Page 36 of After the Burn

I stared down at Taryn’s sleeping bag for a long second.

“Ridiculous,” I muttered quietly.

I had a strong urge to lie down in it, but it felt somehow wrong.

Too much like crossing a line and admitting something to myself that I didn’t think I was ready for.

The woods shifted softly outside as exhaustion dragged at the backs of my eyes. I’d been walking almost nonstop since leaving the farmhouse, at a pace no normal human could sustain. My body was finally starting to feel it. That was the only reason I gave in.

At least that was what I told myself.

I crawled carefully onto the thin padding and immediately caught the much stronger scent of coconut wrapped into the fabric beneath me.

Taryn’s lotion.

The realization came embarrassingly fast.

Warm skin.

Soft fingers brushing my hair back.

Her voice cutting through the fever while everything inside me burned.

My chest tightened painfully.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath.

I should’ve gotten up immediately, but I couldn’t make myself do it.

The sleeping bag still smelled like her, and after days of cold air, blood, sweat, and smoke…

It felt dangerously close to home.

That thought alone should’ve bothered me more than it did.

I stared toward the cracks in the shack wall as my breathing began to slow.

Just a few hours, then I’d figure out how to get inside.

And how to get all of them back out alive.

Right before sleep dragged me under, I reached into my pocket, pulling out the leaves I’d kept earlier, and threw them on the ground.

I no longer needed them because Taryn’s scent was now surrounding me from all sides.

The last image in my mind was a pair of gray eyes.

CHAPTER SIX

TARYN

The gate closed behind us with a heavy metallic groan that felt like it echoed across the entire settlement.

Lila flinched beside me and stayed huddled as close to my side as the men holding us would allow.

I tried to take in as much as I could. You never knew when that might be an advantage. Maybe it was a blessing to be captured. I’d be able to make contact with Beck and Adrian much sooner than if I were skulking on the outside.

The town was larger inside the fence than I had expected. Main Street still ran through the center, lined with faded storefronts and old brick buildings. Some still looked as if they were open for business. It was clear it had been through some shit, but it was still functioning.