Dark Paradise: The Apocalypse (Sons of Destruction MC Book 1)

by Glenna Maynard

  I offer him a weak smile and turn to Lana. She’s backed into a corner with her head buried in her hands. “Hey.” I touch her shoulder and she jumps. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I know things have been awful for you, but the sooner we leave and get away from here the sooner this will become a distant memory.”

  She wipes at her eyes and sniffles. “I know. I need to be tougher. Stronger. It’s just I’m all alone in this screwed up world. No one is left to care if I live or die.”

  “That’s not true. You have Ash and me. I know we aren’t the same as your family, but we are family now. It’s us three against the undead. When we get to Paradise, I know you will love it there.” I’m not good at comforting people. I’m not good with most girls. I get along with guys better. I guess that comes from growing up at the clubhouse surrounded by mean ass bikers.

  Asher comes back inside. “We gotta go. Snowflakes are falling, and I can hear those things moaning in the wind. They’re coming.” He holds his hand out to Lana to help her up. The three of us rush outside to the truck along with the dog I have named Persistence, Percy for short. As we speed down the dirt road I watch in horror as hundreds or maybe more of undead emerge from the trees moving at remarkable swiftness in our direction.

  “Oh my god!” Lana cries as one grabs hold of the handle on her door and opens it. I hold onto her underneath her arms as she uses all her strength to kick him away. Ash grabs the gun he has on the dashboard and shoots managing to nail it between the eyes. Lana closes her door, shaking in complete shock.

  The road we need to travel is full of obstacles, forcing us onto the shoulder. The stop strip making a terrible grating sound as we drive on in hopes of reaching Paradise and leaving the zombies behind us.

  They’re growing stronger.

  Smarter.

  Evolving.

  We need to become stronger and smarter if we want to survive.

  If we want to beat them.

  —Asher

  We make it from Salvation, beaten down and bruised, but alive. We’ll need to make camp tonight. The truck has a hole in the radiator hose. We aren’t going any further unless I find a new hose or some duct tape. There’s a town a few miles from where we are stopped. I’ll make the trip at first light with the dog. Prissy will stay with the truck and Lana. It’s cold and snowing. We need shelter but there is none to be had save the cab of the truck. It will have to do. At least with the four of us huddled together we have body heat. We pass around a cold can of chili, even sharing with Percy, as Priscilla has named him. The doors are locked, and we have blankets. Lana is laid up against the passenger door with the dog in her lap. I’m uncomfortable but I have my pretty girl in my arms and that’s all I can ask for right now. I press my lips to her temple thankful I still can. Thankful that despite this fucked up world going to hell it brought us together. I finally have the woman I love in my arms and I am never letting her go.

  Lana strokes the dog’s fur absentmindedly. The look on her face says it all. She’s trapped in her own mind with dark thoughts and memories. She will never be the same again, but she’s gotta adapt to this world. It is full of death and violence but there is still some good too. There are still men out there like her father willing to risk it all for those that they love. She has to carry on like the rest of us who are left. We have to pull together and stick together if we want to survive and I sure as fuck don’t plan on turning into an undead bastard.

  I stroke Priscilla’s face as her eyes begin to flutter. Exhaustion winning the war. I lay my head back and sigh wishing things were different but glad to be alive for one more day.

  Eventually we all fall asleep.

  I awaken later in the night to the sound of the dog whining. I shift, moving Priscilla off me. She makes a tiny noise in the back of her throat but doesn’t wake. The dog probably needs to go out and do his business and I need to as well. I slip out of the truck quietly and go around to the passenger side to let the dog out forgetting it’s locked. As I am going back around the front of the truck Priscilla scares the shit out of me by flipping the headlights on. They shine on me and I blink a few times but then I realize the headlights are coming from the wrong direction. I shield my eyes with my hand approaching the vehicle cautiously. I’m unarmed other than a small pocket knife. I could kick myself right now, but with any luck the person means no harm. They roll down their window and I can’t make out their face because whoever they are, they have a skull face mask covering their mouth and eyes.

  Then I hear the best sound I’ve ever heard aside from the sweet noises Prissy makes when I’m inside her. “Ash, that you, brother?”

  “Stitch!” No fucking way. Of all the crazy motherfuckers to run into during the apocalypse I couldn’t have any better luck. He opens the door, stepping out of the large truck. The interior light comes on and I see he’s alone. We embrace quickly. “What the hell are you doing out here in a snowstorm?”

