Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

In the distance, a convoy loomed ominously, plumes of dust swirling around their armored vehicles. William's heartbeat quickened as he trained his binoculars on the procession. There weren't many people brave enough to travel in packs.

"Chris, we've got a problem. It looks like a military convoy, about a half mile in the distance. A big one."

Chris's hands went white as he gripped the wheel, and William knew why.

Emma.

They had an undeclared female because had they reported her, another unit would have swept in and taken her, removing their ability to change their lives, too.

"Damn it, William. We can't risk –" Chris didn't take his eyes off the road as he cursed.

"I know, but we can't just pause," William interrupted, his blue eyes blazing with determination. "What if they've seen us somehow and will question what we're doing? We all know we're out of our jurisdiction now that we've left the west coast."

Chris sighed and took his hands off the wheel for a split second to rub over his eyes. "This is why I don't lead alone. Everyone, gear up. We're recon only. No heroics. Emma, sit tight and for the love of god, make sure Ranger doesn't bark."

"Got it," Emma's voice was slightly quiet from the back.

"I'm going with you all. I can't sit in the truck or they'll wonder why I didn't get out. We don't need them coming close just to confirm I've got some head injury."

William would protect Emma. If he didn't get out, whoever was up there would get too close to her, putting her in danger again. Had it not been for Alex the other day, she'd be dead. He wouldn't put her in danger.

Ever Again.

"I agree. I didn't tell you to stay behind, did I?" Chris lifted a brow but kept his eyes on the road. "We'll catch up to them in about five minutes. Make sure you're all ready. Emma, second order."

"Yes?"

"Get along the wall of the vehicle. Don't sit where you can be seen through the small window in the front and make sure you're behind the door when someone swings it open."

William turned to make sure she nodded.

This could end in a giant mess. They were taking a huge risk, and maybe even a endangering, Emma by not reporting her. If another group found her, there's no telling what could happen to her.

The military is as dirty as it was before the end of the world. Some men believed they were owed things because they put on the uniform. Some acted out if they didn't get them.

As the distance between their truck and the convoy grew shorter by the second, William couldn't help but focus on the way his heart slammed into his chest thanks to the silence among them.

"Chris, I think maybe we need to report Emma. We're being too selfish."

"I know, but not to anyone not in a base."

William nodded and sat back, waiting to catch up.

As they closed the distance William knew the trucks were military thanks to the olive green paint job. It was possible they'd been stolen, but those now visible in the passenger seats wore the same fatigues as William did.

He tugged on the helmet at his feet and checked the small handgun at his waist. They'd look as intimidating as they needed to, but William also wouldn't hesitate to shoot if it could protect Emma.

The roar of engines grew louder as they closed in on each other until finally, both convoys stopped face to face. William couldn't remember the last time he'd been around so many vehicles at once.

"Okay, it's go time. No fast moves. No letting on there may be reason for suspicion. We're just two units who happened to converge." Chris killed the engine, pushed open his car door as he spoke.

William followed. Taking his cue from Chris, he left the door open should they need a quick getaway. The sound of the back disengaging was the only clue that the others were about to join them.

Chris held his ground, a tactic he employed when meeting other units to show that he was not offensive. William waited for Liam to step up toChris's right before taking his place beside him. He couldn't see Bash or Alex, but he knew they would've gone toChris's right.

Six vehicles stood between them and the rest of their journey—six that could hold just as many as they had in theirs, if not more. Dozens of men could try to harm them and Emma if they didn't play their cards right.

William watched as a man in the second truck jumped out, his body damn near as thick and tall as a tree. His eyes were narrowed at them, so narrow that William wondered if he could see at all. Torn fatigues covered his legs, but a plain black shirt meant he could have stolen everything around him.

The sound of doors slamming shut echoed along the road. Then silence stretched as the first man to jump out began to walk closer.

