Seven
Liv
T he garden was just as impressive as Dawn had described.
The house itself had been built back when developers weren’t overpopulating new estates with postage-stamp size blocks, and it left ample room for growing food. Raised garden beds were ripe with vegetables and herbs, and nets had been draped over the trees to protect the fruit from birds. There were apples, oranges, grapefruits—and a vine meandered along the back fence, heavy with bunches and bunches of green grapes.
Dawn must have spent most of her time out here pruning and tending the garden, and I couldn’t help feeling a little envious of the life she'd built here for herself and Jonah. If we could recreate this magic in Bridgehill, it would be the perfect end to what had already been a more dangerous ride than I'd expected.
Dawn caught me eyeballing the produce and smiled. “If you’re hungry, help yourself to whatever you want.”
"You just made my day." I wanted to crunch into a cucumber, rub mint leaves between my fingers and soak up the scent, gorge myself on fruit until I couldn't take another bite. Once I got started, it could easily turn into a frenzy. I'd missed fresh food.
I dropped my backpack and wandered along the pathway that split the garden in half, while Cruz hung back to talk to Dawn and Jonah.
As I approached the back fence, I kept my fingers crossed that he’d warm up to Jonah after a rocky start. Dawn was the sort of person I would have spent time with pre-Ultimus, and they were the first decent people either of us had met since we'd been travelling together. It would be a waste to throw that away.
I plucked a bunch of grapes from the vine and popped one in my mouth, savouring the tart-sweet combo as it exploded on my tongue. With the abundance of food and the warmth of the sun on my face, peace spread through me, along with a level of optimism I hadn't experienced in a while.
I dropped another grape in my mouth and turned as I crunched.
Cruz was standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, his arms crossed over his chest, keeping watch on me as he spoke with Dawn. When our eyes met, a slight smile tilted his lips, and my heart thudded faster.
Just a miniscule change in his expression could have excitement moving through me, and I wondered if it was normal to feel this strongly about someone so new to me. Even with other people nearby, he could still look at me in a way that felt private, like we were the only two here.
Jonah stood near his mother, listening to the conversation. His eyes swung in my direction, then paused for a split second before moving away in search of safer ground. I smiled and headed back to them, taking my time, so I could enjoy the garden some more. I'd have to break the ice with him soon and remove the awkwardness, so this new little group of ours could thrive.
We'd waited long enough to start this second phase of our lives.
Cruz and I sat on a wooden bench that gave us an unobstructed view of the house and the backyard. Dawn and Jonah had gone inside so we could talk in private and decide whether to take them with us.
“Hit me with it,” he said, angling his body toward mine. “What are you thinking?”
Dawn stood at the kitchen window trying to appear busy, but she kept sneaking glances to gauge which way we were leaning. I couldn't blame her; I’d be doing the same thing in her position.
I propped my elbow on the backrest and faced Cruz. “I'm thinking she has some serious skills. I know someone else created the garden, but you need to know what you're doing to keep it looking this good. Dawn's green thumb could be just as important to our group as someone's mechanical skills or their ability to fight."
He nodded and swept his gaze over the garden, taking in the rows of vegetables, the trees, and the solar watering system fed by the tank. There was enough food here to keep a small group alive for an extended period, and when I imagined what we could achieve with more land and pairs of hands to do the work, the yearning inside me grew. I wanted this so much it had become an ache.
Cruz clasped my knee, rubbing his thumb back and forth. We shared the same view on finding good people; the challenge was convincing him these were the good people we needed.
"You're right,” he said.
“But?”
He gave me a distracted smile. “The damage she did to her thumb while we were sitting at the table... that was just from crossing the road and talking to strangers. I can’t see her handling the situations we've dealt with on the road. She could panic and freeze and unintentionally put us all in danger." He paused for a moment, then added, "And I'm still on the fence about the kid. I need to put him through some tests to find out more about him."
I pressed my lips together and glanced at the house. No sign of Dawn in the window.
I’d noticed her picking away at her thumb while we got to know one another, but to me that was a normal reaction to a situation where she’d put herself and her son at risk. He was her last remaining loved one. We were the unknowns in their world. I would have found it more off-putting if she’d breezed in full of confidence and behaved like she had nothing to worry about.
And Jonah. Since the world had gone dark, I'd seen enough bad men in action to recognise them on sight. They had a way of walking and talking, the look in their eye, their lack of care about how they were perceived. Maybe I was being naive or purposely ignoring red flags, but I didn't get that impression from him. There were no shivers of unease or compulsions to keep an eye on him in case he made a wrong move. He seemed like a normal young guy to me—considering our circumstances.
"I don't feel unsafe around him," I said, "and even if Dawn's not up to killing the infected or defending us against other people, we can keep her out of harm's way while we're travelling. All we need to do is get her to Bridgehill safely, and she can do her best work there."
