She cracked the door open to see Dom lying on the bed, his arm draped over his eyes. She opened the door wider and stepped inside.
He didn’t move. ‘I don’t want company right now.’
His voice was low and soft. She didn’t believe him.
Anya closed the door and sat down on the bed. ‘That’s too bad because you’re getting it.’
Dom lifted his arm and peeked at her. Then he draped it back over his eyes. At least he hadn’t told her to go a second time.
She squeezed his leg. ‘What’s going on with you?’
‘Nothing.’
‘You missing Max?’
‘Of course—we all are.’
Anya peeled his arm away from his eyes. He protested with a sigh.
‘I sensed from the conversation downstairs that you’re not excited to be leaving the camp,’ she said.
Dom looked at her. ‘I’m not.’
‘But you were all for it earlier in the strategy room.’
‘I can change my mind.’
Anya scooted closer. ‘Not when June needs help and food is running low. Plus, Alex and Jerome are prisoners in the city.’
Dom sat up, sighing louder. ‘All valid reasons I know, but I’m worried.’
‘About what?’
He refused to look at her. ‘About losing more people. What Charlie said earlier bothered me. We don’t know what’s waiting for us when we leave here.’
The danger had occurred to her, too, but Anya couldn’t see another way. ‘We have to go. Julius could be spilling rebel secrets as we speak, instructing the Collective about our habits. If we stay here, we give the Collective time to regroup. We damaged its arsenal during the battle. According to the footage from Jacob’s orb, the city’s defences are down. We need to go now. If we stay, we die.’
Dom rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. ‘That’s what I’m worried about.’
‘That we’ll die?’
He looked at her. ‘That we’ll make it inside the city, unimpeded, and they’ll take us prisoners again.’ He looked down at his lap. ‘Max would know what to do. I’m not a good replacement for him.’
She grabbed his hands and shook them. ‘Of course you are. You’re amazing. You’ve come up with a plan to get us back there. Max would be proud of you.’
Dom looked at her. His eyes were heavy with tears. She wanted so much to kiss away his fears.
Instead, she swallowed. ‘Jason would be proud of you, too.’
He stilled when she mentioned her brother. She hadn’t spoken about him yet. All she could think about was getting revenge for his death. After, she would grieve properly.
Anya rubbed circles on the back his hand. ‘What’s the plan for when we return?’
‘It’s a wait-and-see situation. Jacob’s orb recording is a day old. Anything could have happened since then. The city could have reinstated their barriers, leaving us with no way in.’
‘We got out with Carissa’s help. Can she get us back in?’
Dom shrugged. ‘She was part of the system then. Her frequency matched that of the barrier, allowing her to open it. I’m certain they’ve changed it.’
So was Anya. But she needed to believe their return would not be difficult. Something had to go their way.
Dom looked close to retreating inside himself again. She hated seeing him like this.
‘Do you want me to help you pack now?’
Dom’s lips quirked into a smile. ‘I packed the last time.’
He nodded at a green rucksack in one corner of his room.
‘Okay, that’s two of us. So, what’s left to do?’
He shrugged at her, but the doubt in his eyes lingered. She needed to kick him out of his funk. She had to become someone he could lean on, the way she’d leaned on him. Wasn’t that what partners did for each other? Helped each other out?
She brushed her lips against his. He gasped with surprise; it was the most delicious sound in the world. It pushed her to explore more of his mouth. Her fingers played with the buttons of his green, rebel jacket. She popped the first one. A suddenly impatient Dom popped the rest. He shucked out of it and dropped it to the floor.
His T-shirt came off next, black and plain, but it offset Dom’s olive skin and deep-brown eyes perfectly.
Anya slid her hands over his stomach. Dom’s breath hitched when she touched ragged skin. He pulled her to him using the same arm the medics in Praesidium had placed their tech inside. She felt the power in his touch, but also Dom’s control of it.
He pulled off her T-shirt next. She sat before him in just her bra and combat trousers. His eyes trailed over her and the look set her skin on fire.
Dom deepened their kiss, pulling back to lick her earlobe briefly. She groaned; both sensations sent a thrill through her. Dom switched to a kneeling position and pulled off his trousers, then worked on hers. She lay on her back, giggling at his failed attempts to get them past her heavy, black boots.
Anya sat up, and while she untied the laces Dom kissed her neck.
‘Hurry up, please,’ he murmured against her skin.
‘I’m working as fast as I can.’
She got the boots off. Dom wasted no time in pulling off her combats. Wearing just her underwear, she lay back down on the bed. Dom rested his cheek against her stomach. She played with the soft curls in his hair.
‘I love you so much, Anya Macklin.’
Her heart nearly exploded in her chest. ‘I love you, too, Dom Pavesi.’
5
Anya
Ten trucks rolled out past the relocated boulders, through the front of the valley, its anti-magnetic protection disabled. Anya sat in the first truck. Dom was driving. In the
