Blue Iris
0
'RE
as I wandered around
ns like AK-47, two sniper rifles, handguns, knives, boxes of a
ferent types of weapons back at their base. I lea
up a 9mm just like he ha
tch, you know." I
ok it back from me with a gr
o escape before it explodes. Then boom!" I did a hand sign, and he was not
girl who hadn't killed a singl
and take care of the garden in the morning, but on the other hand, this was a better idea. I wanted to be
brother who protected the country for a livin
ractice before you get a permanent gun on your own. Just like everyone around here." He had a point bec
ng,"
n a while since I held a gun. I may be a little r
t a waste
tep at a time, Iris, but I was
d with a bullet hole on his he
ed with horror. He pushed me away,
n get out of here alive, Nuke. We have to!" I cried and begged, hoping it would change his
so much. I don't want you to live there alone, but you have to go and search for a group that you can trust. Trust your i
to Colt's concerned voice. He l
m g
o practice before
just gonna burn the midnigh
own when you rack a slide." He continued demonstrating, but he kept his finger off of the trigger. "Keep your finger out of the trigger when you don't shoot. When you're fir
A smile curv
looked deadly and... hot. Colt was like every girl's dream; dark, handsome, and myster
who tied a girl up? Was he a kinky fan? Did he like vanilla k
?" My face instantly hea
ng." I narrowed
floats y
against my neck again. And don't get used to
with the look on his face. "Let's go t
e garden
the i
ouldn't let their suspicions grow. I badly wanted to stay in this camp, and by any means, I would do everything to gain their tr
at the back of the cabins. We swept the area to the west side toward the small lake. They p
and east covered. You and I will be on the north and west. The
y th
adder. I couldn't read his expression if he was annoyed or im
ood logs from pillar, wall, and flooring. Hamid alrea
howed up." Frost grin
n off and get
, Iris. And Colt, please, stay focused and pull your shit together. We don't want an intruder or a bore to
throw you off the tower,
binocular
and went down, leavi
g between me and Colt that was hard to explain. Every time we looked at each other, it took longer than necessary-it was like we saw our emot
ul despite our first encounter. He was bossy, and sometimes it was difficult to unders
ess and tress. And I hated darkness. The cool breeze wrapped all ov
crickets were the only occasional sound that less
the night wa
was here lying in an old hospital bed fighting for my life. The humming sounds of the machines a
ion for his job. He told me how he saved lives when their patients had massive blood loss-I remembered my life
my constant
hreate
rs
as being
s. I
-h
n that head of yours?"
enough for his legs to extend and he had to lift them up. There was a g
thi
watching across the distance, then
't see anything other than leaves
s had something to say-he never ran out of words. "Under the trees, the ground. The moon
glanced down, and he was staring at me. "That's creepy, Colton. Should you n
erved my reactio
g is both
m f
ok his head, and so far
ave to stand
sleep watching
ee when my brother enlisted himself, but who was I to argue when that was what he wanted. Until the virus destroyed us, I forced myself to handle one of the most dang
us coffee later
you choose me?" I tended to relax
tertai
boring
ubt t
before the plague," he
art of a job
mm
wedding
-turned.
mile. "Why it seems so
ve planned m
?" I stiffened at my own questi
Vegas. Seventy-t
a minuscule of pang inside m
t tense. Was. Get that to the thick sk
gas to celebrate when he
e an a
recting
ow
cliche thing happened. I married a woman I met in the bar. Before
an Angel
to the
king him groaned. "Sorry. How
ine had a thing with a guy with an accent; Brit, Aussie
find them sexy, t
sement. "See that? You'r
y to entertain people, b
wanted you he
exchange place
lt got up, and
m from his body, and it
t." I could see clearly from a distance-a l
ut you?"
abou
rri
hs before things fell apart. We didn't get a chance to see each other again af
t tone I ever heard from him-it
and your wife." Jesus Christ, Iris. Just shu
E
ught my eye. "Colton, I think
ff. When I did a half-turn, a