What Remains_Mutation (10 page)

“The only thing that makes sense is staying together. You can justify your reasoning as much as you want, but we both know you’re lying. This has nothing to do with
moving silently
or
hiding spaces
and everything to do with the fact that you care. And that scares you more than facing those things.”

Her chin quivered before she sealed herself off emotionally, her expression flat. “All I care about is getting those damn vials and getting out of here. I took Lelin away. I killed him. That’s on me. I’m simply repaying a debt.” She walked past him, going to one of the mattresses spread out across the floor and sinking onto it. She drew her knees up to her chest, resting her head across her arms as she hugged her legs. “It doesn’t matter right now. Sunset’s less than an hour away. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to try anything. I’m going to get some sleep.”

She lowered onto the thin pad, back to them, her body curled into a ball. She looked lost. Broken. Jake closed his eyes, allowing his head to fall backwards as he fought to curb the need to go to her. To pull her close. Make her see how much they cared. Instead, he hissed out a breath and joined Sully and Cogan by the screens. There’d be no reasoning with her now, not with her emotions so raw. She needed time. Space. He just hoped they didn’t run out of either.

* * * *

Harper rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling as she listened to the steady breathing of the men off to her right. She’d stayed on the mattress, body turned away from them, until they’d all finally stumbled to their places, huffs of apparent irritation followed by the rustle of blankets. The bunker had originally housed half a dozen men in a security detail, and there’d thankfully been enough supplies that the four of them had settled in fairly easily. If being no more than a few feet away from them twenty-four hours a day was easy.

She closed her eyes, trying not to inhale the spicy scent resting next to her. But it was hopeless. The aroma had woven its way into her senses until she could smell it in her sleep. She hadn’t gotten much of that, either. When her head wasn’t picturing fifty of those zombies ripping the guys apart, her mind was imagining the boys loving her. Touching and tasting until she’d bolt awake, pulse pounding, chest heaving. Leaving her in a constant state of arousal that was driving her crazy. She’d tried distancing herself, but the bunker didn’t allow her to avoid them. And fighting her attraction was taking a toll. She felt agitated. Distracted. And she knew if she stayed, she’d end up getting one of them killed.

The sudden image sickened her stomach, and she sat up in an effort to stop the rush of nausea from taking hold. She didn’t know what it was about these three men that made her wish for something more—something that was obviously the norm at their compound—but it was interfering with her job. And she couldn’t take that kind of risk.

Harper glanced at the sleeping forms, wanting nothing more than to slide between them, allow their heat to warm her. Her hands trembled at the thought of touching them. Of discovering every muscular inch of their bodies. Running her lips along their smooth skin. Tasting their release, hot and salty, on her tongue.

A jolt of lust punched her low in the gut. Incessant. All-encompassing. She hissed out a breath and gained her feet, grabbing her weapons then using every technique she knew to move across the floor without waking them. She wasn’t sure what her plan entailed. All she knew was that she couldn’t let them die.

She made for the consoles, glancing at the feeds broadcasting from within the building. Fuck, how were they supposed to win against an army that never slept? Never stopped? And now with their increased speed and agility…

She turned away. It didn’t matter what the cameras showed her. There’d be fifty more of them once she got inside. Or waiting to maul her on the way out. But if she could get to the air vents. Crawl through the ducts. Maybe she could reach Lelin’s lab. She played the scenario over in her head, working through a number of different outcomes, as she tiptoed to the door, palming the handle. All she had to do was get out of the bunker undetected, and she might have a chance.

“Going somewhere, Harper?”

She spun as the gravelly voice rasped behind her, the deep tone sending a shiver down her spine. God, all one of them had to do was talk and she felt the reaction throughout her body. Goosebumps beaded her flesh. Her nipples tightened and warm, wet arousal moistened her slit. It felt as if every word was filled with promise and longing.

A match scratched to life, bathing the room with a welcomed glow. The tiny flame flickered in the darkness, licking at a wick before fluttering out. She stared at the candle, watching the way it danced against the gray backdrop before settling on the man’s face. Cogan. She should have known. Two other shadows moved closer, their faces finally breeching the ring of light. They looked as pissed as their leader, their arms crossed on their chests as they stared at her.

