Chapter 9Hell

Chapter 9

Hell

We took turns in the bathrooms, using bottles of water and wet wipes to wash off. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing after the gore fest earlier. When it was finally my turn, I scrubbed the day's grime off my skin and hair, feeling almost human again. Almost.

We congregated in the main room, the smell of canned beans and preserved meat filling the air. Plans unfurled between bites, talk of escape routes and next moves. The map sprawled across the small glass table, our fingers tracing the lines from Vegas to Frisco.

"San Mateo Bridge then cut through Fisherman's Warf," suggested Dante, his finger tapping against the paper.

"Could be crawling with those things," Ethan piped up, his voice small but still braver than any kid his age should have to be.

"I met someone in the beginning who said the city got bombed the first week of the outbreak. I think all the major ones did," Niko chimed in.

My brother's eyes were haunted, and it pained me to see how much older he appeared since I had left. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and there were fresh scars on his skin that I didn't remember seeing before.

Sometimes my heart squeezed painfully when I thought back to the early days when I wasn't even sure if my family was dead or alive. I supposed I was luckier than most. They were all still here, and practically nobody could say that about their own.

I'd heard about the bombings too. Vegas had been bombed, but not as bad as places like New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Frisco. In the beginning the government attempted to quell the chaos, but it was too much all at once. Even their firepower couldn't match the destruction of the hordes.

"Think there's still others out there?" Ethan's question hung heavy in the air, his wide eyes searching mine for certainty I didn't have.

"Hope so," I said, setting down my can of beans, no longer hungry. "We found you , didn't we?"

I neglected to mention just how many survivors there'd been back at the Trapper compound. There were enough of them to have their own markets, their workforce and even a group of redneck men who drove around abandoned cities searching for others. But I didn't want to think about that. Not tonight. Not while we were so exposed, out from behind my family's safe walls.

"Let's get some rest," I said with a deep, bone-aching yawn. "We're waking up with the sun if we want to make it to the coast by tomorrow night."

Most of us dispersed. Ethan and Caleb retreated into their shared room, while my brothers did the same. I hugged Nina and Missy as they slunk away for some private time of their own, and then sat down at the table in the middle of the large room.

It was peaceful for the first time in hours, the silence broken only by the crackle of sunflower seeds between teeth. Ret tossed one at me with a smirk that could've lit up the dimly lit room.

"Bet you can't catch this with your mouth."

"Watch me," I tilted my head back and opened my mouth wide. The seed arced through the air, and I snapped my jaw shut, grinning as I caught it.

Ret's laughter was rich and warm, wrapping around us like a blanket that had nothing to do with the chill of the night.

"Show off," she said, and winked. That wink made my stomach do all kinds of backflips. A sudden surge of need flooded through me. I could see memories of the other night flashing through her eyes.

Anubis, seemingly disgusted with our antics, continued his meticulous cleaning, unperturbed. His tongue worked over his fur in long, lazy strokes, the air filled with the sound of his rough grooming.

"Better than eating brains," I mused, eyeing him. The dog paused to shoot me a look that I swore held judgment before he resumed his task.

"Brains would be quieter," Ret shot back, her eyes dancing with mirth.

Later, when the night pressed heavy against the foggy windows, I slipped out of my clothes and into the waiting embrace of the king-sized bed. Dante and Wyatt were already there, their bodies both taut with anticipation.

The touch of their eyes was like a line of fire raging over my skin. Sometimes when they looked at me, I felt like a goddess on display for mortal men to worship at my altar.

Alex emerged from the bathroom, his presence like a shadow that both cooled and charged the air. He stopped, his gaze taking in the scene as I removed my clothes, dropping the garments to the floor and climbed onto the bed.

Skin met skin in urgent, shaking caresses as Dante's hands roved over my body, rough and unyielding. He pulled me to him as Wyatt knelt next to me. Wyatt's kiss was a brand on my lips, claiming and giving at the same time. There was no gentleness in our movements, just the desperate need to feel alive.

