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“Is that a yes? You will let me train with you?”
“As if I could ever stop you.” He wouldn’t stop his woman from watching his back. She was the only one he trusted. He would fight for the both of them, and succeed. This was going to work. All he had to do was have a little faith.
Chapter Fifty—Four
That silver lining
One month later
Sasha stood up and lifted her arm to run the back of it across her forehead, feeling sweat coat her skin. It wasn’t hot, not for it being October, but she’d been working all day in the gardens. Besides, the manual labor felt good. It made her feel alive and reminded her that she was safe, that Lucy was safe.
She had a pair work gloves on, and a small shovel in her hand.
She looked around the garden at the handful of people working, and couldn’t help but smile. In between working and planting, tending, and harvesting the garden, she’d also been training to be part of the crew that went out and scavenged, but also was training to protect the community.
Malachi hated that, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter.
And so far everything had been working well. It was hard to train, there was no doubt about that, but it was rewarding work. Sasha was making sure she protected her family, making sure Lucy was safe. That’s all that she could hope for in this world. That’s all she’d ever wanted.
There was a basketball hoop and makeshift court set up to her left, a bunch of the younger kids playing, yelling, laughing and having a good time. She could see Lucy sitting on one of the picnic tables off to the side, a couple other girls around her.
Sasha could imagine they were talking about all the cute boys.
Over the last month, Lucy had made a lot of friends, and Sasha could see the change in her as she settled in, getting comfortable, and Sasha really thought she was starting to make this place her home.
On her other side there was a large building where they trained. That’s where Malachi was right now. As she stood there and watched the double doors opened and people started filing out. She felt her heart start to beat harder, and her smile grow as she watched Malachi exit as well.
He looked right at her instantly, as if he knew where she was, as if they were two magnets being pulled together.
He strode toward her in the next minute, sweat covering his body, his muscles starting to be more defined. He’d been lean and hard when she first met him, but now he was starting to bulk up, looking even more manly than he did before. And that was saying something since he’d been all-man well before now.
She started making her way toward him as well, setting her work gloves and shovel off to the side. She stopped when she was just a foot from him, and he raked his gaze up and down her body. She was sweaty, had dirt covering her hands and probably her face, but the way he looked at her had her body heating.
He made her feel like she was standing here totally naked and he was about to fuck her.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey,” she said softly. “How was training?” God, her voice sounded breathy and had nothing to do with working out in the sun all day and everything to do with the arousal that was starting to consume her.
He nodded slowly, made a gruff sound in the back of his throat. “Productive.” Malachi’s voice was so masculine.
Millie was taking shifts in the textile work. She was incredible with sewing and tending to clothing, so that if not for her and the others everyone would be wearing tattered rags.
Over the last month, Sasha had been visiting Tree Man in isolation. He was in his own cell, the structure made up of plastic or Plexiglas, or something similar. It was all so white and clean looking, with microscopes and scientific equipment in the lab. But it was clear Tree Man was there voluntarily. She and Lucy would sit with him and just talk, listening to his stories. He’d always make Lucy laugh.
“You training during the second shift?”
She nodded and slowly wiped her hands up and down her jeans. “Yeah. We’re doing hand-to-hand combat tonight so I’m sure I’ll be sore as hell come morning.”
He chuckled softly and took a step closer. “I’ll have to make sure to have a hot bath ready for you then.”
A shiver raced up her spine. “Although that sounds like heaven, I’m not about to waste our water rations on a soak.”
He smirked. “It won’t be wasting if I take a bath with you.”
Her heart hiccupped in her chest.
“I got about an hour to spare before I’m due at the garage.”
