“Some what?” Sam asked, coming down the stairs. Her hair was wrapped in a towel.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Did you shower?”
“Just washed my hair,” Sam said. “What are we all wanting some of?”
“Dorian brewed coffee,” I said, raising my mug.
“Oh! Yes, please,” Sam said.
Dorian pivoted and walked back toward the kitchen. “From a gas station clerk to a barista. Guess which paid better?”
Archer came up from the basement wearing only a pair of boxer shorts. It didn’t take long for him to get comfortable around people he barely knew.
“Good morning, Archer,” Sam said, her eyes moving down his body.
He smiled at her. “Morning.”
“Hot in here today, isn’t it?” Sam fanned herself as she sat down on the couch.
Archer walked over to me and kissed my forehead. His voice was soft and filled with concern. “How are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks,” I said.
“Erik and I are going to head out and get the gas for the trip today,” Archer said.
“I heard,” I responded, looking into his eyes. “Does this mean you’re going to join us?”
He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Someone’s gotta look out for you.”
It sounded like Erik had started to groan, but managed to turn it into an awkward cough.
“What can we do while you’re gone?” Sam asked. “I want to be ready to leave as soon as we get that vehicle.”
“Absolutely nothing,” Erik said. “Stay inside. If you want to go through the pantry again for anything we might have missed, feel free, but don’t bring it to the garage.”
“You’ll be leaving us the shotgun, right?” Sam asked.
Erik ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, but I’d prefer no one had to use it.”
“Fine,” Sam said, holding up her hand. “We’ll just sit around being lazy, I guess.”
“Perfect,” Erik said.
“You almost done there, Erik?” Archer asked, walking toward the window with his bare feet.
Sam reached up and grabbed his shoulders. Her hands slid down his arms.
“Careful! There is glass everywhere,” she said.
Erik had been right. Sam was completely interested in Archer.
“Go get dressed. I’m done,” Erik said, turning to Sam. “I still think this is a bad idea.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “I think staying here is a bad idea. Look at your window.”
Erik closed his eyes and exhaled. He turned to Archer and jerked his head toward the door. “Meet me outside.”
Archer squeezed my shoulder and vanished to the basement. He was back up and fully dressed before Dorian had even returned with the next batch of coffee.
Erik opened the door and froze. He quickly closed it and pressed his palms to the back of his head.
“What is it?” Sam asked, her brow wrinkled.
Erik locked the door and stepped over to the unbroken window. “There’s a man out there.”
29
Erik waved at us to back away. His eyes moved as they followed whoever was outside.
“What are they doing?” Sam asked.
“They ran off when they saw me looking at them,” Erik said. “Looked like he was carrying a fishing pole.”
“You were scared of someone that was just passing by to go fishing?” Archer asked with a teasing smirk.
Erik glared at him. “After what happened to Mel last night, I guess I’m a little jumpy too. Especially when a dude dressed all in black is lurking outside behind the trees.”
“I guess a lot of people have the same idea to go fishing,” Dorian said.
“Yeah,” Erik said. “We’re lucky to be close to a plentiful food source.”
Erik was telling Sam in his own way that leaving was a bad idea. It wasn’t going to work, though. Sam wasn’t going to just sit in Erik’s house waiting for however long it took to fix things. If things ever got fixed.
“He’s gone,” Erik said.
“Maybe it was Bobby Bennett,” Dorian said, handing me a mug. “He likes fishing, and they aren’t too far off.”
“Could have been,” Erik said. “But I don’t think I’d be able to pick him out of a lineup.”
Dorian squinted at Erik. “They were just here.”
“I didn’t pay much attention to him,” Erik said. “It was his dad that was the leader of their little group.”
“Who’s the leader of our little group?” Dorian asked, raising his brows.
Archer laughed. “It’s Sam, right?”
“Archer!” Sam squealed, placing her hands on her hips. “We don’t have a leader. We’re all in this together. Right, guys?”
There was a brief second of silence before everyone mumbled their agreement. Sam’s lip quivered, but she quickly bit down on it.
“Of course, we’re all in this together,” I said. “What a silly question.”
“I was just teasing,” Dorian said. “Sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She forced a big smile and bounced slightly. Sam didn’t want anyone to see that everyone’s reaction had bothered her. “I know. Maybe it would be better for everyone if you all just stayed here.”
“You know I’m not letting you go alone,” I said.
“Ready, Archer?” Erik asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Archer said, rubbing his palms together.
Erik held my gaze for a long moment. “Stay inside.”
“Yeah, of course,” I said.
“Are you kidding?” Dorian asked. “What if I want to heat up some food?”
Erik shook his head. “Eat cold food.”
“You’re going to leave the shotgun, aren’t you?” Sam asked.
“Yes,” Erik said.
“There are three of us,” Sam said.
Erik sighed. “Do you want us to collect the gas or not?”
“Ugh! Fine,” Sam said. “So much for we’re all working together, huh?”
“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Erik said.
“Be safe,” I said, my eyes shifting from Archer to Erik and back and again.
My stomach swirled vigorously. If there had been anything inside, it would have been hard to keep it down.
I followed them to the door, nearly walking out with
