Lia slowly crossed the compound toward Travis and Cam’s cabin, eyes alert—like someone might come running out of the shadows with a chainsaw. The creepy thought pulled her back to the rundown camp of the men who’d taken her prisoner three days after the world had gone dark. She’d lived alone, in a little rental cottage at the end of a wooded road. She’d been so proud of her place, because she’d worked her ass off to save enough to get one on a lake. Cosmetology hadn’t proven to be a crazy lucrative career, but she’d made enough to keep herself happy and moving out of the apartment on a busy main road had been a victory. She’d loved the serenity of the lake, even if the house had been tiny. But that serenity had proven to be her undoing. Three days had taken her through all of the water in her house, and she’d been so damn thirsty that she’d ventured down to the lake, desperate for a drink. It had been a horrible mistake—for two reasons.
First, because she hadn’t been the only one who had known about the lake. Two men in dirty flannel shirts and patched jeans had been a hundred yards from the bank where she’d drank directly from the lake and then filled her bucket. When they’d seen her, they’d started to move in closer. When she’d run, it’d been like firing a starting pistol, because they’d chased her to her front door and broken it down. Her brother had been coming up the drive, walking back from sourcing supplies. He’d gone head-to-head with the rednecks, but unarmed against two men with guns, he’d had no chance. The last thing she remembered was her brother’s dead body, blood pooling from three bullet wounds—the side of his head, his chest, and his shoulder—before she’d dropped to her knees and everything had gone black.
She’d woken up later, throwing up over and over again. For two days she’d heaved until there was nothing left. The best she could figure was bacteria from the lake. She’d been so weak, and the men had been so pissed that she was sick that instead of helping her recover they’d…
Lia shook off the thought as the darkness threatened to creep in. No, she wouldn’t let the darkness win. She wouldn’t think of them. They were dead. Like her brother. Her stomach twisted, and her eyes burned. She’d been so helpless and weak, but no longer. Now she was strong enough to ask for what she wanted. She was ready to quit existing and live.
She squared her shoulders and approached the door.
Can I really do this? Yes. I can and I will. Because she only got one life, and even if it was this crazy end of the world as you know it life, she was going to make the most of it. And making the most of it meant taking what she needed and experiencing something amazing. There had been no guarantees before, and there certainly weren’t any now. So this was Lia McLaren taking life by the balls.
She grabbed the door handle and pushed it open, not bothering to knock. She’d never been in this cabin before, but she was determined to start this crazy thing like she meant to move forward. No more timid Lia—only bold, strong, confident Lia. The girl she had been before, and was determined to be again.
She stepped inside, and the two gorgeous men looked at her. Cam with his dark, curling locks and dark eyes, and Travis with his green eyes and short coppery-brown hair. One serious and brooding, and the other lighthearted and fun. Both incredibly handsome and protective and all of the things she could want in a man. Was it any wonder she wanted them both and couldn’t bear to choose?
Both men rose from their seated position, thoroughly filling the small front room of the cabin with their presence. Both men were big, but Travis was the shorter of the two. Probably about six-two, but his shoulders were every bit as wide as Cam’s. They were both striking. Their work around the compound had kept their bodies in top physical shape.
Equally panty-meltingly gorgeous.
Except in this instance, Lia had opted to skip the panties. Sexy lingerie was non-existent these days … and her ragged cotton ones hadn’t exactly inspired naughty thoughts.
And that action in itself was a declaration: That she wasn’t just coming here to talk. No, she was coming here for action.
“Thank you for coming,” Cam said.
“Of course.”
“You want a seat?” Travis asked, gesturing to the couch that Cam had been sitting on.
“I’m good to stand,” she replied.
A warm hand landed softly on her shoulder. “Sit, sweetheart. We’ve got some major stuff to discuss, so you might as well get comfortable.”
Lia swallowed, her throat drying up like the Sahara. “Umm … okay.” Major stuff to discuss meant that Cam wasn’t shutting this down immediately. It meant … she might actually be getting her wish.
Holy freaking shit.