Chapter 13
The Shark and the Pilot Fish
Cam
“I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to say goodbye to Fordy tomorrow,” Allie said, her voice troubled.
They’d parked in the middle of an empty lot near one of the many old storage businesses along the highway, an area with high visibility and nowhere for an ankle-biter or lurker to hide.
Cam was marking the location on their map for future reference.
The “U Store” boom had left those places full of random shit, some of which was useful.
He’d even heard of a settlement in one of the bigger ones over in Kansas that was supposedly like a tiny-house apartment building.
That sounded like claustrophobic hell to him, but safety was safety.
He nodded and began folding the map. “Yeah, we’re about out of truck luck.
” The fuel tank was getting low, and they’d already used their last canister of diesel.
About an hour earlier, they’d stopped at an old body shop in another town, hoping for the best. He’d scouted the area, found nothing but a few Zs, and come back to find Allie visibly upset.
Anxiety over the prospect of losing the relative safety of the Ford, he figured. He hadn’t pushed her to talk about it, instead reassuring her as best he could and focusing on finding a good place to park before the sun got too low. Then maybe they could talk more.
Silence stretched across the wide bench seat between them. Allie’s arms were crossed tightly as she looked out the passenger window at nothing he could see.
He tried another tack. “Or maybe Morrigan will show you some more while you’re sleeping tonight?”
Allie shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t think we’ll find more fuel.” Then she murmured, almost under her breath, “I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” He slid a hand down her upper arm, rubbing gently. “There’s a little bit left, so we’ll run it as far as we can.”
When she finally looked at him again, the sheer amount of guilt in her expression staggered him.
Tugged at him. “Hey. Allie-cat.” The nickname didn’t make her smile, so he went the direct route.
“You are a miracle, okay? To me, you and the bunker and Fordy here and the diesel we found this morning? All miracles.”
He leaned in and cupped her face in his other hand. “Those chocolate-brown eyes of yours? A miracle.” He kissed her nose. “Every part of you. Including some that shouldn’t be mentioned in mixed company.”
That got her lips to curve a bit.
“We knew we probably weren’t going to make it all the way in this rolling tank.” He patted the dashboard fondly. “Fordy served her purpose. But there’s a reason almost nobody drives anymore, until we get electric vehicles back in use for real.”
Her eyes brightened a little. “I can’t get over that.”
“There are a few back in the area I came from. It’s trippy when you see one on the roads, almost like you’ve gone back in time.”
“So these settlements up in Missouri—are they all charged with solar power?”
Curiosity, thy name is Allie. “Some, for sure. The Station is solar powered, and the Plant is using solar fields to power everything. They’re using the solar grids they had from Before.
Smaller towns didn’t usually have that kind of infrastructure in place, so they’re implementing what they can and trying to repurpose any solar equipment they find. ”
Allie shook her head as if in awe. “That is so cool.”
“Agreed.” He cast a glance at the darkening sky. “Let’s get our safety stuff up, and then we’ll see how comfortable we can get for sleeping.”
The crude alarm system they’d made before leaving the bunker was simple but effective—aluminum cans strung onto a cord, duct-taped to parking cones they’d picked up along the way.
The configuration was a smaller version of what his family used on the road, creating a perimeter around the pickup truck.
By the time they got it set up and took bathroom breaks, the sun was nearly down.
They settled back into the Ford’s cab for the night, using prepackaged wipes for what Odette would have called a whore’s bath. Allie handed him a toothbrush and toothpaste, and they quickly brushed, spat out the windows, and rinsed with sips of bottled water.
“Do you want to read until we fall asleep?” She’d brought a few precious paperbacks in her sling bag.
Cam grinned at her. “Maybe not just yet.” He tugged at her hand, bringing it to his mouth, letting his lips brush the soft skin there.
Allie tried to smile, but it looked all wrong, her expression full of distress once again.
“Angel, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head.
“We’re getting close—whether on bikes or on foot, we’ll find our people tomorrow, more than likely.” He tugged on her hand, gently, sliding over the seat. He hoped she’d noted his use of “our.” Our people, Allie.
“I should have been able to find something for us.” Bitterness coated the words.
He frowned. “Angel, I didn’t find anything either.”
“But I should have.”
