When they arrived, Kayla dismounted and followed Carl inside. Even though she’d been to his camp a few days ago, things were entirely different now. It was strange to think she’d return here each day after scavenging in the ruins. She’d spent so long avoiding traders and now she was living with one. Steeling her resolve, she followed the example of the men and hung her helmet and jacket at the entrance.

“Let me show you where you’ll be staying,” Carl offered. She bit her lip but nodded in agreement. Her feet felt heavy as she trudged behind him into the crew’s quarters.

Someone had already set up two additional sleeping areas, complete with privacy dividers. Enclosed within each area was a bed, storage locker, and desk. The personal areas were about three times the size of what she had at Leo’s camp. She couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the sight though. These areas hadn’t been there a few days ago.

Cocky bastard knew we’d accept before he even came out to find me.

Her first instinct was to snap at him for his assumption. But when she looked up at him, his brows were furrowed as though he was unsure about her reaction. She faltered, wondering if she could be reading him wrong. Most traders wouldn’t have cared about what happened to someone like her, much less sought her out and offered to protect her. Biting back her retort, she said, “Pretty nice.”

Carl gave her a warm smile, looking relieved and somewhat pleased by her comment. “If there’s anything else you need, let me know. I want you to be happy here, Kayla.”

She looked up in surprise, the intensity of his gaze making her stomach do a neat little somersault. Oh, crap, he’s got the most incredible eyes.

“Thanks, Carl,” she managed with a weak smile. “I can’t imagine needing anything else.”

“She needs some spare clothes,” Jinx called out from her private area, making it obvious she’d been listening to their conversation. She popped her head out with a grin, her eyes twinkling. “I’m glad you decided to join us. I know you probably weren’t ready to make the leap, but we’re happy to have you on the team. You can borrow some of my clothes until you get your things. I’ll leave them in your locker.”

Surprised, and a little touched by the offer, Kayla nodded her thanks.

Carl cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. “Kayla, if you want, I’d like to take you over to the tech room. You should become familiar with our system, and we need to configure your commlink for our frequencies. We can check with Xantham, too, and find out what’s going on with Ramiro.”

“Sure.” With a wave at Jinx, she followed Carl out of the crew’s quarters and into the tech room. Cruncher and Zane were in the room working on one of the systems.

When she walked in, Zane stood up and greeted her. “Welcome to the crew.”

Xantham came skidding into the room. His face lit up at the sight of her and he flashed a huge grin. “This is going to be great! Kayla, wait until you see some of the toys we’re getting in the next few weeks.”

Kayla laughed at their enthusiasm. Although she still felt a little uncomfortable, they seemed to be going out of their way to make her feel welcome. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”