Page 70 of Born Savage

To my parents’ horror. We’d stayed long enough that I’d obtained the title of commander, which hadn’t been too difficult given living in crowded quarters in dilapidated surroundings had fueled unrest. That in turn had sparked significant disagreements and criminal behavior, enough that the city had erupted in violence.

That’s when the group of us had forced our way to the compound. While the experience had mostly been horrific, I had honed my fighting skills and had been able to raid a library that also held locations of the closest bunkers. To this day, I had no idea why I’d been the lucky one to find the detailed renderings, which had also helped my father in keeping things running.

In a way, the situation had been almost like divine intervention.

A joke I’d kept to myself but now… Now everything seemed preplanned. Preordained.

Yet very uncontrollable.

“What is heaven?” Wren placed her hand on my mother’s arm, a sweet gesture that brought tears to my mother’s eyes.

“Oh, child, it’s the most beautiful place you can imagine. The sky so blue, puffy white clouds. It never storms, never downpours with acid rain. And the light breeze always brings the scent of fresh flowers and citrus. Oranges and limes. Lemons. There are orchards of apple and cherry trees, always ripe and ready to be plucked and eaten.”

The wording seemed so familiar. Maybe she’d told me stories of such a place when she used to read to me.

My sad guess was that Wren had no idea about most of what my mother was talking about, if any. But her little eyes were open wide, staring in wonderment. Maybe that’s the way I’d been as well, my mother’s stories just as colorful.

“And there are hundreds, thousands of dogs so Jake will have plenty of friends.” Mama was pleased with herself, even offering a butterfly kiss to Wren in catching her nose.

My goodness. When was the last time Mama had done that with me?

When I’d been little and able to almost curl up in her lap.

Wren gasped in a tiny flurry of joy as if heaven was a place we could visit any time we wanted. I hoped I wouldn’t need to break it to her that there was no heaven and if going there was necessary, it meant suffering and dying. Great. Now I was playing the Grim Reaper. Perfect.

After the twenty-four hours I’d endured and with the gang of looters or murderers outside just waiting to attack, I felt I was owned a little bit of leeway.

“When you get there, all your friends and family will be there waiting with open arms.” My mother’s voice was soothing, almost as if she was perfectly healthy again.

Wren’s face fell, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Mama asked, so gently running her knuckle through the salty bead.

When Wren didn’t answer, my mother looked to me as if I had some magical powers over the little girl. Maybe I did understand her a little bit. I squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Wren. We’re your family now and you bet I’ll be there waiting for you and Jake. So will Mama and Daddy. Okay?”

Another tear, a slight hiccup, but Wren lifted her head toward me, searching for another confirmation. I nodded and before she flew into my arms, she leaned over the bed standing on her tiptoes, kissing my mother on the cheek.

The sweet gesture almost tore me apart.

With having Wren clinging to me, I was instantly annoyed when I felt a presence behind me. I didn’t even need to turn around to know who’d interrupted my private time.

Rage.

Mama lifted her eyebrows. Why was she smiling?

“Honey. We have company,” she said.

“He needs to leave,” I stated in return.

“He’s not going to. Go do what you need to do. Okay? Please? I will be fine while you’re gone.”

Her voice was so insistent and I rose to my feet, pressing a kiss on her forehead. She was so clammy, yet her skin was cold. My heart was doing flipflops, struggling more than before with holding my emotions in check. I certainly had no desire to allow Rage to see me at my lowest.

She took my hand, forcing me closer. “Trust him. With all your heart and soul.”

Trust. My silly mother. Why she thought I could trust the barbarian was beyond me, but I smiled as I pulled away. There was no sense in causing her any additional concern.

Wren also pulled away, far too happy to see him. So was Jake, immediately thumping his tail against the floor. I was obviously the only one who wished I could drive a stake through Rage’s eyeballs. Maybe that would come later.