Page 28 of After the Burn

I suspected they were hoping more enhanced women would show up.

Mace was one of those.

Strength mattered here.

Powerful men got bigger homes and more food. They held more influence.

And sometimes more women.

A blonde crossed the street carrying folded laundry while two men openly argued behind her near the fire.

“Gideon already promised her to Carter.” The first man insisted.

“She ain’t claimed yet.” The other said, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

The woman put her head down and kept walking, as if she’d heard conversations like that too many times to react anymore.

Something ugly twisted low in my gut. “This place is rotting from the inside out.”

Adrian finally looked up from the map. “Most towns probably are at this point.”

“Not like this one,” I insisted.

He shrugged. “The shortage of women is going to cause society to break down faster than the infected, and places like this will be the rule rather than the exception.”

Gideon stepped out of the courthouse then, calm as ever, his dark coat hanging open despite the cold. He looked like the kind of man people trusted instinctively.

Tall, clean-cut, and relatively handsome.

An angel’s name wrapped around something rotten.

He spotted us immediately and smiled slightly before crossing the street toward the fire pit.

I didn’t bother hiding my irritation.

“Beck. Adrian.” Gideon nodded politely as he approached. “Settling in alright?”

“Fantastic,” I deadpanned.

His smile widened slightly, as if he appreciated sarcasm.

I wanted to punch him just on principle.

“We appreciate the hospitality,” Adrian answered smoothly before I could say something useful, like go fuck yourself.

Liar.

Necessary liar.

Gideon’s attention shifted toward me again. “I’m surprised you haven’t tried your luck in the ring yet.”

I shrugged. “I’m more of a lover than a fighter.”

Gideon smirked. “There’s a gathering tomorrow night,” he continued, ignoring my sarcastic remark. “You might be interested in throwing your hat in the ring. The number of available women is dropping steadily.”

Translation: I like to see what kind of asset you’ll be to my community.

“Is this a suggestion or a demand?” I raised an eyebrow.