by Dia Cole
Then I opened my locker and threw on a thick cable-knit sweater and worn jeans. My aching feet practically moaned in approval as I slipped into socks and my old boots. Each layer of clothing gave me more confidence and forced away that weird tingling in my stomach.
I won’t take Javier’s offer. I’m not for sale.
I looked down at the hundred-dollar bills in my hand.
Well. Not all of me, anyway.
I carefully folded the bills and put them in my purse along with the singles still sitting on my vanity counter. The invisible weight I’d been carrying lessened. I had enough money to bail Eden out of jail and maybe enough left over for a nice meal to celebrate Reed’s birthday.
Not too shabby.
Once I’d gathered my things, I stood in the dressing room doorway chewing my lip in indecision.
Do I go home or talk to Max? I wanted to confront my boss about the impossible position he’d put me in with Javier, but, at the same time, I didn’t want to keep Uncle Duncan waiting even longer.
My head throbbed to the beat of Cami’s sugar pop music.
Home. Definitely home.
I really didn’t have another stressful meeting in me. Not after working a double shift at the restaurant and dancing two sets.
I’ll rip Max a new one tomorrow.
Decision made, I left the dressing room just as one of the new girls was walking in. Giving a tired wave to the green-haired woman, I headed to the door behind the stage. I normally avoided the back exit since it led to an alley, but tonight I wanted to avoid another potential run in with Javier.
I almost changed my mind when I opened the door and a freezing blast of urine-scented air hit my face. Ugh. Why can’t people use bathrooms?
Moving into the alley, I rubbed my arms to ward off the chill.
Damn Eden for stealing my jacket. That was the last straw. I’d finally had enough of her shenanigans. When I bail her out, I’m reading her the riot act. She’ll forget about all this bleeding-heart animal rights crap and get a real job or… or I’ll throw her out of the house.
I straightened my spine in resolve.
An inner voice whispered, It’s your job to protect her. I shook my head, trying to shake loose the words that had haunted me most of my life.
Eden is an adult now. She needs to act like it. I’ve been carrying her long enough.
For a moment, I fantasized about how different my life might’ve been if Gran hadn't died.
I wouldn’t have had to assume guardianship of Eden and Reed. I would’ve finished high school and joined my best friends in the Peace Corps. Right now, I’d be traveling the world and Saguaro Valley, Arizona would be nothing more than a fading image in the rearview mirror of my life.
The sound of loud chewing pierced my melancholy. My first thought was some stray dogs had gotten into the dumpster. But all the dogs in town had been euthanized months ago. Confused, I peered down the alley.
The dim, flickering light from the parking lot illuminated the shape of a large man hunched over something.
What’s he doing?
I took two steps closer. As my eyes adjusted, I saw a pair of platform heels sticking out from underneath the man.
Oh, my God. He’s attacking a woman.
Adrenaline flooded my veins.
I have to get help.
I backtracked to the club door. I jerked the handle, remembering too late it automatically locked to the outside. “Help, someone’s being attacked.” I beat on the door, hoping someone would hear me.
The man lurched to his feet.
Crap. My heart raced as I fumbled around in my purse for pepper spray. For the first time, I was grateful to my uncle for insisting I carry it. I held the canister outstretched in front of me. “Stay where you are. I’ve called the police. They’re on their way.” I prayed he couldn’t hear the lie in my shaky voice.
The man stumbled toward me, making a strange clicking sound with his teeth. His head was canted so far to the right it looked as if he was about to topple over.
What the hell is wrong with him? “Stay back.”
Ignoring me, he lumbered into the light. The man looked to be in his early twenties. His cloudy, unfocused gaze creeped me out even more than the bright red blood coating his face and shirt.
My heart hammered against my sternum. What happened to him, and what did he do to that woman?
The woman in question lurched upright. Her long, bright red hair extensions were unmistakable.
“Jess, are you oka—” My words cut off as she stumbled into the light.
