Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,24

eyes, determined to figure out where I was and if he was ok. The last thing I remember was pulling up to Dormas.

Once my eyes focused, I turned to see a room full of men staring intently at me. I was wearing a flimsy nightgown, and their intense focus made me pull the soft blankets up to my chin.

Cyler grinned and limped his way over to the bed. He plopped down with a grunt and placed a hand on my knee. “You had me worried, babe.” The flirty nickname made me cringe, causing laughter to fill the small, dark, room.

“Last I remember, you were the one they stabbed. What are you even doing up?” I scolded.

A red-headed man that I vaguely remembered grabbed my wrist and checked my pulse.

“Cy refused to rest until he knew you were okay,” he said kindly. I jerked my hand away from his cold fingers, earning myself a scowl from him. His hair was a red-brown, and his beard matched. Framed by thick lashes, his dark eyes looked kind. He was striking with thick lips and perfect, white teeth.

“How long have I been asleep?” I asked.

“Two days,” the red-headed man answered.

“I’m Maverick, by the way.” He held his hand out, and years of practiced politeness urged me to shake it. As soon as our fingers touched, he gripped my wrists and went back to checking my pulse which was racing at all the attention focused on me. He was a sneaky one.

“Any longer, and I would have been dead,” Cyler whispered. “Thanks for taking care of me and the other Walkers, Ash.”

A toned, but slender blond man with intriguing blue eyes in the back corner spoke, “What I want to know is why they left the women. If the attackers wanted to take away our resources, why spare them? I don’t get it.”

“That's Kemper,” Cyler explained nonchalantly.

“I don’t know,” I said, answering the blonde’s question. “They had to have used transports to catch the train. I increased our speed to try and outrun them, but they never attempted to board the train again.”

The one Cyler called Kemper nodded as he absorbed what I told him.

“They got what they wanted. 26 Walker men were taken captive, not to mention a small fortune’s worth of gold,” Maverick said while releasing my wrist and tucking it under the soft covers.

“What do they want with the Walkers?” I asked.

“They’re newly vaccinated, non-disabled men. They want what we wanted.” Cyler sighed.

“You did the right thing, though,” Kemper added. “Increasing your speed to outrun them and get everyone here safely was the right thing to do.”

My stomach growled loudly, causing Kemper, Maverick, and Cyler to look at me. I grinned sheepishly.

“If you just show me to the kitchen, I can get started making . . . uh? What time is it?”

“Noon” Kemper said simply.

“Ah, well then I can get started for lunch, then. Do you have any preferences?” I casually asked while removing my covers and placing my feet on the wooden floor. I heard quiet moans and looked around the room, confused. None of the men met my eye, and I looked down to see that my nighttime slip was nearly see-through, revealing my chest and an eyeful of my bare back.

“You aren’t lifting a finger, babe.” Cyler broke the tension. “I want your pretty, little head back on this pillow and relaxing for the rest of the day,” he ordered.

“I’ll bring up some lunch in a few,” Kemper offered.

“Thanks, that would be great. I-I don’t want to impose, though. Just some crackers would be sufficient.”

“Ah, fuck. Don’t be one of those martyrs. We aren’t here to feel sorry for you. We find a problem and fix it. As of now, you’re hungry. Kemper has offered to fix it. Let's move on,” Cyler said forcefully. His brash nature never ceased to amaze me.

The sound of a metal click caught my attention, and I looked to see Maverick clicking an ankle bracelet onto Cyler’s injured leg.

“Just a precaution–it reads his vitals and will let me know if the infection comes back. We have him on round the clock antibiotics, but you can’t be too careful. It also serves as a tracking device. So, if you leave this bedroom–I’ll know. You need rest. Stay here for the day,” Maverick said with a cheery smile. I could sense that he enjoyed having the upper hand over Cyler, and Cyler’s expression hinted that it was rare that he released control.

“A day here with the