Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(55)

“Do you think there are people inside?” Leisel asked.

“If there are,” Alex said, his gaze fixed on the barn, “then they’re *s for not helping us.”

“They could have been bitten. Maybe they turned?” Leisel suggested innocently.

“Only one way to find out,” I said. Threading my fingers through hers, I clutched her hand tightly. “Ready?”

? ? ?

Placing an ear against the barn’s large double doors, Alex listened intently for any sound coming from within while Leisel and I waited in silence behind him. Seeming satisfied, he attempted pulling at the doors, only to find them locked from the inside. Glancing over his shoulder, he grimaced. “Someone is in there,” he said, his voice low. “Or some…thing is in there.”

Curling his hand into a fist, he brought it up to the door and hammered at the wood. “You can come out!” he shouted. “It’s safe now!”

Alex backed quickly away, his tire iron ready to swing, then gestured for us to follow him. Seconds ticked by as we waited for any sort of sound, yet nothing came.

Grinding his teeth together, Alex stormed forward and again banged on the doors. Glancing up at the waning sunlight, his scowl only deepened.

I knew how he felt. We were tired, hungry, beyond thirsty, needing more than anything a safe place to set our aching bodies down for just a moment.

“I’m going to count to three!” Alex shouted. “And then I’m breaking in! One! T—”

The doors rattled, the sound cutting him off. Immediately he took a step back, his body shielding us from whatever might be inside. Another sound rang out, much like that of chains clanking together, and then one of the doors slowly opened, revealing the pale, dirty face of a teenage boy. A man appeared behind him, older, in his midforties, with long dark hair streaked with gray and an equally long beard.

They were both frowning, looking less than pleased to see us. Worry coursed through my body, and I clutched tighter to Leisel’s hand. If they had guns…

As if only now noticing Leisel and me, the older man’s frown lifted into a smile. “Well, well, well,” he said, stepping out from behind the boy as his eyes raked us over from head to toe. “Mighty fine of you pretty ladies to come and save our sorry asses.”

His eyes flickered back to Alex, and his smile disappeared. “I’m Bryce,” he continued, holding out his hand. “This here is Mike.”

Warily, Alex took his hand, giving it a firm shake before quickly releasing it. “Alex,” he grunted.

“Are they yours?” Mike asked, looking around Bryce to Leisel and me. “Or are they up for grabs?”

Beside me, Leisel sucked in a breath, her fingernails digging into the skin on my hand. Remembering what Alex had told us—that women were currency—my chest suddenly tightened as my heart began to hammer painfully inside it.

“They’re both mine,” Alex growled. The hand gripping his tire iron began to twitch, his knuckles turning white as his entire body tensed.

“Forgive the boy,” Bryce said, giving Mike a shove backward. “He ain’t got no damn manners. Damn shame, though.” Sucking in his bottom lip behind yellowing teeth, Bryce grinned at me. “This one looks right up my alley.”

Despite myself, I scowled at him, only succeeding in earning myself a small chuckle from both Bryce and Mike.

“How did you get stuck in there?” Alex gritted out.

Bryce shrugged. “We were scavenging for supplies when Mike here tripped and cut his damn leg open. Before we knew it, we had goddamn rotters coming at us from every direction. Couldn’t find anywhere to stop and bandage the wound, not until we got here, but by then we had a whole mess of ’em following us.”

“So you locked yourself inside,” I said dryly. “How smart of you.”

Bryce looked back at me with an appraising grin. “That we did, sweetheart. Wasn’t too sure how we were gonna get outta here, neither. Speaking of, we should all get inside.”

Shoving Mike backward, Bryce headed back inside the barn, gesturing for us to follow him. The three of us shared a wary glance, but having few other options, we eventually followed.

It was murky inside, dark, and just plain filthy, dust and grime clinging to everything. A small tractor sat on the left, moldy bales of hay stacked on the right, and above us was a second-story loft, the ladder leading up to it hanging splintered and broken.

“There’s a barrel of rainwater over there, ladies,” Bryce said, pointing off into the dark depths of the barn. “Something to clean up with, at least, while us men have ourselves a little chat.”

Even in the fading light, I could see him grinning, and I had to bite my tongue so as not to respond with something biting in return. Tugging on Leisel’s arm, I pulled her off into the darkness, leaving Alex behind.

The barrel was old, the water inside it smelled awful, but it was water and we were filthy. Glancing behind me, ensuring that no one could see us, I lifted my top over my head and dunked it inside the barrel, using it to clean my face and torso. Although hot and sticky, the water was surprisingly cool and refreshing. Following my lead, Leisel pulled the top of her dress down to her waist then proceeded to bring up handfuls of water to pour over her bare chest.

“Do you think this is safe?” she whispered as she slipped back into her dress.