some courage. She awaited Dan’s response with rising curiosity.
“ Men only get killed, Gina,” came an agitated reply. It was clear from his demeanor that he would have none of it.
Selena lifted a brow.
“It’s all or nothing,” Gina persisted bravely, shaking her head. “If anyone’s gonna fight, everyone should fight. What good does it do us girls if you men all get yourselves killed? Where’s our future then, Dan? I say we’re screwed whether we participate or not. We may as well help.”
“I agree with Gina,” her gap-toothed friend put in. “I vote no one fights, but if we have to, it should be all of us.”
Dan was not swayed.
“I want those men gone and Jake dead,” Bear put in. “No one is safe while they’re prowlin’ around here.”
“They’re still miles away,” Dan pointed out.
“A hundred miles away is too close,” Bear insisted.
“Well! I’m with Sara and Gina,” offered Blaire matter-of-factly, nodding at the two women. “Susan?”
Dan looked incredulous that the subject of women fighting was even under discussion, much less that the consensus was going in this direction. He bit his tongue and watched the blonde carefully, waiting to hear what she would say.
The woman sighed and gave it all a moment’s thought. “Bear, you lost your brother in a horrible way. I cared about him too. Everyone did,” and she rubbed his back soothingly. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting that man gone from the world, but whether we all fight or only some of us, we’re going to lose more people. We should think about the children. Jake will get his someday.”
Ben spoke up now, “They do have some idea what area we’re in. Even if we set a limit to how far anyone’s allowed to go in their direction, we don’t know how far they’ll range. I don’t think we can control the overlap.”
“That’s right. But I say we wait and keep an eye out for now,” Cal told them. He paused before turning to Dan. “There’s no way they followed you?”
Dan shook his head, looking slightly relieved that Cal’s suggestion would at least buy time. He grabbed a pair of apples out of Blaire’s basket, taking a bite out of one. “We took our time getting out of there,” he explained as he chewed. “No sign of them on the way home.”
“Are you certain?” Bear persisted.
He nodded again and chucked the other apple up to Selena. “Ask her.”
She caught it easily and tried very hard not to look irritated when all eyes had turned up at her.
“No one,” she said quietly. It was the best she could do under the circumstances and she took a bite out of her apple in a desperate attempt to look casual.
“Okay,” Cal
“How many?” Cal asked again.
“That’s the problem,” Dan said, still watching Bear. “There were more than twenty.”
Even from behind, Selena could tell that the man was fuming quietly, but Dan went on, “This isn’t the kind of thing where we ride out and get revenge tomorrow. We get into a scuffle and people are going to die, not just on their side. The odds are terrible. It’s not a good time.”
“There is no good time,” Bear growled obstinately, looking angrier by the minute. “There are more and more of ‘em. If you hadn’t gotten in my way—”
“You’d be dead,” Dan finished for him, looking even more immovable.
After a few moments of terse silence, Bear went on. “Not so easily. I’ll be damned if I couldn’t have taken five out with me.”
“Bear!” shouted the blonde woman at his side. She looked horrified. “And what about Becky?”
A daughter?
Bear dropped his gaze to stare at the ground.
Dan let her words sink in before pushing on. “The odds were bad before. Now they’re worse. Three to one.”
“Either you’ve got the math wrong or you’re being a damn sexist,” Gina glowered quietly.
Selena was impressed. This bold accusation had clearly taken some courage. She awaited Dan’s response with rising curiosity.
“ Men only get killed, Gina,” came an agitated reply. It was clear from his demeanor that he would have none of it.
Selena lifted a brow.
“It’s all or nothing,” Gina persisted bravely, shaking her head. “If anyone’s gonna fight, everyone should fight. What good does it do us girls if you men all get yourselves killed? Where’s our future then, Dan? I say we’re screwed whether we participate or not. We may as well help.”
“I agree with Gina,” her gap-toothed friend put in. “I vote no one fights, but if we have to, it should be all of us.”
Dan was not swayed.
“I want those men gone and Jake dead,” Bear put in. “No one is safe while they’re prowlin’ around here.”
“They’re still miles away,” Dan pointed out.
“A hundred miles away is too close,” Bear insisted.
“Well! I’m with Sara and Gina,” offered Blaire matter-of-factly, nodding at the two women. “Susan?”
Dan looked incredulous that the subject of women fighting was even under discussion, much less that the consensus was going in this direction. He bit his tongue and watched the blonde carefully, waiting to hear what she would say.
The woman sighed and gave it all a moment’s thought. “Bear, you lost your brother in a horrible way. I cared about him too. Everyone did,” and she rubbed his back soothingly. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting that man gone from the world, but whether we all fight or only some of us, we’re going to lose more people. We should think about the children. Jake will get his someday.”
Ben spoke up now, “They do have some idea what area we’re in. Even if we set a limit to how far anyone’s allowed to go in their direction, we don’t know how far they’ll range. I don’t think we can control the overlap.”
“That’s right. But I say we wait and keep an eye out for now,” Cal told them. He paused before turning to Dan. “There’s no way they followed you?”
Dan shook his head, looking slightly relieved that Cal’s suggestion would at least buy time. He grabbed a pair of apples out of Blaire’s basket, taking a bite out of one. “We took our time getting out of there,” he explained as he chewed. “No sign of them on the way home.”
“Are you certain?” Bear persisted.
He nodded again and chucked the other apple up to Selena. “Ask her.”
She caught it easily and tried very hard not to look irritated when all eyes had turned up at her.
“No one,” she said quietly. It was the best she could do under the circumstances and she took a bite out of her apple in a desperate attempt to look casual.
“Okay,” Cal
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