Page 14 of Ravaged Saints

“So you all live here. The five of you?” I look at them; four of them are near the bar, talking and giving fast glances at me and Bryn.

“Yeah,” Ryker answers, “We were returning from a mission when the plague started. We tried to help, but it was nearly impossible; none of us got sick, so we came here.”

“How did you know about this place?” I ask, needing more information about this place.

“We were a special team; this was our base before missions, a hidden place to train and get intel,” Max chimes in.

“This place is great,” Bryn says; her tone is tired, but her breathing has calmed down. Ethan looks at her like a dog to a bone, and it makes me feel uncomfortable; there is something wicked in his gaze.

“No women here?” I continue, trying to find out more about them.

“No,” Dante pours another drink and heads to me, his muscles pushing the fabric around his arms. “You look like you need this more than us,” he winks as he hands me the glass with the amber liquid.

Knox stares at me, waiting, and I throw it back in one sip, the drink burning its way down, and I realize they could’ve spiked the drink, but even if I didn’t drink it, there is no way out of here right now.

“Fuck,” Max chuckles, and Knox’s eyes move up and down my body as he sips his drink, and I narrow my eyes at him, but he doesn’t care, just keeps his eyes on my boobs, asshole!

“There are leftovers in the fridge; eat, and Dante will show you the room,” Knox orders. Bryn gets up and heads to the dark wooden table that sits near the kitchen, Ethan right behind her, and I can’t keep my eyes from rolling.

I walk to the table as Ethan takes out the meat and some vegetables. God, I can’t remember the last time I had a real meal.

“How long were you out there?” Ryker asks.

But before Bryn starts talking and telling them about her profession, I give them a bone to keep them satisfied: “A couple of weeks since I found Bryn.”

Knox and Max look at each other. I bet they will tell the others about Bryn, but at least we will be in a room and probably safer.

“You were alone for weeks?” Ryker's eyes widen, disbelief flashing across his face, his jaw tightening as if trying to process the weight of my words.

“Why is it so hard for people to believe that?” I turn to face him. “Women can go to war and fight as much as any of you!”

“And shoot,” Knox interrupts, and they look at him.

“She shot you?” Dante releases a low laugh.

Knox tenses, cracking his neck side to side, “At both of us,” his eyes on mine, and I feel the heat on my spine. There is something about the way he looks at me; it’s almost primal, like a wolf starving for prey.

“She missed, so is she really that good at it?” Ethan chimes in.

Knox doesn’t acknowledge him. “I think she would’ve hit me if she really wanted to.”

There’s a hint of curiosity in his gaze, but I pretend not to notice it, focusing instead on the tender meat in front of me. The taste, rich with lemon and tomatoes, transports me back to that day—when my mom first showed the symptoms.

“Are you still with us, sweetheart?” Max touches my arm, and I flinch, almost jumping from my chair.

They all stare at me; Dante’s eyes soften as he rises from his chair. “Come on, I’ll show you girls to your room. I think we all have had enough excitement for one night.” He walks to the door with a smile and signals us to follow.

The stairs are going down, but from the outside, I only saw one floor, so I guess the rest of this place is underground, so crawling out a window to escape is out of the question.

He leads us down into a concrete hallway with wooden flooring and opens a black door. It’s almost like a dorm room: two single beds, each placed against a different wall, a small nightstand in the middle, the walls are white, and a small two-door closet sits in the left corner.

“There are sheets and blankets inside the closet,” Dante points to the left, “And there are a couple of t-shirts and sweatpants there too.”

“Thank you so much,” Bryn says, leaning into him and placing a hand on his shoulder; his hazel eyes lock on her hand, and I can see him tensing.

I just nod and turn my back; I’m not used to physical touch, especially towards men that I just met.

Dante closes the door, and I hear a lock being placed. Great!

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