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)
“I know what The Wizard of Oz is,” I mutter. “Just never watched it or anything.”
“Me neither,” Hailey adds, shrugging her shoulders. “Isn’t it, like, in black and white? Seems old and boring.”
Dan crows. “You wound me, child.”
Kellen and Hope both snigger at Hailey’s and my expense.
“Hardy har har,” I deadpan.
A twinkle in Kellen’s eyes makes my heart warm. There’s my guy. He’s been getting buried under the stress of surviving, but beneath, he’s still in there. When we finally land somewhere for good, I’ll be able to uncover each of his layers fully and appreciate the full picture of him.
As I approach him, his muscles relax and he envelops me in a much-needed embrace. I hug him tight, inhaling his musky scent I’ve grown to love. If ever we get regular showers, I may not recognize his smell.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, breath tickling my hair.
“Just thinking of how badly we reek.”
He snorts out a laugh. “I’m glad you’re amused. I sure as hell am not.”
“I like your stank,” I tease, playfully biting his shoulder.
His palms find my ass and he gives both cheeks a hard squeeze. “You’re strange, man. Really, really strange.”
“I can agree to that,” Hope mutters, having overheard our conversation. “You’re both getting soap in your stockings for Christmas.”
My chest tightens at her words. These people—these strangers—have become family in such a short amount of time. Knowing that once we’re safe, we all plan to stick around one another brings comfort to me.
We continue to play and tease until a booming gunshot echoes from the town. And then another.
All humor fades as my blood drains out of me.
My brothers.
Kellen takes off in a sprint toward the sound. I bark at Dan to watch the girls as we both run as fast as our legs can carry us. Before we reach the diner, a pickup truck appears from behind the building, tires squealing as it takes off. We have to dive behind an abandoned vehicle to escape from behind hit. Glass shatters out the windows of the car we’re hiding behind as a final parting gift from the truck driver. As soon as the rumble of the engine is farther away, I pop my head up to see where they went. Thankfully, they’re not headed in the direction of the rest of our people.
Aaron’s yelling can be heard inside the diner. Panic consumes me as I run blindly toward the sound of his wails.
Please let my brother be okay.
Please.
I push through the shattered diner door, following the sound of Aaron’s voice. I’m so focused on getting to him, I don’t notice an obstacle blocking my path. My feet become tangled in a pair of giant, booted legs and I fall face first on a big belly that jiggles from the impact.
Jerking up, I face down the person on the ground. His face is gone, blood and gore spattered all around him and puddling beneath what’s left of his head.
Wayne.
No. No. No.
Kellen grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet. He curses when he comes to the conclusion it’s Wayne.
“Come on,” he grunts. “Nothing we can do for him now.”
The world spins around me and I stagger after Kellen, fear clogging my throat, making me gag. We push our way into the kitchen, following a smear of blood as though someone’s been dragged along the greasy tiles, and discover my brothers on the floor near the walk-in freezer.
Aaron is covered in blood and sobbing uncontrollably. At first, I think he’s injured, but then I see my baby brother in his arms, blood seeping through the front of his jacket.
“Jesse,” I cry out, dropping beside them. “What happened?”
“That man shot them,” Aaron snarls. “For no reason! We were being compliant!”
Focusing on Jesse, I begin pulling open his jacket to assess his wounds. Small bleeding holes cover his chest that seems unusually pale. His eyes are closed and for a moment, I think he’s dead. When I check his pulse and still feel it, I breathe a quick sigh of relief.
Shotgun blast to the chest, but he was clearly farther away than Wayne. His shotgun blast damn near took off his head. Jesse still has a chance.
More gunshots erupt outside and I wonder if the perpetrator has come back to finish everyone off. Kellen takes off like a rocket to investigate. Aaron is useless to do anything aside from holding our little brother and sobbing into his messy hair.
“He’s going to be okay,” I lie to Aaron. “Pull it together, man. Calm yourself for him and help me.”
Aaron’s red, wet face twists into an expression of disbelief. “Help you what, Ty? He’s dead.”
“Not yet,” I snap.
“But he will be soon,” he hisses back. “In case you didn’t notice, there are no hospitals around. We’re out here all alone. No one to help. You’re not a doctor no matter how much we all wish you were.”