Aftershock. Jill Sorenson
were pretty gross. She’d only seen one men’s magazine before, which featured glamorous women in sexy shoes and expensive lingerie. These shots depicted worn-out hookers with mussed hair and weird grimaces.
They weren’t just posing, either.
Shuddering, she closed the pages. If getting pregnant by a stupid jerk hadn’t already put her off sex for life, this would have done the job. While she was placing the magazine back in the drawer, the semi started shaking.
Letting out a cry of distress, she covered her head with her arms and stayed still, waiting for the tremor to pass. The latest aftershocks weren’t as bad as the first ones. Those had been almost as strong as the original quake.
Maybe her father was right; God punished sinners. Especially female ones.
When it was over, she lifted her head, listening. That annoying car alarm sounded again, but only for a few seconds. Penny rose to her feet and looked toward the RV. Cadence had rushed outside to hug Don, her face crumpled in fear.
Penny felt a tiny stab of envy at the sight of their embrace. She missed her aunt, who’d been her only remaining supporter. She missed her parents, even her father, who thought she’d sullied the family name. Before she left home, he’d issued a stern warning about her pregnancy. If anyone found out, he would disown her. She was supposed to deliver the baby and quietly give it up for adoption. Either that, or get married.
Those were her only options.
Although she feared her father’s wrath, she was more afraid of dying in childbirth. If she got through to someone on the radio, she’d tell them who she was. She’d be honest about her family name and her condition, no matter what the cost.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and climbed out of the truck. Maybe Cadence would enjoy learning the SOS signal and hanging out inside the semi. Distracting the traumatized girl was the least Penny could do.
Before she reached Cadence and Don, one of the convicts stepped out of the shadows. It was the youngest, Owen. He came forward hesitantly, looking up at the ceiling of the cavern as if worried about falling debris. He held a brown paper bag against his chest.
When he saw Penny standing by the semi, he froze.
She didn’t even think of brandishing the pruning shears. Lifting her chin, she stared back at him. He looked awful. There were shiny black crescents under both eyes. The tattooed script along his neck and arms reminded her of newspaper.
He was a walking advertisement for hate.
His demeanor didn’t quite match the outside. He was tall and scary, but he didn’t appear comfortable in his skin. There was no hint of derision or arrogance. If anything, he seemed uncertain. Or...fascinated.
With what—her hideously misshapen form?
Don picked up his baseball bat in a challenging manner.
Owen tore his gaze away from Penny, blinking a few times, as if he’d seen a bright light. “I found a bag of toys and stuff in one of the cars,” he said, setting the package down. “It’s nothing we can use.”
They were all silent for several beats.
“What kind of toys?” Cadence asked.
He looked from Don to her, the corner of his mouth quirking. “The Nintendo DS might interest you. It’s got ‘Mario Kart.’”
“I’ve never played that game,” she said shyly.
“You haven’t? It’s pretty fun.”
Penny couldn’t imagine why he’d brought the device to Cadence. Most young men enjoyed video games just as much as kids. Under these circumstances, anything that could be used to pass the time was invaluable.
“There’s some baby blankets, too,” he said, glancing at Penny again. “They look new.”
Don didn’t thank him or set aside his bat. He kept his hand on Cadence’s shoulder, preventing her from moving forward.
For some reason, the baby items sent Penny over the edge. She was terrified of going into labor before they were rescued. Owen’s “gift” reminded her of her worst nightmare. How dare he waltz into this side of the cavern and stir up her fears? How dare he flash his white-power tats in front of a proud Mexicana and a mixed-race girl?
“Get out of here,” she said, her fingers closing over the handle of the pruning shears. If he tried anything, she’d snip his face.
He flinched at the harsh words, a flush creeping up his neck. Either from shame or anger, she couldn’t tell. But he didn’t step closer or talk back to her. Nodding politely, he turned away, limping into the dark.
As soon as he was gone, Don retrieved the paper bag. He found the game player and a purple-haired doll with black button eyes for Cadence. “Go back inside now,” he said, passing her the items.
Cradling both in her arms, she returned to the RV.
Don rifled through the remaining contents, as if making sure they were safe, before he handed the bag to Penny.
Her throat tightened when she saw the soft blankets inside. Her aunt had taken her shopping for baby items last week. It seemed like a year ago. She’d purchased some unisex clothes and accessories, along with a big box of newborn diapers. Tyler hadn’t bought her anything, of course. He hadn’t sent a single gift.
She resented Owen for doing more than the baby’s father.
Not that she took his gesture at face value. He might be planning to steal the rest of their food. One of his buddies had tried to rape Lauren last night. She didn’t know why those men had been in jail, and she wasn’t going to let her guard down.
Garrett and Lauren returned from their supply run, arms filled with miscellaneous items. Nothing Penny was interested in. She would have killed for an orange. The only fruit they had left was a spotted banana.
“Is it okay if I take Cadence back to the semi with me?” she asked Don. “I can show her how to do Morse code.”
He agreed, perhaps intending to speak with the others about Owen. Penny was torn between staying and going. She wanted to be treated like an adult, but the responsibility was overwhelming. Being pregnant, in itself, was a chore.
Cadence brought her doll and game device with her. Penny, who had played “Super Mario Kart” once before, gave her some tips. To Penny’s surprise, the girl set the device aside after a few minutes.
“Why’d you tell that man to go away?” she asked.
“Because I’m afraid of him. You should be, too.”
She shrugged. “He seems nice.”
“Do you know what that tattoo on his hand means?”
Cadence’s face became troubled. “Yeah. My mom told me to stay away from people like him. They hate us.”
Penny was relieved that she didn’t need to explain, but she felt sad for Cadence. A girl her age shouldn’t have to deal with ignorance and hate.
“What if he made a mistake?” Cadence asked. “Some people get tattoos and feel sorry about it later. I saw a girl on MTV who had her name spelled wrong on the back of her neck. That was pretty dumb.”
“He’s got a lot of tattoos. They can’t all be mistakes.”
“I think he likes you,” she said.
Penny recoiled from the notion. Smoothing a hand over her watermelon-size stomach, she glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror. If Owen found her deformed figure attractive, he had really bad taste. But they’d already established that.
“One of the other men attacked Lauren,” Penny warned, frowning at herself.
“I know. My grandpa told me. He doesn’t want us to get hurt.”
Don had been