Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

SARAH

The world has changed, and now it’s a nightmare.

I’d lived my whole life on my dad’s ranch. It was a cozy place, tucked away in the mountains, where Outsiders never came.

Dad’s ranch was the last one still standing, the only one the raiders hadn’t picked clean. Over the years, thirty-five more souls found refuge in our home, people looking for a safe place to hide as the world grew even more dangerous.

We grew most of what we ate and hunted the rest, but the modern world was just… gone. No power, no internet. Electricity was a thing of the past. We cooked over campfires, and at night, it was just us and the candles.

That sense of isolation we’d always felt on my dad’s ranch, like the world couldn’t touch us, ended the day James Hill walked into our lives. My brother Michael found him while hunting in our woods, and instead of treating him like a trespasser, he made what I’d call the best decision of his life.

He brought James home.

From day one, there was just something about James. He was a mystery. And me? Well… I fucking love a good puzzle.

One night, while we were sitting around the fire, Bruce finally asked the question we’d all been thinking since James showed up.

“Hey, Outsider… uh, what’d you do to end up here?”

James didn’t answer. He just sat there, stone-faced, staring into the fire.

Even out on the ranch, rumors about Outsiders still made their way to us. We’d heard things. Ugly stories. About what they’d done, what they were capable of.

Brian, my best friend back then, crossed his arms and eyed James like he was a problem that needed solving. “Maybe he stole from a gang and now he’s on the run.”

“Then he’s already tougher than you, Brian,” Bruce shot back, smirking.

“James can do whatever he wants,” Chloe purred, scooting closer to him on the log like a cat marking its territory. Of course Bruce’s sister had to jump in, because God forbid a single conversation happen without Chloe’s opinion, whether you wanted it or not.

Brian rolled his eyes. “Right, because having a thief around is exactly what we need.”

“Why don’t you mind your own business, Brian?” I snapped, a little sharper than I meant to.

Michael and Bruce burst out laughing, but they weren’t the only ones whose attention I caught. James slowly turned his head toward me. Our eyes met, and he looked just as surprised as the others that I’d stood up to Brian for him. Hell, even I was surprised I’d done it.

“My dad said he could stay as long as he wanted,” I added, even though my hands were nervously tugging at the hem of my shirt. “We don’t turn people away here. If he’s here, he’s one of us now. Nobody gets hurt under this roof. It’s a good place to live… or to hide, if that’s what he needs.”

“Says the girl who’s a walking disaster,” Chloe said with a smirk. “What’s your injury count this week? Five? Ten?”

James’s eyebrows pulled together, and I started to worry. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was a total klutz. But Chloe wasn’t exactly making stuff up. I was pretty accident-prone. Most days started with a cut on my arm and ended with a sprained ankle.

I glared at Chloe. “Say one more word. I dare you.”

“What’s little Sarah gonna do? Hit me?”

“Wanna make a bet on that?”

“I’m so scared,” Chloe said, giving a dramatic, fake shiver.

I clenched my fists, ready to throw hands, but Bruce stepped in first.

“Enough, both of you,” Bruce said. “Come on, James. At least tell us how you ended up here.”

All eyes turned back to James. He glanced nervously at the fire, biting his bottom lip. Michael must’ve noticed, because he clapped his hands loud enough to snap everyone’s attention away from James.

“Everybody shut the fuck up and listen to me. I’ve got a killer story to tell.”

Michael never had a filter, and he didn’t care to. But somehow, it worked for him. He could cheer up any room, shut down any fight, and win over any woman he wanted.

He and James became friends overnight. Over the five months James stayed with us, they were practically inseparable. If you saw one, you could bet the other wasn’t far behind.

Back then, things were stable. We had a roof over our heads, plenty of food, and I actually knew what security felt like. But now? We’re not on my dad’s ranch anymore, and finding a new place that feels like home is like chasing shadows. It feels real when we’re sitting by the fire, pretending each place could be home. But when the sun comes up, we know it’s not safe enough. It never is.

On the road, every stop is temporary. Sometimes we stay for weeks, sometimes only one night. James says it’s better that way. He’s always on alert, while I’m more of a leap-first, think-later kind of girl.

Today, it’s a warm spring afternoon, and a breeze stirs my long blonde hair, tied back in two braids, as usual. I’m standing outside our cabin, holding a teacup that’s either half-empty or half-full, depending on how you look at it. I like to think it’s more full than empty.

The cabin’s surrounded by pine trees so thick they block the view for miles, but not far off, I can see an old abandoned town.

I take a sip of my chamomile tea, studying the ghost town in the distance. That town has been empty for years, though the way it’s falling apart, you’d think it had been abandoned for centuries. To me, it’s beautiful, like something left behind by people who used to believe in tomorrow. To James and Michael, it’s just another death trap.

Funny thing is, I found this cabin completely by accident—not that James would ever admit it. He says it’s just another case of me being stubborn.

After we lost half our camping gear in a storm, including the tents, I told them I’d check out that ghost town for replacements. James and Michael made it very clear they didn’t want me going alone. So naturally, I did exactly that. When I stopped to rest along the path, I spotted the cabin, half-hidden among the trees.

James didn’t speak to me for a whole day after. That’s how I knew he was furious. And worried. And maybe just a little impressed. But hey, at least now we have a place to stay.

