Free Broken World (Book 3): Mad World by Kate L. Mary Page B

world. I pull the sheet up to my chin.
    He rolls his eyes and cracks his knuckles. “So tell me about your group. Where have you been staying? How many people do you have?”
    I take a deep breath. How much do I tell him? I’m still not sure about this guy. I made it through the night without being attacked, but I can’t forget how I got here. I don’t trust him completely. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
    “We have a safe place outside the city.” I meet his gaze, but there’s no way he’ll be able to miss how elusive that answer is. “There will probably be four or five of our people at Paris.”
    He narrows his eyes. “Okay. So who will be there? Other than this Axl guy.”
    Who will be there? That’s a good question. “Axl’s brother, Angus, for sure.” He isn’t really a big fan of me, but he’d never let Axl go without him.
    Jon frowns. “Angus and Axl? How white trash are these guys?”
    My shoulders tense, and I sit up. Axl may be trailer trash, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let someone else put him down. Especially this guy. Angus I don’t give a shit about. “Watch it. Axl may not have grown up with much, but he’s smart and resourceful.”
    Jon smiles, and I have the sudden urge to punch him. “You’re not going to stick up for Angus?”
    I shrug and lean back against the headboard. “Angus is an ass and he’s trash all the way through, but he has his uses. And Axl loves him. I wouldn’t put up with him for anyone else. But for Axl…” Tears sting at the back of my eyes, and I have to look away.
    “I get it.”
    I clear my throat and swipe the back of my hand across my eyes. “Anyway, Winston and Trey will probably be there too. We picked Trey up on Route 66. He and his girlfriend were headed west after New York fell. We found Winston up in San Francisco along with another group.” I bite my lower lip and consider who else might be there. Anne? Probably not, she has Jake. Would Moira let Nathan out of her sight? It’s hard to say since I don’t know them very well, but it’s possible. He was the leader of their group. “Probably Nathan,” I say hesitantly. “We just found him a few days ago.” Has it really been only a few days since we went to Sam’s Club? It feels like years.
    Jon nods and lets out a sigh. “I’m really sorry for getting you into this.”
    He doesn’t sound too sorry, more like he’s only saying it to make me feel better. He’d probably slit my throat if it meant getting his sister back. Not that I can really blame him that much. I’d slit his throat if Axl were in danger and it would somehow save him. That’s the kind of world we live in now. Kill or be killed. Not a pleasant thought. Thinking about how much the world has changed in such a short time makes me nauseous.
    “Let’s focus on something else,” I say.
    He nods and climbs out of bed. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, and I pull the covers up to my chin, feeling even more vulnerable than before.
    His green eyes meet mine, and he grabs a pair of pants, shaking his head. “I’m not going to touch you.”
    “I think you would,” I say. “If you had to do it to save Megan.”
    Jon stops mid-zip and presses his lips together. “How would raping you save Megan?”
    My throat tightens just hearing him say the word. He’s not going to do it, though. I’m safe with him. Hopefully. “I’m not saying it would. I’m just pointing out that you would do it if you had to.”
    He looks down at the floor and swallows, but eventually nods. “You’re probably right. She’s all I have left.”
    Panic builds in my chest. Even though I knew it was true, hearing him acknowledge it is terrifying. But it’s a stupid thing to worry about. There’s no way it would ever come to that. It doesn’t even make sense. Then again, neither did zombies a few weeks ago. Anything can happen these days.
    Jon zips his pants and pulls a shirt over his head. Now that he’s dressed, my chest