Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
By midday, Lara was tempted to sneak out. There were at least twenty buildings on this street alone, all of them full of stuff just begging to be taken. Stuff that bots had no need for.
Why hadn’t Ronin thought of that before he’d headed off into the Dust last night?
Because he’s a scavenger, not a thief.
He was honest, but not in the way other bots had been.
There was a thoughtfulness to Ronin’s honesty.
He put real consideration into keeping his word, often going well beyond his side of the bargain.
Other bots would’ve taken advantage of the vague terms of her agreement with Ronin, providing her nothing but the barest necessities.
He’d given her so much more than that. So much more than she could’ve imagined. Lara wanted to give back to him, wanted to help him, wanted him to know he wasn’t in this alone. She could pull her weight. And she only knew one way to do that right now…
Just because Ronin wouldn’t steal didn’t mean Lara couldn’t.
If it weren’t such a stupid thing to do, she would’ve crept out to poke around the other houses.
She didn’t think any of them were inhabited.
Besides the bots she’d seen working in the park, the street had been deserted.
Who would care if some metal appliances or pieces of plastic disappeared?
As long as she wasn’t spotted by any gearheads, she’d be fine.
Conjured visions of Tabitha’s face, of her dull, lifeless eyes, flashed in Lara’s mind, and she cast aside her thoughts of sneaking out.
Lara was trapped in this house until Ronin returned.
The day wore on slowly, just as the others had while he was gone.
Her fingers were still sore from sewing Ronin’s shirt, so she didn’t even glance at the remaining cloth he’d given her, and there wasn’t anything else to do downstairs.
So she went up into the attic and passed the time by flipping through the pictures in the old books—even the ones full of naked women.
As she looked the long-dead women over, Lara compared herself to them.
The similarities were slowly growing as time passed.
Her skin had a healthier glow to it like theirs, and her body was a little fuller, her curves a little more pronounced.
And after the pleasure she’d experienced with Ronin, she could even understand the sensual gleams in some of their eyes.
These women were beautiful, they were sexy… and Ronin made Lara feel that way too.
If she walked into the human settlement now, even fully clothed, they’d know the difference.
They would spurn her, call her a bot-banger, a whore, all while envy and lust blazed in their eyes.
She didn’t doubt that almost every single one of them would’ve made the same choice as her if given the chance.
As reluctant and resistant as she’d been to associate with a bot, and as frightening as it was to be in the bot district, especially alone, she didn’t regret accepting Ronin’s offer. Not even a little.
What does Ronin see when he looks at me?
Lara smiled, recalling the way he touched her—like he couldn’t stop, couldn’t get enough. He seemed fascinated by her skin. What did he feel when they came into contact? Did he ever compare her body to those of the too-perfect female synths?
It didn’t really matter, in the end. He’d chosen Lara, had married her.
Setting Ronin’s rifle aside, Lara rose onto her knees and gazed out the attic window, searching the road for Ronin’s approaching figure.
Wishful thinking.
He’d only left last night, and said he’d be back in a few days. It wasn’t likely that he’d return early this time. He’d been serious about earning enough credits for them to leave Cheyenne without having to look back.
For Ronin to be gone so soon after returning from his last trip, so soon after they’d deepened their relationship…
Lara pressed a fist to her aching chest. She hated this feeling. Hated the hollowness in her heart, the loneliness. Just as Ronin had said, it felt like part of her was missing. And that part was him. In such a short time, he’d become a vital piece of her.
Isn’t it my fault he’s gone?
She’d been the one to suggest they leave home. She’d begged him to take her into the Dust, to bring her anywhere but—
Wait. Home?
When had she started thinking of this place as home? It was a prison, a deathtrap, a cage within an enemy camp. And yet…she still saw it as home. As their home. She couldn’t step out the front door without risking her life, but in here, with Ronin, things were good.
She sat down, leaning against a stack of bins, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes.
Ronin was the key. He treated her with considerable patience and kindness, regardless of how deserving of it she was at any given moment. And damn it, she missed him.
She…loved him.
There it was. The emotion given a name.
Lara groaned and lightly banged her head against the bins. “Fuuuuck.”