  “Prez sends me out every few weeks to look for you and Priscilla. Is she okay? Is she with you? He’s been worried sick.”

  “Asleep in the truck. Got a kid named Lana traveling with us and a dog too.”

  Stitch chuckles. “Damn, it’s good to see you.” He hugs me again taking me by surprise with his show of affection.

  “Everyone okay back home?”

  “Mostly.” He looks away. “Lost a few of the whores.” I know he had a soft spot for a chick named Tanya. “Your truck good, so we can get the hell back to Paradise? Freezing my balls off out here.” He shivers.

  “Nope. Radiator hose is busted. Need a new one or you can give us a lift. Got my bike hitched to a trailer on the back.”

  “Well let’s get this shit on the road. I’m fucking cold.”

  I wake the girls, so they can help transfer our supplies to the other truck. Priscilla hugs Stitch and kisses his cheeks over his mask. I would be jealous, but I know Stitch would never cross me like that and Prissy is all mine. Lana takes the dog for a walk, so he can do what dogs do.

  Turning the trailer around in the snow is a pain in the ass but we manage to do it without incident. We get everything transferred to the other vehicle. The snow is really coming down in big thick flakes making our visibility poor. Stitch is exhausted so Prissy and I get up front and I take over driving. Lana is in the back with him and the dog. They make their introductions and Stitch takes off his face mask. I can see Lana staring at him through the rearview mirror. He’s an interesting guy. Has a tattoo on his mouth that gives the appearance his mouth has been stitched shut, among other places. His unique appearance is how he got his nickname.

  I’ve known Stitch for about ten years. He moved to Paradise when his mother married a member of the club. He’s a lifer like me even though his mom took off with a biker from a different chapter of our club. He stayed behind with Big Papa. Not that he had much of a choice. His mom just sort of split town and left him. Big Papa didn’t mind him much and never turned it in to the system. Raised him like his own. He is a good man. Lana is in good company with Stitch. He’ll look out for her and I know he won’t try to take advantage of her either. I trust him and think Walt would have liked him. Sucks that he didn’t survive to get to Paradise with us. Lenny too.

  I drive through the night until dawn breaks. We pulled over to regroup and switch seats. Lana moves up front with Priscilla. Stitch and I ride in the back with the dog. He’s filling me in on who we lost and how they have survived.

  “We drink a lot of Black Rebel Riders’ Moonshine.” He laughs and reaches into a bag in the back, producing a jar. “Breakfast of champions. To Paradise.” He takes a swig and hands it to me. I take a sip feeling the liquid burn down my throat and warming me down to my toes.

  “When was the last time you had contact?”

  “Two weeks ago.” His mouth is set in a tight line and I know he is thinking the same thing I am—Paradise has been lost.

  Priscilla stiffens behind the wheel, the realization hitting her that she may never see ho
me again or her father.

  Lana keeps trying to radio, I think having a purpose is good for her. She’s been depressed since we left the farmhouse, but she has taken a liking to Stitch and his many tattoos. We pass through another deserted town.

  “Not much here. Been picked over and raided too many times,” Stitch informs me. The main roads are blocked with abandoned cars making our journey take longer than it normally would. We press on weary and desperate to get home. Though I am afraid what awaits us there won’t be much better.

  The drive to Paradise takes us three days. We ran into a few hordes along the way, but they were nothing we couldn’t handle. Prissy, Stitch, and me drive in shifts. No stopping for anyone or anything. Only stops we make are to take an occasional break and refuel both the truck and our bellies. We’re getting low on food, but we are making do with what we have.

  Lana is riding up front with Stitch and the dog while I nap in the back with Priscilla. I know she is eager to see her father. It’s been nearly a year since we set out for home. Nearly a year since what everyone refers to as V Day, the day the virus wiped out more than half the world. It just so happened that it began on Valentine’s Day. The day of lovers is now remembered as a day of death.

  As we get closer to home, Stitch tries to radio Paradise to let them know we are coming but there is no response.

  It’s the middle of the night when we drive through Dark Paradise. There is no sign of life. But no sign of the undead either. I crack my window, listening for the sounds of the zombies, but there is nothing. Silence. No rustling of the wind blowing. No animals other than Percy who is whimpering as though he too senses trouble. There’s only the sound of the wiper blades of the truck scraping across the windshield as more snow falls at least I think it’s snow. As we drive further on, I start to smell smoke. As we drive further up the mountain where the Sons of Destruction MC clubhouse sits, we see the fire. A wall of undead and a line of fire separates us from home. It isn’t snow on the windshield. Its ashes from the fire.