The smell of sweat mixed with fuel fumes filled William's nose as he breathed deeply, trying not to show fear or uncertainty. The wind picked up dust around them, making it hard for him to see past the soldiers to know how many came close.

The rival group approached like a silent storm, their boots visibly striking the ground but someone silent. William counted eleven moving in.

The men were just as fit as his unit, and as they walked, every muscle in their bodies tensed as they marched with all the practiced precision of a military unit. Their bodies appeared honed into weapons that looked ready for battle underneath ripped uniforms and weathered gear.

"Who's the commander?" Bash muttered under his breath, likely readying his gun.

Chris didn't answer, keeping his focus on the man walking toward them.

As they met in the middle, William couldn't help but notice the intensity of each breath carried on the wind from both sides. It was almost palpable.

Smoke billowed from battered exhaust pipes, engines rumbling like hungry beasts waiting to be fed. William could smell gunpowder, too—a bitter scent that reminded him of past battles since the world went to hell.

Each man wore an unreadable expression that hinted at what they might be capable of if pushed too far.

The tension became suffocating as the men from the other unit approached, their footsteps making the dust fly up around them with every stride until all but one stopped in a single line.

William's heart hammered in his chest as adrenaline began to course through him, preparing for a fight as he realized the man who got off the truck first was their leader.

Up close, he was tall and broad-shouldered, with sharp features that could cut glass and a shaved head that seemed to work to create a tough exterior. A cold confidence radiated from him like a heatwave on asphalt. He wore his authority like a second skin, every step deliberate and calculated. He stopped just before Chris and the unit, looking at them all appraisingly.

His face twisted into a grin, revealing yellow-tinted teeth that seemed almost too sharp to be human.

William tried to tamper back the worry that continued to grow with every second. Worry that the man would shoot and take their truck. Worry that these other men would demand to look inside. Worry that William should have convinced Chris to hold still and hope they hadn't been seen.

As the man moved one step closer, engaging directly with Chris, William couldn't help but notice the burly muscles straining against his fatigues and the bared teeth that seemed to promise violence rather than camaraderie.

"I'm Marcus. Major Kevin Marcus," he drawled lazily. "I haven't seen a unit around these parts that weren't under my command in some time."

Chris stepped forward first, his stance casual but alert. He met Marcus's gaze head on, his jaw clenched tightly. "Chris. We were just passing through to our new duty station," he said evenly. "We were hoping to avoid any trouble."

Marcus's eyes flicked overChris's shoulder to William after Chris failed to properly identify himself. "Looks to me like you've had a bit of a tussle. "

"Scavengers at a gas station. Bad timing to gas up." William spoke, keeping his tone as level as possible. The lump on his head wasn't as large as it had been, but clearly still enough so that it drew attention.

"Damn scavengers. The world is bad enough without having to remind them who's in charge." Marcus spit into the dirt. "Saw you coming from a mile away. You must be packing some big ammo back there to risk being hit."

"I could say the same of you. Driving around a convoy of six in these times—haven't seen that done since damn near the beginning when we looked for survivors."

Marcus's grin widened. "So, you've been here since before the bomb?"

Chris nodded and William couldn't help but wonder if that would help or hurt them.

"See your uniforms like right as rain, but can't be too certain when we see a unit out of location with a leader who won't identify himself."

"Lieutenant Major Chris Reeden. This is my unit—Liam, William, Bash, and Alex. Sorted?" Chris's arms crossed over his chest and William knew he would have narrowed his eyes.

"That helps." Marcus shot his right hand into the air and gestured for someone to come closer. "Seems like we should check your truck and make sure there's nothing going on in there we can't have crossing this state border."

Marcus pulled out a cigarette and lighter as if he hadn't just made the command. The smell of burning tobacco filled the air when he lit it, mixing with the gritty scent of dust and exhaust fumes.

William would've killed Marcus if Chris gave the command to protect Emma. They weren't going to go down without a fight. Emma was theirs to protect.

