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decorated—clearly their leader. I hide my smile at the way he stands there, his hands resting lightly on the hilt of his knives, his posture loose and unconcerned.
    Two harmless Haven travelers, divested of their weapons, their blood tests clean.
    That’s what he sees—all he sees. Finn dressed us well for this part, with his too-polished clothes and insistence that I dress up.
    We’ve made an impression, all right.
    They’re idiots, comfortable because they think we’re no threat. That, more than anything, convinces me that they have no idea who Finn is.
    No one could know Finn O’Malley and think he’s anything less than a threat. He stands next to me, a relaxed stance. “Just a vacation with my fiancée. She’s never been far from our haven.”
    “Why 9? Why now?” the leader asks.
    “Her father had some business here, so we thought we’d deliver it for him. And my leave came now.”
    His gaze sharpens on us, and I shake my head. Finn slipped that in on purpose. “Leave. Are you a Walker?”
    “Of Haven 29,” Finn lies easily.
    29 is to the east, along what used to be the Canadian border. It’s far enough away that they won’t bother to check our story. Finn would have an easy story ready. I wonder, idly, if anything ever catches him unaware.
    There’s a brief discussion about our paperwork, which somehow got lost, and Finn loses his temper. It’s amazing how quickly and well he can act.
    “You have a hostel, don’t you?” he finally demands.
    The Walkers look disconcerted, and one says, “There’s an empty room in the barracks, if you’d like to stay there.”
    Finn flicks a glance at me, and I make a face. A wealthy girl on her vacation wouldn’t want to stay with soldiers in a smelly barrack. She’d be furious, and I know that’s the part I have to play.
    “I don’t care where we go,” I whine. “I just want to go to bed.”
    There’s a beat of silence followed by a badly muffled laugh. My face flushes.
    Finn’s eyes seem to laugh at me before he shuts the emotion down and turns back to the Walkers. “We’ll take it. Thank you.”
    “What of your transport?” the captain asks lazily. “Leaving a ZTNK like that is asking for it to be stolen.”
    For the first time, some of the idle disinterest slips from Finn, and I can see—
they
can see—the barely controlled violence simmering under the surface. “They are welcome to try,” he says softly, expressionless.
    The walkers go still, staring at him, as if they aren’t really sure what to do. As if they suddenly realize the lamb is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and they let that into their Haven. A few exchange wild looks, and then Finn snaps his fingers at me and I snarl softly. His gaze darts to me. Without too much complaint, I go to his side, and we follow the Walker silently to the empty barrack that will be our home for the duration.

Chapter 12. Tiny Bed. Big Adjustments
    The first thing I notice as we step into the room is that the bed is miniscule and narrow. An unfortunate looking mattress on a bare wire frame. A thing meant for utility and not comfort, and sure as hell not for sharing. I look away almost as quickly, my gaze colliding with Finn’s. His gray eyes are roiling with emotion, but when mine meet them, he goes utterly blank.
    Useful skill, that.
    I’m anxious after the Walker abandons us, pacing the narrow room and avoiding thinking about what we’ll do when night falls and exhaustion makes sleep unavoidable.
    Then guilt slams into me. I’m worried about sleeping arrangements, while Collin is god knows where, enduring god knows what? How fucking petty can I get? I pause in my pacing, twisting to level a glare at Finn.
    He meets it with a raised eyebrow. “What?”
    “This is your fucking fault!” I snap.
    “Do explain,” he drawls, his accent thickening a little—a sure sign he’s not as even tempered as he appears.
    “Why the fuck didn’t you tell them your name? Smooth things along a