Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Liam
‘You'd better know what you’re doing.’ Ru, my future brother-in-law, scolds as I slip on my knuckle dusters.
Yeah, yeah, he’s been giving me this lecture for the past week now. I know what I’m bloody doing. I always do.
‘Of course I do, I’m not a fucking idiot.’
‘That’s debatable.’
Ruaridh is all agitated because he’s worried I’m going to get in trouble and then he’ll get his ass kicked by his sister — and then his girlfriend.
‘Nothing to worry about, mate.’ I chap him on the shoulder, ‘I’ll be in and out in no time. Isla won't even notice I’m gone.’
Ruaridh looks up to the heavens, muttering under his breath.
He’s started doing that more lately and quite frankly, it freaks me out a little.
But then again, Fauna does it too, so maybe it's one of those cute little hobbies they do together?
Like, instead of painting they talk to the clouds or some shit.
Anyway, I — the saner one out of us all — have a job to do. Get the last thing on my girls list.
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but over these past two months I have managed to discreetly locate every last one of the items on Isla’s list that she ever so conveniently left out for me to find.
Not to take anything away from how incredible Isla is.
The woman's a machine. She’s been training early every morning with Elizabeth — watching her do said training has become my new favourite thing to do.
Something about watching how strong and independent she can be is next-level hot.
Who knew watching Isla grow our baby would unlock something inside of me. A primal sort of protectiveness alongside complete admiration for the incredible woman she is. Isla is not only carrying my child but every second of every day she is proving how unbelievably badass she is.
Finally stopping his conversation with the sky, Ru decides to continue our discussion — the one with a real person and all that.
‘If they don’t agree to this…’
‘They will.’
‘You don’t know that,’ he sighs.
‘Mate, you were the one to suggest it.’ I point out because well… he was.
‘No I fucking wasn’t. You came up with this stupid plan all on your own.’
‘You said the only people in the city to hold medical equipment—’
He cuts me off. ‘That didn’t mean, Liam, go skipping into our rivals' territory and go get it.’
‘Well, that’s all I heard.’ Picking up my backpack I head for the doorway, brushing off his mother hennery. ‘If you hadn’t pissed their leader off so much then you would be able to come with me.’
‘Not my fault, he deserved it.’ Ru grumbles, and I have to agree with him on that one.
Marcus would not be too happy to see Ruaridh’s face – well, mask — again since things got a little violent last time they were in a room together. Hence why I'm going alone this time.
‘Vish could go with you.’
‘No.’
There is no way I want that bastard anywhere near anything I get for my girl. Call me territorial but I want him as far away from Isla’s heart as possible and I’m not afraid to get my knuckles bloodied doing so.
‘Why are you so pissy with him recently? What’s he done now?’ Ru asks.
I grunt, not willing to answer that question. Instead, I turn my back on him and exit the room, stepping into the hollow corridor ahead.
Vish and I are fine. It’s not like I’ve fallen out with the guy, but I can’t be besties with him right now because when I see him, all I can think about is the cocky grin he was wearing when he walked my girl back to her room.
Many aspects of the stadium have been polished up.
Where there was once cold, stony kiosk stands there are now wholesome weapons rooms, supplies stocked to the ceiling and various other necessities for life in the apocalypse, but the main entrances and exits are still bland and creepy. We keep them this way on purpose.
The last thing we want is for an outsider to manage a peek at our home and find out that the sinister rumours about us aren’t quite what they are made out to be.
Each and every one of us has a persona we slip on once we exit the stadium. An alter ego, one entirely darker than our lives amongst the protection of our walls.
With my mask firmly in place and weapons secured, I embrace my darker side, ready to step outside the safety of my home.
But just as I prepare to exit, I hear her voice calling my name.