Page 73 of Embers

“Luck. Or God. Or somethin’. The attackers got impatient and advanced on us. As soon as they gave up their protected position, we could start pickin’ them off. But still. We lucked out big time. Shouldn’t have got through that as good as we did. Didn’t even lose any vehicles but one of the motorcycles.”

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” I’m hit with the memory of him going down. Falling. Taking me with him. “I thought you were shot!”

“I wasn’t. It was close. I was tryin’ to dive behind the truck, but I couldn’t quite get there. That’s how you hit your head.” His mouth twists.

“Don’t even start feeling guilty about that.” I’m still kind of fuzzy, but I know this much at least. “You saved my life. I’d be dead without you. You know it as well as I do.”

He gazes down at me, and I swear I can see his heart in his eyes.

“You shouldn’t have come after me. It was stupid.”

His eyes narrow. “Yes, I fuckin’ should’ve come after you. I did exactly what I’m supposed to do. Takin’ care of you has always been my number-one priority. Me stayin’ alive is only a distant second to that.”

I choke on more emotion and reach up to touch his tangled beard. “You need to get trimmed up. You’re a mess.”

He smiles at me. He’s still cupping my cheek with his hand.

I suck in a sharp exhale as I remember we’re not alone in the world. “What about everyone else? Gail was shot. Is she okay? Did anyone else get hurt?”

“Gail is okay. It’s a shoulder wound, but she should live. Olivia got shot.”

“Oh no!”

“She’s okay too. It was pretty minor.”

“Is Grant having a breakdown?”

“Pretty much. I made sure he was in a different vehicle. There are a few more minor injuries, but we did lose Peter.”

My heart sinks at this news. I never actually knew Peter very well. He came to New Haven after I’d already joined up with Maria. But I liked him, and he was one of us.

He shouldn’t have had to die like that.

“Damn it. Who were the attackers anyway? I never even got a glimpse of them.”

Cal gives a half shrug. “Don’t even know. Didn’t look like a gang or a Wolf Pack. Just regular people. No idea who they were. Don’t know if they were locals who use that spot as a regular choke point or if they knew we were comin’ and were lyin’ in wait for us. There were about ten of ’em. Men and women and a couple teenagers. If they’d held their position, they would have gotten every one of us.”

“Maybe they were just desperate. And didn’t really know what they were doing.”

“Maybe.” He’s stroking my hair again. So gently. And it feels better than anything.

“That almost makes it worse.”

“I know, baby. I know.”

I close my eyes since my lids are suddenly too heavy to hold open. “Is it okay if I rest some more?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna wake you up every now and then to make sure you’re okay, but you rest as much as you can.”

I sigh and try to relax. But I get worried and sneak another peek up at Cal.

“You rest, baby. I’ll be right here. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

* * *

After that, there’s mostly pleasant unconsciousness with some vague echoes of Cal waking me up and talking to me. Then a lot of activity that feels jarring and disruptive and annoying and gives me a pounding headache.

Then more blessed blackness.

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