"Sure thing. Nothing much back there, but if you insist." Only those who knew Chris would know the tension hiding inChris's tone. "Stay put. No reason to make the Major think he can't trust us." Chris's eyes locked with Liam's, but William saw the action and knew the unspoken command.

William watched as Chris and Marcus moved closer to the truck. A tingling started in William's hands as fear of Emma being discovered began to take over. In the last three years, he'd never experienced anything like the sickening worry threatening to drown him.

Marcus took a long drag from his smoke, the cherry glowing bright red before he exhaled a thick plume of smoke that billowed out in a cloud as he looked toward William and the others. He strutted over to the back of the truck, his boots clomping on the pavement with each step. Chris followed closely behind, eyes narrowed and body tense.

"Nothing here that you wouldn't want to know about," he grunted, reaching over to push the door inward slightly.

Please let her be behind the door like Chris instructed. Maybe he won't go in if he can only see the supplies.

William knew his eyes would betray some of his concern, so he pushed his gaze toward the truck's cab, turning entirely so the other men would not suspect anything.

He watched as Chris shrugged nonchalantly as they stepped away from the opened tailgate. Marcus looked them up and down again before shrugging noncommittally. It seemed like he wasn't buying it but, didn't press further either.

Ranger's furious barking split the air, followed by warning growls that William knew meant Emma had been found. His heart sank into his chest, and his palms grew sweaty with worry about what they all may have to do next.

"Well now," Marcus drawled slowly, his words slow and thick like molasses dripping from a spoon, before he jumped down, taking Emma out of the truck with him. "You don't see companionship much these days." He chuckled darkly before reaching out toward her cheek.

Thankfully, she didn't flinch away, but the terror in her eyes was unmistakable. She stood tall, but her eyes betrayed her.

Bash growled low in his throat at the sight of Marcus tugging Emma out of the truck. Every muscle in William's body wanted to run to her, but they were outnumbered, and it would do no good.

"As I said, we're in the middle of changing units." Chris repeated, careful to keep his eyes off Emma.

Marcus let Emma's wrist go but circled with a smirk playing on his lips that set William's nerves on end. Flicking his cigarette into the dirt beside the tire, Marcus clucked his tongue.

"Really now? They let you transport women without air carrying? Precious cargo like that?"

"I'm infertile," Emma chimed in, her voice unwavering. "Still to be brought in for men's pleasure, but less important."

William barely held back a hiss as she deemed herself unimportant. Despite knowing it was a survival tactic, it chafed at him to hear such words from her.

As Marcus circled around Emma, his men closed ranks, guns trained on all of them. The only warning was Bash's snarled command to stop.

"Hold your tensions," Marcus snapped for everyone to hear before turning to face Emma. "A woman for pleasure, one who submits voluntarily, is still important." He leaned in so close he could have kissed her.

William's jaw clenched. He knew Emma had a few basic skills from Chris and Bash, but if she hit this man a firefight could break out. And one William wasn't certain they'd win.

"I see. Well then," he nodded once to himself, "you've been warned."

"You're right," Chris replied coolly, not backing down an inch from Marcus'ss intimidating presence, "but we didn't break any rules either." He glanced toward his men silently communicating that they should back off before things escalated further.

William nodded and noticed the four backed off together, all lowering their weapons, but none of them put them away.

Marcus chuckled darkly before stepping back and smirking wider as he pulled out another cigarette from behind his earlobe slowly lighting it with the first, flicking orange sparks into flame under Emma's nose.

"Indeed," Marcus smirked, taking a drag of his cigarette and exhaling the acrid smoke into the air between them. His gaze flicked between Emma andChris's unit, taking in the men's weapons still pointed in their direction. "I hope none of you forget how precarious your positions are out here in this wasteland. If you continue to resist . . ." The chilling words hung in the air, heavy with the threat of unspoken consequences. His voice dropped low, almost playful, as he spoke again. "I'll have no choice but to make an example of you. My superiors will understand."

