It was hard to
leave her. He loved watching her sleep. More often than not there was a sweet smile on her lips that tugged at his heart. He never wanted her to lose that ability to smile, to laugh. This world was shit, but not all parts of it had to be.
His first stop was the main gate. He checked the locks and bolts were firmly in place. He checked the electric box off to the left and saw everything was up and running again. No one was getting in or out without his say-so. He controlled the gates. Moving past the electric box, he walked along the main wall, checking for potential security issues. Bricks could easily be smashed in, and he demanded a full inventory of each section of wall during the day and night to make sure there were no weak spots. The perimeter took him close to three hours to walk. He wanted to do a thorough job, until he was satisfied with their security. Making his way inside the house, he went straight to the roof. He held a pair of binoculars and checked past the wall. He couldn’t see too far, but he liked to check if there was anything odd like campfires or something out of the ordinary.
“Sir,” Luke said, interrupting his thoughts.
“What is it?”
“The traitors filled our pantry with rats. Some of the bagged containers of rice, pasta, and grains have been destroyed.”
Draven cursed.
They had gotten a good couple of years’ worth of supplies built up. His anger grew, and all he wanted to do was slaughter those sons of bitches down in the basement.
“We’re going to have to venture out beyond the gate,” he said. “I’ll come and check what supplies we have now, and we’ll make arrangements as to how long we’ve got. If we have more people arrive, we may have to turn them away.”
“I know, sir. We all trust your judgment.”
He was pleased someone did. Right now, he was ready to paint the basement walls red and he’d not even seen the damage.
This had turned into one bad day. He needed a break.
No, he needed inside his sweet woman, that’s what he needed. Following Luke off the roof, he made his way down to the storage area. He passed several of his people on the way, and they all looked nervous.
Before he even saw the mess, he knew it was going to be bad.
****
Ashley wondered when he’d come to see her. It felt like an eternity since she last saw Draven. She hadn’t even seen Luanna either. Everything had happened so fast.
The secrecy and being locked in a cage were starting to wear thin. It may not be a literal cage, but she was a full-grown woman who could make her own choices. She was tired of being trapped in this bedroom. Why couldn’t she be out there with everyone, helping?
She placed a hand on her stomach and nibbled her bottom lip.
“What do I do?”
She had no idea what this situation called for. Draven wasn’t hurt. She’d watched him walk across the gate. Her vision hadn’t been perfect, but she’d recognize him anywhere. Running her fingers through the strands of her hair, she stared out. The sun had gone down, the moon filling the night sky, and the rain had started again. She loved to see the trails as it ran down the window.
“It’s going to be fine,” she said.
Her legs started to get numb from sitting in the same position for so long. Getting to her feet, she swung her hands out, trying to get some circulation going. Stretching down to her toes, she lifted her hands above her head.
Her thoughts drifted back to the hospital where she’d been kept. Staring at the band on her hand, she still hated it as much now as she did then. The brand of ownership. She’d become the government’s possession, not her own. It was so unjust.
The sound of the door being unlocked pulled her from her thoughts. Once she saw Draven, she didn’t even allow herself to hold back. Throwing herself into his arms, she wrapped her legs around him.
“Thank God, I was so worried. I didn’t want anything to happen to you.” She slammed her lips down on his.
Draven held her ass, keeping her steady as he kissed her back. She missed his lips and his touch.
She sensed a sadness in him, and it made her pull away with a frown. The seriousness in his eyes made her aware of something bad about to happen. Her unease grew when he kept quiet.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Don’t even say it’s nothing.” She knew he tried to protect her as much as possible. She wasn’t a child.
“It’s … I’ve got to organize a party to go and get supplies.”
“Supplies? I thought you had enough food,” she said.