Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(58)
Horrified, I looked at him with wide eyes as my mouth fell open. “Why?”
“Looking for bites,” the soldier said, his steely gaze on me. “Or any signs of infection.”
“Isn’t th-there somewhere p-p-private?” I stammered, my voice trembling. “Less out in the open?”
“Boss man’s rules,” another soldier said, coming to stand beside the first. “Nobody’s allowed in until they’ve proven themselves clean.” He gave me a shark-like smile while deliberately running his gaze up and down my body.
I pressed my lips together, turning away from the quickly gathering crowd of men, and sought out Alex. He didn’t look happy, in fact, he looked downright pissed off and ready to bite the heads off anyone who dared to come near me. Yet, he was already pulling up his T-shirt.
“Let’s just get this over with, Lei,” Evelyn whispered, squeezing my hand. “They can look all they want, but no one’s going to be touching, okay?”
No, it wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. I understood the need for this, for keeping any sign of infection out of such a heavily populated area, considering how quickly it spread. But this was overkill. At the very least, they could have set up some sort of makeshift shelter outside the perimeter, giving people a semblance of privacy.
With a sigh, Evelyn dropped my hand and began unbuttoning her pants. Whistling and catcalls immediately commenced, and vulgar, sexually explicit innuendos erupted from the growing crowd of men. Women too, I noticed. I continued to stand there, fully dressed, even after both Alex and Evelyn had rid themselves of every last stitch of their clothing, and alongside an equally nude Bryce and Mike, drew closer to the fence for their inspection.
“Arms up,” a soldier demanded, licking his lips as he appraised Evelyn. “Spread ’em and bend over.” He grinned, his eyes still firmly fastened on her.
“Lift up your hair, princess,” another soldier said, drawing closer to Evelyn.
She did as she was told, her blue eyes burning with a fire that promised retribution if anyone laid a hand on her. Not that they could, the gate prevented any contact. But once those gates were open…
Queasy and light-headed, I turned away and pressed a hand against my stomach. I couldn’t do this; I couldn’t strip for an entire crowd of people, leering and jeering at me as if I were some sort of sideshow animal. I was a person, a woman; I had feelings and emotions and pride. Oh God, why didn’t anyone seem understand that anymore? Or care at all? Where was the humanity?
Dead, I thought bitterly. Dead, like everything else.
“If that one doesn’t strip, or leave, within the next two minutes, I’m putting a bullet through her head.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my fists into tight little balls. I couldn’t do this; I just couldn’t. I’d already been subjected to enough torment and torture to last me several lifetimes, and I’d be damned before I willingly subjected myself to it.
“You hear me, sweetheart?” the same voice called out. “I’m counting down, starting now!”
“Lei…”
I opened my eyes to see Alex standing in front of me. Already dressed again, he gazed down at me with dark eyes full of compassion.
“Lei,” he repeated, his tone gentle. “I’ll be right there next to you. You don’t have to look at them, you just look at me, okay?”
Staggered breaths caused my mouth to quiver. “We don’t need this place,” I whispered. “We don’t need them. We were fine on our own.”
But even I knew I was lying. We were far from fine. Daily we had to scavenge, usually finding nothing of use. We had no safe place, no guarantees, nothing but the clothes on our backs and one another.
Alex shook his head. “We do. I wish we didn’t, but we do.” His voice was desperate, his eyes pleading with me.
He didn’t like it either, and I could tell it was killing him to admit defeat, especially after making it this far with just the three of us. But even a king knew he couldn’t survive without his subjects, and whereas Alex was much like a king in this new world, powerful yet just, he too knew when he needed help.
I closed my eyes again, trying to find someplace inside myself where I could go, where I could hide inside my own skin in order to get through the next several minutes. I already had enough shame to last me several lifetimes, and the thought of adding more to it was sickening.
“One minute!” the voice called out.
“Lei, please.” Alex sounded somewhat frightened now, whether it was his fear of never finding another place like this one, or his fear of me being gunned down like an infected, or maybe both, I didn’t know.
“I can’t lose you,” he whispered fiercely.
“You barely know me,” I snapped, trying to pull free of his grasp.
Tightening his hold on me, he bent his head close to mine, forcing me to look at him. “I do know you,” he hissed. “I know you hum songs from the sixties and seventies when you’re bored or sad. I know that most nights you cry yourself to sleep. I know that you’re usually thinking about Thomas when you smile. Lei, I know where every bruise and cut on your body is and what caused them, and I also know Eve is the only person on this planet who makes you feel safe. I know you, Leisel.”
Shocked, I stared up at him as my entire body trembled. “You make me feel safe too,” I whispered as tears pricked my eyes.