Broken World (Book 6): Forgotten World by Kate L. Mary Page A

You want to be confident. Right?”
    “Right.”
    “Then you need to talk to him,” Ginny says. “Today. Don’t wait. Get it all out in the open so you can figure out what’s going on. Tell him how you feel.”
    She’s right. I can’t wait any longer. Life isn’t going to get less stressful any time soon.

 
     
    7
     
     
     
    THE OFFICE IS even more crowded than the first time we were here, but this time Axl doesn’t settle for hanging out in the hall. He pushes his way through the group of men shoved into the small space, his hand wrapped firmly around mine as he goes. Angus is behind us, but he’s the only one who follows.
    Elbows and arms knock into me, but I keep pace with Axl. We’re going out there, so we want to be in on the planning. It isn’t just about not trusting Dax, either. We’re used to calling the shots for our group, and there’s no way in hell we’re going to cross a zombie-infested country without knowing what we can expect from these men. Men who are definitely not interested in having us along and will most likely sacrifice our lives if it comes down to it.
    “Watch it,” a big man growls when Axl pushes him aside.
    He doesn’t bat an eye, and he doesn’t slow.
    We finally make it through the crowd, and the desk comes into view. On it sits the ham radio, and in the chair, Corinne is leaning forward. Adjusting the dials with her eyes focused straight ahead. Behind her, Dax looms like he’s ready to shove her aside so he can take over. When he looks up, his gaze meets mine. At the moment, his usual smile is gone, and with the way he’s standing, I can’t help thinking of a statue of some evil dictator who slaughtered half his country during a takeover. Someone who doesn’t have an ounce of sympathy for others or value human life outside his own. It sends a shiver shooting through me, and every hair on my body tingles as it stands on end. This guy is even more trouble than we originally thought.
    “We’re just getting through to Atlanta,” he says, his tone strong and cool.
    I nod and step closer to Axl.
    “You don’t have to be here.” Dax’s gaze moves from me to Axl, then over to Angus. “You don’t need to be concerned. You are our number one priority.”
    “If you think I’m gonna let you folks drag me out there without knowin’ what the hell to expect, you’re outta your damn mind.” Angus shakes his head and crosses his arms, glaring Dax’s way. “I don’t doubt that you wanna get me to Atlanta in one piece, but I’m gonna make sure I know what I’m in for.”
    Dax frowns, but before he can say anything, a voice crackles through the air. All around us, a hush falls over the crowd, and in the chair, Corinne sits up straighter.
    “This is Major Hendrix, over.”
    “Major Hendrix,” Corinne says into the receiver. “This is Hope Springs. We’re calling to let you know we have a group together, and they’ll be heading your way at the beginning of next week. Over.”
    “Why next week?” the man on the other end says. “Why not earlier? Over.”
    Corinne lifts her head and looks around, her eyes landing on Angus. “We need time to prepare. Over.”
    Dax shifts behind Corinne, and her shoulders slump forward. Almost like she’s trying to keep her distance. I study them as Corinne continues her conversation with the man out in Atlanta. The way she shies away from the big man behind her, how her eyes cloud over whenever Dax makes a sound. We were right. Corinne is trying to get rid of him. He’s threatened her position in the past, and he won’t stop. She knows it, so she’s sending him away. He may know it too, which doesn’t bode well for our trip. It concerns me that this man would be in charge of getting us across the country. Sure, he’ll keep Angus alive, but he doesn’t give a shit about the rest of us.
    The big man’s eyes narrow on the back of Corinne’s head, and Axl swears, shaking his head.
    “You okay?” I whisper.
    “This dude is