He still tried not to think about that day\u2014the day that they all should have died, the day that Marin\u2019s vision had come true in a way none of them had ever expected. J.T. glanced at him, brows knitting. Thom took a deep breath and tried to draw himself up a little straighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know the university that was north of here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m aware of it,\u201d the woman said, a wary note to her voice. \u201cI figured that it\u2019d be pretty damned empty around this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was,\u201d Thom admitted. \u201cNot a ton of us there, especially on a Sunday, but there were some and we made it through the end of everything alive.\u201d Barely alive, but still alive.<\/em> His jaw tightened. \u201cWe\u2019ve pulled through the winter and decided it was time to start looking for allies, for trading partners. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here. We want to trade with you.\u201d<\/p>\n She sniffed. \u201cIt\u2019s possible you mean that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe do mean that,\u201d Cameron said. Her laser-eyed gaze homed in on him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can keep saying that you mean it, that doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m going to be more inclined to believe it.\u201d Her gaze drifted to Seamus, who kept his peace for the moment, and then shifted back to Thom. \u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you that,\u201d he said. \u201cI made a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo who?\u201d she asked, an edge to her voice. Thom swallowed, his eyes fluttering shut.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI promised my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n You also promised you\u2019d come home safe. Are you going to manage that?<\/em><\/p>\n Thom cursed the small voice in his head and suppressed all sign of the shiver that crept down his spine. He opened his eyes. \u201cAnd she\u2019s the one person I don\u2019t dare break a promise to ever again. Not after everything. Not after that day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He still tried not to think about that day\u2014the day that they all should have died, the day that Marin\u2019s vision had come true in a way none of them had ever expected. J.T. glanced at him, brows knitting. Thom … Continue reading