Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
When I finally get a good grip on the bullet, I pull, dislodging it. It takes a few more tugs and then it’s free. It hits the truck bed with a ping.
“It’s out, you big baby,” Hope teases.
Relief shines in her eyes and floods through my chest.
I spend the next several minutes rinsing his wound, stuffing it with gauze, and then bandaging it up. Because of its location, we’re going to need to change it often and most likely start him on the antibiotics Amy gave me. I’ll need to stitch it up, too, but not in the dark while hauling ass down the road in the back of a pickup truck. Fishing out the bullet was cruel enough. Stitching him up would be pure torture.
Once Wayne is settled, I clamber my way back over to Kellen. He’s waiting with a bottle of water and a granola bar. After disposing of the gloves and cleaning up, I accept his offering and wolf it down.
Aaron only stops once to check on everyone, give Wayne a little bit of shit for getting shot in the ass, and to fill up the tank. Then we’re back on the road, this time wary of travelers. Luckily, the only lights out here in the middle of damn nowhere are the headlights and taillights of the truck.
Boom.
I must’ve dozed off again because I wake to the distant sound of booming. Thunder? My head spins at the thought of another lightning storm.
“We’re nearing Denver,” Kellen says, voice tight. “Do you hear that?”
Not just one boom. Several booms. This can’t be good.
“Storm?”
Kellen shakes his head. “Sounds like a battlefield.”
“You think Denver is gone?”
“I don’t know.”
The closer we get to the city, an orange glow backlights the mountains on the horizon in front of us. I get a faint whiff of smoke. I’m reminded of Vegas, which was an absolute shitshow.
“At the very least,” Kellen says, “we need to find a radio and get word back to St. George. Those people headed their way are up to no good and they’re clearly fleeing from whatever happened in Denver.”
The chances of finding a working radio without risking our necks feels next to impossible. Despite that, I give him a nod. We’ll do what we can for the only people who’ve helped us on this journey.
Before we get closer to Denver, Aaron pulls the vehicle to a stop and hops out. He and Dan both meet us on the side of the truck bed.
With the truck stopped, the sounds coming from the city are unmistakable. Gunfire. Bombs. Explosions. The city is under siege.
“What do we do now?” Hope asks. “We can’t go into that.”
“We have to reach St. George and warn them,” Kellen says. “But how?”
Dan shakes his head. “They’re on their own. They’re guarded and can protect themselves against a dozen vehicles. It’s not worth losing any of our people just to give them a warning. I’m sorry, but I’m making this call. We go around Denver.”
“But—” Kellen starts.
Dan cuts him off. “I know. It sucks. It’s the way of the world now, though. If we come across a radio, we’ll try. But we’re not risking it. I’m sorry.”
With those words, he stomps back to the cab of the truck, climbs in, and slams the door shut. Aaron meets Hope’s wide-eyed gaze. She gives him a small nod.
“Okay,” Aaron says with a heavy, resigned sigh. “We’ll travel around. Take one of the smaller roads on the outskirts of the city, heading east. After we get to a safe place, though, we’re going to need to hunker down for the night. I’m beat.”
Everyone is somber as we make the trek away from the war going on in Denver. It’s as though the big cities all turned on each other. I’m hoping this Podunk town in Kansas will be our refuge because we just left the only safe place thus far.
Kellen takes my hand in his and threads our fingers together. It’s worth it, though. Being here with Kellen, no matter what dangers we face together, is better than staying in St. George alone.
My heart thumps violently in my chest. I think I love this man. It’s such a wild concept, but I feel it in my bones. Even though he nearly left without me, I know he feels the same.
To kill the boredom of this trip, I reach into my pack to find an ink pen. Kellen smirks at me and then helps me shove my jacket up my forearm to reveal the tic-tac-toe tattoo. I’m not focused on winning, just the gentle touches on my skin by the most amazing man I’ve ever met.
We play for what feels like hours, a small reprieve from our brutal reality. And when we’re too exhausted to play anymore, Kellen pulls me against his chest, arms cradled around me. I inhale the lingering scent of the motel soap and burrow into his warmth. He kisses the top of my head and whispers assurances that have my eyes drooping heavily.