Her yellow minidress was shredded down the front. Even worse, her intestines streamed out of an open wound in her stomach like grizzly Christmas garland.
Oh, God. “Jess…”
She lifted her head and met my gaze with eerie white eyes. Then she gnashed her teeth together and tottered in my direction.
For a moment, every muscle in my body froze. The pepper spray bottle dropped from my trembling hand and hit the pavement with a thunk.
This can’t be happening.
The man staggered closer. The horrible sound of his teeth clicking echoed in my ears.
Coming to my senses, I turned and ran through the alley. I made it to the parking lot and frantically scanned for Uncle Duncan’s beat-up truck. It was gone. Other than a few parked vehicles, the lot was deserted.
Oh, crap. I’d taken too long. He'd left me.
A whimper escaped my lips.
Light blazed from the windows of the sex shop like a homing beacon. I rushed through the door. Bells jangled as I slammed it behind me.
A fiftyish man with a thick paunch glanced at me through the rows of multicolored dildos lined up across the counter. “Good evening. What can I—”
With my chest heaving, I panted, “Zombie.”
The man, who’s thinning red hair and lime-green bowling shirt made him look like an over-the-hill leprechaun, shook his head. “Sorry, no zombies. But we have an entire section dedicated to vampire role-play. It’s over by the lubes.” He motioned to the left of the store.
“There are zombies outside.” I knew I sounded crazy. I half expected him to throw me out of his store.
Instead, the man nodded. “I knew it was just a matter of time.” He leaned down and grabbed a shotgun from behind the counter. “It’s closing time.” He marched to the door and flipped the sign hanging on the handle from Open to Closed. “My name is Cal.”
“I’m Lee.”
“This is only the beginning, Lee. I’ve been watching the news. Things are going to get bad. Real bad. I give it forty-eight hours before they overrun the city.”
I swallowed hard. “Shouldn’t we call the police?”
His laugh sounded like a wheeze. “They can’t help us. Our only chance is to gather weapons and supplies and wait the worst of it out. I have a well-stocked underground shelter.” He gave me a head-to-toe scan and licked his lips. “You’re welcome to join me.”
My skin crawled and my internal creeper alarm flashed red. “Um, thanks, but I need to get home.”
He frowned. “Suit yourself. Can I give you a lift?”
Hmm. Creepy sex shop owner vs. zombies. Damn. This is a no-win situation.
Taking my silence as a refusal, he shook his head. “At least let me walk you to the street.” He pushed the door open.
“Thanks.” I followed him out.
As we walked past the alley, I couldn’t help stopping and peering through the darkness.
It looked empty.
Did I imagine it?
I rubbed my eyes. Maybe I did. I’d been working a lot lately. And, if I was being honest, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten over four hours of sleep.
Cal darted ahead, stopping every few feet to survey the handful of vehicles occupying the unpaved parking lot his store shared with Eros.
Country music filtered out of the strip club. I stopped in my tracks. Jess used that song in her routine…
How can
she be inside dancing when I’d just seen her—
The realization of what had really happened slammed into me like a cement truck.
Goddamn it. There were no walking dead. There was just a bitchy stripper with a chip on her shoulder and a love for cruel practical jokes. I should’ve known better. It was just like the time she’d put talcum powder in my hair dryer or the time she’d glued all my makeup to the counter. She’d laughed and told everyone in the club how she punked me.
Jess was a genius with stage makeup. It wouldn’t have taken much to do a convincing zombie look. White contacts, fake blood, and leftover Halloween props…
I kicked at the gravel, wishing it was her head. Of all the nights for her to test me… if I wasn’t so damned tired, I’d stalk into the club and slap the smug expression off her face.
“Shh,” Cal hissed at me as he darted around vehicles like some kind of wannabe SWAT officer.
The ridiculousness of the whole thing caught up to me. I let out a strained laugh. “Thank you, Cal. I’ve got it from here.”
