Love Among The Ruins-Chapter 122

NADINE’S P.O.V

We didn’t talk about it the next day.

In fact, Jen blocked all of my attempts to speak to her.

As soon as we woke up, it was as if none of last night’s conversation mattered anymore. She was back in the other truck and proceeded to ignore me.

I didn’t fight her on it, I couldn’t, not when I was trying to piece together my own thoughts on the situation. If it really came down to it, would I fight them if they tried to kill Trent? Would I help them?

The car pulled to a stop and I realized where we were.

I recognized some of the houses. We’d passed them on our way. We were close to the bunker... very close.

"We need to find somewhere to keep the cars that they won’t be noticed so easily," Rowan said and Amy snorted.

"They’re huge trucks. Someone is bound to notice them."

My lips curled at her sass.

"There’s a house not too far ahead. It’s big, and it has a lot of trees. It’s not perfect, but it may work. We stayed in it once."

They both turned to me, but it was Amy who spoke.

"How do you remember that?"

I shrugged. "I didn’t have a lot to do those days. I watched."

I could tell my words brought down the morale in the car just a little, but no one gave me smack for it. I gave Rowan instructions until we’d successfully parked the truck.

It wasn’t completely hidden, but at least it wasn’t out in the open.

The others parked near us and we made sure the trucks were covered.

"Do you know the way from here?" Ezekiel asked Joshua who nodded.

"We have to be careful though, their guards will be on duty, they’ll be watching us. If they see us, they’ll attack to kill."

"Then we fight back."

"No," Joshua and I said at the same time.

"They’re not our enemy," I added. "We do what we came for, and we leave."

The others didn’t agree, but they didn’t fight us.

There was no time.

We had to be in and out of that forest before nightfall.

We didn’t speak as we walked.

We just let Joshua take the lead as we weaved through the forest.

He seemed to know where he was going. He took decisive turns, not once faltering or hesitating in his decisions.

"You’re worried," Rowan’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

He was staring straight ahead, but I could tell I had his undivided attention.

I shrugged. "Aren’t we all?"

"There’s something different about your worry."

We were at the far back of the group. Jen walked with Amy right behind Joshua, Ezekiel and Camden were next to them and we took the rear.

"Talk to me," he probed, his voice gentle.

"They want to kill Trent." I waited for a reaction from him, but I got nothing. "Didn’t you hear me?"

"I did. I’m waiting for you to tell me what worries you." I grabbed his arm and he finally turned to me. "What did you expect me to say to that, Nadine?"

"He’s your father."

Rowan shrugged. "I don’t have a father. Not one that I care about, anyway. Besides, I already knew."

"How?"

"Ezekiel and Camden are two of the strongest men that Solomon has. Do you really think he would give us his strongest soldiers for this? I knew he had his plans and I assumed it had something to do with Trent. You just confirmed it."

"So you’re cool with it?"

He shrugged. "It’s one less person to worry about."

"We’re close," Joshua’s voice echoed, halting our conversation. "I can’t go further. I need to do the audio from here. If we go any closer, they will see us"

He gently laid the bag on the ground and began to take out devices that I couldn’t name. I watched as Camden helped him assemble it.

"Nadine," Jen hissed, catching my attention. "It’s now or never."

I glanced over at Rowan. He didn’t speak, and his expression didn’t betray anything. He probably already knew what this was about.

"Are you coming?" she asked. "Are you helping me?"

"I can’t. I have to help Joshua here."

"We can go and be back before anyone notices."

"I’m sorry."

Betrayal shone in her eyes, but it was gone before I could apologize. She squared her shoulders and gave me a curt nod.

"I get it," she said finally, and with that, she turned on her heels and walked away.

She headed for where Joshua knelt.

"I need the directions to the bunker."

Joshua froze. "Why?"

"We need to be able to help the people, don’t we? I want to get as close as possible."

"You can’t, they’ll kill you."

"Then so be it."

Joshua glanced over at me, a silent question in his eyes. If I said no, he wouldn’t give it to her.

They were putting the decision in my hands and I hated it. I wasn’t fit to hold a man’s life in my hands, I never asked for the right to make the choice.

"Tell me what to do," I whispered to Rowan.

He was behind me in an instant, his hands settling on my hips as his lips grazed my ear. "I can’t."

"Please, Rowan."

"I can’t. This is your choice. I don’t care what happens to him, but for some reason, you do."

He was right... I did. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

It wasn’t because I thought he was a good man. It wasn’t even because I liked him.

It was because I knew that if he was dead, then my father was next. Dad would take over, and they’d want him dead too, and I would be a hypocrite to kill someone’s father and fight for my own.

It was because I’d spent so long being indebted to the man who saved me and my father, that I didn’t realize that he was also killing us.

I squeezed my eyes shut and gave a small nod.

Just like that, I’d sealed his fate.