  “Hold on,” Stitch announces and hits the gas. Zombies bounce off the vehicle and the materialistic part of me hopes my motorcycle survives this hell ride.

  We pass through the fire and Stitch lays on the horn. The gate opens for us and I let out a sigh of relief. The truck rolls to a stop in front of the clubhouse and Priscilla cries out when she sees her father walk out the front door. She jumps out of the truck and runs toward him only to stop short when she sees the same thing that I do. The blisters on his face and sickly pallor of his skin.

  “It’s okay,” Stitch says in a low voice. “He hasn’t turned. He was bitten two months ago.”

  Priscilla looks to me and I don’t know what to think. I suppose anything is possible and I don’t think Stitch would lie about something so gravely serious.

  “Welcome home, Princess,” Blade says, his voice sounding hoarse but still like himself. He holds his arms out to her and she steps into his embrace. My hand is on my gun, ready to shoot if needed but in the end Stitch is right. Blade is not a zombie but he’s not exactly alive either. He’s what Felix claimed Phillip to be. I wouldn’t believe it were true if I wasn’t seeing the man with my own eyes. I shoot my Prez an uneasy smile. I stayed true to my word. I delivered his daughter unharmed. I tuck my gun back in my waistband of my jeans and look around. I did it. We’re home.

  Our Paradise is dark and under attack, but we have two things.

  Hope and each other.

  Stitch holds onto Lana as exhaustion and shock claim her. He looks at me and says, “Now what?”

  “Get her inside. I’m unloading my bike.” He gives me a chin lift and a grin. Prissy looks back at me as she follows her father inside the clubhouse. A sight I never thought I would see but I am glad I saw the order through. Things were looking bleak on the road and there were nights I thought we may never see another day. I know there is a lot to be done but tomorrow is a new day. A new beginning for us all. With Priscilla by my side though I have no doubt that we will preserver. We have the Sons of Destruction on our side.

  To be continued in book 2

  Paradise Lost: Wasteland

  Preorder available now. Releasing April 4th.

  The end of the world as we know it is upon us. Arriving in Paradise was supposed to be our saving grace, but Asher and I escaped one hell to be trapped within another. The infection is spreading and mutating, wiping out those we cherish. It’s up to us to find the cure and put an end to the undead nightmare we are living in. Left with more questions than answers, our time is running out. Can I save the man I love before it is too late, or will we succumb to the wasteland?

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you have enjoyed my take on the zombie apocalypse. This was a new genre for me to write but I had the most fun writing it and hope it was a fun read for you. I love stories and ideas that push me out of my comfort zone. Zombies are something I have always wanted to write about but been a chicken to sit down and try until now, until Dee Garcia put out a call and I answered. When she told me her idea, I was like hell yes. Without her nudge I may have never ventured here. So a big thanks to Dee and the rest of my fellow Black Hearts authors. Book 2 is coming to you April 4th and book 3 will go up for preorder soon too with a release date of May 10th. I try to plan my releases, but truth is I am guided by my muse and the voices in my head. They dictate what I write and when so these dates could change. Anyway, thanks for coming along for another ride with me. I look forward to sharing more thrill rides with you in the future.

  Happy reading,

  Glenna

  About Glenna

  Glenna Maynard is a Kentucky native with a passion for romance best known for her bestselling romantic suspense novel I'm with You and The Black Rebel Riders' MC series. When she isn't arguing with the voices in her head or drinking reader tears, she enjoys watching classic TV shows with her two children and longtime leading man. Visit https://www.glennamaynard.com for more information.

  Acknowledgments

  A huge thank you to my fellow Black Hearts Anthology authors for being a part of this opportunity with me. Especially Dee Garcia who came up with this fantastic idea and set it into motion. Though we have disbanded and gone our separate ways you will always be my girls.

  To my super alpha reader, Michelle Simm, you always inspire me and push me to give my best. I love you woman.

  To my readers, thank you for stepping out of the box and continuing on the journey with me. MaryAnn thank you for being excited to read this story from me!

  To Brandon, I hope you don’t read this until you are in your thirties if ever. Sunday nights watching zombies will always be a favorite memory and all the ass kicking zombie games we have played. I love you—Mom.

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