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“Are you ready?” Sasha asked.
“Yes,” Lucy said, sniffling. “I’m sorry, Malachi. I love you too.”
He stopped and glanced over at the kid. She loved him? She didn’t even know him. How the hell could she love him?
Looking into Lucy’s eyes, though, and he knew she spoke the truth.
“Love you too, kid.” He nodded at her and started to urge both girls into the car. Just as he got to his door, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye near the edge of the forest.
He didn’t wait and climbed into the car. Starting up the motor, he handed Sasha the gun.
All of his instincts were on high alert.
“What is it?” she asked.
“We’ve got company and I don’t know how many.”
“Oh no. I caused this. I’m so sorry,” Lucy said.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re okay, sweetheart,” Malachi said.
This wasn’t going to happen. Not on his watch. He’d protect them all, no matter what.
Pulling away from the shoulder, he watched as five men stepped out from the surrounding forest, each of them looking like monsters. Blood covered their bodies and some had hacked off their hair. They looked crazed as they watched him.
One held a metal club with spikes, another a gun, a knife, and different kinds of weapons he couldn’t make out.
“Lucy, close your eyes and cover your ears.”
Malachi glanced at the rearview mirror. Lucy did as she asked and Sasha leaned in close.
“You’ve got to hit them,” Sasha said.
“You’re giving me permission to run those bastards down?”
“Yes. I’m not going to let them get to Lucy and I’m not going to let you get hurt because of me.”
She turned her head and looked at him.
He was struck by those lips that he wanted on his body, but he pushed all of those thoughts to one side.
“I know what I risked but we couldn’t allow Lucy to keep on screaming. I’m sorry it has come to this but we’ve got to take them down and now.”
Malachi nodded. He didn’t have a problem with killing anyone.
“Make sure she keeps her eyes closed.”
“Will do.”
Sasha sat back and Malachi put the car in reverse. He began to back up, glancing forward periodically to see that the men were walking toward them.
“Lucy, sweetheart, I want you to sing as loud as you want. You sing any song and you do so with your hands over your ears. You can do that, right?”
“Yes. I will.”
Sasha covered Lucy’s ears, strapping her in, and nodded at him.
Pressing his foot on the break, he put it into drive, pressed his foot down to the floor, and built up speed. The men, seeing what he was doing, began to fire.
Lucy’s song was loud as she shouted out the high notes and he crashed through the men without a problem. The one holding the metal spiked club managed to hit the window on Sasha’s side, but it didn’t shatter, it only cracked.
They would need to get a new car soon because it wouldn’t protect them forever.
He didn’t look back as he felt the men beneath his wheels but they wouldn’t be following him any time soon.
Loosening his grip on the steering wheel, he released a breath and tried to calm his nerves.
“How often does she do that?” Malachi asked.
Lucy was still singing but he saw she was also getting tired. Good to know that she wouldn’t last long after a panic attack.
“She doesn’t do it often. This is the first time in months, believe me. It surprised me how long she went without having a panic attack. Not once at the cabin did she react like that. I should have known the stress was getting to her. I’m sorry, Malachi.”
“Don’t worry about it. Your family could handle this and I can too. I was worried something bad would happen.”
“It nearly did. I shouldn’t have gotten you to stop.”
“I’m glad I did, otherwise, she wouldn’t be sleeping now.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded at her, but he didn’t say another word. Those men had survived even with their bad hunting skills. There would be other men and woman who were stronger, much more prepared, and he had to be ready.
Their journey wasn’t going to be easy, not by a long shot.
Chapter Thirty-Six
When the silence starts to comfort
“Fuck.”
Sasha felt herself slowly drifting back to consciousness. She blinked a few times, and instantly noticed it was already dark outside. The car was rolling to a stop off to the side of the road, and a second later she heard the puttering sound of the engine going dead.
Then there was just silence.
She looked over at Malachi and saw his hands wrapped around the steering wheel tight enough that even though it was dark outside, she could tell his knuckles were white from the force of his hold.
Sasha looked at his face, saw his jaw clenched tightly underneath the scruff of his cheek. He said nothing, didn’t even move, but his frustration was tangible.
