Page 117 of The Outsider
I didn’t know what he wanted, but it wasn’t anything good.
“He’ll be looking for me,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “I should head back.”
He snickered. “Don’t think so. Last I saw, he was on his way to being in the same condition as that idiot McNeil. Useless, in other words.”
I swallowed reflexively, assessing my options. I was unarmed and in a tiny space where he blocked the only exit. My odds of fighting him off without a weapon would’ve been low to begin with, but in this scenario, it would be nearly impossible.
“Don’t look so scared, Red,” he goaded. “I just wanted a little alone time.”
“I’ll scream,” I said, sounding braver than I felt. “Like a banshee.”
He frowned. “The fuck’s a banshee?”
Oh, right. Not a reference a Wastelander would get.I had the absurd urge to laugh but choked it down.
“Doesn’t matter,” I replied forcefully. “All you need to know is that if you touch me, I’ll raise hell.”
Zach narrowed his eyes, but his stance remained casual as he leaned against the doorframe.
“You really think screaming would stop me? I’d have you on your back before you could make a sound.”
He nodded toward the outhouse door, held open by his bulk.
“Door’s heavy,” he said. “Pretty soundproof. They wouldn’t hear you. ’Course, you wouldn’t be doing much screaming with my hand around your throat.”
A shiver went down my spine. He spoke with the confidence of someone who’d planned this. My palms felt clammy inside my gloves.
“Lucky for you, Red, that’s not why I’m here. Not tonight, anyway.”
Startled, I shot him a disbelieving glance. “Then what do you want?”
Zach paused briefly, his eyes doing an active scan of my body. Uneasy, I shifted from foot to foot.
“You went out here all by yourself, huh?” he mused. “You’re too comfortable. The fact that you can waltz into the Valley and not even have to look over your shoulder? Not even sleep with one eye open? Don’t sit right with me.”
I hated to admit it, but he was right. I’d let my guard down; I didn’t even have my knife. Out in the Wasteland, I wouldn’t have been caught dead without it, but I’d grown used to the easier pace of life in the Valley.
He smiled without warmth. “And even Madigan thinks you’re safe enough to leave alone now? Nah. Let me make one thing clear: my family owns this place, and I’ll be cold in the ground before I let an outsider whore warp the minds of kids. You’ll never be safe here, so long as I have anything to do with it. So, this is your last warning: get the fuck out while you still can, or my next visit won’t be so friendly.”
I tried to take another step, but his arm shot out in front of me.
“Let me go,” I said through gritted teeth. I had a horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach. My heart pounded out a hideous staccato rhythm against my ribs.
He chortled. “That’s the spirit, Red. Pretend you’re walking away tonight because I was so scared of your big bad boyfriend…and not because I let you. And that’s why you’ll keep this our little secret, huh? Because if he lays a hand on me, you’ll both be facing a firing squad. My father would see to it.”
He reached out to touch me. I recoiled away from his hand, but in the small space, there was nowhere to go.
“Touch her and it’ll be the last thing you do.”
John’s threat was a low growl, followed by the click of a gun being cocked. Zach whirled around and came face to face with the end of John’s pistol. He raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.
“No need to get bent out of shape, man,” he said casually, but there was a note of fear in his voice. “Just chatting with the lady.”
“Cut the bullshit,” John gritted out. “Move away. Slowly. Reach for your gun and I’ll kill you.”
Zach did as he was told, inching away from the outhouse. The heavy door shut behind him, and I was shrouded in darkness. Snow crunched under his feet as he walked away from the door.
“She doesn’t belong here, and you know it.”
