Days of Love and Blood

could do.
    I didn’t hear him come up behind me. I inhaled suddenly when his open mouth sank into my neck and he slid his hands down my forearms and into the soapy water. When he reached my own hands, he forced them open, causing me to let go of the dishes and rag. He slowly turned me around and continued to massage my neck with his lips and tongue. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. My chest rose and fell rapidly as he moved up to my cheeks and finally to my mouth. We kissed passionately and deeply. I couldn’t get enough.
    After a few minutes, he gently pulled back, but only by a hair. When he spoke, his lips grazed my own.
    “I’m going to have to go into the other room now,” he whispered. “If I don’t, I won’t be able to stop.”
    “ No,” I begged. “I don’t want you to stop.” I lifted his shirt over his head and pulled it off, letting him know what I wanted. He moaned slightly when I put my hands on his chest. I felt his skin rise in gooseflesh underneath my touch. He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.

    Solomon barked orders to the rest of the people and sent them scattering. Before Ronan was brought into the house, I knelt down and kissed both cheeks.
    “Don’t worry hon, I’ll take care of it.”
    “I know you will,” he smiled at me before standing on his tip toes to watch the t wo children who plodded up the porch steps behind me. His eyes followed them to the doorway which we blocked and I stood up to make room, brushing my hand against his cheek before turning around to leave. I never wanted to say goodbye to him, so I didn’t.
    I ran back to the camper and jumped inside, running to the bedroom to get my gear.
    What the hell was I thinking?
    We were so close to home. My house was literally right around the corner. We were almost there - and then this? Was I crazy? I had a moral obligation to tell them about the homicidals. But I should have pretended to be some helpless mother with her son and left for sanctuary. My damning sense of humanity prevented me from doing that.
    At the same time I felt excitement. There were people living - alive - right down the road from my house. I was planning on going back to the farm to survive. Now, I could actually be a part of a community. There was more of a future here than I could have hoped for.
    Later. I had one more big job to do.
    “You said ya had guns - ammo.” Cooper had walked inside my R.V. without knocking and stood there, looking at me sideways, with his jaw jutting out and his hands on his hips.
    “Up there.” I pointed to one of the overhead storage compartments behind the driver’s seat. “Big duffle bag, can’t miss it. Take it all.”
    I turned back around and got undressed without closing the door. There was no time for formalities, especially for some pathetic excuse of a survivor who wanted to demonstrate his manly superiority. I heard the duffle bag being dragged down to the floor and the zipper opening. For a moment, there was no sound while I slid on my leather pants.
    I threw on my tank top and then the Kevlar vest, strapping it on tight. I pulled a long black shirt on over it and grabbed the leather jacket, gloves and helmet before heading back out of the bedroom.
    Cooper was staring at me and didn’t bother to turn away when I looked at him.
    “What?” I asked brusquely. First he insults me, now he comes into my camper and ogles me?
    “A vest? What d’ya need that for? They don’t use guns.”
    “No, they don’t. Just added protection against the other weapons.” I stood directly in front of him and pushed him back against the wall. “Say I’m a homicidal and I’ve got you disarmed and down on the ground. You’re trying to push me away like this.” I pulled his hands up to my throat. “Even when they aren’t armed, they’ll do anything to kill you. The homicidal will just reach his arms down and eviscerate you with his hands.” I moved my hands down to his stomach as a demonstration. “I’ve seen it happen.”
    Cooper squinted at me, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t remove his arms from my throat either.
    “Cooper!” Solomon yelled. “What are you doing?”
    “Just a demonstration,” I said. I backed off and Cooper released his grip. He grabbed the duffle bag and handed it to Solomon.
    “This here’s e’rything she’s got.” I heard them go off together to inspect the goods.
    I peered out the window every few seconds, looking toward the road. They would be