8. Taryn
CHAPTER EIGHT
TARYN
The motel was quieter than it should’ve been.
That bothered me immensely because it highlighted how few females had survived.
I hadn’t realized how big the problem was because after we were forced to leave my home, we kept our distance from others.
These days, trust wasn’t given easily.
It took until midday for the powers that be to let Lila and me leave the holding cell. I wasn’t fond of enclosed spaces, but I’d never let it show.
I took a deep breath and cleared the ordeal from my mind.
The old two-story building sat near an abandoned law office, not too far from the boarding house that Beck and Adrian were in.
Harper had pointed it out on the way here. I hadn’t acknowledged her comment because I wasn’t sure why she thought it mattered to me.
The building had reinforced windows, floodlights bolted along the roofline, and guards stationed outside the entrances.
I didn’t know if it was to keep the men out or us in.
Unclaimed housing.
That’s what they called it.
I had some alternative words for it. The term ‘unclaimed’ really pissed me off. I guess the days of choosing who you were with were over.
I sighed.
This new way of life was going to be hard for me to swallow.
For one, I wasn’t one to meekly accept the status quo, and for two, having no input into the family group I was placed in was unacceptable.
Beck and Lucas better have a plan because I’d rip the dick off any man who tried to force himself on me.
Harper had assured us that it wasn’t like that and that we had the final say.
I even believed she believed it.
But I would bet my left tit she was wrong.
I could smell the corruption after meeting Gideon.
Years of fighting for women’s rights were going down the drain.
As the number of women left in the world dropped, we were going to become a valuable commodity.
Birth rates would decline, and the number of infected would swell.
Was this the end of humanity?
I wanted to be sick at the thought, but I kept my head up and my face as expressionless as I could make it.
This new reality would eat that shit up. I straightened my shoulders.
You’re a badass bitch.
You’re not to be fucked with.
You can handle any motherfucking thing that’s thrown at you.
Hopefully, if I repeated it enough, I’d believe it.
Self-doubt would get you killed faster than anything else. Ben Caulder taught me better than that. I felt my eyes growing misty. Nope. I couldn’t think about him right now.
The motel held eight women in total. With Lila and me, the number shot up to ten.
I was more than aware that with numbers like that, the world had just become twenty times more dangerous for women than it had been.
Harper led us through the lobby while Rory walked beside her, clutching a stuffed rabbit with one ear hanging lower than the other.
The little girl watched me cautiously from beneath blonde curls without saying a word.
Good.
Rory would need to be cautious to survive this new reality, especially as a female. I didn’t envy Harper the task of keeping her safe.
The lobby itself looked almost normal at first glance. Mismatched couches, magazines, an old, faded, floral carpet, and a community bulletin board hanging front and center behind the desk.
It had lots of old-fashioned charm until you noticed the reinforced locks and the armed guards strolling around.
“They’re here for your safety more than anything else,” Harper said as she directed us to the desk.
Sure, they were.
An old woman with a scowl on her face greeted Harper. “I’ve prepared a room for these two.” Her hair was pulled back so tight it made my head hurt. She turned her gaze to us. “I don’t put up with any shenanigans. Any problems, and I’ll report them straight to Gideon.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Harper said in a soothing voice. “They’re both nice girls.”
She huffed as she handed Harper a key with a large red keychain, the room number written on it in marker. “Aren’t they all.”
Classy.
A brunette sitting near the front windows stared at me with hostility before her attention shifted to the street outside.
Following her gaze, I was surprised to see Beck.
He stood across the road beside Adrian, near the boarding house, watching the motel without trying to hide his interest.
“I think they’re here for me,” the woman tittered. “Both of those fine-ass men have walked by several times since this morning.”
The blonde sitting beside her narrowed her eyes as she looked Beck up and down.
“They’re enhanced. If they’re forming a family group, they’ll have their pick of women.
” She pulled her shirt lower. “I noticed the one with the glasses and the ‘I’ll-spank-you-before-fucking-your-brains-out’ good looks checking me out.
” Big-boobed bitch sneered in our direction. “They won’t be competition.”
“More importantly, both of them look they could take on a horde and live through it.” The brunette stared at them in longing.
I filed both women away immediately. I had absolutely no problems cutting a bitch or two if needed.