She didn’t know how it had happened, but she could admit it to herself now. In the short time she’d known Ronin, she’d fallen in love with him. A bot.
What would the other humans think?
She dwelled on the thought for a time, absently running her thumb along the smooth underside of her ring, before she settled on the true answer.
She didn’t give a shit about what they’d say. Ronin was alive, he was her husband, and Lara loved him.
Warm sunshine cast a reddish glow through her eyelids. She opened them to gaze at the setting sun, which spread muted pinks through the haze beyond the park.
One day down, two or three more to go. Once Ronin returned, they’d sell all the scrap and leave, and she’d never have to worry about Warlord again. She wasn’t so na?ve as to think there’d be no danger out there, but she couldn’t imagine anything worse than him.
She picked up the rifle and left the attic.
By the time she’d eaten and showered, it was fully dark outside.
After pulling on one of Ronin’s shirts, Lara double-checked the downstairs locks and went up to Ronin’s room. She slipped beneath the blankets he only used when he lay with her, placed the rifle beside herself, and curled up on her side with her head on his pillow.
Lara inhaled deeply. It was faint, but his steel and gunpowder scent lingered here.
Nights were the worst while Ronin was gone. When he was here, she slept soundly, sinking deep into her dreams, especially if he lay with her. But despite the security of this house, despite the comfortable bed and the warm blankets, sleep eluded her.
Why was it so difficult now?
Her mind wouldn’t quiet, and every noise the house made, every subtle creak and groan, had her reaching for the rifle.
The answer was simple. Ronin made her feel safe, not this place.
She trusted him enough to let her guard down.
Even before they’d shared a bed, she’d been aware of his presence, and had known he’d come at the first sign of trouble.
Just like her first night here, when she’d nearly broken her ass on the cold bathroom floor.
With a sigh, she flopped onto her back.
Come on, Lara. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come, and you’ll be that much closer to seeing Ronin again.
She willed herself to relax, imagining Ronin’s body pressed against hers.
Just as she was drifting off, a loud thump startled her awake.
Lara lay there, staring up at the ceiling and clutching the blanket in her hands as she strained to listen for more. Hot prickles coursed over her skin.
It’s probably your imagination…or it was a dream. Like those dreams of falling to your death where you wake up before you hit the ground. Everything is fine. You’re just anxious, you feel trapped, and—
An even louder bang downstairs had her scrambling from beneath the covers. She snatched up the rifle, slipped out of bed, and crept to the wall beside the open door, chest heaving and heart pounding.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Another thump, followed by a scrape, like something heavy was being dragged across the floor.
Swallowing hard, she adjusted her grip on the gun to hold it how Ronin had shown her. She wasn’t going to wait for whatever the hell that was downstairs to catch her. Lara would fight. If she was going to die tonight, it wouldn’t be cowering in the dark.
She slipped through the doorway and into the dark hallway, walking silently across the soft carpet. Pressing herself to the wall beside the stairs, she took a deep, stabilizing breath.
There was more noise below. A heavy step, and then that dragging sound. It repeated a few times, ending when the chair at the worktable creaked.
Whatever that thing was, it was sitting in Ronin’s chair.
Lara peered around the corner at the stairway. Afraid of drawing attention at night while Ronin was gone, she’d kept the lights off and the curtains closed, leaving it terribly dark downstairs. Her heartbeat was the only sound to break the ensuing silence.
What am I doing?
She’d spent her whole life struggling to survive, but this was different. This wasn’t at all the kind of fighting she was used to. Before coming here, she’d never even held a gun. Lara and Tabitha could never have afforded such a weapon.
No, the smartest thing to do, the best chance to make it through this alive, was to run and hide.
But going out a second-floor window risked breaking a leg, which was as good as death, and getting into the attic now would be too noisy. There were other places to hide in the house, but if that thing started looking for her…
Why the hell is it just sitting down here?
Lara’s brow creased. What if it wasn’t here for her? What if it was waiting for Ronin, waiting to…hurt him?
Fuck that.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned her head back against the wall and drew in several quiet breaths despite every instinct telling her to run and hide.
I can do this. Ronin said this thing packs a punch, even against bots.