Free The Dragons of Men (The Sons of Liberty Book 2) by Jordan Ervin Page A

had before and attempted to shove all emotion out of his mind. He had others he was now responsible for, and he was already wasting time with this girl. He needed to get moving.
    Nevertheless, Eric might be willing to kill without mercy, but he wasn’t completely heartless.
    “Do you have family?” Eric asked as he bent down to her.
    “What?” the girl asked as she looked up with red and shock in her eyes.
    “Do you have anyone you can go to?”
    “My dad, maybe,” the girl replied. “My mom is in Greece and my sister is in Arkansas.”
    “Okay, your dad. Is he in the mall?”
    “No,” she replied. “He’s a security contractor on base with the Rangers. We live on base but he sent us into town for the night to stay with friends. When we woke up to the sound of bombing, we tried to call him but I couldn’t get through. We came here to take this and find out what’s going on.” The teenager began to breathe heavily, fighting the pain that clearly threatened to annihilate her sanity. “What’s happening?”
    A surge of pity and emotion struck Eric again, and this time he didn’t even try to hold it at bay. The teen was kneeling over the corpse of her brother in the city that bordered the base where her father had likely just died. Her mother was on the other side of the world and her sister might as well have been. The teenage girl pushed her hair away from her face and Eric noticed her for a second time—her sharp eyes, her smooth skin, and her athletic physique. She had the beginnings of a beautiful woman, something that might now cause her more harm than good.
    Don’t help her, the warrior inside whispered as a fresh wave of exhaustion rolled over him. You need to get back before you fall over. She’ll slow you down, require protection, and eat your food before likely dying because of some small stupid decision she makes.
    As the soldier’s voice pleaded with him, his compassion won out. Eric had been far younger than her when Gene saved him. Though he wanted to believe the teenage girl could look after herself, Eric knew she wouldn’t make it three days without someone killing her or worse. He muttered a curse as he held out his hand.
    “Fort Bragg was just destroyed,” Eric said. “I’m sorry, but if your dad was at the base then he’s gone. I’m not too keen to take on strangers but I can help you if you come with me now.”
    Emptiness filled the girl’s pretty eyes—a large pair of glistening caverns that glazed over like death—and she fell sideways, slumping up against the concrete wall next to them without a word.
    Don’t do it, Eric, the voice inside pleaded again. Go! He cursed once more before kneeling down to her and sitting next to her.
    Eric knew leaving the girl behind would set him on a dangerous path of apathy, but to save her, he needed her to snap back to reality.
    “My name is Eric Corsa. I have friends nearby that will help take care of you, but first, I need your help.” She stared ahead, her eyes unblinking as tears welled up and cascaded down her silky-smooth cheeks. “It’ll be okay. Just tell me your name and we’ll go from there.”
    She looked back at him, eyes widening and narrowing as though she was seeing him for the first time. He stared back with as warm of a smile as he could muster.
    “What’s your name?”
    “Alexandra,” the girl replied passively as she gazed at her dead brother.
    “Good,” Eric said calmly. “Do you have a last name, Alexandra?”
    “Andreou.”
    “Very good,” he said, glancing back at the door uneasily as a loud crash sounded out from beyond. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Alexandra Andreou. Now you said you have a sister in Arkansas. What’s her name?”
    “Nadia,” the girl responded absently. “She’s a…teacher out there.”
    “Great,” Eric said. “Now listen. I don’t think we can help you reach your mother in Greece right away, but my guess is that my friends and I will be heading west as soon