Page 102 of The Hero Within
"Shower, clean up, and I'll see if I can steal some Confederacy clothes from somewhere," Arik continued. Holding up his hands, he roughly measured her shoulders.
"Do you need one of us to come with you?" Johnny asked.
Arik shook his head. "I know how to act and what to say. You'll only give me away if someone spots us."
"Arik." Lincoln took a step toward him.
"You too," Arik said firmly.
The two brothers eyeballed each other, and Lincoln finally looked away. "I don't like it."
"Noted," Arik replied.
She could understand Lincoln's reticence. He'd lost his brother once, and now she was starting to warm up to the pair of them, she could see the way they watched out for each other. There was love there; the kind she felt whenever Adam was home. Sometimes it was smothering, but without it—
She'd be alone.
The way Johnny was.
Her eyes widened, just a touch, as she realized what his life was like. He'd mentioned a mother. But no one else. And he'd been alone in that bar when she found him, sinking into liquor as if there was nothing else to do.
But the second they set out through the Divide, Johnny slipped into the crew as if he belonged there. Worse. As if a part of him hungered for company.
She suddenly felt like she'd unlocked the key to part of Johnny's secrets.
"Eden can get some rest," Johnny said.
She'd been struggling to keep her eyes open, so didn't argue. Her feet tingled, as if they'd simply done too much today. "You might have to carry me to the bedroom."
"Can do."
"I'll sound out my contact, Derek Mayhew. Shadow Rock uses him to get our hands on black market goods, so he'll be aware we're coming. Nnedi would have managed to get in contact with him. I'll see if Mayhew can get us some intel on the Radisson-Meyers laboratories, and see what we're dealing with here," Arik said.
Eden rested her head down on her arms. She was so tired. As much as she wanted to get out there and get started, she simply didn't think she'd be able to even stand. Just a moment to rest her eyes….
Strong arms tucked under her, and she swayed awake to find herself in Johnny's arms. The room was dark, and there was no sign of Lincoln or Arik.
"I fell asleep?" she murmured.
"You've earned it," Johnny replied, tucking her head against his shoulder as he strode toward one of the bedrooms.
She'd insisted upon sleeping in what looked like the spare bedroom, a little discomfited by the idea of sleeping in someone else's bed.
Sinking onto the bed, she groaned. It wassosoft. "You want to stay with me?"
"Do you want me to?"
She didn't even have the strength to think her way through the minefield. "Of course I do."
The bed dipped as Johnny joined her. "Want me to rub your back?"
"Is that a trick question?"
It took both of them to get her clothes off. Her fingers simply didn't want to work properly, and her deltoids and shoulders screamed with every movement.
"Do you know the worst thing?" she muttered. "We have to go back down that bloody ladder."
"Roll onto your stomach, and think of nicer things."
