Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) đ
- Author: Hayley Lawson
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He wasnât thinking about screwing me, or was he? Is he playing tricks on me?
She shook her head at him. âHow long will it take them to decide on what they are going to do?â
Carter shrugged. âMaxwell likes to talk, and the others like to listen. It could go on for hours. Iâm going to sleep. You might as well do the same.â
Within a minute of lying down his eyes were closed, and he was snoring. How could anyone else sleep when he was making that amount of noise?
Ryder sat down inside the shack and leaned her back against the wall. The wolf looked at Carter and shook his head. Ryder caught Fluffyâs reaction. He was a smart wolf.
She looked into his warm orange eyes. âCome here, Fluffy.â Ryder made kissing sounds, trying to get the wolf to come into the shack.
Leandro really didnât want to answer to Fluffy, but he liked the idea of being closer to Ryder while Carter was asleep. So, he decided to go into the shack. Ryder was a little nervous about inviting a wild animal to sit with her, but heâd saved her life so many times now that she didnât think heâd try to harm her. He was protecting her.
The wolf sat down beside Ryder and let her stroke his back. His white fur did feel fluffy. âDo you like being called âFluffy?ââ Ryder whispered, not wanting to wake Carter. She was enjoying the quiet time with him.
The wolf growled. She knew that he didnât like the name from that response, which made her smile. âHow about Snowflake?â The wolf growled. âSnowy?â The wolf didnât respond, and Ryder took it that he liked that.
âPerfect. Fluffy Snowy it is.â
The wolf growled, and Ryder laughed.
Fluffyâs ears rose, warning Ryder someone was coming. She kicked Carterâs feet, waking him up abruptly. Ryder hadnât slept, but Carter had been dead to the world since his head hit his pillow.
In a heartbeat, Carter was on his feet with a weapon in his hand like he hadnât even been asleep. She was impressed. He turned and looked at Ryder. âWhat is it?â
âSomeoneâs coming.â She got to her feet, along with the wolf, and the three of them stood, ready for anythingâor anyone.
When Fluffy growled at the door, Carter swung it open, taking Maxwell and two rather large men by surprise. Ryder and Carter both held their weapons at the ready, and the wolf had his fangs bared. They werenât the best welcoming party.
âEasy, guys,â Maxwell said. âWe donât want to fight.â He didnât have any weapons.
Ryder lowered her blade and stroked Leandroâs back, and he stopped growling. Carter followed Ryderâs lead.
âNo more of Afanaâs men are in the area, luckily for you,â Maxwell reported.
âHave you decided?â Ryder asked.
âYes, we simply canât help you.â
Ryder felt the rejection like a sucker-punch to her gut. She had known that would probably be the answer, but she had hoped to be proven wrong.
Maxwell shook his head. âWe just donât have enough men to help. If they went with you, then our settlement would be vulnerable to Afanaâs men. Then, there was the living dead incident yesterday. We have two enemies and barely enough men to protect ourselves from either, much less both. Tommy and the other kids told me what you did to save him from the bear. We could use someone with your skills around here if youâd like to stay.â
Maxwell was offering Ryder a home here, to live free under a real sky. She liked the idea, but that wasnât an option for her. Not yet, at least.
âThank you for your kind offer, but I canât accept. I must help my friend and the others. They shouldnât be forced to live that way. No one should.â
Maxwell smiled. âI was worried youâd say that. We canât have you leaving since you know our location.â
Carter interjected. âI brought Ryder on a path she couldnât follow again.â
âYou should have never brought her here,â Maxwell said before turning his attention back to Ryder. âHe may not have led you on the direct path, but he did, nevertheless, bring you here. You know how many people live here, as well as the dangers that we face. Our settlement is vulnerable, and I canât put these people at risk.â
âAre you saying Iâm your prisoner?â Ryder was getting out of here one way or another. Maxwellâs choice would determine what happened next.
âYouâre not a prisoner,â Carter said, with a hint of a smile on his lips. âMore like a guest with security.â
Same bullshit, different place. Ryder looked at Carter. If he was her security, sheâd have no problem getting out of here.
Maxwellâs smile grew wider, and with that, Ryder knew Carter wouldnât be the one on guard duty. He looked at the two large men beside him. âAdam and Louis will be your guards.â
Ryder hoped they were all muscle and no brains. She decided to play alongâfor now. It normally made life easier. âI understand.â
âCarter, youâre on toilet duty.â Maxwell smiled again.
âOh, come on!â Carter groaned.
Doesnât matter where you live. No one wants toilet duty.
Massimo had to leave Kelvin to check on the town. The town seemed fine for now, so he returned to the church and the bodies. He decided it would be best to burn the bodies to try to stop the disease from spreading further.
He placed a handkerchief over his nose and mouth in the hope that he wouldnât catch it and also to block the horrific smellâlike rotten eggs. It was like their bodies had been dead for weeks instead of only five minutes, except in the case of Andrew. His body actually smelled worse.
Massimo had wrapped the bodies and thrown them on a fire heâd built in a clearing behind the church. The flames ravaged them. When he was all done, he headed to the Old Dog.
He needed a drinkâa fucking strong one.
Chapter Twenty-Four
General Murray, his son, and Advisor Robert brought Knuckles and Tank to
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