Marcus's sharp eyes glinted with danger as he looked between Emma and William, then the others who stood beside him. His fingers stroked up Emma's arm before he clutched her forearm.

The heat of the discharged weapon burned in William's hand before he realized he'd fired off a shot at the ground by Marcus's feet. The earth growled as dirt and debris flew up around them.

Panic seized William when he realized he fired a warning shot and he swallowed, waiting for the barrage of bullets, but none came.

"You like to live dangerously." Marcus stepped away from Emma, dropping her arm before walking toward William. "Something that can easily get you killed in these lands."

His grip tightened on his weapon, the metal of the gun comfortingly warm under his finger tips. Waiting for anything that could go wrong to begin.

Chris stepped forward then, his voice strong and commanding despite the tension in his stance as he spoke over the ringing echoes of gunfire.

"You forget your place, Major," Chris said coldly, eyes hard with determination as he glared down the barrel of his own weapon toward the other commander. "I outrank you here." He glanced toward Emma reassuringly before adding sharply, "And even if I won't fire first—" he gestured toward William who nodded grimly,"we won't hesitate to protect what is ours. And William clearly has no problem forgetting rank for that protection."

"Just remember this little encounter," Marcus said coolly, blowing out airy rings of smoke in front of him before turning on his heel to leave them in peace. His boots thudded against the ground. "Don't think I'm not going to check on this. The only one who skirts women around these units are my men. And if you change your mind and need a little help, you'll find us about twenty miles to the north."

William watched as Marcus called his men off, and they climbed back into their trucks, leaving behind a cloud of dust in their wake. He tried not to think about the connotation implied by the leader's final sentence, but he knew it would be impossible to ignore forever.

The engine's revved unnecessarily before the convoy sped off, moving in the direction they'd been traveling toward.

They all turned to Emma as if sensing she needed them. William looked carefully at the small woman who'd become far too important to him in just a few days. She looked shaken, but determined. She took a deep breath and nodded at them all before speaking softly.

"I'm okay."

It was Liam who crossed the space first, tugging her against his chest, his hand running through her hair.

But it was Bash who spoke first. "They're going to come for her. This isn't over."

"No," Chris glared at William. "That stunt made it impossible for this to go away."

"I'm not going to apologize for defending her." William moved past Chris. "In fact, I'm pretty fucking pissed you didn't."

"There were dozens of them!" Chris snarled, his hand snaking out to jerk William back by his shirt collar. "You could've gotten us all killed."

"I said what I said." William moved away and took Emma's hand just as she uncurled herself from Liam's hold. "I didn't protect you properly the other day. I'm never doing that again."

He thought he heard Chris mutter something but wasn't certain.

"Everyone, get in the fucking truck. We're going to try to fix this. Clearly, we need your head checked out."

William snickered at the comment but didn't apologize. "I'm getting in back." William strolled to the truck and stepped in, scratching Ranger behind the ear as he sat behind the driver's seat.

Emma climbed in and sat beside him, followed by everyone but Chris.

"Time to make it look like a routine mission with Chris driving alone till we hit that base." Liam sat along the passenger wall, but Ranger climbed into Emma's lap, not his.

"We need to be prepared for twenty miles out." Chris slammed the passenger door and then vanished around the side before climbing in.

"Thank you," Emma leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm fairly certain that was dumber than me calling out for help on a radio."

William ignored the way her head resting on his shoulder felt right.

As the car started off, her statement about being there for men's pleasure sounded in his mind. William knew it had been a lie, and that the last thing he should do was think of Emma as anything more than precious cargo, but he found himself struggling with the closeness of her body as she lay on him.

William's mind drifted, unable to focus on anything save for the foggy image. Rubbing at his eyes, he thought he and Emma were alone in the back of the truck.

