From The Ashes (After The Burn Series) by Shyla Colt Read Free Book Online

Chapter One
     
    Devon Brown walked the perimeter of the dust laden gas station with broken windows and a sagging red awning. On the outskirts of town, the gray building we nt unnoticed by most. Traffic this far away from the revived area of the city where they lived and worked in, remained scarce. But she still took extreme caution making her way to the run down gas station that sat on the outskirts of the city limits.
    Three months into this new place , she fit in well. She didn’t want to upset the balance she’d found. Her eyes scanned the barren landscape. The chilly air carried the promise of winter. Frost formed in the mornings. It wouldn’t be long before they saw their first snow and this trek would become more difficult.
    Her mind shifted to her new housemate, David. Due to his presence , she hadn’t risked a full bath in a week. Hiding her secret got tricky with the young boy struck by hero worship dogging her every step. Privacy disappeared in this new society where the main goal was to live. Still, she enjoyed the jovial brunette. In his early twenties, he’d adjusted to life after the plague ten years prior, a lot easier than those who’d had a lifetime of normalcy. His optimistic countenance presented a pleasant change from the doom and gloom, survival of the fittest jungle the world had become.
    As a n only child, she’d lost her entire family when her folks fell victim to the mysterious strain of flu that crept into the population and never left. The souped up version of the Influenza took millions to their graves, and tossed the world into chaos. Raised on the good book, she’d thought it’d been the end of days. If only I’d been so lucky.
    Satisfied the integrity of the place held, she walked over to the bathroom door. The door creaked from disuse and she stepped inside, swiftly shutting the door behind her. A huge sigh of relief escaped her lungs, and she locked the door. For a short time, the burden of pretending to be something she wasn’t , lifted off her drooping shoulders. The daughter of a Forest Ranger she knew how to survive. So, when women became the new currency she’d lopped off her shoulder length black locks, lowered her voice and peddled her skills as Devon Brown, the man.
    She removed her book bag off her shoulders, placed it on the ground, and pulled out her necessary items, placing them on the counter she’d personally cleansed weeks ago. Prepped, she shrugged out of her flannel and stripped down to her underwear, bra and bindings. When her Double D’s became a feature that could endanger her freedom she’d said goodbye to femininity. She unwrapped the ace bandage and sucked in a deep breath of freedom. The uncomfortable feeling of being held tight never fully dissipated. Clad in skivvies, she turned on the faucet full force and picked up a bar of homemade soap and washcloth.
      She plunged her hand beneath the icy spray and built up a lather, flinching when she ran the soapy cloth over her torso. Her teeth chattered as she rinsed the material out and moved down her legs, saving her private area for last. Sure, a vagina didn’t shrink like a penis, but the chill damn near burned. She pushed down the tighty whiteys she’d pilfered from the store, and ran the soft cloth across her center. The door swung open in mid swipe with a loud bang. Blinding light flooded the dimly light room.
    Her jaw dropped and her mind short circuited, refusing to process properly. Micah filled the door frame with his broad shoulders. A villainous smirk spread across his thin lips. The lust visible in his dark blue eyes made her stomach lurch.
      “I knew there was something off about you.”
    She yanked up her underwear. He gave her a slow once over. Her skin crawled. The man rubbed her the wrong way. Rough, crude, and manipulative, Micah screamed untrustworthy.
    “What are you going to do?” She covered her breasts and shifted her weight, taking an aggressive stance. If she had to go down,