Revolution (Collide, #4)(53)

I felt my mouth pull wide in a grin. I lifted my hand to rub her cheek bone. Such softness over something so hard. Used to protect the face, but also made her look beautiful. The human body was a fascinating thing. And this human body under me was gorgeous. "We’ll just see where it goes. No expectations. Just day to day."

"That sounds perfect, Ry."

I startled at that. "Have you been talking to Calvin?"

"I may have," she said coyly. "He's such a smart kid."

I thought I heard a hint of something in there. "Did he give you some advice?"

"He said to stop being such a girl and forgive you. That you were a good guy, and he was right."

"I'll have to thank him," I said in a low voice. "I'm sorry."

"No more being sorry." She smiled, her eyes crinkling in the corners showing me she meant every word. She reached up and put her hands on my cheeks before pressing her lips to mine softly. My eyes closed on their own accord and I felt a shudder ripple through me at her sweetness. She pulled back and said, "Wanna share a can of pineapple with me?"

"I've never had pineapple," I said, dazed.

"Well that won't do, Keeper."

She dragged me to the designated crate for the kitchen, hopped onto the crate, opened the can and popped the first piece into my mouth. It was so sweet and juicy I groaned. She licked her fingers and said, "I guess that means you like it."

I jumped up to sit beside her on the crate. I looked down and saw the words 'Ammunition' upside on the side of it. I chuckled to myself. I was sitting on a crate of bullets, arms and legs pressed to a girl's who was feeding me pineapple and licking her lips that she's just kissed me with. My charge was running from his friend and play fighting, my brothers were all absorbed in their woman or their talks. For now, my earth family was safe.

It was sounding a lot more like Heaven every minute.

And So, We Meet Again



Chapter 23


Cain



My arm, or I as was beginning to call it, the lifeless throbbing bastard, was dead weight in my jacket that I tied around my neck to support it. The thing was hurting so badly from all the missing meat and dirt rubbed into the sore that I contemplated trying to fall down and go to sleep.

But I couldn’t. I knew that the bad guys were out and about so I had to be on my game. It was getting dark again and I hadn't seen a soul all day. The van had left me long ago, hours maybe, and I had trudged through the dirt, staying off the road. My shoes were full of sand and I could literally have collapsed, but I didn't.

I hadn't eaten anything all day yesterday and my stomach had been growling at me.

More hours passed. Even in the military, with all the exercises and training we did, I'd never been this exhausted before. It did me no good to be awake. With the blood I'd lost and no food in my system and lack of sleep, if I was attacked, it wasn't like I could have fought them off.

Things went from bleak to bleaker as headlights rounded the hill. I debated for mere seconds on whether to take my chances that they might help me. At the last second before they could see me, I followed my gut and ducked down. The movement jammed by arm into my leg and I cursed as I lay in the dirt and groaned as silently as I could. They passed by and I raised my head to see. Good call because they were frigging Enforcers. I let my head fall with a thud to the sand at my close call. I couldn't get up, just couldn't.

I thought about Lillian. I wasn't one to dwell in a bad situation, but I wondered if I'd ever see her again. I imagined her fretting over me, wrapping my arm and humming me to sleep with one of her daddy's hymnals, like a good wife. I smiled. I must've been delirious because I could actually hear her humming in my ear.

If terror falls upon your bed and sleep no longer comes,

Remember all the words I said. Be still, be still and know.

When you go through the valley and shadow comes down from the hill,

If morning never comes to be, be still, be still, be still.

If you forget the way to go, and lose where you came from.

If no one is standing beside you, be still, and know I am.

Be still and know that I'm with you, be still and know I am.



I woke with a boot on my neck, and the sun was down again. I glared up at the Lighter whose long block ponytail hung over his shoulder. A ponytail? That alone made me want to hurt him. Pansy.

But he had the upper hand on this one. My body was still exhausted beyond belief and he was pressing the breath out of my windpipe. I croaked, all bravado, "You should've killed me when you had the chance, Lighter boy." He smirked. "Now you're in trouble."

"What a big mouth on the boy who's under my boot." He laughed and smiled menacingly. He pressed harder and I hissed. "What was that?"

I punched his calf with my palm and his foot slid off my neck. He laughed even more as I sat up and he circled me.

"Why didn't you just kill me while I was sleeping?"

"There would be no fun that way," he said like it was obvious. "I knew you were a rebel, out here all alone. I wanted you to wake up," he clucked his tongue, "but from the looks of things, you're in no condition to put up much of a fight. Shame."

I stood trying not to wobble. "See, this is why nobody likes you. That's just rude."