Controlling the Dead (31 page)

Rudy and I spend the first morning cleaning and rearranging furniture, trying not to think about the people that occupied this house before or whatever fate had given them. We also wash our blankets, towels, and clothes and hang them on a line in the back so we’ll have clean stuff after showers later. Eventually, Rudy goes off to help with some other minor repairs with Reece.

When the house is livable, I start making a list of repairs.

I swat at a hanging cabinet door in the small kitchen while making the list. It squeaks back and forth on one hinge. The hinges need to be screwed back, no problem. Stucco needs patching outside, possible. Rotting doorframes are throughout the whole house and need replacing. Possible for me to do myself, but is it worth it? Tiles are loose in the kitchen, and the bathroom floors I can do myself. I want to take up the cactus plants that were once someone’s idea of a fancy landscaping project. The last thing I need is to get drunk and fall off the front porch into the wicked spines. No matter how pretty the flowers on them are.

Screw it. I’m not really going to live here. When we’re gone, they can assign the house to someone else. I put my list on the counter as the front door opens and closes. I can tell who it is by the footsteps.

“Hey, Darlin’.” Rudy’s hand works up and down the doorframe. “Need help?”

I shake my head. “We probably shouldn’t worry about it right now.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too.” He crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe, which cracks under the pressure. He stands up quickly and scowls at it.

“I want to see what these people will decide to do about going to other compounds for survivors and information, but either way, we have our plans. I’m anxious to see what’s going on in Nashville.”

He nods. “I agree, but until then, we have plenty to keep us busy.” He grabs the frame again, his forearms and biceps tense as he rips the frame off the wall. This is his area of expertise. He beams at me, all white teeth and dimples.

“Now there’s no doorframe.”

“I’ll fix it. There’s a woodshop here.”

*

By the mid-afternoon, the sun is bright and hot, and we are outside patching stucco. Not really big on my long list of to-dos, but it’s better than sitting around with our thumbs up our asses. The color is different from the original, but I don’t care and the cracks in the house are bad. “It’s so freaking hot and dry, my body won’t even sweat to cool me off,” I comment and peer at Rudy.

His hair is pulled back with his blue bandana and he’s shirtless. He’s been doing most of the work but doesn’t seem to mind. I don’t think he notices me sneaking in peeks.

I swallow and continue smoothing stucco. “I think we have an audience,” he whispers. For a moment, I think he catches me ogling him until his eyes cut behind us. We have about ten children, all different ages, watching us, curiosity etched on their faces.

I smile at Rudy. If I have learned anything about the kids at the community it’s they are nosey, and all have something to say. They love it when adults pay them any attention and treat them like they are more than just kids.

“Whew! I’m dying of thirst,” I say, more loudly than necessary.

“There’s some powdered Gatorade in the truck,” Rudy says, just as loud.

I smile at our young onlookers. The tallest girl speaks up, “I can help!”

Help, she does. We get a big tub of Gatorade together, and I find out her name is Hanna. She is twelve, and all the kids just got out of school for the day. She’s tall for her age and has not yet gotten her lady curves. Nastas is her father. Her little brother, Xavier, is still a toddler of two years old.

We bring out the tub with plenty of cups. Rudy is laughing with the rest of them and handing out stale, hard candy.

Nastas walks up. “You kids should be getting home. I’m sure Rudy and Kan have plenty to do,” he chides. Hanna rolls her eyes at him and struts off with the rest of them. He smiles at us. “You feed them and they won’t ever leave.”

I shrug. “I don’t mind.” I glance at Rudy and Nastas. “We’re going to get the families in Nashville.”

He nods. “I’m here to speak for our council. We all have agreed we should continue making our way to the compounds.” He turns serious. “But we shouldn’t consult with the Coalition.”

Rudy’s eyes narrow in skepticism. “Why not?”

“There are soldiers here. They are biding their time for something unknown. They wouldn’t tell you anything and it would put us on their radar.” He sighs. “We do not want that.”

Mac told us as much, although they are supposed to be undercover, or so he thought.

Nastas catches on that I might not be up for this and puts out a hand. “Kan, there really is nothing to think about. For the time, we should focus on the people that need us.” He changes the subject. “We are getting up a volunteer list for the upcoming missions. If you can wait, you’ll have people to go with you to Nashville.”

