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)
Tyler opens the other door and his eyes widen when he sees the loot. “These dudes were planning for war. Holy shit.”
It’s unnerving to think we may not be the first group they’ve tried to intimidate and kidnap from, but it’s not like we can call the police. And killing them, though it would be deeply satisfying, isn’t an option. This is America. The world may be falling apart, but some of us still believe in doing the right thing.
The right thing in this case is tying them to the truck and hoping a bear finds them.
Tyler closes the truck door and then appears on my side. I pull back from rummaging under the seat to look at him.
“What’s up?”
His features are hard and his eyes glisten. “Thank you.”
Before I can register what he’s even thanking me for, his arms are around me in a crushing hug. Unable to let the opportunity to touch him pass me by, I wrap him up in a tight embrace.
“You’re welcome, though I don’t know what for.”
He scoffs, his breath tickling my neck and sending tendrils of desire straight to my crotch. “For helping take down those guys. They were seconds from stealing that girl and blowing my brother’s big head off.”
I run my fingers up his spine and he shivers. “We have to look out for each other.”
“I know,” he says, voice hoarse as he slightly pulls away but doesn’t completely release me. “I can still thank a guy for being a badass.”
Lifting a brow, I smirk at him. “A badass, huh?”
His lips curl into a wicked grin. “Yeah. Pretty sexy too.”
Heat floods through me, electrifying every nerve ending in its wake. He thinks I’m sexy. Old-ass me. This guy is great for my ego, that’s for damn sure.
“Sexy, huh?” I tease. “You’re really milking this tip. It’s a good thing I pay extra for compliments.”
He leans forward, his lips brushing over my ear. “You got about ten times hotter when you changed out of your corporate zombie outfit into this one.” His fingers twist around the material of my shirt over my abs. “Rugged looks good on you, Kell. Really good.”
Someone says something close by that has Tyler pulling away from me. I take a step toward him, needing…something…but stop when Gerry rounds the back of the truck.
Dammit.
If all these people weren’t here with us, I’d have shoved Tyler against the side of the vehicle to kiss his youthful lips that know all the right things to say to set me on fire.
But we’re not alone.
Back to the whole surviving gig, which quite frankly is getting old.
The earth starts grumbling again and I grab Tyler’s hand on instinct. All around us, the trees sway back and forth, creaking and groaning. Branches snap and then a whole tree crashes to the ground. My teeth seem to rattle inside my mouth as we ride out yet another terrible tremor, which lasts longer than the ones last night.
Almost over.
Any second now.
Instead of calming, the shaking intensifies. A sharp cracking sound echoes from nearby and then makes its way toward us. The ground beneath Gerry splits open, revealing a twelve-inch gap. He hops over it, shooting me a terrified look.
Another loud crash of a tree falling over is followed by crunching and shattering glass. I whip around to see a massive oak has landed right smack dab in the middle of the camping office, obliterating the damn thing.
“Is it ever going to stop?” Tyler croaks out, hands squeezing mine.
The ground continues its complaining and then several seconds later, it dies down until there’s nothing to be felt aside from the chilly breeze whipping at us from the west.
Tyler frowns in the direction of the wind, expression pensive. “It’s a little cold for this time of year.”
He’s right.
Had it been this chilly when we’d been trapped at the top of the building, we’d have all died of hypothermia.
“Come on,” I say to Tyler. “We need to grab our gear, make a pit stop at the general store, and then get on the other side of that mountain.”
“You think it’s safe over there?” he asks, searching my eyes.
“I hope so. Anything’s safer than where we’re at right now. For all we know, California is about to fall off into the ocean like every moonie’s been predicting since Gerty first hit.”
Tyler cringes but gives me a nod of understanding. I let go of his hand so he can help me round up the others. Gerry, with his back to me, stares down at the huge crevice that’s formed on the asphalt.
“This is getting bad,” Gerry grunts, shaking his head.
“It’s only going to get worse.” I clutch onto the back of his neck and give him a comforting squeeze. “Which is why we need to get moving.”
Once the truck is loaded up with all our people and gear, we slowly drive away from Gunter, Mike, and Nicky. While we prepared for our trip, they cursed us and called us every name in the book. At one point, I thought I was going to have to physically restrain Jesse from killing all three of them for sport.