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

snobbish airs she put off, but Tristan was glad for it. Stephanie was a survivor.

Then he drove home, where Spencer and the rest were waiting. Avery and Kaia immediately showed the kids where they could sleep, to which they insisted on being in the same room. She installed them in her little brothers’ room on the first floor, having recently housed Roman and Jane there. Alex was going to stay the night to help take a shift closer to morning for Clara’s care, but Avery told him that she wouldn’t wake him. He looked exhausted as he went to the basement to crash. By the time they all turned in, Tristan was told by her and Abraham what had happened. It was a crazy night, not predictable, nothing ordinary. But it was becoming way too common of a scenario, in his opinion. They’d spent two full days upping the safety and security at their homes only to have this happen. The one damn window they hadn’t finished boarding up at the Miller farm tonight was the one those assholes had thrown the firebomb through. Those kinds of incidents were really starting to piss him off. He wanted to control this situation better, but Tristan was beginning to feel the harder he tried to keep some modicum of control over any of it, the more it all seemed to fall apart.

“Did you and Gyles have any luck finding anything?” Spencer asked as Abraham brought in a mug of hot tea and joined them again in the dining room. The kid looked tired.

“Yeah, we did. Got a few CB radios for you to tinker around with, Abraham,” he told them.

“Yes, sir,” her little but tall brother said. “I’ll start first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t work yourself to death, man,” Spencer interrupted. “Get some rest. Sleep in for a change. You’ve been running ragged around here.”

“It’s fine,” Abraham replied. “I want to help. I…need to.”

Avery laid her hand on top of her brother’s for a moment as if she understood what he meant by that. Tristan was left to assume it was to stay busy so that their situation and probably the loss of their family members didn’t drive him insane. He could relate. None of them could’ve been prepared for any of this. He was probably the most ready for a situation of this caliber, and on most days, it still got the best of him, too. Holding together this new community, this family, was his new mission. Tristan wasn’t used to failure when it came to a mission, and the mistakes they were tallying up on a daily basis were starting to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Went back to the base,” he said. “No luck. Radios are gone. Everything else was, too. We did pick up some more ammo, MRE’s, gas masks- not sure why- and some other supplies like that.”

“That’s good,” Avery said. “Anything could have a purpose at some point, right?”

“Maybe,” he agreed distractedly.

“Run into any trouble?” Spencer asked.

He shrugged. “Not like you guys did tonight.”

“Sorry,” Abraham apologized needlessly.

“It’s cool, man,” Spencer said quickly. “That wasn’t your fault.”

The kid just shrugged as if he didn’t agree.

Tristan cupped his shoulder and released it, “Abraham, those assholes were just looking to loot anyone. Could’ve happened here, Gyles’s place, Alex’s. Anywhere. They were just scumbag opportunists looking to take anything they could from anyone they could. Any major city I’ve ever been in where society collapsed, even for a few hours, always resulted in the same thing: rioting, looting, burning down shit. Always the same. People will never change. We just have to be careful and keep a good watch out for those types. You did well. It wasn’t your fault the damn cell phones failed, or I would’ve been there sooner. If you hadn’t been there, those kids could all be dead right now.”

He nodded, and they moved on to another topic, but Tristan knew Abraham was going to blame himself for this. A short while later, they turned in, and Spencer offered to stay up on watch duty for the rest of the night. Avery checked on the sick girl, who was doing a lot better, and finally joined him in their own room after washing up.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked as he pulled her against him. That little, worthless white dog was sleeping at their feet on the bed. He rolled his eyes since Ave couldn’t see him.

“Yes, fine. Not a scratch,” Avery assured him. “You can check if you want.”

There was an ornery intent in her tone, but Tristan just smiled against her head and then kissed her there.

Again, he wanted to tell her not to do something so reckless, but he knew she wouldn’t listen anyway. She was hard-headed, especially when it came to her siblings. Who was he to judge her? She loved her brothers and sister. They were all she had left. She was going to defend them, rescue them, and nurture them until she no longer could. It was probably why he loved her so much.

“Try to get some rest,” Avery said against his chest where she was lying. “I can tell you’re not asleep. Stop worrying. We’re fine. Nothing bad happened to any of us. We’re all still alive and safe, Tristan.”

He nodded, rubbed her scalp, and strummed his fingers through her flaxen hair until she fell asleep as she’d advised for him.

She was right. Nothing bad happened. This time.

Chapter Sixteen

Wren

Riding in the new pickup truck making the trek home felt like a luxury. Elijah was in a jolly mood. She even felt her spirits slightly lifted. Possibly, it was because they’d survived the night and were just glad to be alive. Maybe it was the high-end interior of the truck and the great sound system as Elijah blasted music through it from his phone. It even had automatic cell phone charger plates built right in. The music was good, too. Old stuff like she liked. The breakfast was also