He hobbled his way into the house and entered the shadowy interior. The home’s inside was much as he’d expected—a time capsule to the seventies. There was a doily beneath one of the lamps and more on the tables next to the couch and armchair.
His eyes widened on the couch with its birds and farmhouses decorating it. Resting his hands against the soft material, he pondered if it was made from velvet. He’d seen photos of these couches before but never encountered one.
With his hands behind his back, he practically fell onto it. He sank into the cushions and was pleased to discover it was ugly but comfortable.
More cameras hung in two corners of the room. Like the ones outside, he doubted they missed much. The keypad next to the door was small but high-tech. If anything, they were prepared to be alerted of an attack from the Savages.
He didn’t know how much good it would do them in this small house when those monsters had destroyed the compound, but they were ready for a battle. He was positive there were plenty of weapons stashed around the house, too; he just had to get his hands on one. He didn’t plan to kill any of them, but he would get free.
CHAPTERSEVEN
He restedhis head against the couch while he studied his captors. They all looked as exhausted as he felt; was there any way he’d get away from them when they slept?
Considering he remained bound, his head ached, and his stomach was eating itself, he doubted it. Resting his head against the back of the couch, he took a deep breath as he tried to calm the pounding in his head.
The orange, shag carpet muffled Brie’s steps as she crossed to stand next to a coffee table that saw its best day in the eighties. The magazines resting on top of it looked like they last saw their best day in the eighties too. One of them proclaimed Sean Connery the sexiest man alive.
“Would you like something to eat?” Brie asked him.
“Youhavefood here?” he asked incredulously.
“Nothing perishable, but there’s some cereal and oatmeal. Those kinds of things… I think.”
“I think there might be some frozen waffles,” Zina said.
Asher’s stomach rumbled in response. He highly doubted there was butter and maple syrup to smother them with, but he’d eat anything right now.
“Do I get to have one hand untied so I can eat, or are you going to feed me?” he asked.
“You can have one hand,” Brie said. “You’re fast, strong, and a hunter, but you’re not going to take the three of us down.”
He wanted to protest her statement, but they had knocked him out, and he was sitting in this time capsule, so he couldn’t say much.
“Fair enough,” he said. “I’ll take whatever you have.”
“I’ll find you something,” Zina said.
Asher longed to drop his head to rub his throbbing temples, but he couldn’t take his eyes off them, and it was impossible in his position. Instead, he lowered his chin to his chest as he tried to ignore the dull ache behind his eyes.
Before returning to the Alliance, he had to discover what was happening here and with Brie. The Alliance was in rough shape between those they’d lost during the compound attack, most of the mothers and children hiding in Maine, the injected locked in their cells, and many bouncing from place to place to stay safe.
He had to get back to them soon; they couldn’t afford to lose another member right now. They needed help, and maybe these three could aid them somehow, especiallyher.
The thump in his head stopped mattering as he lifted his head to meet Brie’s gaze again. “Why did you warn me away from the compound? How did you know that attack was coming?”
Brie settled onto the delicate chair across from him. A small table was situated beside the chair. A basket of yarn and knitting needles was tucked into the bottom shelf of the table. Asher almost groaned when he saw them, but he bit his tongue to suppress it.
Brie clasped her hands between her knees and leaned forward while Asher held her gaze. She didn’t know how much to tell him; in many ways, they were on the same side in this, but they had separate missions to fulfill.
“I was trying to help you,” she said.
Asher leaned forward on the couch. “Why?”
“Because I thought it was the right thing to do.”
“How did you know to warn me?”
Brie shrugged as she shifted in the chair. She didn’t discuss her abilities much with herfriends.She wouldn’t share that information with a stranger, even if he’d become a constant presence in her life these past six months.
