"Humans have never been anything but hostile to me."
"You took over our freaking planet!" I yelled, the jolting of my voice squeezing a pinch through my arm.
"Yes, I know. And I'm not saying humans weren't founded in their actions to me, but they remain the same."
"Sometimes you can't just spout things even if they are true. Some things need a little bit of explanation," I told him.
"I will try to remember that," he said wryly, like it didn't matter.
"Did you say y
ou were going to die earlier?" H
e stayed silent. "I
could've
sworn I heard you say you were heading to die."
"
My death is my burden."
"Fine." I yawned into my good hand. "I'll look out m
y
window and pretend that I never asked."
"You'll know
everything
soon enough," he grumbled. I ignored him and we rode on.
Tag-along
Merrick
"Hey, gorgeous
," I told her as I watched her from the corner.
It was night time again.
She was changing her clothes and looking at her stomach. It was so thin and I knew she was getting self-conscious about it. But it wasn't her fault. Everyone was struggling with that part.
"T
hanks," she said half-heartedly and then tried to change the subject. "I'm glad you shaved. You look like you again."
"I'm being completely serious." I put my arms around her from behind. "I never
loved you for your looks anyway, but you're still beautiful.
"
"I know, but…" she sighed, "it wasn't like I had a lot to lose anyways."
I turned her to me and took her fingers in mine. I pushed her back to the wall, lifting her easily and wrapping her legs around my waist. I pressed her hand to the wall by her head and took her mouth roughly. She gasped into my mouth, which was tinder to my fire. I used my free hand to run strokes from her cheek, to her neck, to her chest, to her stomach, to her hip, to her behind. I growled as she tightened her legs on me and I tried to find places in her mouth I had yet to discover.
My lips tingled, making my whole body tingle. Did she
really think that I didn't love
every piece of her, no matter how thin or fragile? In honesty it made me
love her more. My caring little
martyr who took care of everyone else so thoroughly and left crumbs of everything for herself.
I felt her fingers in my hair, tugging and claiming. What I wouldn't have given for a closet sized room right then so I could claim her properly. I let my lips lower to her chin and then her neck. Her lips parted and her eyes closed. I kissed as low as her shirt collar would allow me and then yanked
the whole thing
off in one smooth motion.
Yeah, we were in the 'bowl bath' area, but apparently, I had no dignity any longer because I was going to have my wife, right there.
"Bloody hell!" I he
ard and quickly covered her
with my body. Miguel was barely containing his laughter as he turned away. "
What kinda bloke bogs into the wife in the wide open, huh?"
"
G
et out
, Aussie
."
He looked
back and grinned. "Well, look at you. Grinning like a shot fox."
I threw
the first thing I could grab; a
metal
mixing
bowl. He laughed, ducking it easily and kept right on laughing as he made his way back to the others.
I looked at Sherry, expecting red cheeks and flustered breaths, but she was laughing. We laughed together, sharing breath, before she finally said, "This was
n't
exactly discreet, Merrick."
"I was trying to prove a point," I said huskily.
"What was that?" she said, her breaths soft and panting.
I whispered against her mouth, "That I want my beautiful wife anywhere, everywhere, always
, in
all
ways
."
She chuckled. "We're never going to get dressed if you keep that up."
"Ok," I agreed
easily
and she laughed again.
She kissed my lips and held my face. "Thank you."
"I love you, wife."
"I know you do
, husband
. No
w
put me down." She grinned.
I did what she commanded of me. I would always gladly do that.
After get
ting
ourselves situated, I took her hand and towed her to the new commons room. We had decided this morning that a stake out of the radio station was needed. Sherry and I along with Ryan and Ellie would go. I'd bring Sherry, for obvious reasons, because she could tell me when someone was lying, and Ellie, because she could hide my Keeper senses from the Lighters. They wouldn't be able to tell what I was. Jeff and Marissa were coming, too, to drive and watch out for things while we were inside.
Celeste and Danny were on Lily duty. As I watched Lily braid Celeste's hair on one side and Danny on the other, preening like a little girl as he did it, making Lily giggle, I knew they didn't mind.
Sherry and I both ate a small can of fruit with the others in our group that were going. Marissa was plowing through a can and then gladly accepted the rest of Jeff's.
He grabbed something else from the box and ate it quickly.
I hadn't even thought about the ramifications to the baby in Marissa's belly. It was one thing for
us
to be hungry, but Marissa was another.
We finished and everyone was dressed as properly as we could be. We looked normal again which wasn't a luxury we were rewarded often anymore. Miguel ran to catch up with us and smiled in a jaguar kind of way. "Hey, why don't I tag along?"
"Me, too!" Billings chimed and slung his arm around Miguel's shoulder. I guess those two were on better terms. "If I don't get outta this bunker, I'm going to start eating my own flesh or something. I'm going crazy here, man. Besides," he said and cleared his throat, "maybe we could look for Cain a little while we're out."
"Well…you can
come
, I guess. We're not doing much today, just seeing what to make of this broadcast station that Chesser was making such a big deal about."
"Broadcast station?" Lillian asked. We turned to look at her and I tried not to grimace at the redness of her eyes. "Cain and I have been there."
"When?"
"When he took me to that club," she said, her voice choked a little. "The club is next to the station."
"A club…" Miguel mused. "We could hit the boozer while we're there," he said and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Have fun," she said and ran a hand through her disheveled hair before turning away.
Miguel told her to wait up. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her in a soothing manner.
It was at that time that Rylee strolled up, all dressed and ready to go. She had her hair up and even had a little make-up on. Rylee looked up and an expression of devastation smacked into her.
She looked at Miguel as if he were betraying her. When he looked up, he saw the look on her face and his mouth fell open with an explanation, but no words came. It got awkward real fast.
"Rylee," he said and Lillian raised her head. She looked between the two and I could've sworn she rolled her eyes before detaching herself from Miguel and walking away. He kept his eyes on Rylee who crossed her arms, always the tough cookie.
"Are we going or not?" she spouted to me.
"Sure," I said uneasily. We'd never been to town like this together without going for food
or necessities
. I knew Ellie could keep us hidden from their senses, but it still felt strange to be walking into their turf so easily.
We got into the elevator and rode to the roof. I
t was dark now, but even though it
posed more risk of getting caught on the road, it posed less risk of getting caught at the station. I went first and waited at the bottom of the ladder for Sherry. I gripped her tiny waist and brought her to me. I left her feet dangling in the air and she giggled before smacking my arm.
She gripped my fingers in hers as we made our way to the van. Everyone else followed behind us, but I refused to look at them. M
arissa sat up front with Jeff
and the rest of us sat scattered on the van floor. Sherry crawled into my lap and leaned against my chest. Ryan and Ellie were sitting side by side
with their hands clasped. I smiled at him. I guess he got all his crap worked out. He'd been a basket case lately and I couldn't help but hear
his
inner turmoil.
I understood. I did.
I gripped Sherry tighter. But I understood
this
, too.