intentions of letting go. Collin was tired of being alone, and the green-eyed beauty would make a perfect addition to his lonely, depraved, pain-filled existence. But even as he thought that, a smaller part of him moved away, tried to reason that being decent was the only thing left that was good in this world. But in his mind’s eye, he saw her tied to that tree. Her complete helplessness had gotten him harder than he had been in years, had brought back memories of the club he once owned, of the darkness, smoky atmosphere, screams of pain and pleas for more.
Even now, nearly half a year later, he scented the sex that lined the air like a thick, erotically cloaked blanket. He wanted her, but as he watched them with her, saw the way they touched her like they really fucking cared, and this wasn’t just about getting off, it told Collin that getting between that wouldn’t do anything but hurt everyone. Did he actually think kidnapping her would have her loving him, looking at him like he was her protector, and letting him do all the vile and filthy things he longed for?
No, he was a sick, depraved bastard. There had been enough pain and disgust in his life before the apocalypse, and even afterward, he had done some pretty heinous shit. He didn’t want to continue on the same path, didn’t want to ruin what those three obviously had, and what Collin would most likely never experience.
Chapter Fifteen
The sun started to rise over the tops of the evergreens, and Sparrow shielded her eyes from the bright glare. They stayed at the cabin for a few days, letting Mason recoup before they continued to make their way to his own cabin. Fortunately, no one bothered them during that time, which had been a very nice break from the chaos that seemed to follow them.
They’d been walking for miles, farther and farther up the mountain until the air thinned and a crisp wind blew through the trees. Her feet ached, her whole body burned, and all of the adrenalin, endorphins, and energy that had kept her going thus far had since dwindled away to nothing.
But she kept her mouth shut, knew Mason and Asher were just as exhausted, and told herself that when they got there, this would have all been worth it. Sweat lined her flesh, but the cool breeze dried it almost as instantly as it formed.
The trees had broken way to show a modest-sized cabin. A shed about the size of a small garage was off to the side but no more than a few feet from the cabin. There was a huge padlock on the shed door and a good-sized area with chicken wire fenced around the perimeter.
Grass was overgrown in patches, and weeds sprouted up in the small, almost pointless gravel driveway that led up to the front of the cabin.
The place looked deserted and spooky even, but it was a sight for sore eyes and, as far as she could tell, completely untouched. They all stood there for several minutes, just staring. She took in their surroundings, and all she heard was silence.
Blissful silence filled her at the fact that she didn’t hear the shuffling and groaning of the infected. But this silence wasn’t like the kind that filled her head when she was alone on the road. This was peaceful, with birds chirping and the smell of freshness filling her senses. But she couldn’t go rushing over to the front door, not when they still had to make sure it was safe and secure, even if it appeared that way.
The three of them had stayed hidden behind the trees, scoping out the property and seeing if there was any movement. There hadn’t been, and when Asher and Mason deemed it safe enough to move forward, they still kept her behind them. The truth was they made her feel good when they wanted to protect her.
Feeling safe was a rarity these days, but these two men made her feel like that tenfold. Mason took hold of her hand, and she was snapped out of her thoughts. They moved quickly and silently around the side of the cabin, and Mason let her hand go to look through one of the windows. She held her breath, but then she saw him visibly relax and look over at them.
“No one has been here. I can see everything is exactly as I left it half a year