It's two weeks after my release before I step foot in the Safe House, now finally able to walk on my own. Emilia steps in behind me, shutting the door as I look around at the familiar kitchen. There was absolutely no point arguing with her to stay at home, she's part of this now, whether I like it or not.
The thought of everything that happened whilst I was locked up has me on edge, rage building inside me at the idea that Emilia is now at risk and in danger, all because of the stupid mistake I made with Kayla.
We went to see her three days ago, Kayla and Emilia crying as they hugged, the scar on Kayla's face an obvious giveaway that she'd been treated as poorly as I. Jace and Emilia had cooked dinner as Kayla and I sat in their garden, sharing a bottle of vodka, complete silence between us. We didn't need to talk, we knew what each other had fucking been through, and we accepted that from one another, ignoring the happy chatter coming from our respective spouses in the kitchen.
"Zac!" Bridget exclaims as she barrels into the kitchen, throwing her arms around my neck as Emilia smiles.
"Hey," I reply, as she steps back.
"I'm glad you're okay." She smiles and I grin, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.
"If anyone is going to kill me, it won't be the fucking Enforcers," I retort, leading her into the next room. Kieran looks up as I enter, nodding in greeting.
"Zac, it's good to have you back."
"Good to be back," I retort, slouching down in the chair beside him. "Fill me in on what I've missed."
"Over the entire month?" Bridget snorts. "That'll take all day. Did you see Em's tattoos?"
"Yes," I snap as Emilia raises an eyebrow, pulling a chair out across the other side of the table. "Remind me to kill you later."
Bridget grins. "I tried to tell her no!" She raises her hands in surrender as she looks to Emilia.
"Is Jordan at work?" I ask Kieran and he nods.
"Him, Claudia and Anna."
"Alright." I nod. "What's this?" I pick up the sheet of paper in front of me.
"Another missing person," Bridget mutters, my eyes trailing over the image.
"William Alexson," Emilia reads out. "I went to school with him."
"He's twenty?"
"Yeah."
"Married?"
"No."
"No?" I raise an eyebrow. "What's the updated ratio of single to married so far?" I ask and Bridget turns to the board, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Five married, twenty six single."
"They're determined to cling onto their married population." Emilia scoffs, sitting forward in her chair.
"They are," I agree, throwing the paper down.
"Do we know if their population attempts are even working?" Bridget asks. "How many people in the married sector even have babies?"
"Eighteen couples out of sixty eight have a child," Kieran replies, thumbing through the papers beside him.
"Oh!" Emilia exclaims. "That's something you missed whilst you were gone. The Enforcers raided twenty one houses in the married sector looking for contraband."
"Contraband?" I repeat, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Condoms," she clarifies, her lips in a tight line, looking mildly pissed off. Her expression almost makes me want to laugh.
"Apparently Germain sees them as extremely counter-productive." Kieran smirks.
"Don't you worry, Emilia," I reply, sitting back in my chair. "I have plenty."
"Really?" Bridget rolls her eyes as Emilia scoffs, narrowing her eyes at me. I shrug, Kieran smirking when Bridget chucks her pen at me.
"Alright." Kieran grins. "Bridget and Jordan have managed to obtain a few more guns and ammunition," he tells me. "A couple of grenades too."
"They're in the basement?" I ask and he nods. "I'll check them out later."
"I thought I heard familiar voices." Jordan grins, entering from the kitchen, dropping his bag on the ground. "Zac, Emilia!"
"Hey." Emilia smiles as he makes his way over, hand digging into his bag and pulling something out, placing it on the table.
"Another SA80," I exclaim and he nods.
"Great," Emilia says, looking at the gun as she leans back, crossing her arms. "When are we going to use them?"
"You? Never," I retort and she rolls her eyes.
"We have more weapons than people," she argues. "When are we going to do something about it?"
"We need an opening, an opportunity-"
"We should make our own opportunities!" Emilia cuts Bridget off, standing up. "There are other ways to hurt the State than just waiting for the day you can take the whole thing down! We should attack sections that will affect how they can work."
"Like?" Kieran asks, sitting forward in his chair.
"I... I don't know!" Emilia admits. "But there must be something we can do."
"Like guerrilla warfare," I suggest, sitting forward, my gaze locked onto Emilia.
"Yes."
"That could work," I reply, looking around at the table and attempting to ignore the surprise on Emilia's face.
"It could," Bridget agrees. "But what exactly do we attack?"
"I work in the fields," Emilia pipes up and Jordan shakes his head.
"We can't destroy the crops, that'll fuck all of us over," he argues.
"I know, but what about their little State house?"
"State house?" I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.
"They have this little log cabin on the far end of the farm that none of us are allowed near because apparently it's for the Enforcers to rest and recover when they finish their shift," she explains. "But Kayla was permitted inside once, she had to take them a sack of sugar because they'd run out. It's full of branded food, stuff that we probably haven't seen for years," she continues. "Germain saves it for herself. I think she distributes some to all of her followers."
"What?" Bridget exclaims. "Branded food?"
"Kayla said she saw bottle among bottle of wine, different pastas and spice jars."
"Fucking bastards!" Bridget snaps, shaking her head as she sits back.
"What are you suggesting?" Jordan asks, slouching down into a chair.
Emilia shrugs once before looking up and making eye contact with me. "That we blow it up," she says and I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face. Fucking hell. This girl may be better than I've given her credit for.
"Kieran," I say, not moving my eyes from Emilia.
"Yes?" Kieran replies.
"Do you still have access to the map room?" I ask, finally looking towards him.
"I'm back at Beeston Station next week so I'll be able to get into it then."
"Find whatever you can about the floorplans for this State house," I tell him and he grins.
"Anna could look in the State offices too," Bridget adds and I nod, Emilia sinking back down into her chair.