As her delicate hands traced over his chest, his heart pounded with excitement. Every touch sent a surge of warmth through his body, like tiny sparks igniting under his skin. And as she moved lower, he could feel the stirring in his groin, a primal desire ignited by her touch. William couldn't stop but wondered what it would be like to have those same hands on him there, and his body responded eagerly to the thought.

William choked, his eyes widening, as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a lacy black bra that barely contained her breasts. A bra that had no practical use and didn't belong anywhere.

Emma's hair tumbled down around her shoulders like a waterfall, covering her from him once more. It framed her face, casting shadows over her cheeks and accentuating the soft curve of her jawline before it fell away to graze against the small of her back. Her breasts swayed gently as she leaned closer, and his cock twitched against his pants. He wanted nothing more than to touch her, to taste her, to feel her weight against his chest.

"William," she whispered softly before pressing their bodies together once more. Her hips grinding against his crotch teasingly, causing an involuntary groan.

Her lips brushed against his again, gentle yet insistent. Hungry but sweet. It was like a drug for him—each time they touched made him crave more intensity from her kisses. As if sensing what he needed, she deepened the kiss, thrusting her tongue between his lips and exploring every inch of his mouth with a passion that set his blood on fire.

She shifted forward until she straddled him, their thighs pressed against each other in an intimate connection. Their breathing grew shallow, heavy with desire as they locked gazes. The tension between them crackled like lightning before it finally struck—their lips crashing together in a passionate kiss that left them both panting for air.

Emma's hands ran through his hair, pulling him closer as their tongues battled for dominance. William held her waist tightly, his body trembling with need as she ground against him. The wetness between her legs pressed against him, driving him wild.

Their clothes became obstacles in their embrace and they quickly shed them, needing to feel skin against skin. Emma's body was a work of art—soft curves and smooth skin that he couldn't get enough of. Her breasts were full and heavy in his hands, her nipples pebbling under his touch.

With all their clothing discarded, Emma shifted forward until she was straddling him, their thighs pressed against each other in an intimate dance. Their breathing grew shallow, heavy with desire as they locked gazes.

The tension between them crackled like lightning before it finally struck.

Emma's hands roamed over his chest and down to his abdomen, teasingly grazing over the bulge in his pants. William groaned into her mouth, unable to control the primal urge coursing through him.

William gripped her hips tightly, guiding her movements as they rocked together in a sensual rhythm.

Their kisses grew more urgent, filled with hunger and need. Emma broke away briefly to catch her breath before whispering heatedly into his ear.

"I want you," she breathed before capturing his lips again.

William couldn't resist any longer. He needed her just as much as she needed him. With one swift motion, he lifted her up and set her on his cock, a slow tantalizingly motion that drew a grunt past his lips.

Their eyes locked as they began to move together in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. Each thrust sending waves of pleasure through their bodies.

Emma's hands roamed over William's chest, feeling every ridge and muscle as they moved together. He quickly shed any remaining doubts or reservations and let himself get lost in the moment.

He needed her like he needed air—it was a primal desire that consumed him completely.

Emma cried out his name over and over again, each time sending shivers down his spine as her walls began to tighten around his cock.

With one final thrust, William reached his peak too, spilling himself inside of her with a guttural groan that echoed throughout the room.

They collapsed against each other, panting heavily and basking in the aftermath of their passion. It felt like they were the only two people in existence at that moment—nothing else mattered except for the connection they shared.

"Will?" Emma's voice cut through the pounding release. "Will, are you okay? Is it your head?"

Emma, Liam, and Alex were crowded around him, their faces lit with concern.

"Uh, fuck, no. My mind wandered." Right into a fucking Emma fueled fantasy. "I'm good now."

He shifted, certain of the release that now coated his pants like a fucking kid. He'd had a daydream about fucking the female he was supposed to protect.

This has been one hell of a day. William blew out a breath and tried to focus on everything but the warmth of Emma's body beside him.