The Red Sky Series Box Set Books 1-4: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series Read online

  “I knew it! What are you doing out here?” Molly asked crossing her arms. She smiled at him as if he were an old friend.

  “This is my second house. My home away from home,” the man said. “Can I come down before I fall down the stairs? My balance isn’t that great these days.”

  I wondered if his issues were from too much partying because it wasn’t from old age. He didn’t look like he could have been a day over twenty-five.

  Nick nodded but he didn’t bother to lower his gun. “I have no clue who you are.”

  I shook my head but maybe he did look a little familiar. He must have been from some band I wasn’t very familiar with because I couldn’t place him. Based on the size of the house, he must have been quite popular and he definitely had the looks of a rock star.

  “I’m Christian,” He said offering us all a little wave. “I really don’t want any trouble though. Feel free to take whatever you want, although I’d appreciate it if you left me a little something to get by on.”

  “We’re not here to take your things,” Molly said flapping her hand at him. “All we wanted was to find somewhere to stay for the night.”

  “How do I know you won’t kill me in my sleep?” Christian asked with a nervous laugh. There was a curl to his lips but a seriousness in his eyes. I recognized it because I’d had the same feeling before myself.

  It’s that feeling you get when you have to be with someone you don’t trust. In my case that person had ended up setting my grandma’s house on fire and almost killed me. My gut instincts had been right, not that I was surprised.

  Christian didn’t need to worry about us though, but of course, he didn’t know that. Nick wouldn’t pull the trigger unless he didn’t have a choice. All Christian had to do was avoid doing something stupid.

  “We don’t kill people,” Nick said lowering his head slightly but keep his eyes on Christian. “Unless, of course, we have to.”

  “Well, you won’t have to,” Christian said.

  “Yeah? Good. I’d hate to waste my ammo,” Nick said tucking his gun back into the back of his waistband. “Mind if I hold on to your gun while we’re here?”

  Christian’s jaw tightened. “I’d rather you didn’t. Nothing personal, it’s just that I don’t know you guys. Can’t I put it in my waistband like you did all gangster-like?”

  “I was a police officer. If I had my holster, I’d use it,” Nick said.

  “Well, if you say you were a cop, then it must be true,” Christian said letting his eyebrows bob up and down.

  A quick sigh burst out between Molly’s lips. “Well, I know you are who you say you are. I think I bought every single one of your albums. Hell, my friends and I even saw you play out in Cali.”

  “I appreciate that,” Christian said. “At least I think I do… I mean, it’s all pretty meaningless now.”

  “You have this whole place to hide in until help arrives,” Molly said. “Has anyone else come around?”

  Christian shook his head. “Thankfully, no. You are the first strangers to wander up here. It gets pretty scary at night though. This big house makes a lot of noises.”

  “Maybe there have been people in here and you didn’t even know it,” Nick said. “They stayed in the east wing and your paths never crossed.”

  Christian shrugged. “Comforting thought. Doesn’t matter though, I’m stuck here. I mean, it’s not all bad. I have food, water, alcohol and a roof over my head. All I do is sit around and write music all day… music that no one will ever hear.”

  “I would love to hear it,” Molly said practically swaying to the invisible notes.

  “Really?” Christian asked. “Here let me show you guys around first. Then I can play my latest for you.”

  “That would be a dream come true,” Molly said with hearts in her eyes.

  Christian reached down and picked up his gun. He flipped it around and offered it to Nick. “If you’re going to kill me, there isn’t going to be much I can do about it anyway. Truth is, I have no idea how to use that thing. It was my bodyguards’ gun… he…,” Christian said his voice cracking, “didn’t make it. I just carry it around in case I can scare someone off. That wasn’t going to be happening with you guys.”

  “It would have worked better if you wouldn’t have left it behind on the table. You should have been carrying it with you,” Nick said with a small chuckle as he checked over the gun. He turned and offered it to me, but I shook my head.

  Christian ran his finger through his wild, wavy hair as he looked me up and down. He turned back to Nick and the ends of his lips curled up slightly. “I wasn’t really expecting company, so I thought it would be okay on that table. I don’t even like touching that thing.”

