Page 26 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Chapter 14

Two days went by with no word from Advic. She’d now spent more time without him than with him. It seemed weird when she considered how many cumulative minutes she’d been awake in his presence. Not many. Not enough to feel something strong for him.

And yet, she did. She missed his easy smile, the wrinkles around his eyes when he laughed, the way she would always wake up to him holding her hand and stroking her skin. The man liked to touch her.

It was a private little indulgence she’d permitted herself to enjoy. Probably a bad idea, but now that he was gone, she not only missed his touch, she’d probably embellished it too. She was romanticizing him completely.

Meanwhile, she had two other men hovering over her night and day. Either Dario or Keanu was always close by. They didn’t get quite as close or touch her quite as much, but they were always there.

She was getting stronger. She could sit up and swing her legs around on her own. Dario had given her one of his T-shirts and come up with a pair of panties that fit her, so she was no longer exposed every time someone lifted her off the bed.

At the end of the second day, Dario surprised her by taking her through the door that led into their living space. It wasn’t large, but it was a home. There was a couch and kitchenette and a television. She hadn’t watched much on television in years. People had them at the compound, but she wasn’t the sort to hang around watching old VHS tapes or DVDs.

Dario settled her in the middle of the couch and popped in an old comedy from the late nineties before he and Keanu flanked her on both sides and started the movie. He even made popcorn, which was an incredible treat.

She no longer had the bandage on her leg, but she still kept it propped up on the coffee table while they watched, and she had yet to put any pressure on that leg. She needed to start soon. Frankly, she was nervous. What if she found out the muscle damage was too severe for her to recover easily?

Just as the movie was ending, a doorbell rang. It wasn’t an odd sound. Most people who lived in underground bunkers like this had a doorbell up above. It alerted them to visitors.

Keanu and Dario rose at the same time.

Keanu palmed his gun, reminding her the past two hours indulging in a relaxing pastime were over. Reality sank back in. There was no guarantee whoever wanted attention was a good person.

Knocking followed, and Maya sat up straight, twisting around to face the narrow stairs that led up to ground level. Her heart was racing as Keanu’s shoulders lowered, and he set his gun on the kitchen table before reaching for a rope and giving it a tug.

Dario set a hand on Maya’s shoulder. “It’s Advic. That’s his knock.”

She relaxed her body, but her heart kept beating from adrenaline and anxiety. She prayed he was uninjured. That was her first concern. Next, she would yell at him for fighting her battles. She didn’t need him to go looking for her people. She hadn’t asked him to either.

Her brow was furrowed as he came into view, and he wasn’t alone. Another pair of legs descended right behind him.

Maya gasped. “Stuart?” How the hell had Advic managed to find Stuart in such a short time?

Advic’s face was grim and he didn’t meet her gaze while Stuart rushed toward her. Both men looked like they’d been in a fight. Stuart was a big guy, but he’d taken a few punches. Another glance at Advic indicated he had too.

Stuart rounded the couch and dropped down beside her, wrapping his arms around her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. “My God, Maya. We were all so worried.” He finally released her and held her at arm’s length, his hand on her shoulders. His gaze roamed up and down her body before coming to her leg.

He winced. “You did do a number on your leg, didn’t you?”

She ignored his question. “How did you…?” She shifted her attention to Advic. “And why?” Her voice rose. “Why did you go looking for Stuart? It wasn’t necessary,” she pointed out, anger edging her voice.

Advic rubbed his temples with one hand, not meeting her gaze. “You’re welcome.”

Stuart stood, keeping one hand on Maya’s shoulder. He shifted his attention to Dario and Keanu at the same time Advic did. “Rush and I were on our way here when Advic found us by chance. Rush was hoping you had some supplies we need. The outpost where we chose to spend the night ended up being Advic’s choice too. A pleasant coincidence when we found out Maya was here.” He swallowed hard, gripping her shoulder absentmindedly.

“Where’s Rush then?” she asked, her voice trembling.

There was a moment of silence, and then Advic picked up the story. “We were ambushed by The Republic.”

Maya gasped, twisting around to tip her head back so she could look up at Stuart better. “The Republic? We haven’t had much trouble with them out here in a long time.”

He nodded, his expression grim. “Well, they took Rush at gunpoint.”

“No!”

Advic still hadn’t looked at her. His head was lowered. He stared at the floor. “They roughed us all up, made us stand in a lineup, and then seemed to choose him. They singled him out of the three of us and took him.”

“Why?” Maya asked, though she knew no one would have an answer.

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