I hadn’t forgiven Adrian, but no one else could have him. It made no sense, even to me, but I really didn’t give a shit.
At least things were starting to feel familiar again. Catty women, I could deal with.
Harper rolled her eyes. “Come on. They’ll know soon enough just how wrong they are.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, but stayed silent. If Adrian and Beck had confided in her, she must be trustworthy. Still, I’d make my own judgments.
Lila stayed close beside me as we followed her down the hallway.
Women looked out from cracked doorways as we passed. Most of them seemed curious, but none seemed as hostile as the two in the lobby.
An older woman holding a toddler gave us an almost sympathetic look before quietly disappearing back into her room.
I wondered how that worked. Did she get to keep her child with her after she was claimed?
Harper stopped outside room twelve and unlocked the door. “This one’s yours.”
The room was small but clean. There were two full beds, a dresser, and a small kitchenette.
Lila walked toward the door next to the kitchenette. “Nice.”
The bathroom was modest, with a tiny shower, a sink, and a toilet.
“Hot water is limited. Gideon likes the generators turned off around 10 pm to save fuel.” She grimaced. “Try to get showers before then.” She laid the key on the dresser.
I moved toward the curtains immediately and peeked outside. Beck and Adrian were across the street, seeming deep in conversation.
Harper leaned against the doorframe while Rory stood quietly, holding her hand. “You’ll both be expected to work even after you’re claimed.”
“What kind of work?” Lila asked.
“It depends on where Gideon assigns you," she said, shrugging. “There are several options: medical, administrative, assisting with the school, food preparation, or gardening.”
“I like keeping busy." I pulled my long hair up into a high ponytail with the band on my wrist.
Harper laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
“Will we get our weapons back?” I felt naked without GG.
“I don’t know.” She hesitated. “I’ll try to make sure Adrian and Beck get the things you came with.”
I gave her a cautious look. “Why would you do that?”
“It was more than obvious to me that y’all knew each other. And the guys didn’t deny it.” She raised an eyebrow. “Was I wrong?”
There was no use in playing games. She knew too much.
“No.”
She nodded. “I need to get to the clinic and let you two get settled. Use today to rest and get cleaned up. There are some clothes in the closet that I think should fit, but you’ll be taken to the department store later to pick a few more items.” Harper pulled Rory to her feet.
“Tomorrow you’ll have a one-on-one interview with Gideon to determine where you’ll fit best. Take the opportunity to ask him any questions you have. ”
“Can we trust him?” I asked her point-blank.
Harper stared at me for a moment. “Only to a point. I’d keep your relationship with the guys and where you were staying before you came here to yourself.
” Her face grew even more serious, if that were possible.
“Especially if there are more females. I understand why he’s doing what he’s doing here, but that doesn’t make it right. ”
“Are we prisoners here?” I asked as Lila settled on one of the beds.
“No. You’re allowed to leave the building, but I’d advise caution. Men who have waited a while to find a woman can be dangerous.”
I nodded in understanding as she grabbed Rory’s hand and left the room.
Lila sighed, resting her arms behind her head. “This sucks. We need to get back to the farmhouse.”
“We do. But for now, we have to figure out what’s going on here. Adrian and Beck will have more information.” I shrugged out of my dirty clothes and grabbed some clean underwear from one of the drawers.
“What are you going to do?” Lila yawned and snuggled her pillow.
“Take the first hot shower I’ve had in weeks, then get some rest. I’m sure it won’t be long before the guys find a way to contact us.”
Lila laughed sleepily. “You… they won’t wait long before finding a way to get to you.”
“We’ll see. Now get some rest.” I smirked as I shut the door and turned the water to ‘hot as hell.’
She wasn’t wrong. Beck’s feelings were a given, but after spending the last few months with Adrian, I’d realized his feelings were genuine and that he wasn’t going anywhere either.
I just hadn’t decided what to do about it.
I was confused, to say the least.
My feelings for Beck had grown, but Adrian was a part of me, and I couldn’t deny that.
No matter how much I wanted to.
Hours later, I woke with Adrian’s hand covering my mouth.
He smelled like smoke, cold air, and something sharper that always reminded me of expensive whiskey and bad decisions.
I had become very familiar with it over these past months.
My body reacted before my brain fully caught up, and I twisted hard beneath the blankets, already driving an elbow back when his other hand instantly caught my wrist.