All The Pretty Ghosts (The Never Series Book 1) by Jamie Campbell (my miracle luna book free read .TXT) 📕

to me next. I almost would have welcomed a heavy blow to the head. At least then I would be unconscious for a while longer and not have to deal with any of it.

He crouched down so we were at the same eye level, holding something up. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust in the dimness of the light. I was surprised to see he held a piece of bread. “You hungry?”

“Does it matter?” I shot back. I really didn’t want him to know how much I was salivating for that piece of bread. It was like he was waving a home cooked dinner in front of me.

Jet let out a breathy laugh. “You really are a little porcupine, aren’t you?” He paused, like I was supposed to say something but my mouth was firmly closed. I didn’t want to risk saying something else that would stand in the way of me getting that bread. “Porcupine, get it? You’re prickly.” He laughed at his own joke.

I really wanted to shoot a great comeback at him but my brain was processing things too slowly. I stared at him instead, trying to keep my eyes off the one piece of food I had seen in ages and was likely to ever see again.

“Okay, okay, so you don’t think I’m funny,” Jet continued. “I bet you are hungry, though. I hope you’re not gluten free.” He broke off a piece of the bread and held it in front of my mouth. There was no point in being proud now, I parted my lips and he popped it in.

That stale morsel tasted like the best piece of bread I had ever eaten. I forced myself to chew slowly, to savor every last bite. Jet waited patiently while he fed me the entire thing. It did nothing to cure the gut-busting hunger in my belly but at least it was something. He followed it with a big glass of water. I was dining like a queen.

Between sips of water, my brain was starting to function again. “So are you guys a gang or something?”

Jet’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Something like that, I guess.”

“Why do you all stick together? Most people are only out to help themselves these days.” Call it morbid curiosity or absolute boredom, but I suddenly really needed to know what was going on.

“There’s safety in numbers.”

“There’s also more people to feed.”

“There’s also more people to fight,” Jet pointed out. “We’re all fighting for our survival out here. Literally.”

“Are you going to kill me?” I asked.

Jet shook his head as he pursed his lips, like he was considering the answer to my question. Surely he shouldn’t have to think about whether he was going to keep me alive or not. “Don’t worry, princess. We’ll work something out.”

He patted me on the head and stood, addressing the others. “Come on guys, we’ve got a raid to do. Taz, don’t hurt her.” A few grunts and cheers came from the boys as they followed him out the door.

Everyone except Taz.

They may as well have left a lion to look after me with the way Taz’s attention snapped around in my direction. I was his prey, that was clear from the look he gave me.

And I was nothing but a field mouse.

A restrained field mouse.

“Well, it looks like it’s just you and me,” Taz said, smirking as he slowly walked toward me. Every ounce of blood in my veins ran cold.

“Jet said you couldn’t hurt me,” I pointed out, in case he hadn’t been paying attention to the orders of his fearless leader.

“Who said I’m going to hurt you?” He feigned innocence, but there was nothing innocent about him. I doubted whether he’d had one pure thought his entire life.

“Don’t touch me.” The fear was making my voice shaky, as much as I wished it would hold still. I didn’t want to show any kind of weakness in front of a guy like Taz. It only made him feel like he had won.

He got so close to me his rancid breath was blowing on my face. I would have loved to step a few feet back. If I wasn’t tied up, anyway.

“You’re real pretty, Everly.” The way he said my name made my skin crawl. “You’ve also got quite a mouth on you. Did you speak to your mama like that?”

“Did you speak to your mama like that?” I clamped my lips together, trying not to say anything else. Antagonizing him was not going to make the situation any better. It would only add fuel to the already-burning fire.

Who was I kidding? It was a full-on blaze by now.

Taz started laughing. “My mama wouldn’t approve of anything I’m about to do to you.” He slid one finger up and down my arm. If it had been done by anyone that I actually cared about or loved, it would have been sensual. But when Taz did it, I wanted to vomit.

“You don’t want to touch me,” I warned. Not that I had anything to back it up with. Considering I was restrained and we were alone – probably for quite some time – he was the one in charge. I just wished he didn’t realize that too.

“I don’t? You look pretty darn tasty from where I’m standing. Now, how do I get those clothes off you without untying you? Have any suggestions?”

“Leave me alone. Jet said-”

He waved my words away like they were nothing. “Jet said not to hurt you, I know. Play your cards right and you could enjoy it just as much as I’m gonna.”

Both of his hands fell on my breasts and squeezed. I jumped involuntarily from the sudden movement. I really needed to get the hell out of here.

Taz stood back and examined me, his eyes