Rather than point out that I'd basically just described her as a short-term burden we'd all have to bear, Cruz gazed at me in silence, his dark eyes softening as he took in my features. "What did you call me yesterday?"
I bit back a smile as my cheeks warmed under his appraisal. I had a feeling he was referring to the moment we shared while we were running for our lives—when he confessed to wanting to get me out of there and somewhere safe. Our connection sent my heart rate skyrocketing at the time, and it still had the same effect now. “A giant ball of smoosh? Is that what you mean?”
“That’s the one.”
It floored me that he could make me feel so completely at ease one minute, then switch the mood up and leave me flustered and awkward the next. "Are you saying I’m a softie, or that I can talk you into letting them join us because you’re a softie?"
“Both, I think.” He squeezed my knee. "Let's just commit to adding the two of them, and we’ll work out the rest later."
Elation sped through me, and I suddenly wanted to cheer.
Cruz didn't have the same perspective I did regarding his impact on other people; he was the type of man who’d influence Jonah in positive ways without even trying. I wouldn't risk my safety or anyone else's by being around someone that concerned me, and Jonah had already responded well to Cruz pulling him into line.
“One condition, though," he added. "We find another car and get it running for them. They travel with us, but separately. If anything happens to cause concern for you or me, we cut them loose.”
Reasonable. Smart, too—and it gave us a backup vehicle if anything happened to ours. “I can work with that. So… we have a plan?”
"A starting point." His gaze dropped to my lips for a moment, and a slight smile tilted the edges of his mouth. When his eyes rose to mine again, his humour disappeared. “But I need you to understand one thing. You and me, we're the team. I’ll do whatever I can to help them get to where we’re going, but if I ever need to choose between you and them, there is no choice. It’s always you, querida . Don’t ask me to put anyone else first.”
My stomach filled with butterflies. His intensity, the way those dark eyes of his stared directly into mine, had my heart feeling like it might beat straight through my chest.
I’d never experienced the security of belonging to someone in a romantic sense, and of him belonging to me. It was new and overwhelming and the best thing that had happened to me in a long, long time.
I nodded because I couldn’t seem to find the right words, feeling more positive about the future today than I had for a single week since this whole mess started.
When we went inside to share the news that we wanted them to tag along, Dawn was so thrilled that she looked like she might cry, while Jonah appeared conflicted. I assumed the thought of skipping town and taking on new experiences excited him, but spending all his time around big, bad, intimidating Cruz… not so much.
He'd been stealing glances at Cruz as if trying to figure him out, so I hoped we could eliminate those concerns before morning.
The four of us spent several hours learning more about one another and sampling the food Dawn had grown in their backyard. She took me outside again and divulged some tips and tricks on getting the best out of the garden while Cruz spoke to Jonah about fighting and defence.
I showed them the article I’d torn from the home design magazine, and as they perused the photos and descriptions, a buzz of excitement surrounded us. By the time evening rolled around, it felt like we’d known Dawn and Jonah for days rather than hours.
As the light faded, she lit the candles she’d left around the lounge room, and we prepared ourselves to spend another night in a strange place.
"We have a spare room all clean and ready to go," she said. "If you want to bring your car over, you can settle in before it gets dark."
"Great, thanks." I struggled to keep a lid on my enthusiasm. A clean room in a safe house that didn't smell like the dead sounded like heaven. We could get some proper sleep for the first time since leaving my apartment.
“Do you know if Mrs. Mackley left a car in the garage?” Cruz asked. “We’ll need another one for the trip.”
Jonah shook his head. "She didn't drive. There's a house down the street we can try, though. We could check it out in the morning if you want.”
Perfect. Cruz had mentioned wanting to test Jonah. He shared a fleeting glance with me, then returned his attention to Jonah. "Why don't we take a look now while Liv stays here with your mum?"
Jonah's eyes lit up before he quickly schooled his expression and nodded in a more detached manner. "Sure."
I knew this needed to be done to put Cruz's mind at ease, but my body still tensed at the thought of losing sight of him. It would be dark soon, and we’d spent almost every minute together since our separation in Melbourne. Now we were in a strange house in a new location with people we’d just met. Not my preferred way to end the day, but sometimes making progress meant being uncomfortable.
While Dawn lectured Jonah on following instructions and paying attention, Cruz approached me and lowered his head along with his voice, ensuring his words stayed between the two of us. “Will you be okay here with Dawn?"
It shouldn't have surprised me to know he could read me so accurately, but his watchfulness still threw me sometimes. I unclenched my fingers and looked up at him with a smile. “I think I can live without you for a little bit.”
He cupped my chin, sweeping his thumb across my jaw. “Are you sure? Because it looks like you’re already missing me, and I haven’t even walked out the door.”