“But… the zombies.”
“Someone was just playing a joke on me. I appreciate your help though. You’d better put the gun away. There are some pretty bad dudes in the club who might think you’re looking for trouble.” I nodded at several black Mercedes that belonged to Javier and his goons.
Cal’s eyes widened. “The threat is real. You need to prepare yourself for the apocalypse.”
Okayyy. This conversation just took a left turn into crazy town. “I’ll see you later.”
Cal grabbed for my arm. “You’ll die if you go out alone and unarmed.”
He’s insane. Heart in my throat, I backed away.
Cal followed me, tightening his grip on his shotgun. “You need to come with me now.”
7
Reed
“Come on, Reed,” Aubry urged, her huge breasts hanging in my face. Some kind of magic must’ve kept them from busting out of their confinement, because neither the tight corset she wore nor the laws of gravity were on their side.
Forcing my gaze from the outline of her pale pink nipples to her model-beautiful face, I shook my head. “Sorry, not tonight.” Or any other night.
“Don’t you want to…?” She trailed off, looking confused.
I’d bet the stack of twenties in my pocket that my refusal was a first for her. Most guys would probably jump at the chance to get in her pants.
But I wasn’t like most guys. And there was only one pair of pants I wanted to get into. Lee’s.
Still, I didn’t want to be rude. Trying to soften the rejection, I said, “Thanks for keeping me company and for inspiring that killer line in my song.”
Aubry blinked. “You realize I’m offering to rock your world right now.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to have to pass. My friend Dexter would love to talk to you.” I jabbed my finger in direction of the crowded kitchen.
Aubry frowned. “Is it because I bit you? If you’re not into that, that’s okay. I can do vanilla too.” She suddenly looked younger and more vulnerable.
“It’s not you, it’s me.” Or rather, it’s an even more beautiful brunette that stole my heart years ago.
“That’s what my ex said too.” Her eyes took on a glassy sheen.
Ah, Jesus. I hated when they cried. Why does this keep happening to me? Ronnie and Dexter spent every waking minute hitting on girls, while I purposefully kept my distance. But it was always me they came after. It made no sense.
“It’s cool. I get it.” Her lower lip quivered, and I could tell she was close to losing it.
“Panorama plays in five,” Ronnie shouted from the hallway.
A loud cheer went up among the partygoers, and they began spilling into the living room.
Aubry let out a muffled sob.
Morgan and Sam looked up from their instruments to stare at her.
“What’s her damage?” a woman in a pink tank top said loudly from the lap of the guy sitting in Gran’s old recliner.
Deciding Aubry didn’t need an audience, I stood. All at once the jungle juice hit me and I had to fight back a wave of vertigo. I took a deep breath and the dizzy feeling went away. Making a promise to stay away from the stuff, I grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.”
Aubry sniffed and let me pull her through the growing crowd of people.
I took her down the hall and opened my door.
Aubry wiped her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional tonight. It’s cool if you aren’t into me. You don’t need to pity fuck me or anything.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” I said, waving her inside.
She gave me a shuttered look and walked in. I followed her gaze as it bounced between my unmade bed, the band posters hanging on the walls, and the collection of trophies and medals on my dresser.
“Sorry, about the mess.” I kicked aside some magazines and the broken amp I’d been tinkering with. Guess I had no reason to fix it now.
After a moment, she wandered over to my open closet. Inside were a bunch of my shirts and a pegboard where I’d hung my old bats. “You’re really into flannel.”
I shrugged. “They’re comfortable.” And, more importantly, they had long sleeves.
She grabbed the cuff of one shirt and waved it at me. “You shouldn’t hide your scars. Some women find them sexy.”
It was as if she saw straight through me and I didn’t know how to respond.
Aubry turned her attention to the pegboard. “You play baseball?”
