Apokalypsis | Book 6 | Apokalypsis 6 Morris, Kate (cheapest way to read ebooks TXT) 📖

color was beautiful in the morning sun as he fluffed his feathers once and spun his head to look around. The branch swayed and bobbed under his weight, and he soon lost interest in them and fluttered away. It was nearly soundless, and Jane wished she were so elegant and light of step to be silent. Sneaking around when those things were about would’ve been a lot easier.

“How’s that, Jane?” her dad asked, balancing a cigar from his lower lip after he set her worm on a hook.

Jane explained as best as she knew how, “Roman and Connor’s parents weren’t like you. Not like Nana Peaches, either. They were just very involved in their careers and making money. I think the only stuff Connor knows is from Roman. I saw it firsthand. He’d make him food, take him to school, pick him up, make sure he did his homework.”

“Where was his mother?”

She sent him a knowing look. “Work. Always traveling for work. It was weird. She didn’t like me, either.”

“Didn’t like you? Why not?”

“I think she thought I was a bad influence on Roman. She wanted him to go to college, had it all planned out for him, but he didn’t want to. I think maybe she thought I was the problem.”

Her father, never one to make a quick decision, said, “Were you?”

“No, I didn’t really even talk to him until right before this all happened.”

“How come?”

“Dad, I wasn’t exactly running in the popular crowd, never had. Roman and Steph did. I was an outcast.”

“Because of your mother?”

She nodded. “Yeah, among other things.”

“Because of me?”

Jane quickly shook her head and with vigor. “No, not because of you at all. Are you kidding? That would’ve helped had you been able to live there with Nana Peaches and me. That would’ve been the one normal thing in my life.”

“Sorry, pumpkin,” he said and held her shoulder for a moment.

“It’s okay. I was just not going to fit in at that school. Rich snobby kids. Nana Peaches raising me didn’t help probably. But I don’t care. I loved her. I don’t care what other people thought of us, not anymore. I’m glad I got to go there with her, even if I was an outcast. And I know you were working to make our lives better someday.”

“Yeah, work seems to get in the way of good parenting sometimes.”

“No, not yours. Roman’s parents, yes. Not you.”

“So, they worked a lot, huh?”

“That’s the understatement of the century. They had this huge mansion, super fancy, but they were never home. When Roman and I started hanging out, I felt like we were there more than his parents.”

This time, her father sent her one eyebrow lifted in skepticism expression and judgment.

“Dad! It wasn’t like that,” she said with a laugh.

Her father was sporting a big revolver on his hip and had a rifle slung on his shoulder. Between the guns, the cigar, the red and black checked flannel shirt, cowboy hat, work boots, and beige Carhart coat, her dad looked like he belonged on a hunting or fishing magazine cover. Or in a cowboy movie. She always felt safe whenever she was with him. Even as a very young girl, Jane felt safe with her father. Until Maureen came to take her back again, of course- her little bargaining chip as she’d sometimes call Jane. She hadn’t understood that phrase until she was older, and then it had angered her that her mother’s only thought was to use her like that.

“That boy sure seems sweet on you,” he commented and baited another hook for himself.

Jane shook her head uncomfortably, “It’s not like that.”

“Mm-hm,” he mumbled. “Just be careful. I like Roman. I’m sure you know that, but don’t get involved with him like that, Jane. No sex.”

“Dad!” she gasped.

“Hey, I was a teenager once, too,” he joked and held up a hand. “Keep the hormones stuff in check. You wouldn’t want to get pregnant, right?”

“Ew, gross,” she said. “No! I’m not going to get pregnant because we aren’t…I don’t know…we’re not that serious.”

“He is,” her father corrected and cast his line.

“I don’t think so. Not really.”

“Oh, he is, Janie,” he repeated. “I’ve seen the lovesick puppy eyes he sends your way when he thinks you aren’t looking. Just be careful. Besides, it might not be a great time to form those sorts of attachments anyway.”

The tone of his voice suddenly turned serious, which grabbed her attention.

“What do you mean?”

He only shrugged, so she pressed him on it until he said, “Just that people around us might not be around us for the long haul right now. Some people may leave. Something could happen, and we’ll get separated from them. Maybe never find them again. Who knows? Others may get infected. Some might even get killed out there going to get us all supplies. Hell, going on that run last night could’ve cost us people.”

He sent a pointed look her way. Jane had told him this morning before turning in for a few hours of sleep what had happened at the bunker. Lying to her father was not an option. Still, she shrank from his stern expression.

“Sorry.”

“If you want to go on trips to get stuff, that’s fine,” he said. “Just don’t go at night if you can avoid it. It’s one thing to go during the day and hole up somewhere for the night. I’d rather you did something like that. Get to a safe place for shelter if you’re out. It’s a totally different thing altogether to purposely go out looking for trouble after dark. Leave that to the professionals. I’ll be healed enough to go with Tristan soon.”

“But Spencer won’t,” she reminded him. “His arm is broken. That’s going to take a long time to heal.”

“I just don’t want you going all the time,” he argued and recast his line. “You—”

“Hey!” Connor shouted and jumped up and down. “I got something!”

Sure enough, he’d caught the first fish, which her father removed from the hook and