She grabbed the handle of her gun and looked around the room. Lucy was sound asleep and she would be out for the count for a couple of hours at least.
Sasha found the best location that meant she didn’t have to keep moving but could see the whole of the room, especially the entrance, and therefore could protect Lucy. She felt Malachi watching her and looked at him. He had a hard set to his face.
“I wish you’d realize that I won’t let anything happen to the two of you.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know.” He lifted a brow as if he didn’t believe her. “I really do, but it’s hard for me to let this control go. It’s ingrained in me to keep her safe.”
He ran a hand over his beard and nodded. “Fair enough.”
Her stomach was cramping from the tension. Being in the middle of nowhere was not doing well for her sense of self.
“You should get some sleep,” he said and settled down a few feet from her.
“I don’t think I’ve slept properly since all of this started.” She just couldn’t bring herself to fall fully asleep, not at a time like this.
“Then sleep now. I’ll watch you two. I’ll protect you both. Have faith.”
“I have faith,” she said. “In me and in my sister.”
He chuckled. “You know, you’re not going to get far in this world if you don’t trust the ones here to help.”
“Trust doesn’t come easily anymore. It’s a commodity that needs to be earned. We’re on our own and there’s nothing you or I can do to change it.”
The silence stretched out.
“You miss the old world?” he asked.
She looked at him but didn’t say anything.
“I can see you do. I can even understand that. You’re so young. I bet you had a pretty perfect life, didn’t you?”
She thought about her life before all of this.
“I was happy. I haven’t been that way since all of this happened.” She heard the sadness in her voice.
“I’m sorry,” he said and she was surprised by the sincerity in his voice. She glanced at him. “I’m sorry you lost everything.”
She swallowed the emotions that rose up. “I’m sorry too.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t have shit to lose, not anything of value … not happiness.”
She watched as he removed the guns and blades before he loosened up his belt. She had no choice but to look away, a little embarrassed by the way he was easily undressing himself. “Don’t worry about a thing, princess.”
“I’m not worried.” She kicked off her sneakers and placed her weapons close and within easy reach. Pulling her thighs up to her chest, she watched Lucy.
“You know, she’s stronger than you think.”
Yeah, she knew that, but it didn’t stop her from worrying about Lucy. “I really don’t want to deal with this right now.”
“You got to learn to relax, sweetheart. Even when the world has ended life goes on.”
“What is with all of the terms of endearment all of a sudden?”
He laughed. “Get some sleep, honey.”
She laid back, staring up at the ceiling, just as another wave of thunder and lightning hit.
Lucy woke up but didn’t go very far, as she snuggled up against her. She held her sister close, very much aware of the man at her back, watching her.
He was like a wild animal waiting to pounce, and she was the prey he had his eyes on.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Go away, rain
For four days it had rained nonstop and they had no choice but to find higher ground within the movie theater. During one of the nights, the rain had gotten so heavy it had found its way in through the doors and the whole main floor was soaked.
Sasha stared out at the path below.
There would be no emergency services coming to rescue them. Just as fast as it appeared, it could also go.
“It’s not as deep downstairs,” Malachi said, coming up into the office.
Lucy was sitting in the corner playing with her dolls. They had limited food, as most of their supplies were back at the car.
The longer they stayed here, there was a chance they’d starve.
Pushing some of her hair off her face, she looked up and down the street.
“There’s no way you can leave,” he said.
“We shouldn’t have stayed. This is the problem.”
“I know what the problem is. You can keep arguing all you want but it’s not going to change the fact we’re stuck here. What you should be doing is praying this rain stops. When it does, we don’t fucking linger. We get out of here before someone finds us.” He held his gun, checking it over. They had already cleaned their guns in case of the water getting inside them.
“Can we go and swim?” Lucy asked, coming to stand beside her. “It looks like a giant puddle. We could go and splash in it and it would be a whole lot of fun. Please, please, please.”