Page 75 of Shelter (The Wanderers 4)

“I do,” Rush stated. He couldn’t be sure, but for Haley’s sake, he would pretend he felt confident.

“We killed two men,” Haley informed them.

“We had no choice, baby,” Bray murmured. “It was us or them.”

“I know, but…” Her voice trailed off.

Rush grimaced. The last thing he wanted was for her to carry around guilt. She had no experience living out in the wild like this. Bray and Riggs didn’t either. Storm probably had limited exposure from before he’d come to live at the estate, and he appeared far less shaken from the incident.

“Is this what our lives are going to be like from now on?” Haley asked, looking at Rush. “Always on the run? Always getting shot at? Having to kill people?”

Rush’s chest hurt. “No, love. We’re going to get you to a safe place and no one will hurt you there.”

“But it’s a bunker. Someone could find it. And you have to come outside sometimes. And…”

Rush nodded. “But the bunker has been there for many years without discovery. We have safeguards to keep everyone protected. And we’re very careful when we come up top. Yes, there are altercations sometimes, but not as often as roaming the land without protection. I promise.”

“I’m not going to be able to rest until we get there,” she stated. “Let’s keep moving.”

“It’s still several days away, baby,” Bray informed her. “We’ll need to stop and sleep along the way.”

“Maybe not.” Rush glanced up at the sky. “It’s getting late. If we keep moving through the night we’ll get to the next outpost by morning. We’ll make contact with Maya again when we get there. Even if there’s no walkie-talkie, she knows that’s where we’re heading. She’s probably already sent someone that direction. I’m hoping it’s the last place we have to walk.”

Haley sighed. “Let’s do it then.” She shrugged Bray off her and stood.

“You sure you’re ready to move again, honey?” Riggs asked. “We can rest a bit longer.”

She shook her head. “I’m good. The longer we rest, the longer it’s going to take us to get to safety.”

Rush pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He was so fucking grateful that she was such a strong woman. He held her for several seconds, using the opportunity to assess her breathing and her heart rate.

He never wanted to let her go. He wished he could fast-forward to a time when she was finally safe. Where she could eat a good meal, shower, and drop into a real bed and sleep for a full day.

Soon, he promised himself. Soon.

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