I sank down on Dante's already hard cock easily, my pussy dripping for him. We both groaned as I bottomed out, rubbing my own clit as I did. He was thick, just the way I liked it, stretching me almost painfully. It was enough to make my eyes roll back in my head.

Sweat slicked our bodies as we moved together, the pace fast and heated. Dante's thrusts drove deep, a relentless rhythm that matched the frantic beating of my heart. Wyatt's grip on me was fierce, his teeth biting at my lips, and his tongue tasting mine with desperation.

Dante pulled out of me, and with Wyatt's help, they turned me around so that I was backwards, sinking back down onto his cock from a new angle. Dante swore under his breath as I started to ride him.

It felt so fucking good I wanted to scream. But I had to try and stay silent since my brothers were only a few rooms away. I wasn't in any way prepared for the awkwardness that would follow if they heard what was going on in here. I didn't think the guys were prepared to be hunted by my brothers either.

I caught Alex's ice-blue stare from the corner where he sat in a comfortable black chair, his body rigid like he'd been carved from the ruins outside. He shouldn't be here, not after the shit with Jessa, but the part of me that thrived on chaos wanted him to watch. Even if his head was all fucked up over his bitchy ex, I knew he wanted me, not her. There wasn't a single part of me that questioned it.

"Enjoying the show?" I taunted, my voice breathless as I rode Dante harder. The tension in Alex's jaw told me everything; he was a storm restrained. His hand moved over himself, his cock straining against his pants and stoked the fire in my belly.

"Fuck, yes," he ground out between clenched teeth. His gaze never left the tangle of our bodies, of me claiming and being claimed by his brothers.

"Did that bitch ever fuck you this good?" I asked, and his eyes flashed—a raw edge to his need.

"Never," he spat, and Dante chuckled darkly beneath me.

"Who?" Dante's voice was a rumble of amusement, and Wyatt joined in with a laugh as his fingers weaved into my hair.

His strong grip tangled in my pale strands still wet from my water bottle shower, pulling my head back as he deepened our kiss. I couldn't help but moan against his lips, the roughness of his beard adding to the sensation. Dante's rhythmic movements intensified, and I shuddered with pleasure as he neared climax.

"Fuck, baby girl…" Dante moaned. His hips were thrusting, meeting mine faster and harder every second. His hands flexed on my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh.

"You like when he watches us, don't you?" Wyatt whispered to me. I moaned, closing my eyes as I realized how close I was to coming. "You like his eyes on your pussy? He can see how wet you are for us. How tight…"

"Shit, man, I'm not gonna last if you keep that up…" Dante gritted through clenched teeth.

Wyatt reached down and began strumming my very swollen and sensitive clit. That was all it took for me to explode. I closed my eyes as a long shuddering moan fell from my lips. Wyatt kept rubbing me in tight circles until wetness coated his hands and the bed sheets. I was shaking as I came down slowly from my high. Dante fell over the edge with me, his hot cum dripping down my thighs.

I looked at Alex again as Wyatt let go of my hair. Wyatt's hands guided me, firm and sure, while Dante slid out, making room for Wyatt to take his place. I was pretty much a ragdoll as Wyatt lifted me, placing me on all fours as he lined himself up behind me.

Warmth covered my bare back as he leaned over me, placing a gentle kiss on my shoulder blade.

"My turn," he whispered. His voice was a low rumble that I felt in my bones.

He thrust into me and my eyes rolled back again. Wyatt's cock was so big it stretched me even tighter around him. I had to widen my thighs to make room. His hands gripped my hips as he began to fuck me. His thrusts were short, hard bursts that had me seeing stars.

The next thing I realized, Alex was kneeling on the bed in front of me. I blinked my eyes open, meeting his dark gaze so full of raw need. It was staggering, the primal way he watched my every movement. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to taste him.

