Blue Iris

0

’RE

as I wandered around

ns like AK-47, two sniper rifles, handguns, knives, boxes of a

ferent types of weapons back at their base. I lea

up a 9mm just like he ha

tch, you know.” I

ok it back from me with a gr

o escape before it explodes. Then boom!” I did a hand sign, and he was not

girl who hadn’t killed a singl

and take care of the garden in the morning, but on the other hand, this was a better idea. I wanted to be

brother who protected the country for a livin

ractice before you get a permanent gun on your own. Just like everyone around here.” He had a point bec

ng,”

n a while since I held a gun. I may be a little r

t a waste

tep at a time, Iris, but I was

d with a bullet hole on his he

ed with horror. He pushed me away,

n get out of here alive, Nuke. We have to!” I cried and begged, hoping it would change his

so much. I don’t want you to live there alone, but you have to go and search for a group that you can trust. Trust your i

to Colt’s concerned voice. He l

m g

o practice before

just gonna burn the midnigh

own when you rack a slide.” He continued demonstrating, but he kept his finger off of the trigger. “Keep your finger out of the trigger when you don’t shoot. When you’re fir

A smile curv

looked deadly and... hot. Colt was like every girl’s dream; dark, handsome, and myster

who tied a girl up? Was he a kinky fan? Did he like vanilla k

?” My face instantly hea

ng.” I narrowed

floats y

against my neck again. And don’t get used to

with the look on his face. “Let’s go t

e garden

the i

ouldn’t let their suspicions grow. I badly wanted to stay in this camp, and by any means, I would do everything to gain their tr

at the back of the cabins. We swept the area to the west side toward the small lake. They p

and east covered. You and I will be on the north and west. The

y th

adder. I couldn’t read his expression if he was annoyed or im

ood logs from pillar, wall, and flooring. Hamid alrea

howed up.” Frost grin

n off and get

, Iris. And Colt, please, stay focused and pull your shit together. We don’t want an intruder or a bore to

throw you off the tower,

binocular

and went down, leavi

g between me and Colt that was hard to explain. Every time we looked at each other, it took longer than necessary—it was like we saw our emot

ul despite our first encounter. He was bossy, and sometimes it was difficult to unders

ess and tress. And I hated darkness. The cool breeze wrapped all ov

crickets were the only occasional sound that less

the night wa

was here lying in an old hospital bed fighting for my life. The humming sounds of the machines a

ion for his job. He told me how he saved lives when their patients had massive blood loss—I remembered my life

my constant

hreate

rs

as being

s. I

-h

n that head of yours?”

enough for his legs to extend and he had to lift them up. There was a g

thi

watching across the distance, then

’t see anything other than leaves

s had something to say—he never ran out of words. “Under the trees, the ground. The moon

glanced down, and he was staring at me. “That’s creepy, Colton. Should you n

erved my reactio

g is both

m f

ok his head, and so far

ave to stand

sleep watching

ee when my brother enlisted himself, but who was I to argue when that was what he wanted. Until the virus destroyed us, I forced myself to handle one of the most dang

us coffee later

you choose me?” I tended to relax

tertai

boring

ubt t

before the plague,” he

art of a job

mm

wedding

-turned.

mile. “Why it seems so

ve planned m

?” I stiffened at my own questi

Vegas. Seventy-t

a minuscule of pang inside m

t tense. Was. Get that to the thick sk

gas to celebrate when he

e an a

recting

ow

cliche thing happened. I married a woman I met in the bar. Before

an Angel

to the

king him groaned. “Sorry. How

ine had a thing with a guy with an accent; Brit, Aussie

find them sexy, t

sement. “See that? You’r

y to entertain people, b

wanted you he

exchange place

lt got up, and

m from his body, and it

t.” I could see clearly from a distance—a l

ut you?”

abou

rri

hs before things fell apart. We didn’t get a chance to see each other again af

t tone I ever heard from him—it

and your wife.” Jesus Christ, Iris. Just shu

E

ught my eye. “Colton, I think

ff. When I did a half-turn, a