"Marco is looking for you." My dad stated while staring into my eyes.
"You came all this way to tell me that your boss is looking for me?" I asked him and he clenched his jaw.
"I came to warn you, sweetheart. Marco has seen something in you, you're all he talks about. It's sickening. He sends his troops out every night. They search the city and the surrounding areas like bloodhounds. He's never going to stop." My dad told me.
"I'm not afraid of him." I blankly stated. Lie.
I am afraid of Marco. I'm afraid of what he'll do to me if he ever finds me again, or what he'll do to my friends and Ronan...
"Well, you should be afraid of him, Hailey-Jade." My dad told me.
"What do you suggest I do, Michael. Hide for the rest of my life because some psychopath is out there looking for me?" I wildly asked him.
"Yeah, yeah you should." My dad nodded at me. "Stay hidden for as long as you can. There are people out there-- scientists are looking for people who are immune to the NecroVirus. They believe that they can create a cure for necrovirus but- there is no cure! Alright? You're either immune to the virus or you're not."
"That's a little cynical, don't you think?" Cooper asked my dad.
"I'm being realistic." My dad seethed through his teeth. "There is no cure. None that last. Only serums to prolong your life." My dad told me.
That must be what Luke used. He lied to me about working with my dad. So open and shamelessly. They're all the same. Oliver included.
"So, I'm stuck like this?" I angrily asked my dad and his head dropped. He was too ashamed to even look at me.
"You're lucky, Hailey-Jade. Most people would kill to be immune like you." My dad argued with me.
"I would rather be dead than this! Whatever this is. I'm half alive, half dead. What's the difference between me and the rotters?" I angrily asked my dad.
"You're different." My dad said, his eyes softening on me. "You're strong and resilient, just like Mom." He uttered and tears shot up in my eyes. My body went rigid as I stared at him.
"Don't bring her into this. Don't mention her now, to make me feel bad for you or to soften me up because it won't work." I angrily told him.
"Can you stop being angry at me for just five seconds?" My dad begged me.
"No." I blankly replied to his words.
"You should leave. Thanks for warning us." Oliver told our dad.
"Take care of your sister." My dad told Oliver.
"I don't need you to tell me that." Oliver blankly told him.
"Alright, I'm sorry." My dad uttered, guilt washing over his face.
"I get it. You don't know me that well, Dad. If you did, you'd know that I would go to war for my sister and fight against all odds against her." Oliver said while looking my dad in the eye.
"That's good. I'm proud of you son and I'm sorry for not being there for you when-"
"Save it for someone who gives a shit. I'm a grown-ass man. I don't care about any of that anymore. I don't need you anymore. I managed just fine without you in my life. You had your chance and you blew it." Oliver calmly told our dad. "Just because the world ended, doesn't mean that you've changed."
"Right." My dad shortly stated. "Take care of yourselves. I'll try to keep in contact. Keep a low profile and remember what I told you about Marco. You might be immune to the NecroVirus but you're not immune to people. And people can be cruel." He looked into my eyes and I nodded at him.
"I'll keep that in mind." I blankly stated.
"Well, I'll see you on the other side. Stay alive." My dad uttered before leaving the house and Cooper ran a tired hand over his head.
"That was-- awkward," Cooper uttered and Ellie nodded in agreement.
"Don't you guys think you were being a little harsh? I mean I'd kill to see one of my parents again." She said and my eyes softened on her.
"I'm sorry, Ellie." I softly told her and she let out a soft sigh.
"You're hurt and I think your dad knows that. But you'll come around. Once you see how hard he's trying." She uttered.
"I don't even know where my mom is. I think about her often. I wonder if she's still alive or if she's dead yet. The last time we spoke was over the phone; she went to Wyoming to visit her mom." Cooper uttered before leaning back against the wall.
"I'm sorry, Coop. I'm sure Selene's okay. She's one of the strongest people I know." I tried to assure Cooper but his eyes seemed void of any emotion.
"Maybe we'll reunite with our families one day." Ellie smiled at us and my heart squeezed at the pain in their eyes.
The front door suddenly opened and indistinct voices could be heard as they walked through the house.
Ronan and DeAndre came walking into the room shortly after. They each carried a large duffle bag in their hands.
They placed the bags on the table before opening them and my eyes widened at the sight in front of me.
The bags were filled with Glocks, shotguns, rifles, and more than enough ammo. They even managed to get a few hand grenades.
"Where did you find all this?" I asked them in disbelief.
"A military base that was just outside of town. It was abandoned and closed off but we managed to get in." Ronan answered my question with a small smile on his face.
"Why do you guys look so depressed? We just hit the jackpot." DeAndre asked us.
"Their dad came by. Said that Marco is looking for Hailey-Jade." Cooper informed them and Ronan's eyebrows pulled together. He clenched his jaw before looking up at me.
"We need to move in on him now, while he's not suspecting a thing," Ronan said while looking deep into my eyes.
"I know, but there's strength in numbers, and we're not good on numbers right now. We're in no position to go to war right now. We need more time." I told him.
"And I need this guy to stop threatening you, Hailey-Jade. I'll go out there myself if I have to. And I will kill him." Ronan told me in a promising tone.
Yes, there's no doubt about that. Ronan's an incredible fighter. He'd probably be able to take all Marco's men out and have enough strength left to kill Marco too.
But that's not what I need him to do right now. Not yet.
"We need Marco alive," I told Ronan.
"That's a lost cost, Hailey. You heard your dad. Finding a cure for the NecroVirus is impossible. We don't need him alive. We need him dead." Cooper uttered, his voice filled with determination.
"And we can make more of Luke's serum. We still have some of it in stock. So fuck that guy! The world would be a better place without him in it." Ellie added.
"I agree. We need to get rid of Marco. That's our new mission." Oliver told me. "But I also agree with the fact that we need more time." He added.
"Yeah, but we do not have time. Marco could find us at any moment." DeAndre told us.
"Then let's get to work," I told them with a smile on my face.
"That's my girl." Ellie proudly uttered and I smiled at her.
"Can we talk? In private?" I asked Ronan.
"Ooh!" Cooper and Oliver uttered in unison so I rolled my eyes at them.
"Now," I told Ronan, and he tried to suppress a smile but failed. A deep dimple appeared on his cheek as he smiled at Cooper and Oliver's childishness.
I left the room and heard Ronan following me into the kitchen. He shut the door behind us. I slowly turned to face him and he confidently made his way over to me.
"Go ahead." He uttered in a gentle tone.
"We should talk about what happened last night. I don't want things to be weird between us." I told him and he shot me a clean smirk.
I blushed not knowing what his next move would be. He gently lifted my chin and kept his eyes on my lips.
"You can finish your sentence now." He told me and butterflies rushed through my stomach.
"It's still you, Ronan," I told him while looking into his eyes and he gently brought my face closer to his.
My breath caught as his lips came crashing down against mine. I fully and wholly gave into his kiss and sparks ignited my body!
Nothing could beat this feeling. Nothing will ever top this moment.
His hands hooked around the back of my thighs before he picked me up with ease. He placed me on the countertop. Finally, we were at eye level with each other.
I placed another kiss on his lips. I was desperately trying to tell him just how much I needed him.
And he received the message. His hands tugged at my shirt. He gently lifted the thin material before sliding his hands up up up. Until they landed on my breasts.
He started trailing kisses down my neck and I completely lost myself in him, in this moment. I wanted to stay in it forever...