  “There are some really evil guys out there. You’re lucky it’s us that found you and not them,” Nick said.

  “I wasn’t even sure if there was anyone else alive, to be honest,” Christian said with a shiver.

  I hadn’t noticed how cold the house had been until I saw his shoulders quiver. The small amount of sunlight that had been there before we came inside had probably diminished completely.

  “Come with me,” Christian said. “I’ll show you around.”

  Molly clapped her hands and tried to muffle her squeal of delight. “This place is like my dream house.”

  “It was mine too,” Christian said. “Bought the land and had it custom built. Only owned it for a year before all this happened. Didn’t even get to enjoy it.”

  “Wow,” Molly said her voice thick with jealousy. “You know, I had just gotten my first major role before this shit went down. I was out here visiting my parents when the shit hit the fan.”

  “Cool,” Christian said not sounding at all as if he cared. He gestured toward the door. “I’ll show you where the kitchen is first.”

  We walked through Christian’s enormous house. There were bedrooms and rooms with TV screens. A room with a bar. It didn’t look as though any of the rooms had been used.

  “This, in here, is the pantry,” Christian said after showing us the massive kitchen. The shelving units were stacked from top to bottom with everything you could imagine. My mouth watered at all of the options that were available to us after weeks, maybe months of snacking on nothing but bars and granola. “Help yourself to anything you’d like. I have a gas stove that still works.”

  “Where have you been sleeping?” Molly asked. She’d probably asked because none of the bedrooms looked as though they’d been used. Maybe Christian was the type that was tidy and made his bed every morning.

  “I’ve been sleeping in my studio,” Christian said jerking his chin to the side. “This way.”

  We followed him across the hallway and into the smallest room we’d seen on the tour, but still, by no means was it small. There were pillows on the sofa and more stacked on the floor.

  He had several blankets strewn about and a pile of dirty dishes and wrappers scattered on top of his large wooden desk. Christian had been the opposite of tidy.

  “Does the fireplace work?” Molly asked rubbing her palms together.

  “It does,” Christian said with a half-frown, “but I’m running out of wood.”

  “Lots of useable wood out there,” Bronx said. “You have an axe?”

  Christian shrugged. “Could be one in the garage. Anyway, I have enough for now. I’ll worry about it when the time comes.”

  “Better to be prepared,” Bronx said.

  Nick shook his head. I was pretty sure I could read his mind at that moment and he was wondering how Christian had made it this long. Sadly, he could have thought the same thing about us.

  “So, you said you wanted to stay for the night?” Christian asked.

  “Well, that was before we knew it was occupied,” Nick said.

  “Nick,” Molly groaned as she placed her hands on her hips. “It’s dark out, it’s not like we have a lot of options.”

  Nick gave her a small nod. “We can stay in the garage.”
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br />   “That works,” Christian said.

  “Thanks,” Nick said. “But I’m going to hang onto your gun until we leave.”

  Christian chuckled. “Like I told you before I really have no idea how to use it anyway. If I tried, I’d probably just end up shooting myself.”

  “Thanks for showing us around,” Nick said. “Nice place you got here.”

  “Thanks,” Christian said.

  Bronx and I were already at the door to leave his studio, but Nick practically had to pull Molly out of the room.

  “I bet the beds are so soft,” Molly said. “And clean.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Christian said. “Maid service hasn’t come in some time. Dust builds up quickly.”

  Nick grabbed Molly’s hand and pulled her back. She let out a long sigh.

  “Look, you guys can stay inside,” Christian said.

  “Are you sure?” Molly said wiggling her hand free from Nick. She didn’t wait for him to answer. “We really appreciate it. That’s so kind of you.”

  “Yeah,” Christian said. “I’m going to lock myself in here though. You guys are on your own.”

  Molly cocked her head to the side and scrunched up her nose. “Any other rooms with fireplaces?”

  “A few,” Christian said flopping down in his pile of blankets on the sofa. “Make yourself at home, I guess.”

  “Thanks,” Molly said bobbing her head as she backed toward the door. “Thank you so much. How about that song?”

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