Reading my intentions in my eyes, the permission, Alex pulled his cock out, and I wasted no time opening for him, running my tongue from base to tip. His head fell backwards as he groaned, his hands sinking into my hair.

"Fuck, Hell," he gritted out. "That's right, baby, just like that…"

I sucked him harder, feeling his cock push up against the back of my throat. He was already pulsing, ready to explode, but I changed up my pace, going slow and leisurely, before catching him off guard by gently grazing my teeth along his shaft.

"Fuck!" he shouted, grabbing my hair as hot cum spilled down my throat.

Wyatt grunted behind me, moaning as he too found release, heat rushing into me as he stilled, his hands shaking on my hips as he gripped me.

For the millionth time, I was so fucking thankful I'd gotten an IUD in the military. Bringing a child into this world would just be selfish, and I wasn't exactly the maternal type.

We collapsed onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and heavy breaths, our bodies sated and spent. I nestled between them, Wyatt's arm draped over my waist, his fingertips tracing lazy circles on my hip.

Dante's chest pressed against my back, the steady thrum of his heartbeat a soothing lullaby. Alex cleaned me up with some water and wet wipes since I was too noodly to move. I needed to pee, but I couldn't find the energy to get up yet.

Alex's fingers combed through my hair, his touch gentle, almost reverent. He leaned in, his lips brushing against my forehead in a tender kiss that made my heart ache. "Sleep, sweetheart," he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. "We've got you."

Wyatt's lips found mine in a languid kiss, his tongue sliding against my own in a slow dance. When he pulled back, his eyes were soft, the usually sharp edges of his face smoothed by contentment. "Always," he whispered, the single word a vow.

Dante's chuckle rumbled through me, his lips pressing a kiss to my shoulder. "Damn, baby girl, you're really gonna be the death of us after all," he teased, his voice rough with satisfaction. "But fuck, what a way to go."

Laughter bubbled up in my throat, the sound foreign in a world where joy was a fleeting thing. It felt good to let it out, to let the lightness fill me, even if only for a moment.

The guys settled in, their breathing evening out as sleep claimed them one by one. But despite the warmth of my cocoon, sleep evaded me.

The moon was a thin sickle in the sky, barely slicing through the darkness of the room. The stagnant fog was just thin enough this high up that we could see it. I stared at it for a while as I struggled to sleep.

My skin still tingled from earlier, but it was a different kind of hunger that gnawed at me now.

I slipped out of the tangle of limbs, throwing on a shirt and headed into the cool, empty hallway, my feet silent on the plush carpet. The door to Ret's room creaked open under my touch from disuse.

She was there, a shadow within shadows, her breathing steady and deep. Anubis lay on the floor, guarding her. He didn't wake up, so he was kind of shit at his job to be honest.

"Ret," I whispered, and the sound filled the empty room.

Her eyes fluttered open, gleaming like twin shards of obsidian in the half-light. "Hell? What's wrong?"

"Can I—?" I didn't finish, just gestured to the bed with a sheepish smile.

"Get the fuck in here," she murmured, shifting to make room for me.

The mattress dipped as I crawled next to her, our bodies tentative at first, then settling into the familiarity of each other's warmth. Silence wrapped around us like a shroud, and I struggled to find the words that had been clawing at my insides.

"Ret," I started, my voice a jagged whisper, "I'm fucked up, you know? But when I'm with you, it's like the chaos inside me quiets down." I stared at the darkness, feeling like an idiot suddenly. "Does that sound stupid?"

She turned to face me, her brown eyes searching mine. "It's terrifying, isn't it? To feel something real when everything else is falling apart."

"More than you can imagine." I took a shaky breath. "I'm not good at this... at feeling things. It scares the shit out of me."

