Refugee Road (Freedom Fighters Series Book 1) by Nikki Landis

and yanked me backward into a darkened building. I tried to struggle but this person was too strong, with muscular arms holding me like steel cables.
    “Lizzie, it’s me. Stop struggling, gorgeous.” Alec!
    He let go and laughed lightly, spinning me around. Relief flooded my system. I threw my arms around him, ecstatic. He instantly hugged me, his mouth lingering dangerously close to mine. The heat of his breath stole through the air and brushed against my lips.
    “I missed you Lizzie.” His eyes locked on to mine. For a second I forgot how to breathe. “It was good luck I spotted you. Your braid gives you away.” He laughed, pulling on it lightly.
    “I missed you too. What’s going on?” How did he find me?
    “I caught you on the television monitors. You guys are lucky it was only me that saw you.” He smirked and cocked an eyebrow in my direction. “Are you always this careless?”
    “Uh oh. Um, no. Are we in danger?” I asked, alarmed.
    “Possibly. From now on, you should try to warn me so I can be on look-out for your supply runs. It would be much safer,” he suggested.
    “Are you offering your services?” I teased.
    He grinned. “Yes, of course. I’ll save you milady.”
    I giggled as he pretended to bow. I really had missed him.
    “Can you get away? We never got a chance to talk,” I asked, wishing I could speak to him longer. There wasn’t time now. Darren would be here any second.
    “I know. I only have a few minutes,” he replied, suddenly serious, his hand brushing across my cheek softly.
    That’s how Darren found us, bursting into the room, pistol aimed at Alec’s head. He froze when he saw how Alec was touching me, his eyes narrowing in confusion and mistrust.
    I ran over to him and grabbed his hand, preventing the inevitable explosion that would have followed. “Darren, this is Alec. He’s on our side, infiltrating the militia. He has a proposal I think you will want to hear. Alec, this is Darren, our leader.”
    Both guys sized each other up, in a matter of seconds, shaking hands stiffly. Alec immediately seemed to relax, considering Darren less than a threat. Darren, however, seemed to grow more irritated by the moment. It was clear he had formed an instant dislike of Alec. With humor, Alec watched his reaction.
    “As I told Lizzie, it’s lucky I am the only one who saw you both on the monitors. The alarm would have been sounded and you never would have made it out of here. If we can work some kind of schedule or plan, I can make sure I’m the one on watch when you come for supplies. I’m stationed here for a while,” he informed us, winking at me.
    I smiled. This was good. I would see him again. Regularly.
    “Why would you do that? Aren’t you risking your own neck?” Darren asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Alec and me. I’m pretty sure he didn’t miss the wink.
    “I have my reasons,” he paused and looked at me directly, “but you should know that I don’t have any love for the militia either. They killed my family…brutally. You can trust me on this.”
    Darren looked pissed but conceded. I know he was unhappy. It was obvious that Alec was making the majority of his choices because of me. More than that, Darren was a control freak, and always wanted to be the one who decided everything. Not this time. It chafed at him. You could see it in his eyes.
    “Agreed. We should work together. This could benefit our camp a great deal. We usually run this route once a month, if able. Is there a time that works best for you?” Despite his obvious feelings, Darren held himself in check.
    “The end of the month is best, before count. Things can get lost, misplaced. If the count is off on supplies, it is less of a concern. Work for you?” Alec asked.
    “Yes, I’ll make sure that we arrive the last Friday of each month. It’s good to have someone on the inside. Thanks,” he admitted roughly.
    “I wouldn’t thank me just yet. I have a condition. I’m only