Daisy and the Dead (Book 4): Elijah and the New World Read online

  Elijah and the New World

  Sarah Bale

  Elijah and the New World

  Copyright © 2018 by Sarah Bale

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by: Michelle Fairbanks. Fresh Design

  Edited by: Jodi Thompson

  First Printing: November 2018

  Elijah and the New World/ Sarah Bale. -- 1st ed

  Jeffrey Dean Morgan - thanks for being one cool-as-fuck dude! You’re the best!

  Katherine L. Evans – For being your awesome self! And for going along with my crazy shenanigans!

  Yousef Kazemi – since you don’t read my books, you won’t ever see this… but love ya nonetheless!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Want to see how Nikki met Dave and his group?

  Also by Sarah Bale:

  About the Author

  One

  DAISY

  Elijah prowled toward me, a sexy smile on his face.

  “Well. Well. Well. What do we have here?”

  My heart missed a beat as I backed into a tree. The bark scraped my skin through my too-thin shirt.

  “I thought I told you to stay at the campsite with the others.”

  Cool air whipped around us and I shivered, though it wasn’t entirely because of the weather. He was so close that his chest brushed against mine. My nipples hardened at the contact.

  “I needed to go to the bathroom.”

  He made a sound in the back of his throat. “Not good enough, Daisy. It’s dangerous out here. You know that.”

  He took another step and pressed himself against me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Our lips brushed against each other in air-light kisses that I knew drove him crazy.

  “You worry too much, Sir.”

  A smile played at his lips. “Is that so?”

  I nodded. “Yup.”

  He nibbled on my lower lip and said, “Sounds like you need to be reminded who is in charge.”

  Heat pooled between my legs. God, it had been too long since we’d done this and I was more than ready.

  Since escaping my family’s home in Fort Worth, we’d been traveling the long way back to Oklahoma City. We’d been on the road for nearly a month now and just made it a hundred miles to Henrietta, Texas. I prayed the rest of our journey went smoothly, but I wasn’t counting on it.

  Elijah reached between us, slipping his hand under my shirt. Air hissed through my lips when he grazed my breast, toying with my nipple.

  “How long do you think we have before we’re missed?”

  He grinned. “My dirty girl, always thinking ahead. We have some time. Grey is going to make sure the others give us some privacy.”

  He continued to rub his thumb over my nipple until I was moaning.

  “Thank God for Grey,” I said as I crushed my mouth over his.

  Our kiss was frenzied like we were both afraid of losing each other. Maybe we were. Maybe that’s what this all boiled down to. We’d nearly lost each other more than once and things didn’t seem to be getting any better.

  “Stay with me,” he said against my lips.

  I reached down, fumbling with his belt. He pulled away and unbuttoned his pants, letting them drop to his ankles. In another time and place we would have a bed to fuck in. But for now, I was more than willing to let him take me against this tree in the middle of nowhere.

  His hands went to work on my pants. I shivered as the cool air hit my skin, but I didn’t have to wait long. He held onto my hips as he thrust into me. The tree bark bit into my skin, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my legs around him, taking him in even further. Our movements were frenetic as we tried to get enough of each other.

  I bit his shoulder through his shirt and moaned. “God, I’m so close.”

  He nipped my earlobe. “Stay with me.”

  I lifted my head and met his gaze. His lips parted as he thrust. My body responded and heat spread through me like wildfire. Reaching between us, I rubbed my clit until I shattered around him. He continued pumping until he came, filling me with his seed.

  Moaning, I kissed him deeply.

  “God, I love you,” I said.

  He kissed me back. “And I love you, Daisy.”

  He pulled out of me and I missed him right away. In an instant, his eyes clouded with memory. He wasn’t aware of the look he got on his face when he thought of Oklahoma, a thought that took him a million miles away from me. I wanted to tell him to let me in on his fears, but I knew he wouldn’t. My Elijah would do anything to protect me. Even if it meant bearing this weight on his own.

  So, as much as I wanted pull him on the ground and toy with him until we were ready for round two, I knew what I had to do.

  Pulling up my pants I said, “I need to help Cooper with dinner. You okay?”

  He nodded as he dressed. Taking my hand, we went back to the campsite. Cooper stood by the campfire opening a few cans. We were trying to ration our food supply, which meant Cooper had to get creative with our meals. Luckily Kat and Grey had been able to catch wild game the farther we’d gotten from Fort Worth. Unfortunately for us, most of the game hadn’t been very meaty.

  Elijah kissed my knuckles before going to Grey. I went the other way to Cooper.

  Coop glanced up at me. “Just in time. Jo and Faith are gathering pecans. If they get enough I’ll add it to these canned yams.”

