Ro stayed in the mess hall to help Allison wash up after dinner. Zach figured that it was a good thing because it gave him and Graham time to regroup with Ty and arrange the watch schedules for the next week. Adding another man to every shift meant less free time for everyone, but better security. They’d spent the day repairing the fence, burying the bodies, and running drills to prepare for a similar breach situation. It was exhausting, but it was work that needed to be done to be ready for the next time something like this happened. Because there would be a next time. Hell, situations like this were the reason one of the first things they’d done after the grid went down was install the razor wire topping the walls. Over six hundred acres was too much land to protect for a long period of time, especially if a large enough group attacked. But they would defend the inner sanctum to the death. With the lookout perches in the tall oaks and pines within the walls, they could snipe anyone approaching before they could get close enough to do any damage.
Slipping into the command post, Zach held the door open for Graham and then dragged a chair up to the large wooden table covered in a map of the property. Ty had redrawn the fire watch routes and was waiting for their input on staffing the shifts.
“Did you at least bring me some dinner?” Ty asked.
Zach held out a soup thermos and a spoon. “Straight from Allison herself.”
“Damn, that woman is an angel. Not too many women out there like her,” Ty said, unscrewing the lid of the thermos and digging in. Between bites and groans of appreciation, he added, “Your woman seems … unique. She’s got guts to spare. You figure out what you’re doing with her yet?”
Zach settled into a chair. “Keeping her,” he said. Because really, that was the only acceptable answer.
“But somehow we’ve got to convince her that staying here makes sense,” Graham added, scrubbing his hands over his face. “I gotta believe her family would want her to be safe. And the only way we can guarantee her safety is if she stays.”
“You think she’ll go for it?” Ty asked.
Zach thought back on the conversation they’d just had. “She’s not exactly … seeing things our way yet.”
Graham dropped into a chair. “I don’t give a damn; I’ll tie her to the bed if I have to.”
“Good luck with that, man,” Ty said. “Because I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”
After wrapping shit up with Ty, and ensuring that neither he nor Zach had a watch shift until the next afternoon, Graham headed back to the mess hall to collect Ro. He was struggling with how to apologize for not living up to the promise he’d made. Especially when she’d lived up to her end of the bargain whole-heartedly. But now that she likely considered their deal to be off, what would happen tonight? Would she demand to sleep on the couch? Graham figured he’d find out as soon as he stopped to get her.
When he entered the mess hall, he was surprised to find the kitchen dark and deserted. Neither Ro nor Allison was anywhere in the building. A cold twinge of unease bloomed in his chest.
He turned and headed for the cabin, catching Zach as he loped up the front steps.
“Did you bring Ro back already?” Graham asked.
“No. Why? What’s going on?”
“She wasn’t in the mess hall. Neither was Allison.”
Zach’s eyebrows lifted as he yanked open the door of the cabin. “Honey, I’m home,” he called.
Silence.
The icy feeling spread. Graham spun, heading for Jonah’s cabin. Allison would have been the last person to see Rowan. But then he caught sight of Jonah leaning up against the wall of the bathhouse. What the hell? If Allison were inside giving Grace a bath, Jonah would be inside as well. They usually just left a bright pink puff thing hanging on the door handle. Kind of like the sock on the door handle signal from back in the day. Graham changed direction, heading for the bathhouse. Zach fell into step beside him.
Jonah gave them a nod and jerked a shoulder toward the building. “Your girl wanted a shower. Told her I’d make sure to keep everyone out.”
Graham scowled. “Thanks for the update. Feel free to keep keeping everyone else out.” Graham reached for the handle, but halted when Jonah flattened his palm against the door, holding it shut.
“She’s a sweet girl. I hope to hell you know what you’re doing, G.” Graham met his gaze but said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. Because he had no fucking clue what he was doing.