He leaned his head against hers. “If you’re worried about your usefulness, Allie-cat, I’m going to stop you right there. You’re more than useful. You’re necessary.”
He felt rather than heard her sigh.
He’d been tamping down his emotions all day, trying to keep things light and keep her smiling.
Trying not to overwhelm her with his intense need to care for her, his joy at being with her.
That sad sigh tore it loose, everything bubbling to the surface.
“Everything you do, everything you are, is necessary. You’re necessary to me. ”
She drew in a tortured breath, and he held her close. When her arms slid around his waist to hold him, too, he let out a quiet breath of relief.
After a few moments, Allie nuzzled his shoulder. “I’m sorry I broke down again. I’m still... adjusting, I guess. Being out here, even with you, gets overwhelming sometimes.”
“No problem.” He breathed in her scent as he pressed a kiss to her head. “It’ll be my turn to break down tomorrow.”
She chuckled softly. A comforting silence enveloped them for a bit before she said with the air of a confession, “You’re necessary to me, Cam. So much. It... scares me a little.”
His heart stuttered, swamped with something so dangerously close to love he could barely handle it.
“Me too,” he said, wishing his voice sounded less gruff.
More gentle. “In the bunker, it was so easy. Out here...” I’m scared for you all the time.
I worry I won’t be enough. I want to touch you all the time, but I’m terrified of getting distracted.
I want to tell you how I feel, but I’m afraid it will make you run away.
Allie tucked her head into his neck, her breath warm on his skin. “I want to keep you safe.”
His arms tightened around her. “Ditto, angel.” At least for now, they were together. She cared for him. It was enough, for now.
“So I guess we just stay together and keep each other safe?” She sighed. “Sounds easy-peasy.”
He laughed. “Sure. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.” After a moment, he kissed her head again, and his lips lingered there. “I can think of something else to do before we fall asleep.”
She squirmed a little closer. “Oh yeah?”
The movement and the anticipation in her tone sent heat directly to his groin. “Sit up for me.”
When she did, he kissed her, slow and deep.
Her tongue slid against his eagerly, and he shuddered.
Then her hand slipped down to where his erection was beginning to press against his zipper.
She captured his groan in her mouth as he pressed himself against her exploring fingers, unable to keep his body still, pleasure rushing through his veins.
He unzipped her jeans then let his hand wander the soft skin of her stomach, then lower, sliding down until he found the heart of her sex, so warm and already slick with want. “Angel,” he breathed, moving his fingers against her, into her, making her hips churn.
Allie panted, her teeth raking his neck as she moved against his hand. He knew what she wanted—more contact, more friction—but the jeans still around her hips wouldn’t allow for it.
“Cam, I need...” Her voice broke a little.
He shoved a little deeper, making her gasp, and gave into the darkly passionate urge to torment her just a little, to tease her to a fever pitch. “Tell me what you need.”
Her breath feathered over his lips. “I need more.” She kissed him then, her tongue exploring, insistent.
“More what?”
She rose up, trying to get a better angle. “I need to come.”
Oh, yes. “You will,” he promised, sliding two fingers up against her clit and circled it.
She moaned.
He nipped her bottom lip. He pulled his hand free, ignoring her sigh of protest, and helped her work her jeans and underwear down her hips.
She laughed breathlessly at the awkwardness, but need pulsed through Cam’s veins, and he could only concentrate on freeing her legs, giving them space to open and to give him the hot, wet place between.
When it was done, he groaned in triumph, settled back in the seat, and pulled Allie on top of him. “Climb aboard.”
She straddled him with a panting little moan that made him buck his hips against hers, feeling the warmth of her core even through his own jeans.
He pulled her shirt up, popped her breasts out of her bra cups, and drew a nipple into his mouth.
Meanwhile, she ground herself against him, her hands in his hair and on his neck, her fingernails digging in a little.
Then his fingers were back on her, spreading her wetness and spearing up into her. Jesus, he couldn’t get enough. Allie. So good. So perfect.
“Goddess, yes,” she moaned, too loud even for their relative isolation. “Cam.”
“Shh.” He buried his face in her neck and gripped her hip with his free hand, urging her to move. “Ride my fingers, baby. Make yourself come for me.”