She sighed, leaning against the wall as she eased her bow off her shoulder, allowing it to fall to the floor. She cocked her head to the side, studying them. “Either I’m getting exceedingly sloppy, or you faked being asleep.”

Cogan’s lips twitched into the hint of a smile. “You’re not getting sloppy.”

“So now you’re spying on me? After all that bullshit about trust?”

“Are you seriously going to stand there, your hand wrapped around the damn doorknob, and talk to us about trust?” Cogan shook his head, taking a step forward. “You were leaving without us. I think that says it all.”

She flinched at the hurt tone to his voice, not quite sure how to respond. He was right.

Cogan muttered under his breath at her silence, glancing at Sully and Jake as if trying to gain strength from them. “Don’t you have something to say?”

She shrugged. “You’re right. I was heading into the facility. Alone. I won’t lie. And I won’t apologize. There’s nothing more to say.”

She turned, once again grabbing the handle, clenching the smooth metal until her knuckles turned white. Her head told her run—to finish what she’d started fully aware that she wouldn’t make it out without getting bitten—to put an end to the emptiness that plagued her every waking moment. But her heart couldn’t get her fingers to move. To twist the damn knob, open the door and walk away from them. Instead, she stood there, struggling to breathe past the tight feeling in her chest as emotions swam through her head.

The room fell silent save for the frantic rasping of air through her lungs. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears when a set of hands cupped her waist, drawing her backwards into a wall of male muscles. She didn’t need to glance over her shoulder to know it was Cogan. She could tell by the press of his body, the slightly musky scent of his skin. Lips brushed along her neck, and she couldn’t stop from tilting her head, granting him better access.

He nipped at the lean muscle above her collarbone, his breath warm against her flesh. “Harper.”

She moaned, unable to stop the breathy sound from slipping free. “God, I love the way you say my name.”

He chuckled. “Then I’ll say it again. Harper. Sweetheart. I know you’re scared. Hell, we all are. Scared that we’ll fail. That we’ll lose those we care about, and not to death. To something far worse. Far more cruel. And that’s what haunts you the most, isn’t it? That we’ll get infected. That you’ll have to kill us yourself. We understand. We feel the same.”

His mouth teased the soft spot behind her ear. “But what good is fighting if you have nothing to live for? If the only reward is more death?” He sucked at her earlobe. “There’s got to be more.”

Her head fell back against his shoulder, her knees threatening to buckle. “Cogan. I’m not sure…”

He smiled against her hair as one hand slid lower, his thumb making small circles on her hip. “We can give you more if you’ll let us. You’re an intelligent woman. I think you know how crazy we are about you. No one’s ever made us consider sharing before, but with you…” He hummed, licking her skin this time. “We get it now. How Barrett and Hunter’s teams make it work without killing each other. It’s you. You’re
our
key. But we won’t force you. If it takes infiltrating a facility overrun with zombies before you’ll believe us…believe
in
us…so be it. But we’re not going away. Not letting you face this on your own. You can’t take the easy way out, because nothing about love is easy. And we
are
falling in love with you, Harper. Can’t make it any clearer than that.”

His words hit her hard, shattering the defenses she’d tried to hold in place. She didn’t resist when he moved her into the center to the room, his chest still snugged against her back, his hands splayed out across her hips. She closed her eyes against the rush of heat through her veins, wondering if she’d just spontaneously ignite. Her reasons for staying distant faded with the soft pad of feet across the floor. Another set of hands cupped her face, drawing her head up until she finally looked into Jake’s eyes.

Jake smiled down at her, his gaze so blue, so clear. It reminded her of the sky. Of a time when grunts and growls didn’t overshadow the birds singing in the trees. Or mask the rustle of leaves in a gentle breeze. He brushed his thumb along her jaw as he leaned in, dropping a soft kiss on the side of her mouth. She held her breath, unsure how to react, waiting for some kind of divine sign, when he nudged her nose with his. She held his stare, her insides flip-flopping when he graced her with another stunning smile.