“Played,” I corrected, deciding to close my bedroom door. I didn’t want to give Aubry the wrong idea, but it was a relief to shut out the music and loud chatter of the partygoers.
Aubry’s pretty green eyes narrowed in challenge. “Were you any good?”
I shrugged, not wanting to brag. I’d been damn good if the full ride scholarship I’d gotten to Arizona State was any sign. But ASU was in Phoenix, and Lee was here in Saguaro Valley. So, I’d passed.
One day Lee was going to kick my ass when she found out.
Aubry plucked a bat off the board and inspected it. “I played softball throughout high school. I was really good.”
“What position?” I asked to be polite.
“Pitcher.”
“Cool. Why did you stop playing?”
“Damon,” she said softly. “I can’t believe I gave up my dream of playing in the nationals for that asshole.”
“Is that your ex?” I asked, putting two and two together.
She nodded, chewing her lower lip. “We broke up last week on our three-year anniversary.”
“That sucks he made you quit baseball.” Lee would have never asked me to quit. In fact, she’d worked her schedule around all of my in-town games. It’d both embarrassed and thrilled me to have her screaming my name in the stands.
Aubry’s eyes flashed. “Damon didn’t make me do anything. I quit to spend more time with him.” She put the bat back on the pegboard and sighed. “I should have listened to my mom. She always said, don’t sacrifice your future for a good lay.”
I laughed. “Your mom sounds like mine.” Mom had never minced words.
We shared a smile.
Some of her black lipstick had rubbed off on her front teeth, but I didn’t want to make her feel bad, so I didn’t mention it.
She sauntered over to my bed and sat down.
The mattress sloshed underneath her.
“Ah!” she cried, jumping back up.
“It’s a waterbed,” I warned too late.
She giggled. “That’s so retro.”
“Right? A guy down the street was just throwing it away. I had to save it.” Before she could judge me for taking someone’s trash, I quickly added, “I cleaned it really well. It’s fun to sleep on.”
Aubry looked at me through her thick black lashes. “I’ll bet it would be fun to do other things on, too.” She sat down slowly and motioned me to sit next to her. “Why don’t we try it out?”<
br />
I rubbed the back of my neck, wishing she wouldn’t keep circling her horse around that wagon. “Look, I think you’re cool as shit, but I’m into someone else.”
“I know,” she said, not even pretending she hadn’t heard it from Ronnie. “But your someone else can’t be very nice if she doesn’t reciprocate.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” I said, leaning against my dresser. “Lee’s the nicest person I’ve ever met. She’s always thinking about everyone else before herself. And she’s smart too. She rocked the SATs and I know she could have gone to a good college if she’d graduated.”
Aubry rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet she’s pretty too.”
“Well, they didn’t make her the headliner at Eros for nothing.”
Aubry’s jaw dropped. “She’s a stripper?”
A familiar wave of frustration and anger coiled in my chest. “Yeah, but Lee’s not like that…” I didn’t quite know how to express that Lee was nothing like the other dancers.
Aubry pursed her lips. “I see. And where is this paragon among women?”
As I tried to puzzle out what the word paragon meant, she added, “Where does she live?”
“Here.” I glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand. “She should be heading back with our uncle now.”
“You two are related? Man, this gets better and better.”
I felt my face heat. “It’s not like that. Her grandmother took me in after my mother died.”
Aubry inhaled sharply. “I’m sorry.”
I waved away her apology. “It happened a while ago, but Lee and I have been living together ever since. Her room is right there.” I pointed at the wall behind the bed.
“Wow. Okay.” Aubry looked stunned.
As she stared at the wall, it occurred to me that I’d just spilled my guts to a virtual stranger. What if she says something to Lee?
I cleared my throat. “She doesn’t exactly know how I feel, and I’d appreciate it if you kept this conversation on the down low.”
Aubry’s eyes widened. “Totally. I don’t even know her.”
“Thanks.” I don’t know why, but I trusted Aubry.