Page 16 of Shattered Love

“I’m from the East Coast. Here for a business trip.” Warner peeked into a building as we passed it, but when nothing caught his eye, he continued on.

“What kind of business?” I added on, curious to know more about the man who seemed to blindly follow my plans.

Finally, he turned toward us, stopping us all in our tracks. “You two can chat about your lives all you want. But the answers don’t really matter. So, are you going to help find supplies, or are you only here for a stroll?”

Warner pinned us each with a stare and my neck prickled with the embarrassment of his chastising. Sasha must have felt the same because she closed her mouth, miming zipping them up.

I couldn’t hold back my chuckle and Warner squinted in annoyance before spinning on his heel and walking ahead. Sasha and I shared a look, laughing quietly, but continuing to follow behind all the same. He was the one with the gun, after all.

What felt like hours later, nearly every store, restaurant, and home we passed empty, we stumbled upon an outdoor equipment store. I recognized the name as a popular outlet chain throughout Montana, one that used to be in my hometown.

“Let’s check in here,” I said, already making my way through the door.

The first sign that we may have luck was that the glass of the doors wasn’t broken. Warner followed behind me, but Sasha stopped at the door, glancing at the building to our right.

“You guys go ahead. I’m going to check in here.” She tossed a hand over her shoulder.

“Should we really separate? What if someone comes?” I asked her, worrying my lip between my teeth as I glanced to the empty street.

Sasha shrugged. “I’ll yell for help. Can you get to me fast enough?” She raised her brows at Warner.

“I guess we’ll find out,” he responded.

That seemed like a good enough answer for Sasha as she made her way into the other building. Worry settled heavy on my chest, but Warner pushed us inside the store. “She’ll be fine. No one is out here.”

I wanted to tell him that we had thought the same before the three guards found Aiden, Rainer, and me. But I also knew there was no arguing with him, or Sasha, for that matter. It seemed I was surrounded by incredibly stubborn people, no matter which way I turned.

The moonlight barely lit up the inside of the store, my eyes adjusted to the dark but still struggling to see. However, from what I could see, it seemed that nearly the entire store was still intact.

Shelves upon shelves were filled with outdoor equipment, clothing, and more. My eyes were immediately drawn to the clothing section. As the weather began shifting, we all desperately needed some warmer clothes, especially after we had torn up our shirts and pants. And selfishly, I really wanted more underwear. Although, I doubted I was the only one who felt that way.

Warner and I met each other’s gaze. “I’m going to go look for clothes. I have no clue what ammo to look for anyway.”

He needed in agreement. “Scream if you’re in danger.”

With those lovely parting words, he started toward the back of the store, confidence in his steps. Making quick work of heading toward the clothing, my excitement grew at the possibility of getting out of these dirty clothes.

Browsing through the numerous coats that lined the shelves, I wondered why these were left behind. Surely, the government would have taken them, given how frigid the winters got here.

But as I grabbed multiple sizes, the realization dawned on me why so many of the winter clothes were left behind. It wasn’t because they thought they could survive the winter without them. It was because they had no intention of being here once it came. Which meant that they were leaving for the bunkers much earlier than I had anticipated.

Chapter Nine

My bag was heavy as I threw it over a shoulder, filled to the brim, the zipper nearly exploding. I had grabbed dozens of underwear, several thermal shirts, and a few pairs of pants. My arms were struggling to hold all the coats, but I figured Warner and Sasha could help with that.

Walking slowly through the store so I didn’t accidentally trip, I looked for Warner. His tall frame leaned against the wall next to the front door, his bag as full as mine.

Once I was a few steps from him, I asked, “Did you get everything you needed?”

He nodded, taking in the things I had gathered. Considering it was still hot out during the days, it looked a little silly, but I knew the cold was coming sooner rather than later. The nights were already beginning to cool as we headed into the middle of August.

I eyed his full bag curiously. My father and brothers weren’t big hunters and I had no clue how much space ammo took up. I opened my mouth to ask if he had gotten anything else, but I never got the chance.

The space around me blurred as Warner spun my body, pushing me against the wall. His chest firmly pressed against mine. My lips parted, but Warner’s large hand was there, covering any sound.

His eyes were trained over my head, toward the door. Closing my eyes, I focused on the noise around me, trying to pinpoint what had spooked him.

The light tread of footsteps pounded outside the doors, barely audible through the glass. My eyes popped back open, meeting Warner’s gaze. Lowering his hand, he held up a finger to his lips, pulling his gun from the back of his pants.

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