“Cogan’s right, love. And unless you’re willing to tell us to fuck off…to look us in the eyes and swear you don’t feel the same…we’re not letting you get away.” His thumb stroked backwards as his hand slipped to the base of her neck. “If you need time, we’ll give you that, but it’ll be easier on all of us if you just get it through that beautiful, stubborn head of yours that we’re a team.”

He dipped down, kissing the other side of her mouth, allowing his lips to linger until a low moan hummed free from her chest. He inched down, nibbling along her neck, caressing her jaw as he moved up the other side. She reached for him, fisting her hands around his shirt. He paused, silently watching her face, tracing one finger around the edge of her mouth.

Her chest heaved, her breath a frenzied rasp of air. “Jake.”

His lips kicked into a smile. “Well, love? You going to toss me on my ass?”

She couldn’t stop a laugh from bubbling free. “Probably.” She tugged him close, savoring how his breath mixed with hers. “But not tonight.”

“Thank Christ.”

Jake closed the distance, slanting his mouth over hers as he palmed her head, his other hand settling on her waist. His fingers dug into her side as he tilted her head back, hitting it against Cogan’s shoulder as he deepened the kiss. Harper released his shirt then wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand scratching a line down his neck. He groaned against her mouth, responding by tangling his tongue more with hers.

He tasted like coffee with a hint of granola, all mixed with a spicy tang that mirrored his scent. She ate at his mouth, wanting to be closer. To have him, Sully and Cogan possess her in a way she’d never considered. She’d given them her trust. Now she wanted their love.

Jake hummed as he eased back, resting his forehead on hers, their chests colliding with every wild breath. The increased strum of his heart countered hers, the knowledge he felt even a fraction of the need she did easing some of her tension. She shifted her hips, hissing when his erection pressed against her abdomen. Jake leaned into her, wedging her between him and Cogan, lodging the other man’s cock along the cleft of her ass. A flutter of nerves lighted in her stomach, sending a tremor along her limbs. God, she hadn’t been with a man in years, let alone three. What if she wasn’t enough for them? If once they’d made love they realized they’d been wrong? Surely there were women back at their compound who’d shown interest. Who didn’t know a hundred different ways to kill a man with a steak knife. Who were feminine and soft and… Uncertainty clawed at her conscience, and she snagged her lip between her teeth as Jake eased back.

The man frowned, glancing over at Sully before shaking his head at her. “See that look, Sully? She’s doubting us. Working up a bunch of different scenarios in her head again.”

Sully shouldered up to Jake, patting the man on the back. “The girl can’t help it. It’s the operative in her. Always three steps ahead.”

She snorted and tried to move aside, but Cogan merely held her in place, his arms cinching around her waist. His lips coasted over her neck a moment before his teeth nipped at her flesh. She inhaled, moaning out the breath as he laved the small hurt.

Sully stepped in front of her, tsking. “Darling, we’ve been at your side, twenty-four hours a day, for a couple of weeks now. We know how that mind of yours works. Why do you think we were still awake? We knew you’d make a move tonight…after that little speech of yours.” He closed the distance, palming her jaw. “If this is happening too quickly…if the thought of being with all of us is scaring you…we can wait. Hell, we’d be satisfied just holding you all night like that time on the couch. But we’re not making this shit up, and no, we’re not going to change our minds once we make love. You…” He sighed, leaning forward until his mouth brushed over hers. “You make us feel needed. Valuable. Worthy. I can’t tell you what that does to us. You…”

He claimed her mouth, all doubts fading with the insistent thrust of his tongue. She responded, looping one arm around him then reaching for Cogan, pulling him harder against her back. Their sheer size surrounded her, and she knew she’d never find men who made her feel like this. Who she trusted with more than just her life.

The loud rustle of breath filled the bunker when Sully finally released her, his talented mouth hovering dangerously close. He glanced at her clothing, raising a brow as he snagged the zipper of her jacket. She gave him a quick nod, afraid if she talked she’d sound as desperate as she felt. He smiled, a flash of red lips and white teeth that made her stomach clench in anticipation. The hiss of the metal separating grounded her, and she placed her arms at her side as the edges fell apart. He reached for her shoulders, Cogan’s hands joining his as he slipped the material down her arms, chuckling when it fell heavily to the floor.