Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📖

Leandro looked up at her and rolled his eyes.

Graham was ready to continue his demonstration. He lifted the bottle to his lips and then laughed as the fumes made his eyes water. “I’m kidding, relax. This shit’s probably too strong for human consumption.”. He motioned to Ryder to bring the bow, the arrows, and the bottle of liquor and headed outside, with everyone following close behind him.

He made for his cart and grabbed a few rags from the back. Graham had brought Black Beauty and another horse with a wooden cart to carry all of the weapons, water, and food to the bunker. That way they could save their energy so they would be ready for the fight.

Graham busied himself for a moment. He tore a few strips from a rag and tipped a small amount of the alcohol on them before laying them on the top of a flat rock. He tore more strips from another rag and held one out to Ryder. “Wrap the arrowhead,”

Ryder did as he asked while Graham readied his flint and steel and set the alcohol-soaked rags alight. “Fire?” she asked.

Graham nodded. “You can’t do that with flint.”

Ryder grinned and nocked the arrow. “Cool!”

“I thought you’d like it.” Graham smiled.

Ryder dipped her arrowhead into the flame and loosed it at a nearby tree. The arrow thunked into the wood with a hiss. “Oh, I like it.”

Graham headed over to a bag on the porch while Ryder went to retrieve her arrow. “I’ve got extra knives for everyone in here. Also, I brought as many bullets as I had, which wasn’t too many. We’ll need to use them wisely.” Nobody disagreed with that. To have bullets at all was a blessing that they would not waste.

“We need a plan. Let’s practice with the weapons, then head back inside and work it out over dinner,” Massimo suggested.

Ryder had longed to hear words to that effect for years. Her heart soared with the knowledge that her dream of freedom for the people she cared about was finally coming true. They had the weapons and the team. They would find a way into the bunker and free everyone.

Afana wouldn’t live to regret the day he’d kidnapped Ryder.

The gang played with their new toys. Tightwad moved through a few sword techniques, confirming to Ryder that he had experience. She had to stifle a giggle at the juxtaposition of his serious face and his colorful sweater as he sliced through the air like there was a Mad in front of him. Ryder had underestimated Tightwad, and she was glad to have him in the gang.

Carter stood with Byrant, encouraging him to practice. He lined up some potatoes for targets. Carter knew that he needed to get Byrant’s confidence up after he’d choked so badly today. There was a fun bit of banter between the two of them. Carter threw his axes at the potatoes, slicing them in two.

Massimo patted Carter on the back. “Carter, you are in charge of chopping vegetables for dinner.”

Vicky was using a crossbow, but the arrows went everywhere except the target she was aiming for. She spat as she threw it on the ground. “This is a piece of shit.”

“Hey!” Graham snapped. He picked up the bow and cradled it as though it were his child Vicky had just cast away.

“It’s not as good as my trusty shovel.” She retrieved her shovel from where she’d leaned it while she tried the crossbow and swung it up to rest on her shoulder. “At least with this I know I won’t miss.” She gave it a little swing for emphasis.

Graham watched Vicky’s body as she swung. “If you move your hips a little…” Graham reached for Vicky’s hips. Vicky stepped back and made to swing the shovel at him. Graham held up his hands. “I just want to show you that if you move your hips just so, you’ll get a hell of a lot more power behind the swing, and you won’t have as much pain after a fight. Can I?” he asked.

“Any funny business and I’ll be swinging this at your head,” Vicky said, raising her shovel again.

Graham chuckled. “Funny business? Me? As if. Now, place your feet like mine.” She copied Graham’s stance and readied her shovel. He placed his hands on her hips and tilted them to show her how to pivot to add the power to her swing. “Now try it by yourself.”

She swung again, then nodded at Graham. “Not bad. Not bad at all. Can you show me again? This time, your hands can stay on my hips a little longer.” She winked.

Graham’s hands were on Vicky's hips before she could change her mind.

“Everyone go grab some food. I’ll be in shortly,” Massimo told everyone.

Vicky stepped out of Graham’s reach. “Come on, you. I know you’re…hungry.”

“Get a room, you two,” Ryder teased.

Vicky grinned. “Ooh, can we?” She winked seductively at Graham and strutted into the house.

Massimo stayed on the porch with Fluffy. Even he had started to refer to Leandro as Fluffy. Massimo took a seat in the rocking chair and rocked a little. His hand trailed over the new cut marks in the chair arms. He put it down to Afana’s men and shook his head at the senseless damage.

Leandro looked up at him and whined softly.

“I know, son. So much has happened over the last forty-eight hours. The murder that wasn’t really a murder, the Mad in the Old Dog…” Massimo shook his head sadly. Even though he’d told Leandro he wasn’t upset about it, the bar turning into a murder scene had cut him deeply. “Then the fight, and… And you turning into a wolf full-time,” Massimo finished softly, stroking Fluffy.

Fluffy rested his nose on Massimo’s knee, and Massimo ran his hand through his son’s thick white fur. Massimo smiled. Fluffy was the perfect name for him. “I wish you could speak to me right