  Jo was quickly becoming my best friend. She was a bright light and made things seem better. I loved Kat to death, but she never let me get too close to her, though I had a feeling it was her way of protecting herself. If you didn’t have friends, then it was one less person to worry about. Jo, on the other hand, was like a sister. I wished Faith would open up, too, but that would hopefully come in time.

  “Where’s Norm?”

  Norman, or Norm as we called him, was a former celebrity, pre-apocalypse. Of course, the way Grey treated him, you would think he was still one.

  “He’s out scouting for supplies with Grey’s men.”

  Several of Grey’s men had abandoned the group over the past month, making those of us left vital. We each had chores and responsibilities. Kat, who was pregnant, was the only one who didn’t have chores, though she still helped out. Probably more than she should, really. I frowned. She pushed herself too hard and wasn’t eating enough food. That couldn’t be good for the baby.

  I asked Cooper, “Are we having squirrel with the yams?”

  He cringed. “God. I think my Grandma just rolled over in her grave. I bet she would have never guessed that the culinary degree she funded would be used to cook rodents!”

  I laughed. “Coop, nobody makes squirrel quite like you.”

  He grinned back a
t me. “Thanks, Daisy. And yes, we’re having squirrel. They’re nice and fat, too. Must be gearing up for winter. They’re hanging in the tree over there.”

  “I’ll get to work on skinning them. Maybe Faith can do something with their skins.”

  Before the apocalypse Faith had been in school to become a fashion designer. Her sewing skills had come in handy on more than one occasion and she really could make amazing things out of random objects.

  Cooper snorted. “I’m sure she will.”

  I grabbed the squirrels from the tree and took them to a tree stump. Skinning and gutting animals had taken some getting used to. Okay, a lot of getting used to. No one ever warned you how strong the scent of blood was. It’s something that stayed with you for a while. But, it was my job and I did it well.

  I’d just finished when Jo and Faith came back with a basket full of pecans.

  Jo said, “We hit the motherlode out there. We’re going to empty our basket and go out for more.”

  There was an angry meow from the cage Faith carried and she put it down with a sigh.

  “He’s been acting weird all day. It’s getting annoying.”

  “Percy can stay with me. I have some scraps for him.”

  Norm hated it when I fed his cat, Percy, scraps. These days cat food was hard to come by and he had to eat something.

  Jo winked at me. “Better feed him quick. I could hear Norm and the guys talking in the woods.”

  Faith put the carrier next to me. I shoved a few scraps though the bars and Percy ate them as fast as I could feed him. Elijah hadn’t been too sure about having a cat around camp, but Percy was an asset. He would hiss and freak out when he caught a whiff of a biter, letting us know to be on guard. His warning had saved our butts more than once. Plus, he was cute and cuddly.

  When I pushed the last piece of meat through the bar, Percy licked my finger and rubbed his face against me. I’m sure he wanted out, but it wasn’t safe. Maybe when we got back to Oklahoma-

  Gunfire rang out in the distance and we all became alert. Our men knew better than to fire unless something bad was happening. Elijah and Grey rushed past me, guns out.

  Cooper came to my side. “Let’s put Percy in the back of the car, just in case.”

  What he really meant was just in case we had to pack up in a hurry. Norm would never forgive us if something happened to his cat. I grabbed the cage and put it on the backseat. Percy meowed at me, but didn’t hiss, which meant there weren’t any biters nearby. Cooper grabbed the items closest to him, packing them away.

  I pulled my gun from the back of my pants, ready to fire if needed. Cooper wasn’t a fighter, unless he had to. He gave me a thankful look. Nothing happened for a few moments and then I heard loud voices coming our way.

  “What in the fuck were you thinking? I didn’t send you out there to fucking waste bullets.”

  Uh oh. Elijah was pissed.

  One of Grey’s men replied, “We saw a doe. Thought we could bag her.”

  Cooper met my gaze. “Well, they’re fucked.”

  This made me laugh. Elijah, Grey, Norm, and the rest of Grey’s men came around the corner. Norm came over to us, shaking his head.

  “That asshole doesn’t listen to anyone. Thinks he knows everything.”

  Kat crawled out of the backseat of her car, yawning. “What did I miss? Who fired the gun?”

  We caught her up and she shook her head. “Hope they tell him to take a hike.”

  I asked, “Can we afford to lose more men?”

  “Can we afford to keep someone who is sloppy? What if he draws a horde to us? Or worse.”

  Her “or worse” was truer than I wanted to admit. Having someone who was sloppy could get everyone in a camp killed. It had happened at the last group I was with before Elijah found me. In fact, that’s how Elijah’s men were able to overtake my old group so easily.

  And, as much as I hated to admit it, it had nearly happened to us in Texas.

  Elijah’s voice rose as he talked to the man. “You think you can do better than me? Than Grey?”

  My lips parted. “Oh shit.”

