The Arrivals

Chapter 39

Over the next week, Kitty was a fury of cleaning and removing anything that made her think of Ajani. Chloe and Jack let her lead them through the house—which by Wasteland law was now Chloe’s possession, as were all of Ajani’s holdings.

Garuda had nominated Jack for governor the very same day the Arrivals went after Ajani. They’d learned that the morning after Ajani’s death, and what with the persuasive powers of Kitty and Garuda, Jack’s every objection to the position was quickly dispelled.

“We could burn it all,” Kitty suggested again. “I hate seeing it.”

Jack sighed. “Katherine, why don’t you rest? Chloe and I can sort through this pile.”

They went on that way for hours, gathering Ajani’s possessions and then sending them away to be claimed by anyone who wanted them. The idea of doing the same thing at his other houses was daunting, but for now, all they really needed was one place free of his presence.

Edgar, Melody, and Daniel were dead in three of the house’s rooms. Francis was recovering in another room, and five of Ajani’s other people were staying on in Chloe’s employ. A few others were debating what to do, and some had simply left. It was an odd state of affairs, and the tension in the house was wearing out everyone.

No one knew for sure if all of the Arrivals were now immortal, but as much as they could figure based on what they’d learned from Ajani, they’d only died permanently, up until now, because he’d needed their deaths in order to open the “wormholes.” Of course, Kitty had pointed out that she could do the “same damn thing as Ajani, so they’d better not fuck up.”

Garuda’s frequent visits helped her to feel calm, but even his influence couldn’t keep the panic at bay, and Jack and Chloe spoke daily about what they’d do if Edgar stayed dead. Oddly, Chloe and Francis took turns waiting with Melody, but the only people Kitty would let near Edgar were Jack, Chloe, and Garuda.

So when Edgar, Daniel, and Melody all awoke, Chloe actually wept with joy.

“Fucking Hector” were the first words Melody said when she opened his eyes. “Where is he?”

In the other room, Edgar and Kitty locked the door and didn’t come out for hours.

Things in the house were far from what Chloe had once considered normal, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted the kind of normal she’d once sought. She glanced at Jack, and together they walked to the sitting room, where they’d been spending hours talking about everything from how to handle Ajani’s possessions to movies she’d seen back home.

They closed the door behind them, and for a moment they stood staring at each other. Chloe wasn’t sure there were words enough to explain the things she’d figured out the past couple of days, but she owed it to Jack and to herself to try.

“I’m not ready for this,” she started.

Jack nodded, but he still frowned.

Chloe took the nod as encouragement to keep talking. “A few days ago I lived in a world with televisions, smartphones, and about a million other things that don’t exist in the Wasteland. That world also lacks the kinds of monsters that are here, and”—she caught his gaze and held it—“also the kind of men here.”

The way she felt in his arms wasn’t the sort of thing she wanted to ignore—neither was the fact that he was a good man. He’d stood by his sister, put her well-being before his own, and that kind of devotion was rare. He’d protected his team, tried to make the Wasteland a better place, and didn’t put his own needs before anyone’s. Even now, he was looking at her with concern.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. Katherine can’t endure the idea of killing someone in order to send you back. She thought about doing it to Hector after what he did, but . . . she’s sick of killing,” he said.

“I chose to stay,” she reminded him.

The frown he wore vanished, replaced with a look of hope. “I’m sorry I called you Mary. Before, I mean.” He swallowed nervously. “She was a good friend, but I meant what I said. We weren’t what you and I . . . what I mean is . . . I’m hoping that you and me . . .” His words faded, and he pulled her to him and kissed her.

Chloe didn’t resist. Of all the things in this world that didn’t make sense, she was pretty sure that this did. Her lips parted under his, and her arms wrapped around him.

When he pulled away from the kiss, she kept her arms around him and murmured, “Me too. I want to get to know you, Jack.”

He smiled. “I’m awfully glad you’re not hurt. Ajani and I had an accord of sorts, that we didn’t force anyone to side with either of us, but I wanted to . . . I would’ve broken all the rules for you if I could have.” Jack leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t remember the last time I let my own wants get in the way of the good of the group. You’re different. This is . . . not just lust.”

“Good.” Chloe laughed a little at both of them. He’d stayed pressed up against her so tightly that she was having a difficult time not telling him to shut up so they could get back to kissing. In a not so subtle move, she rocked her hips forward. Jack slid his hand up her spine, holding her to him.

Chloe stilled as she heard Kitty’s voice. “You need to go slowly, Edgar. What if—” Her words ended abruptly on a squeal and a thump.

Chloe and Jack exchanged a look. “You two need your own house,” Chloe yelled. “I’ll even give you this one. Early wedding present.”

Jack laughed, and she led him outside to the courtyard. Once they were away from the blissful couple, Chloe continued, “I’m staying, and since I am, maybe we can go on some sort of dates or whatever, too.” She smiled at him, the new governor, as they stood in the courtyard of one of her houses and teased, “If you wanted, you could court me.”

Jack’s bemused expression was endearing as he loosened his hold on her. He cleared his throat and said, “I don’t know the rules for your time, but I can try.”

Chloe tilted her head so her lips were closer to his ear and whispered, “In my time, courting doesn’t mean no lust, Jack. It just means we do other things too.”

The wicked smile he gave her was enough to make Chloe glad he already had his arms around her.