Page 92 of Sully

I couldn’t fault his logic. And I had to admit that the idea of Perish not only bringing the peanuts to a squirrel, but remembering to buy them, was really adorable.

“What’s his issue with the grass?” I asked, getting up to scrounge up some cloths for the day.

“You noticed that, huh? You should fucking see him in the spring. The man launches a full-scale war against the dandelions. He goes out with a knife and digs them out.”

“Was he in lawn care or something before the club?”

“I think it’s more likely that he never had a yard in his life before. Can’t imagine what a bear he’ll be when he actually owns a house someday.”

We didn’t exactly have much talking to do after that, since clothes got peeled off, and we were in the shower running soapy hands all over each other until, well, the inevitable happened. Again. And he went ahead and made up for the lack of orgasms before, schedule be damned.

I was still feeling a little post-orgasm contented when we climbed in the back of the SUV. I was flanked on both sides—one, with Sully and the other side with Nave. In the front, Dezi and Valen were with us. Since Courtney insisted that the twins go to work with her. And Fallon had insisted Perish join them as well.

“Wow, it’s bigger than I realized,” I said as the car climbed the hill toward Hailstorm.

“They’ve done a lot of expanding over the years,” Nave said. “It used to be strictly made out of shipping containers. Which are pretty good against handguns, but rifles could pretty easily penetrate the steel. Chris has put a lot of time and money into either reinforcing the walls with sandbags for the containers she wanted to keep, but also building new buildings that are reinforced concrete with rebar. Can withstand most shit.”

“Nine-inch walls,” Dezi confirmed.

“That’s where the girls and the kids have been hanging out,” Valen added.

Oh, right.

I forgot that the other women had been hiding out too. Would they all be hanging out when we got there? I wouldn’t mind seeing Layna, Luna, and Gracie again. And meeting the others. Sully had nothing but nice things to say about them.

As we drew closer, the dogs casually walking the grounds came trotting forward toward the gates, barking, alerting anyone who may not have been paying attention. Though everyone had already clocked us a while ago.

Men and women milled around, automatic rifles strapped to their chests, eyes on the roads, the woods, the skies. I was almost about to comment on how that level of hyper-vigilance must be exhausting. Until I remembered how much I, myself, operated from a place of hyper-vigilance.

“Sully has a meeting with Chris,” Valen told the guard at the station.

“And that thing has ballistic glass,” Dezi explained, nodding his chin toward the box the guard sat in that reminded me a lot of those little boxes cashiers stood in at outdoor garden centers.

“I think he’s trying to make you feel secure,” Sully said, reaching to give my hand a squeeze.

“I’m pretty sure there’s nowhere safer in the whole state,” I declared as the gates slid open and the car rolled through.

We barely got a chance to get out of the car before a man—tall, long-legged, handsome, with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes—came striding toward us with a certain air of authority.

“Sully,” he greeted, offering his hand to Sully. “Fischer,” he introduced himself.

“Fisch, this is Bonnie,” he introduced me. “And Nave, Dezi, and Valen.”

“Oh, hello,” I cooed as a dog ventured closer, sensing there was no danger. “Is he friendly?” I asked, looking at Fischer.

“She is,” Fischer confirmed. “And a real ham,” he added as the pittie whacked her big, square head against my leg, begging for attention.

“Oh, Zima is going to hate me for this,” I told her as I dropped down to rub her head with both my hands. “But it’s worth it, right?” I asked as her leg tapped hard against the ground.

“I’m gonna go find my woman,” Valen said, giving us all a wave as he headed away.

“Think they are serving lunch yet?” Dezi asked, jogging to catch up with Valen.

“I’ve got no one to see,” Nave said. “Mind if I check out the grounds? I haven’t been here since I was a kid. Wanna see what’s different.”

“The chickens,” Fischer said. “Got a shitload of chickens now. And a goose to protect them. But he mostly just chases people around and bites them on the ass.”

A laugh escaped me at that. “The dogs don’t bother them?” I asked.

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