her mouth, shut it and turned back around, dismissing him with a flip of her hair.
Oh, hell no.
Two seconds later, he yanked her door open. “Get out,” he ordered.
“Why are you yelling at me?” She glared at him and crossed her arms. “What did I do now?”
“You have to ask? You’re out here by yourself and unprotected. What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?”
“What does it matter if I came out here by myself?” She raised her voice. “There’s no one out here. We’re alone. We’re always alone. Remember?”
“How do you know that? How do you know we’re alone?”
She paused. He watched her face pale as she took in the meaning of his words. Her gaze darted behind him, scanning the dense redwoods that surrounded the mansion’s circular drive. “Well, I…I guess I…”
“Right, you don’t. We don’t know if this area is secure. You could be sitting out here and some random asshole, could use the opportunity to snatch you. That’s probably how the couple we saw in Oxnard ended up in that situation. Never ever run off by yourself. You hear me? We stick together for safety.”
Her lips trembled. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so upset…”
“After seeing all those bodies today, I’m sure it seems to you like everyone’s dead, but they’re not. You know there are other survivors out there. They could be anywhere. And a lot of them will be like those men we saw today. Living a life without any laws can turn a man savage. We have to be careful.”
She nodded.
He studied her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. He took a deep, calming breath and softened his voice. “What’s wrong, Rach? Why did you run off like that?”
“I couldn’t be in that place. I couldn’t breathe in there.”
“Why?”
She licked her lips. Then she shook her head and looked away.
“Fine,” he grumbled, somehow upset over her non-answer. “Don’t tell me. What the hell do I care? I’m just the guy you’re traveling with, right? I’m nobody.”
“Adam.”
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Get out of the car.”
“Okay, okay. Jeez.” She gingerly stepped out. Her baggy shorts rode up her thigh. His gaze trailed down and he got a peep show as her feet touched the ground. His nostrils flared. He forgot about the end of the world, about safety and secrets, and just stared, slack jawed. Rachel had perfect legs. Long, soft and sun-kissed, with slim thighs that tapered down to sculpted calves. Jesus. Why hadn’t he noticed this before?
Those damn sweats of hers, those baggy clothes always keeping her covered. She might as well be wearing a burka.
He tore his gaze away and compressed his hands into tight fists. Holy hell, what was wrong with him? He needed to stop checking her out and keep his head in the fucking game. He had no business touching this girl, in his mind, it was practically statutory rape. She was a starry-eyed innocent and he was…a man with needs she couldn’t possibly understand.
Adam cleared his throat and handed her an easy-to-use Smith & Wesson inside a holster. “Take this and strap it on. Get used to wearing it. This is the firearm you’ll use while I teach you how to shoot.”
She recoiled like he’d handed her a poisonous snake. “I’m…I’m not touching that gun,” she stammered.
His brow furrowed. Where the hell did that come from? “Look, I’m assuming you can’t shoot. You pulled a gun on me yesterday, but it was obvious you didn’t know what the hell you were doing. So I’m offering to train you. What’s wrong? Do you want to keep that piece of crap you were holding me up with? Is that it?”
“No, I don’t want a gun at all.”
He inhaled and rubbed the top of his head, frustrated as hell. “Do you understand that I just found a fucking badass home arsenal down in that basement? The best I’ve ever seen, and believe me, I’ve seen a lot. Every type of weapon
Oh, hell no.
Two seconds later, he yanked her door open. “Get out,” he ordered.
“Why are you yelling at me?” She glared at him and crossed her arms. “What did I do now?”
“You have to ask? You’re out here by yourself and unprotected. What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?”
“What does it matter if I came out here by myself?” She raised her voice. “There’s no one out here. We’re alone. We’re always alone. Remember?”
“How do you know that? How do you know we’re alone?”
She paused. He watched her face pale as she took in the meaning of his words. Her gaze darted behind him, scanning the dense redwoods that surrounded the mansion’s circular drive. “Well, I…I guess I…”
“Right, you don’t. We don’t know if this area is secure. You could be sitting out here and some random asshole, could use the opportunity to snatch you. That’s probably how the couple we saw in Oxnard ended up in that situation. Never ever run off by yourself. You hear me? We stick together for safety.”
Her lips trembled. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so upset…”
“After seeing all those bodies today, I’m sure it seems to you like everyone’s dead, but they’re not. You know there are other survivors out there. They could be anywhere. And a lot of them will be like those men we saw today. Living a life without any laws can turn a man savage. We have to be careful.”
She nodded.
He studied her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. He took a deep, calming breath and softened his voice. “What’s wrong, Rach? Why did you run off like that?”
“I couldn’t be in that place. I couldn’t breathe in there.”
“Why?”
She licked her lips. Then she shook her head and looked away.
“Fine,” he grumbled, somehow upset over her non-answer. “Don’t tell me. What the hell do I care? I’m just the guy you’re traveling with, right? I’m nobody.”
“Adam.”
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Get out of the car.”
“Okay, okay. Jeez.” She gingerly stepped out. Her baggy shorts rode up her thigh. His gaze trailed down and he got a peep show as her feet touched the ground. His nostrils flared. He forgot about the end of the world, about safety and secrets, and just stared, slack jawed. Rachel had perfect legs. Long, soft and sun-kissed, with slim thighs that tapered down to sculpted calves. Jesus. Why hadn’t he noticed this before?
Those damn sweats of hers, those baggy clothes always keeping her covered. She might as well be wearing a burka.
He tore his gaze away and compressed his hands into tight fists. Holy hell, what was wrong with him? He needed to stop checking her out and keep his head in the fucking game. He had no business touching this girl, in his mind, it was practically statutory rape. She was a starry-eyed innocent and he was…a man with needs she couldn’t possibly understand.
Adam cleared his throat and handed her an easy-to-use Smith & Wesson inside a holster. “Take this and strap it on. Get used to wearing it. This is the firearm you’ll use while I teach you how to shoot.”
She recoiled like he’d handed her a poisonous snake. “I’m…I’m not touching that gun,” she stammered.
His brow furrowed. Where the hell did that come from? “Look, I’m assuming you can’t shoot. You pulled a gun on me yesterday, but it was obvious you didn’t know what the hell you were doing. So I’m offering to train you. What’s wrong? Do you want to keep that piece of crap you were holding me up with? Is that it?”
“No, I don’t want a gun at all.”
He inhaled and rubbed the top of his head, frustrated as hell. “Do you understand that I just found a fucking badass home arsenal down in that basement? The best I’ve ever seen, and believe me, I’ve seen a lot. Every type of weapon
Similar Books