"This will need to be well planned," Jordan says. "We need to make sure there aren't any tripwires or traps around the property."
"I can go-"
"No," I cut Emilia off, her instantly shooting me a glare.
"I'm not incapable!"
"I agree with Zac," Jordan pipes up. "Bridget and I can obtain a weapon scanner from the factory and borrow it without anyone noticing for a day or two."
"A weapon scanner?" Emilia's eyebrows furrow.
"It literally lets you scan the area to find out what weapons are hidden in exposed areas." Bridget grins. "I've always wanted to use it!"
"Jordan?" Claudia's voice calls out before she appears in the doorway, grinning at the sight of us. "Look at this, the gang back together!" She grins before walking over and kissing Jordan on the lips, sinking into his lip.
"We're missing Anna," Kieran points out and Bridget rolls her eyes, Emilia tensing her jaw. I furrow my eyebrows at the action but choose to ignore it, instead turning my attention back to the paperwork in front of me.
"What else have I missed?"
"An increased production of ammunition," Jordan informs me. "They've tripled what we were producing three months ago."
"What the fuck are they expecting to need that for?"
"Enforcing more rules?" Bridget suggests. "I can't live like this much longer."
"Me neither," I answer, not moving my eyes from the paper as I feel Emilia's stare burning a hole in the side of my head.
"Well, without you in transport we haven't been able to get much information regarding what they're moving and when," Kieran comments and I put the paperwork down.
"I go back on Friday."
"As in two days from now?" Bridget exclaims, and I nod. "That's fucking appalling."
"I went to jail Bridget, not on a fucking holiday."
"Even so!" Emilia snaps. "You're not completely healed-"
"Enough!" I yell, slamming my fist down on the table. "I'm well enough to sit behind a fucking wheel and drive."
"No, you're not!"
"Stop fucking babying me!" I yell once more, shooting upright as she does the same, both of us glaring at each other across the table. "I wish you wouldn't fucking follow me around all day long. It's getting boring Emilia, I need a fucking break!"
"Fucking jerk!" she snaps before turning on her heel and leaving the room.
"I'll go see if she's okay," Claudia says quietly before heading after her as I sink down onto my chair.
"Jordan, I'll come with you to see if we have enough ammo for that gun," Kieran mutters, both of them standing, Jordan grabbing the gun from the table before they disappear.
"You know, it's only because she cares about you," Bridget says, the only one having not moved. "We all do."
"I know," I snap. "But it's been two weeks. I'm fucking fine!"
"You can lie to yourself all you want, we can all see the truth," she snaps, standing up and storming back out in the direction of Emilia.
"Fuck!" I yell, grabbing onto the pen in front of me and launching it at the wall, wishing I had something heavier to chuck. Sinking down on the chair, I rest my head in my hands and shut my eyes.
I know that Emilia is trying her hardest, I know that she's constantly trying to make sure that I'm doing okay. She's always there when I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, holding my face in her hands and promising me it's all okay.
As soon as she gets back from work, she insists on making dinner and then eating it together on the couch because it's 'far comfier than the shitty dining table'. She's trying her best, yet every worry is driving me insane. I'm fed up of people thinking I can't look after myself when in fact, I'd probably be better off alone.
"Zac?" The high pitched voice has me rolling my eyes before I look up at the grinning brunette in the doorway. "Is no-one else here?"
"They're around," I mutter. "Somewhere."
"I'm so happy to see you!" Anna grins and I stand up, ignoring her as I begin to pile the papers back into piles. "I was so worried about you, but here you are. Exactly the same."
"The same?" I repeat, turning to face her as she crosses her arms, clearly attempting to enhance her cleavage.
"Sure." She shrugs. "A few weeks of working out and I'm sure all that muscle will return." So, not the same then. Idiot.
"I'm busy, Anna."
"Seriously?" She scoffs. "We've been apart for over a month!"
"So?" I snap, turning to face her.
"I've missed you." she comments.
"I don't know why," I mutter and she takes a step closer. "We aren't together."
"Are you saying you don't miss the mornings you woke up to me sucking you off?" She grins, taking another step closer. After the mind blowing session that Emilia gave me, absolutely not.
"Anna, I told you we were done," I remind her and she rolls her eyes.
"You didn't mean that."
"Actually, I did," I retort, turning back to the table and folding the map of Killmoor up that covers the surface. I don't want to look at that place for any longer than I have to.
"Zac?" Emilia walks back in and I look up.
"Emilia, I'm sor-"
"Anna," Emilia cuts me off, her expression morphing from one of apology to an emotionless mask.
"I shouldn't have said what I said," I say, ignoring the elephant in the room and walking over towards Emilia. "I know that you're only trying to help."
"What's she doing here?" she replies softly and I shrug.
"I don't know, I think she got back from work," I reply. "Why?"
"I am stood right here, you know?" Anna snaps, rolling her eyes at us. "You don't need to talk about me like I'm not here."
"Yeah we do," Emilia replies and I can't help but smirk, grabbing onto her waist as she looks into my eyes.
"I needed to talk to Zac because we have unfinished business," she tells us and I shake my head.
"No we don't," I mutter.
"Zac, I really need to speak with you."
"He doesn't want to talk to you!" Emilia snaps, her eyes blazing with frustration.
"Fine, Emilia." Anna shrugs. "I'll tell him right here."
"Tell him what?"
"What you've been hiding."
"I haven't hidden anything from him!" Emilia retorts, shaking her head as she smiles at me.
"Oh yeah?" Anna snaps. "Did you tell him that during the time he spent locked up, you thought you were having another man's baby?"
My hands fall from Emilia's waist as the smile disappears from her face.
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Oooooohhh! Thoughts? How is Zac going to react?
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Love to all xxxx