Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Hayley Lawson (pdf e book reader .TXT) 📗

He wasn’t thinking about screwing me, or was he? Is he playing tricks on me?

She shook her head at him. “How long will it take them to decide on what they are going to do?”

Carter shrugged. “Maxwell likes to talk, and the others like to listen. It could go on for hours. I’m going to sleep. You might as well do the same.”

Within a minute of lying down his eyes were closed, and he was snoring. How could anyone else sleep when he was making that amount of noise?

Ryder sat down inside the shack and leaned her back against the wall. The wolf looked at Carter and shook his head. Ryder caught Fluffy’s reaction. He was a smart wolf.

She looked into his warm orange eyes. “Come here, Fluffy.” Ryder made kissing sounds, trying to get the wolf to come into the shack.

Leandro really didn’t want to answer to Fluffy, but he liked the idea of being closer to Ryder while Carter was asleep. So, he decided to go into the shack. Ryder was a little nervous about inviting a wild animal to sit with her, but he’d saved her life so many times now that she didn’t think he’d try to harm her. He was protecting her.

The wolf sat down beside Ryder and let her stroke his back. His white fur did feel fluffy. “Do you like being called ‘Fluffy?’” Ryder whispered, not wanting to wake Carter. She was enjoying the quiet time with him.

The wolf growled. She knew that he didn’t like the name from that response, which made her smile. “How about Snowflake?” The wolf growled. “Snowy?” The wolf didn’t respond, and Ryder took it that he liked that.

“Perfect. Fluffy Snowy it is.”

The wolf growled, and Ryder laughed.

Fluffy’s ears rose, warning Ryder someone was coming. She kicked Carter’s feet, waking him up abruptly. Ryder hadn’t slept, but Carter had been dead to the world since his head hit his pillow.

In a heartbeat, Carter was on his feet with a weapon in his hand like he hadn’t even been asleep. She was impressed. He turned and looked at Ryder. “What is it?”

“Someone’s coming.” She got to her feet, along with the wolf, and the three of them stood, ready for anything—or anyone.

When Fluffy growled at the door, Carter swung it open, taking Maxwell and two rather large men by surprise. Ryder and Carter both held their weapons at the ready, and the wolf had his fangs bared. They weren’t the best welcoming party.

“Easy, guys,” Maxwell said. “We don’t want to fight.” He didn’t have any weapons.

Ryder lowered her blade and stroked Leandro’s back, and he stopped growling. Carter followed Ryder’s lead.

“No more of Afana’s men are in the area, luckily for you,” Maxwell reported.

“Have you decided?” Ryder asked.

“Yes, we simply can’t help you.”

Ryder felt the rejection like a sucker-punch to her gut. She had known that would probably be the answer, but she had hoped to be proven wrong.

Maxwell shook his head. “We just don’t have enough men to help. If they went with you, then our settlement would be vulnerable to Afana’s men. Then, there was the living dead incident yesterday. We have two enemies and barely enough men to protect ourselves from either, much less both. Tommy and the other kids told me what you did to save him from the bear. We could use someone with your skills around here if you’d like to stay.”

Maxwell was offering Ryder a home here, to live free under a real sky. She liked the idea, but that wasn’t an option for her. Not yet, at least.

“Thank you for your kind offer, but I can’t accept. I must help my friend and the others. They shouldn’t be forced to live that way. No one should.”

Maxwell smiled. “I was worried you’d say that. We can’t have you leaving since you know our location.”

Carter interjected. “I brought Ryder on a path she couldn’t follow again.”

“You should have never brought her here,” Maxwell said before turning his attention back to Ryder. “He may not have led you on the direct path, but he did, nevertheless, bring you here. You know how many people live here, as well as the dangers that we face. Our settlement is vulnerable, and I can’t put these people at risk.”

“Are you saying I’m your prisoner?” Ryder was getting out of here one way or another. Maxwell’s choice would determine what happened next.

“You’re not a prisoner,” Carter said, with a hint of a smile on his lips. “More like a guest with security.”

Same bullshit, different place. Ryder looked at Carter. If he was her security, she’d have no problem getting out of here.

Maxwell’s smile grew wider, and with that, Ryder knew Carter wouldn’t be the one on guard duty. He looked at the two large men beside him. “Adam and Louis will be your guards.”

Ryder hoped they were all muscle and no brains. She decided to play along—for now. It normally made life easier. “I understand.”

“Carter, you’re on toilet duty.” Maxwell smiled again.

“Oh, come on!” Carter groaned.

Doesn’t matter where you live. No one wants toilet duty.

Massimo had to leave Kelvin to check on the town. The town seemed fine for now, so he returned to the church and the bodies. He decided it would be best to burn the bodies to try to stop the disease from spreading further.

He placed a handkerchief over his nose and mouth in the hope that he wouldn’t catch it and also to block the horrific smell—like rotten eggs. It was like their bodies had been dead for weeks instead of only five minutes, except in the case of Andrew. His body actually smelled worse.

Massimo had wrapped the bodies and thrown them on a fire he’d built in a clearing behind the church. The flames ravaged them. When he was all done, he headed to the Old Dog.

He needed a drink—a fucking strong one.

Chapter Twenty-Four

General Murray, his son, and Advisor Robert brought Knuckles and Tank to