Page 56 of Us Defiant Few

“Better than sex.”

“I’m with you there.” Serene pulled up another chair, releasing a deep exhale as she plopped down.

“Your past experiences must’ve been terrible,” Brock chimed from the corner.

“I never said that.”

“You practically did.”

“You probably don’t even know where it is.” Serene crossed her arms.

“Bet I know how to play with it better than you do.” Brock’s lips tilted devilishly.

Serene flushed scarlet, looking one breath away from throwing her chair at him.

Khalani glanced at Takeshi, who’d quietly stationed himself by the broken window. His lip quirked ever so slightly, a rare, beautiful smile that forced her to look away before she was caught staring.

“How long should we stay here?” Adan asked as Brock studied the fading light outside.

“Maybe a half hour before we—”

Clink.

The unmistakable sound of metal hitting the floor filtered through the building. But none of them had moved.

They stiffened, eyes darting to the closed door on the far side of the room. Something else clattered, followed by a curse.

Someone else was in the building.

“What the…” Serene’s face went white.

Takeshi and Brock stalked forward, moving as one.

Brock drew his pistol, and Takeshi pulled out a long knife. Even though they didn’t fully trust each other, Takeshi gave him a single nod.

Brock kicked the door open.

Lying before them was a man in a storage unit, half upright on the tiled floor. He had a scruffy black beard and deeply tanned skin. He wore a tattered white shirt that was slashed in several places, and looked like he’d been wandering the treacherous road for weeks.

The man peered up, eyes widening. Suddenly, a relieved smile stretched across his face, showing several missing teeth.

“Wasn’t expecting to see this many travelers.”

“Who are you?” Brock asked, but the strange man didn’t seem bothered by the gun staring at him.

“Name’s Gentry.” He tried sitting up but flinched. “If you don’t mind, can you hand me those bandages over there?”

He pointed to a roll of white tape on the bottom plastic shelf.

Brock’s glare hardened. “Why do you need them?”

“Broke my ankle on the road. Knew there’d be some supplies here.” Gentry shrugged, reaching for the bandages, but when he had to shift his ankle, he groaned and wilted farther against the wall.

“Doesn’t look broken.” Takeshi’s suspicious gaze narrowed.

“My pants are hiding the worst of it,” Gentry insisted, wincing as he tried moving his leg again.

“Were you going to Desert Spring?” Adan asked, unable to mask the sympathy in his voice.