The Renegades (Book 5): United Read Online Free Page A

so soon.

Chapter 3
    B aja’s decision on what house he would take came down to one thing — marijuana. I kid not. The guy searched home after home in Southampton and surrounding areas until he found a modern beach house that must have once been owned by a marijuana grower. An entire room in the basement had been converted into a grow op. Lamps, foil, the whole nine yards.
    The guy was as a happy as a clam.
    As Wren and I rolled up in one of the many abandoned vehicles dotted around the island, we could already see it was going to be one hell of a party. From the outside, we could see everyone bouncing around inside to the music. The house was made from limestone and hardwood. A 12,000-square-foot home pressed up against the beach in the south end of the Hamptons. You could say he had stepped up in the world. It had more windows than walls. The door was already wide open and people were spilling out in various stages of intoxication.
    It might seem odd that folks would have let their guard down in an apocalypse, but we had spent so many months without anything happening, that the chances of being overrun now seemed laughable.
    Ethan and the rest of the seven were right. Paradise had started to become the beginnings of humanity rebuilding. Protection at the access points and roaming patrols made everyone feel safe. The distance from the city, and the surrounding coast, only added to that sense of security. How many other safe zones had managed to provide that?
    We navigated around the stream of people of all ages coming in and out of the main door.
    “How many people did he invite?” Wren asked as a couple ran past us with six others.
    Whoever originally owned the home must have hired one hell of a designer. The amount of detail and attention that had been given to every aspect of the house screamed more money than sense.
    After being on the road for so long, seeing people relax and let their hair down was a welcome sight. The living room was located on the second floor providing an incredible view of the ocean and bay. Not that we could see much because it was night but the few times I had been over in daylight, it was stunning.
    Standing in front of a roaring fireplace was Elijah chatting to Sara, a doctor on the island.
    “Hey, where’s Baja?”
    He pointed up towards the roof terrace. Upstairs on the roof it was like a ship with rich wood flooring, another fireplace and white furniture. Seated over by the fireplace with two women around him was Baja sipping wine. He reminded me of a black Hugh Hefner wearing a velvet smoking jacket. He was puffing away on a fat cigar when he spotted us.
    “Hey, hey! Welcome to my crib,” he said before waving off the two women like they were his own personal fluffers.
    “I’m guessing Izzy hasn’t arrived?” Wren asked.
    He peered around us nervously. “Yeah, old sweet cheeks doesn’t take too kindly to all the love I’m getting from all the ladies, but what can a guy do? I’ve got to keep them happy.”
    I rolled my eyes.
    “Did you guys get a drink?”
    “No, but we brought some.”
    “Well, give me one then,” he said. It was the only party I had been to where you had to drink your own because no one shared. If you didn’t bring any, you didn’t get any. I was about to ask him if he’d seen Ben when he turned and started shouting at a couple who were all over each other on the couch.
    “Hey, hey, get your nasty asses off my couch, I don’t want you leaking your shit all over this. Do you know how much this place cost?”
    We moved to the wall that overlooked the beach and ocean. Wren pulled two beers and twisted off the caps, then handed one to me. I took a swig and placed it on the wall. Condensation dripped down the side creating a ring. We perched ourselves on the edge and took in our surroundings. It was good to see people enjoying themselves and trying to forget that the world beyond the walls had fallen.
    “Do you think this will last?”
    “I don’t see