It sounded strange, but Colt could perhaps offer me the most safety of anyone. That wasn't an option I was going to consider at the moment though. Not till I had to anyway.
It was weird to consider, but if being taken advantage of was inevitable I preferred it be him as opposed to any of the others.
My thoughts troubled me and I tried to push them aside and focus in on just watching Colt be busy about the camp.
A couple of things occurred to me about him. It was apparent that Colt was a loner. I doubted that he did very well in a team like atmosphere, as he was too dominant and controlling for that.
He'd just finished putting up a lean-to shelter and gotten fresh water from somewhere. The man seemed to have boundless energy. He wore me out just looking at him.
*****
"Kim?"
My eyes had drifted shut and I jerked them open as I sat up a bit. I hadn't meant to fall asleep. Was I in trouble?
I glanced at his face to see that little smile was there again.
"It's probably all right for you to sleep now. Here I brought you a cushion."
He gestured to a cushion lying on the sand before me and I mumbled 'thank you' before I collapsed my head onto it. There were at least some perks to being highly sought after.
*****
Colt shook his head slightly still smiling. She'd gone asleep the instant her head hit the cushion.
He glanced up from her to the pack of fools discussing what should be done over by the fire. There was nothing to do but survive.
Colt sat down on the sand beside Kim. He was very tired and yet he held himself awake because he'd seen some of the glances directed at Kim from the others. It didn't take lawlessness long to form in the heart of man in the absence of societal oversight.
In such a lawless state as there now existed only strength could be respected. He was making just such a statement even now by remaining beside Kim's side. She was his and nobody else's. Her brother hadn't been so crazy about everything radically changing after all.
Colt glanced up at the orange glowing sky of drifting cloud cover overhead. He couldn't understand yet alone comprehend, how any of this was possible, but it was. Falling through the world to land on another world certainly constituted a radical change, so did having a woman in his life.
Not just any woman, but one that he had promised to protect. He'd gotten pretty lucky all things considered. She was gorgeous and she wasn't a small minded loser like the group of men over by the fire.