"I know it does," she confessed, her hands finding mine in the dark. "Like I said when we first met. You call the shots here. I know what I want, but that only works if you're all in too. I won't force…"

I cut her off with a searing kiss before pulling back to look into her eyes. "I'm all in. I want you. The same way I want them , Ret. I'm sick of dragging this out, because if I'm being honest, I'm falling for you. Like a bad fucking hallmark movie or something."

She chuckled, and I could see stark, gut-wrenching relief glittering in her eyes as she stroked my hair away from my face. "I've loved you since the literal moment I saw you. Since the second you popped out of the fog with your crazy ass pink crossbow, I've been a fucking goner over you. It's actually kind of pathetic."

"Join us next time," I said abruptly. She blinked at me, so I said in a rush, "You're one of us. You always have been. Please don't separate yourself. You don't have to sleep in separate rooms or pretend like this thing between us is a secret, because it's not. I want everyone to know how I feel about you."

Her eyes flickered, vulnerable yet filled with hope. "I don't want to be where I'm not wanted."

"Damn it, Ret," I growled as I rose up from the bed and pushed her backwards, pinning her to the mattress. Our lips crashed together, all the pent-up longing and fear of this scorched earth spilling into the kiss. It wasn't just a meeting of mouths; it was an affirmation of life amidst death, a fervent grasp at connection when every day could be our last.

"Fuck," she whispered against my lips.

"Shh," I murmured, my voice hoarse as my hands slid beneath the thin sheets, tracing the contours of her survival-hardened body. The world outside these walls was nothing but ruin and despair, but here, with Ret, there was a promise of something amazing.

Her skin was warm under my touch, her tan flesh a balm to my senses. I reveled in the silkiness of her dark hair, spread out like a shadow against the pillow. My mouth descended, trailing a path of fevered kisses down her neck, past the valley of her breasts, to the softness that waited below.

She tasted like desperate need and wild hope. My tongue found her clit, and I sucked softly, eliciting a choked gasp from her throat. Her hands fisted in the sheets, her body tensing as I licked her, devouring her like it might be my last meal on this godforsaken planet.

I drank in every soft gasp and breathy moan that fell from Ret's lips as my tongue explored her most intimate places. She was intoxicating - the scent of her arousal, the taste of her desire on my tongue, the way her body trembled and arched into my touch. I was drunk on her, lost in the heady sensation of bringing her pleasure.

My hands gripped her thighs, spreading her wider as I delved deeper, my tongue circling and flicking over her sensitive bundle of nerves. I varied my technique, alternating between broad, flat strokes and quick, targeted flicks, gauging her reactions to find what drove her wild.

When I sealed my lips around her clit and sucked, her back bowed off the bed, a keening cry tearing from her throat. "Don't stop...please don't stop..." she panted, her fingers threading through my hair to hold me in place.

I had no intention of stopping. I was a woman possessed, single-mindedly focused on wringing every ounce of ecstasy from her quivering form.

I slid two fingers inside her slick heat, curling them to stroke that spongy spot along her front wall as I continued my oral assault on her clit.

Ret's breathy moans crescendoed into a symphony of pleasure, her inner walls fluttering and clenching around my fingers as I worked her closer to the edge. I could feel how close she was.

"Helana..." she moaned, her thighs trembling with the force of her climax. "Oh my fucking god…"

I kissed my way back up her body, taking in the sight of her. Her tan skin was flushed with the aftermath of release, her long, silky hair a dark cascade framing the untamed beauty in her brown eyes. They were wild, those eyes, filled with need and the kind of raw vulnerability that only comes when everything else has been stripped away.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I breathed, the words slipping so, so easily now that I decided to give in. "I hope I get the chance to remind you of that every damn day."

She didn't respond with words, just pulled me closer until our bodies were entwined. We lay there, and sleep crept up on us, a rare luxury in a land where rest was often chased away by nightmares or the undead.

But tonight, with Ret's chest rising and falling in rhythm with my own, sleep held no fear. Tonight, we had each other, and that was enough.