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

berated herself. Naturally, he or Renee could’ve and did hear that. She knew it was kind of loud but assumed she would get away with her mission unnoticed.

“Sorry, had to use the bathroom.”

His brow wrinkled, “Why? What are you doing up here?”

“Oh, um…” Think! She couldn’t come up with a good excuse. Her brain was stalled out. “I…uh, you know. I started my period. We didn’t have anything down at the house.”

“Oh, okay. Did you get what you need?”

“Sure. Put some in my pocket,” she lied, probably badly.

“Good, I’ll walk you down to the house.”

She wasn’t even going to feel guilty for taking the help; it was dark, after all. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said and led the way to the door again. His rifle was slung over his shoulder, and in his hand was a flashlight seated over a pistol. “Cold out tonight.”

“Yeah, frigid,” she answered.

He opened the door and ushered her past him to go through first.

“Hey, you dropped something,” he said more quietly since they were about to go out into the night.

Avery turned and saw what it was. Before she could retrieve it, Spencer did. Then he froze. He looked at her and then back at the object.

“Ave…”

“Don’t tell him!” she screeched like an insane person.

Spencer quickly pulled her back inside and shut the door. Then he shined the light on the pregnancy test. Avery grabbed it from him before he could read the results. Unfortunately, the results were pretty glaringly obvious under the silvery haze of the flashlight’s beam. Two plus signs. That had to be bad. Why wasn’t it reading two negative signs? Right, because for most people, this probably used to be a positive answer for them. Not her. Not in this life. That little plus was most definitely a great big negative.

“Whoa,” he reflected in a stunned tone.

“Yeah,” Avery answered defeatedly.

He sighed. “Renee thought she was.”

“I know,” she replied. “She told me. I was the one who made Tristan get a test for her. I’m glad he got a bunch of them. I thought I was skipping periods because I’d lost too much weight when I was sick.”

“Guess not,” he said wryly.

“Yes, I suppose that wasn’t it.”

“Renee finally got hers.”

“Yeah, I know, Spence!” she blurted impatiently.

“Sorry.”

Avery wanted to do this in secrecy, without the prying eyes of their group, Tristan, the kids’ endless interruptions, all of it. Now that was not an option.

“I won’t say anything to anyone,” Spencer said as if reading her mind.

“You won’t? Not even Tristan?”

“Nah, not my business, Ave. Tell him when you’re ready.”

She hugged him. Spencer gave her a strong, reassuring hug back. It felt comforting and safe, and Avery took everything from it that he was offering. She needed a good, solid hug about now.

“Thank you, Spencer.”

He nodded and guided her back down to the house, where she thanked him again, buried the pregnancy test at the bottom of the trash container, and dried her eyes. When she was coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water, Tristan was standing there.

“Hey, Angel,” he said, his hair standing on end, his five o’clock shadow now more like a three a.m. shadow, and his chest shirtless. He looked ridiculously sexy.

She had to focus. That was what got her in this position in the first place.

“Hi,” she answered lamely.

“Everything okay?”

Avery only managed a nod. “Just needed a drink.”

“Come back to bed,” he commanded softly and extended a hand. “Wow, your hands are like ice. You’re not getting sick, are you?”

She managed a weak chuckle and said, “No, not getting sick.”

Once they were in their bed again, Tristan spooned her, and she almost immediately warmed up. He was a good bed heater. Their bed was soon going to be occupied by another resident, and that thought kept her up until almost dawn.

“Angel, wake up,” Tristan stated firmly, rousing her from sleep. It felt like only a few minutes she’d been asleep. Avery rolled to her side and looked at the clock. It was after seven, so he’d probably let her sleep awhile. “Avery, we’ve got a problem. Get dressed and come down. Hurry, Angel.”

Avery flung off the covers and rushed to their dresser, where she pulled on clean jeans, a tank top, and a pale blue cashmere cardigan. Then she brushed her hair and then her teeth and hurried downstairs. Spencer and Renee were just coming through the front door. She noticed he ducked her gaze and looked away.

“What’s going on, Tristan?” she asked him as Abraham came down the hallway in a rush.

“Yeah, you’re right. Gone,” he said to Tristan.

“Tristan, what is it?”

“The girls. They’re gone,” he answered her finally as he pulled on his coat and hat.

“What girls?”

“Bianca, Remmie, and Clara,” he answered.

Kaia ambled into the kitchen looking tired as if she hadn’t slept much last night, either.

“Gone? What do you mean?” Spencer asked for clarification.

“Don’t know. I went out this morning to check on the chickens and let the dogs out. You know, just scope the place out like we always do. Then I went to wake the kids to start their chores. They were gone. I know they’re not outside. I’ve been out there. Once I realized they were gone, I checked the barn, too. Not there. I’m gonna have to go out and track. Looks like they went out the patio door. Abraham already noticed it wasn’t locked.”

She whipped around to look at her brother.

“It was unlocked. As soon as Tristan told me what was going on, I began checking the doors.”

Tristan seemed distressed, “I don’t know what happened. I know for sure that I locked it. I guess someone could’ve gotten in.”

“The dog would’ve barked,” Kaia said. “I slept with Biscuit in my room in the back of the house. If someone got in, I’m sure they wouldn’t have been so quiet that she wouldn’t have barked.”

Renee fretted, “Maybe someone kidnapped them. Shit, this is ridiculous!”

“Who could’ve come in without us knowing?” Avery asked a bit hysterically. She was running through her trip