Isolation | Book 4 | Holding On Jones, Nathan (best smutty novels txt) 📖

beyond merely physical weighing his words. “I didn't want to do any of this in the first place. I just wanted to go home and be left alone until I wasted away and was able to join my family in death. But what was left of my community, my friends, needed a leader, and nobody else was stepping up.”

This sounded like a more hopeful turn to the conversation. Nick moved his finger from the trigger and lowered his pistol slightly, although he stayed tense and ready in case the man made any threatening moves, and took another step forward. “Then let's let it be over.”

Jay tore his gaze away and stared at the ground between his knees. “A spring breeze won't blow my cares away,” he whispered, almost too quietly to be heard. “But this should.”

Nick was ready for trouble, but even so he was caught completely off guard when the man whipped his handgun free of its holster, almost faster than the eye could follow.

But rather than aim it for Nick, Jay lifted the weapon to press the barrel against his own temple.

“No-” Nick started to shout, tensing to lunge forward.

The crack of the pistol echoed deafeningly through the clearing.

Chapter Twelve

Victory

Ellie watched through the scope of Hal's heavy hunting rifle as the group of people attacking the camp abandoned their positions, piling into a ditch that gave them some cover as they fled.

They popped into view every now and again, and a few stumbled and went down from shots by Starr's fighters. At least until the old veteran's voice roared through a loudspeaker, clearly audible even at this distance, for his people to stand down and let them go.

She was relieved to see his orders were obeyed; those people might've attacked innocent people in the camp, but she didn't want to see them gunned down as they tried to run.

At her side Hal lowered the rifle he'd borrowed from her, looking relieved. “I think Jay's people are gone, at least along this side. Haven't seen anyone try to throw a Molotov in a while.”

Ellie felt tension bleed from her. She could hardly believe it was over, but she was willing to accept that for now Jay was done. “They might still be lurking around,” she said wearily. “How about you stay here and keep an eye out, while I go do what I can to help put out the fires?”

He nodded, expression grim. The firebomb attack could've been far worse than it was, thanks to even the last-second warning alerting Stanberry's sentries to the danger, but it was bad enough.

At least one house was on fire, and the barricade was a roaring blaze in at least six places she could see, judging by the plumes of smoke. Wisps of smoke in other places suggested either missed Molotovs or fires that had been dealt with in time, but there was a chance they could become a problem.

As she started to turn and hurry away her husband caught her shoulder, voice gentle. “Hey, you doing okay?”

Ellie fought down the impulse to give him a glib answer, turning back and reaching up to rest her hand atop his as she met his eyes. “I don't know,” she said honestly. “This was crazy. Those guys who burned-” She broke off with a shudder.

He pulled her into a hug, holding her tight for a few precious seconds. “I know, El,” he murmured. “But we're still here. We're okay. We'll get through this.”

She blinked back a burning in her eyes and reluctantly pulled back, nodding. “I'll come find you as soon as we get the fires sorted out.”

Leaving him up on the barricade, she rushed towards the nearest fire, where a handful of townspeople were rushing to and fro carrying water in whatever containers they'd been able to find.

She was almost to them, already planning how she'd organize the line, when Nick's voice interrupted the chaos on the radio. His voice was subdued, knowing him like she did she'd almost say he was deeply shaken, but in spite of that his quiet words cut through the shouting like a chef's knife.

“This is Statton in the eastern woods. Jay's down. I repeat, Jay is dead.”

Ellie slowed to a stop, staring at her radio in shock. Even knowing her ex-husband had been pursuing Wensbrook's leader, she could hardly believe he'd really got him.

Was it over, then? Most of Jay's Zolos-vulnerable recruits had gotten away, and so had a bunch of his Wensbrook survivors. But everything Larry and Liza had told them confirmed that Jay was the driving force behind this war, and most of the others were reluctant participants.

Or at least, they had been before things got really heated more recently.

Would the others keep the fight going with Jay gone? Elaborate as this attack had been, it had actually been more flashy than seriously damaging, and had ended disastrously for the Wensbrook aggressors. At least four of the firebombers had been killed, just along the areas of wall she could see or that she'd heard over the radio, and likely the count was higher than that. The people who'd gone after the camp had also lost at least half a dozen people.

And they'd previously lost their camp and a lot of their supplies and vehicles, so they were in a terrible position to keep fighting.

And Jay himself was dead.

Around her people had begun to cheer, celebrating the news that the man who'd caused them so much grief was gone. Ellie didn't join in, although she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders as she continued forward to organize the firefighting.

It had to be over, didn't it?

✽✽✽

Aimee didn't want to see the clearing where Jay had met his end. By all reports it had been a grizzly one, enough to make Ben empty his guts and Charlie flee back to their camping area.

But Chet was still there, apparently helping his brother and Nick dig a grave for the man who'd terrorized them for so