  “I do.” His chest puffed out. “And, since I’m sure I’m about to be told to fuck off, let me add this – I think you’re making a mistake going back to Oklahoma.”

  Elijah’s voice went low. “Oh, you do, do you? It’s a good damn thing that you won’t be traveling with us.”

  The man spit at Elijah’s boots. “Better hope you have a shovel when you arrive. Your gal is going to need it to dig your grave when Wyatt gets a hold of you.”

  Elijah lunged before the man finished speaking. His fist connected with the side of the man’s face in a satisfying crunch. Grey held up his hands to the others and no one moved. Elijah struck the man a few more times until the man curled up in a ball.

  I said, “Stop. He’s had enough.”

  Elijah met my gaze and there was so much anger that I almost backed down. Instead, I took a step forward.

  “Let him go, Elijah. He’s done.”

  Elijah kicked dirt at the man. “You’re not worth it. Get the fuck out of here and don’t come back.” To the others he said, “This is the last time I’ll say this. If you don’t think what I’m doing is the right thing then get the fuck out of here, too. We need team players and fighters where we’re going.”

  No one said anything as the man who’d fired the gun crawled off. I hoped he was going to be okay, but knew better than to go after him.

  Grey looked at each man, nodding in assessment. “Looks like you’re stuck with my crew, Boss.”

  Elijah replied, “I’m honored to have you on my side. All of you.”

  He came toward me and the men scattered. I touched his cheek where there was a splatter of blood. He saw it on my finger and wiped it away with his shirt.

  “It’s not mine.”

  I replied, “Didn’t think it was. You should be more careful with your clothes.” At his look I went on, “You’re on laundry duty this week.”

  He groaned and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Maybe we can work out a deal,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

  His sweaty scent filled the air and it turned me on, even though we’d already fucked earlier. That’s what the zombie apocalypse had done to me – made me a woman who got horny when her man was sweaty and dirty.

  Sighing, I pressed my hand against his chest. “I need to help Coop.”

  He frowned, but let me go.

  When I joined Coop by the campfire he raised his eyebrow at me.

  “What?”

  “Girl, the sexual vibes you two put off are crazy. I’m all hot and bothered and I don’t even know what you were talking about.”

  I grinned. “I was reminding him that he’s on laundry duty this week.”

  Coop shook his head. “Don’t ruin this for me. In my head, you were planning a rendezvous later in the evening.”

  I shook my head and began shelling the pecans that Jo and Faith brought. Jo joined me, grabbing a handful of the nuts in her hand.

  “I thought you and Faith were going out for more.”

  Jo replied, “Faith is scared after what just happened. She thinks the gunfire drew the hordes.”

  “She may be right. We won’t know for a while.”

  Air hissed through her lips as she sighed. “If it’s not one thing it’s another with her. She mostly just wants to lie around and be negative.”

  I asked, “Was she always like that?”

  “She’s been that way for as long as I’ve known her, but it’s gotten worse in the last few weeks.”

  Jo and Norm had met Faith in Houston right after the outbreak began. Faith had been running down the street and asked them for a ride. The rest was history.

  Jo glanced at me. “Can I tell you something private? Something you won’t judge me for saying?”

  I replied, “I’m all ears.”

  “I think Faith has a crush on Norman. An
d sometimes I get the vibe that she wishes I was out of the picture.”

  Ouch. That was a tough one. I didn’t want to tell her that I had noticed Faith gazing at Norm more than once over the campfire. I mean, she hadn’t acted on anything and it wasn’t my business, so I didn’t want to make waves.

  I asked, “Have you talked to Norm about this?”

  “He thinks it’s just a crush, but I’m not so sure.” She paused. “Sorry. I just needed to get that off my chest.”

  “Did something happen while you were out there gathering pecans?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “She just said she wished he was with us and it rubbed me the wrong way. It’s probably just my pretend time of the month making me sensitive.”

  I knew what she meant. My menstruation cycles had never been regular and definitely not after the apocalypse. The lack of nutrients had taken care of that. In fact, it was pretty damn amazing that Kat was pregnant considering our lack of food in general.

  Jo said, “Anyway, thanks for listening to me.”

  I nodded. “Any time.”

  We worked in silence until we’d shelled enough pecans to satisfy Coop. When we were done, we helped him dish up plates for everyone. I glanced down at my small portion of squirrel and yams. It wasn’t enough to fill my stomach, but at least I wouldn’t go to bed hungry. That was something to be thankful for, but I couldn’t help but wonder if we would ever have a bountiful supply of food again.

  And what were we going to do when our supply ran out?

  Two

  Daisy

  The men gathered around the campfire and ate in silence. Grey slipped Kat half of his meat and she smiled in thanks. I felt bad for not offering her some of my own portions, but I was just so hungry.