I bit my lip to hide a smile and gave his abs a push. “I will miss you, but yes, I’m sure. Get out of here.”
While Jonah moved around behind us and organised his weapons, Cruz slid his hand around the back of my neck and gave a gentle squeeze. His touch had goosebumps scattering across my skin, and I leaned into him to soak up his nearness.
"Don't be long," I said, trying my hardest to keep the pleading tone from my voice.
"Back in an hour, tops." His eyes dropped to my lips as if he wanted to kiss me, but he held back. "We'll be just down the street. Scream if you need me."
I smiled at his teasing tone. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
“How long have you and Cruz been together?” Dawn asked.
We were sitting side by side on Mrs. Mackley's floral couch, sipping room temperature orange juice. It was a little sour to the taste, but Dawn had squeezed it fresh, and it was a welcome change from plain water.
She kept the roller shutters in the lounge room permanently closed, and the lit candles on the coffee table and mantle created a subtle glow in the darkness. Every fabric from the curtains to the cushions on the couch had varying patterns. Flowers, checks, stripes. The mismatched decor should have clashed and looked hideous, but it gave the house a quirky warmth.
“Oh, we’re not… I don't know if we're together ,” I said, delaying the inevitable. When I told her the truth, she’d think I’d lost my mind—or maybe she wouldn’t. Dead people were walking the streets nowadays, so stranger things had happened.
She gave me a smile and finished the rest of her juice, leaning forward to slide the glass onto the mosaic coffee table. “He looks pretty taken with you.”
The mention of Cruz made my heart patter and my stomach turn queasy, like a teenage crush and the beginnings of something more rolled into one. “This is going to make me sound crazy, but we’ve known each for less than a week.” I held my breath and waited for her to look at me like I had a few screws loose.
She didn’t. Her mouth merely lifted at the edges. “I remember what that’s like, the early days when all those feelings run rampant. The slightest look or touch sets off all your nerve endings. It's exhausting and exhilarating.”
It sounded like she’d been through the same thing with her husband, which would have made the reality of living without him that much harder. “That about describes it.”
Dawn pulled a cushion onto her lap and played with the fringed edge. “Ever notice how time changed after the pandemic swept through? Spending hours with someone now might as well be months, and losing them days ago can feel like weeks. It’s hard to explain or understand, but it feels different.”
I nodded, thinking about how we’d laid Haruto to rest just a couple of days ago. I’d already adjusted to life without him, and it made me feel guilty about moving on and glad I didn’t have the grief of his loss weighing me down.“I get it. I already feel like I’ve known you for days,” I said, “and I’m happy you came over to see us.”
Dawn lifted her hand as if she planned on torturing her thumb again, but she seemed to think better of it and clasped the cushion instead. “I didn't really have a choice.”
I frowned. "How do you mean?"
She tugged a single piece of gold fringe from the cushion and balled it between her forefinger and thumb, watching the movement. "I'm not handling this very well."
Confused, I glanced at her hands, then her face, unable to decipher her mood. "Handling what, exactly?"
When she looked up again, her features were clouded with worry. "All of it. Carlo adapted to the new ways faster than Jonah and I did, almost as if he was born for it. It wasn’t like he enjoyed it; he could just ignore the noise, make quick decisions, and push through when other people were falling apart. He took care of everything."
I understood her husband's ways because they were so much like Cruz's, but she’d been married to Carlo for years and had an entire lifetime with him before the pandemic to grieve and miss. “How did he die?”
“I ran out of my anxiety medication—but I told him I wanted to try living without it because I knew I was going to have to eventually,” she said. “Carlo hated seeing me struggle, so he went out with Jonah while I was still asleep to find more.” She pushed her hair back from her face and dropped her hand in her lap. “Jonah said they were trapped in the pharmacy surrounded by freaks, and Carlo being Carlo, threw himself into the fray to clear a path for his son.”
I closed my eyes for a moment. “He was bitten,” I said, opening them again.
Dawn pursed her lips and nodded. “Multiple times, but he made it back home with Jonah and hung in there until the next morning.”
No wonder she’d stopped going out and preferred to spend her time in the garden. “The last couple of months have been tough for you.”
She blew out a breath, on the verge of tears. "Years really, not months. I'm trying to be strong for Jonah, but I'm not sure I can keep it up on my own, and I don't want to let him down."
The sadness in her eyes broke my heart. "I can't imagine your son ever looking at you and thinking you've disappointed him. You're a good mum. No matter how old he gets, he's still going to need you. "
Dawn smiled her appreciation.