“Okay, I’ll give up the idea about Birmingham for now, only because I need to find Mago and go to the community. I’ll let you know when I plan to leave.”

He stares at me for a long time then finally he nods and turns to walk away. “I need to know I can trust your word,” he throws over his shoulder.

After he’s out of earshot, I stare into Rudy’s hazel eyes. “We should leave within the next few days.”

He takes my hand in his big one, “You think we should go alone?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I think we need to be careful with who we trust.”

I completely agree.

*

I stand under the hot water as it beats and runs down my body in rivulets. The water heater was recently fixed, before we moved in. Rudy was right. He showered earlier and came out boasting about how awesome it feels. Now he’s talking to Reece about going to Nashville. We figure it’s best to keep it with the team.

Stepping out, I feel relaxed for the first time in awhile. I dry off with a fresh towel and nearly collapse in the giddiness of being squeaky clean. I pick up my stack of clothes, placing my gun on the sink, but when the door opens, I grab and point it.

Wide eyes stare at me. “You going to shoot me, Darlin’?”

I put the gun down on the sink. “I might if you startle me like that again.” His gaze roaming my body makes me uncomfortable and I try to cover up with the folded clothing. This really isn’t as awkward as I feel, I hope. “You’ve seen me naked before.” I toe at some loose tiles, remembering how I felt that night.

“I wasn’t seeing your nakedness then. All I was seeing was your pain and humiliation. I watched as you placed yourself inside your shell. It broke my fucking heart and what I want to do is pull you out and make it go away.”

My chest warms and tightens, and I could say it’s because of the hot water, but it’s from his words. “Then prove it.”

His neck blazes and my heart thumps before he reaches me. He grabs the clothing from my hands, tossing them aside and lifting me onto the sink. A loud splash follows, but I ignore it for Rudy’s mouth against my neck. I feel his grin before he speaks. “Your gun is in the toilet.”

“I don’t care.” I lift his shirt. He obliges, grabbing the back and sweeping it over his head. His lips return to their assault on my neck, putting my senses into overdrive as his hands explore my body. Running my fingers through the soft hair on his chest, his heart pounds. It picks up as he kisses below my collarbone. Heat shoots through my body, and my stomach clenches sharply with overdue anticipation. I trace downward, jerking him closer when I reach the waist of his jeans.

He pumps his hips into me, letting me feel the seam of his jeans in an intimate place. A soft moan escapes my throat as I rock into him to keep the connection. Coming up to tease my lips with his own, his hair falls against my face as I fumble with his belt. Jerking and pulling, I huff out a frustrated breath. His hands cover mine to help out. “Big bad belt is going to get you,” he says against my lips.

“Shut up and take it off.”

He grins and takes a step back. The grin falls when he peers into my face, no doubt my arousal is written all over it, and then his gaze travels down to my spread legs. His fingers follow his eyes up to my face and he latches onto the back of my neck, tracing my lips with his thumb. I bite the pad of it before sucking it into my mouth. He audibly gulps and sucks in a breath. “I have to warn you. I’m probably not going to last.”

“Me either.”

Grabbing under my thighs, he picks me up. I wrap my arms around his neck and weave my fingers through his hair. His hands move to cup my rear, and I roll myself into his abdomen. His eyes darken when he glances down at my blatancy. I bite and nibble at his jaw, bringing my lips to his again and the next thing I know, my back is flat on a mattress. His mouth travels down my stomach, running his hand up and between my breasts, the other strokes down the outside of my thigh. It stops at my knee, opening my legs. I lift my hips, or maybe they do it on their own, as he nibbles and places open-mouthed kisses on my tattoo there.

My skin flushes hot as my thighs tremble. “You’re a tease.”

“You like it.”

I agree breathlessly as he continues to explore my body, finding my tender spots. Catching my nipples in his mouth, his body shivers in his attempt to go slow and revel in it. Leaning up, he puts his face into my pelvic, breathing hard.