We’ve been here four months now, the longest we’ve stayed anywhere. Four perfect months of not looking over our shoulders. Four perfect months of not jumping at every broken twig. Four perfect months of not worrying that someone’s gonna steal our food in the middle of the night. This cabin’s far from a palace. It’s got a broken window and a few holes in the roof, but it’s ours.

Home is where you make it, right?

Peeking out the window, I spot Michael at the dinner table by the fireplace, sharpening his machete. He’s got that angular jaw and messy blond hair that’s always falling into his eyes. It’s like looking at Dad all over again, and sometimes it freaks me out a little.

And just like Dad, he’s always protecting me, even when it’s annoying as hell.

In the backyard, James is chopping wood like it’s some kind of competitive sport. God, I can’t stop staring at him. His biceps flex with every swing of the axe, sweat sliding down the back of his neck, over those broad shoulders, and along the ridges of his back, where tight muscles shift beneath sun-warmed skin. Honestly, it might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. And the best part? He has no idea I’m sitting here, practically drooling over him.

I shake my head, tearing my eyes away before I get caught staring. With both of them busy, it’s the perfect time to put my plan into action.

I set my now-empty teacup on the windowsill and walk toward the woods near the cabin, breathing in the sharp scent of pine. But I only make it a few steps before hands grab my waist and pull me back.

My back hits a wall of solid muscle, and his grip locks me against him—one hand across my collarbone, the other low on my stomach. I try to look over my shoulder, but he stops me, pressing his forehead into my hair as he breathes me in.

I don’t need to see him, though; I know James’s touch too well.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he whispers, resting his chin on the top of my head.

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to ignore how hot I get when he holds me like this. “Who says I’m gonna tell you?”

James leans closer, his lips brushing my ear. “You sneaking off to that abandoned town again?”

I fight back a smile. “Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?”

“I know my troublemaker.”

I chuckle. “Yours?”

“Strike one, Sarah Williams.” He spins me around until I’m face-to-chest with all that muscle.

Here I am, barely reaching his shoulders, pressed against this tower of strength. He’s just like Michael: strong, tall, a survivor. They’re everything I’m not—or at least, that’s how it feels. But hey, size isn’t everything, right? I might be this tiny nineteen-year-old girl with braids and no muscles to show, but I’m powerful just the same. My stubbornness is my shield, and I wear it like a badge of honor—which, let’s be real, really annoys James and Michael.

“How’d you know I was out here?” I ask.

His lips twitch, almost like he’s trying not to smile. “You really think I didn’t see you out there, enjoying the view behind the cabin?”

I laugh. He must’ve seen me watching him chop wood. I swear, the man’s got eyes in the back of his head.

“God, you’re tense, James. Maybe you need to chop more wood or something. I can take care of myself, you know.”

He raises an eyebrow, deadpan. “We’ve been over this, Sarah. You can’t go into that town alone.”

“Hmm… weird. I don’t remember us having that conversation.”

“For your sake, I hope you’re lying.”

“That’s what makes it fun, James Hill.”

“Strike two!” He runs a hand through his wild, messy brown hair. He’s clearly pissed, but somehow he’s never looked so handsome. “When you need something, ask me. I’ll get it for you. I don’t want you near that town. Stay in the cabin.”

“And if I don’t stay in the cabin?”

His grip tightens on my waist. “Then I’ll have to make sure you do.”

I giggle. “But then, how am I gonna cause trouble?”

His jaw clenches so hard I can see the muscles twitch, and his blue eyes darken. “Sarah, be a good girl and do as I fucking say for once.”

“No promises.”

“Sarah, this is not a joke.”

“I’m laughing, aren’t I?”

James shakes his head. “Stop testing me, woman.”

“And for the record? I’m not your ‘woman,’ either.”

“That’s it. Strike three,” he growls.

Next thing I know, he’s got me pinned to the tree behind me, his body flush against mine. The bark digs into my back, but all I feel is him. All I see is him.

His lips crash into mine, and heat floods through me. He kisses me like he’s starving, but his tongue is soft and sweet, like warm honey.

Slowly, he pulls away from my lips and trails kisses down my neck, ending with a small bite that makes my eyes fly open.

“James!” I gasp, caught somewhere between shock and something way hotter.

He smirks, brushing his thumb along my jaw. “Hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

“Oh, I understand,” I say, trying to look all serious. But a tiny smile still slips onto my lips, and of course, he catches it. His brows furrow, head tilting as he tries to figure me out. And I know this is my chance to flip the script.

I clear my throat, playing innocent. “So, can I go into town now? Or are you just going to keep giving me… warnings?”

His lips curve into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. Seriously, if I wasn’t already head over heels for this man—which I totally am—that grin alone would’ve sealed the deal.

“Guess I’ve got no choice but to go to that town with you,” he says.

I grin. “That was always part of my plan.”

Sometimes I still laugh at how it all started between James and me. If anyone saw us now, they’d never guess that back when he lived on my dad’s ranch, we were practically strangers.

We never talked. Not a single conversation. He was Michael’s friend, and I was just Michael’s little sister.

Back then, I didn’t have the nerve to say a word, and he barely talked to anyone but Michael.

He stared a lot, though. Right from day one, it didn’t matter if I was tossing hay to the horses or lying in the garden with a book—his eyes were always on me. Always watching me.

Being under his gaze set off a full-on butterfly rave in my stomach, especially because it was his gaze. The Outsider. The man who’d seen the world, while I’d never set foot beyond the ranch’s fences.

For five months, that was us. No words.

But one day… everything changed.

The day the ranch was attacked was the end of our silence.

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