I wouldn’t make light of a condition that required medication, but there were steps she could take to address the feeling of helplessness. "Try to take it easier on yourself,” I said. "Acknowledge what you do well and keep practicing the areas you think need work. If the freaks scare you, we'll go out every day and run drills together. If you’re frightened of other people hurting you, I'll teach you how to throw a knife and take them down. I’m happy to work with you for as long as you need to build your confidence. It just takes consistent work, that’s all."
A soft knock came at the front door.
Dawn frowned and got up from her seat. “Must have forgotten something,” she said. “Either that, or Jonah had enough of Cruz and ran away.”
They’d already been gone for fifteen minutes, and when they were done, they were supposed to come around the back and use the key to get inside. It wasn't out of the question that Jonah might forget the plan and go to the wrong door, but Cruz didn't make those mistakes. As Dawn approached the door, I automatically looked to the window, forgetting the roller shutters were down.
“Dawn, wait.” I slid my glass beside hers on the coffee table and jumped up to go after her. “Don’t do anything. Wait a minute .”
She’d already opened the main door and unlocked the security door, but it was too dark to see who was standing out there on the porch. “What did you forget?” she asked with a smile, her fingers resting on the handle.
It all happened in a matter of seconds.
Noise, violence, confusion.
A tattooed blonde man, tall and rangy, wrenched the door from her hand and shoved her backward with his forearm braced against her chest.
Shit, shit, shit.
I pulled the knife from my belt as adrenaline flooded my body. Dawn stumbled and looked at me for guidance. “Go into the lounge room,” I said, keeping my eyes on the threat.
He stepped into the shadowed entry hall with his accomplice close behind him, a hollow-cheeked woman with red hair and pale skin. The door banged shut and rattled the steel frame.
“Nah,” he said, grabbing the front of Dawn’s shirt, “she can stay here.”
Neither of them held weapons, and the arrogance of thinking they could walk in here and intimidate us without them pushed all my buttons.
Dawn’s fear got the better of her, and she babbled a string of nonsensical words, holding up her hands in surrender instead of yanking her knife out and poking holes in him.
“On second thought...” He let her go and punched the side of her face to silence her. She went down hard and landed in an awkward position on her side. The quiet that rushed in afterwards felt louder somehow, leaving me more alone than ever.
Oh, God. This was bad . The sight of her lying unconscious on the floor sent terror racing through me, and my heart hammered as his attention landed on me. They must have been watching and waiting for half our group to leave before they made their move. I spared Dawn a concerned look, but I'd have to worry about her later.
Before either of them could get their hands on me, I channelled every bit of rage I'd ever felt, pulling it from deep, deep down. Anger, disappointment, frustration. It rose within me in a powerful wave, rushing to the surface, desperate to be released.
When I could hold it in no longer, I stared at the intruders, opened my mouth, and let out a long, loud, throat-tearing scream, just as Cruz had suggested. It carried through the screen door and out into the evening—and with no other noises around to dilute the sound, I just knew it would reach Cruz and Jonah.
"Jesus Christ, you’re fucking mouthy bitches!" the man yelled, storming toward me.
I turned and raced into the lounge room to lead them away from Dawn, silently pleading for her to be okay. With no one else to rely on, I needed to keep a clear head and make this work. If these motherfuckers wanted to take me down, I'd try my best to inflict fatal wounds on both of them during the process.
Knife in hand, I whipped around to face them. With an indrawn breath, I threw my blade at the closest target—the woman—and embedded my knife just below her left shoulder joint. I was aiming for her heart, but to hit her anywhere under pressure was a win.
Her features contorted in pain, and she howled as she ripped the knife free. Good . Even more noise to alert Cruz and Jonah. With a hammering heart, my eyes bounced from her to her accomplice. I desperately needed to check on Dawn, but I couldn't risk the distraction. As the woman pointed the knife at me with her good arm, I drew my sword, hoping I had enough room to swing it with deadly force.
Blood flooded the sleeve of her t-shirt and ran down to her wrist in a slow trickle, but she was too caught up in the chaos to care. She flung my knife back at me, and the man rushed me at the same time.
Her aim was clumsy and ineffective, but the blade flew close enough that I had to sidestep to dodge the pointy end. I stumbled over a table but kept my footing as I avoided the lamp that clattered to the carpet. In the split second it took me to scan the floor and make sure no other obstacles were in my way, the man wrapped his arms around me and took me down in a running tackle.
My sword flew from my hand. I hit the floor with a hard thud, my shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. My head smacked the corner of the couch, and a harsh breath left me. I waited for the pain to come, to find out if I'd done serious damage that would change the outcome tonight, but nothing hurt enough to think the fall would stop me from fighting.
I was okay.
I didn't have my weapons, but I had my wits, my strength—and in minutes at most, I'd have Cruz and Jonah.
With that thought in mind, I brought my elbow back and slammed it straight into the man’s temple.