His mouth trails down below my pelvic. I spread my legs wider and squirm as his hair tickles my skin. A smile forms against my inner thigh. Gripping his hair and scalp, I shudder at the warmth of his mouth. He watches me with an expression I’ve never seen on his face before, and one I want to see time and time again. True to my word, it doesn’t take long as the orgasm bursts from my lower regions. The sounds from my throat sync as he entices me through it. It’s all the more passionate because it’s Rudy. He grips and kisses the inside of my thighs as I come.

Feeling like jelly, I sit up as he stands and I grab his belt and grin as I unbuckle it, efficiently this time, kissing around his navel. He smiles down at me with a hooded gaze, his bottom lip between his teeth.

“That’s right. I made it my bitch,” I taunt, licking him before jerking his jeans down.

He laughs as he pulls away. My chest will burst open any minute watching him as he unabashedly strips. I trace the tattoo on his outer, upper thigh and could trace it all day, but he pushes me down. He follows me to the bed and grabs my hips, rolling us over. I lift up, but he guides me, gliding me down onto him. I suck in a breath as he groans. He sits up and puts his forehead to mine, neither of us really believing this is happening. I squeeze around him and his eyes pop open. “Easy,” he huffs against my cheek.

Gripping around me with one hand and wrapping my locks around his other, he lifts me, obvious in wanting control, so I let him have it. My head falls back as I move with him. “Yes, yes,” I whisper, rolling my hips and squeezing. I’m gratified as I hear him gasp, and he picks up our pace. Pulling my head back farther by his grip around my hair, he nibbles and bites my exposed neck. He grinds me into him before gripping my back and flipping us. He throws one of my legs over his shoulder and braces himself on his arms. The angle allows him to thrust deeper and my back arches off the bed. The burning in my belly soon turns into warmth, building within, and eventually explodes out, not only in pleasure, but love. Our movements are erratic as he buries his face into my neck, groaning and shuddering with his loss of control.

I let out a breath, realizing we’re both sweaty and on a bare mattress in a bare bedroom. The bedroom we did not set up earlier. This one is closer to the bathroom, however. I should probably feel dirty, but I don’t. Meeting his gaze, we both burst into giddy laughter.

“That’s what you call easy?” I ask, trying to keep my legs from shaking.

“Heat of the moment. Nothing with you is ever easy, Darlin’.” He pulls me up from the bed. “Come on, let’s get in the hot water while we can.”

I grin. “And fish my gun out of the toilet.”

*

A loud knock on the front door wakes me, and I roll over, groaning. “It feels like we just went to sleep.”

Rudy sits up, runs his hand through his hair and grins. “We did.”

His face lights up even more when I return his grin and sit up with an ache in my lower belly. A good ache, but at least we made it to the right bedroom, eventually. I groan and lie down, pulling a pillow over my head. “Tell them to go away.”

“How do you know who it is?”

I remove the pillow with raised brows and he laughs. “You have a point.” A long minute passes and another knock sounds. Neither one of us moves to go get it and we laugh.

He holds his fist over his hand in the classic paper, rock, scissors move. Still grinning, I do the same. “Ready?” We both count, pumping our fists and throwing out our hands simultaneously.

“Ha!” I chop my scissors through his paper, but he smiles and grabs me to kiss him before standing and hopping into jeans like a pro.

He stops in the doorway and sighs, “Should have known you’d pick scissors again.”

I laugh as his footsteps pad down the hallway and the front door opens. Gwen’s voice and Glinda’s accent cut through the house. The word
breakfast
echoes between my ears, and I shoot out of bed like a rocket, ignoring the pain of movement and dashing down the hall to the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, my face is bright and my lips are swollen. I clean up and feel good about doing so. It’s crazy, the little things people took for granted in the old life. As I’m dressing, my panties sting some sensitive skin. In the mirror, I see a red mark in the shape of a handprint adorns an ass cheek. I laugh trying to remember when that happened. Couldn’t have been that long ago.

When I get to the kitchen, Gwen is setting out food from a little wagon she must have used to carry everything over. Sam, Reece, and Glinda sit at the table chatting about Nashville. Rudy leans against the counter drinking out of a mug. I point to it. “Is that—?”

“Coffee? Yes.” He slides a thermos over next to an empty mug. I let out an excited moan. He takes an interest to the inside of his mug, hiding his amusement. Everyone falls silent at the table, looking to me.