Claiming Her Beasts Book One

by Dia Cole

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the blue-haired chick. Cami had those same black veins before she attacked Ronnie.”

  Eden blinked. “I’m not following. What happened to Ronnie?”

  Reed stopped the van at a light and glanced back at her. “I beat Ronnie’s head in with a bat this morning.”

  “He was a zombie,” I clarified.

  “I also took out Cami,” Reed said, sounding a bit too happy about it.

  Eden made a choking sound.

  “Don’t freak. None of this is real.” Reed waved his hands around.

  “It’s real,” I said with a sigh.

  Eden shook her head. “You’ve both completely lost it.”

  “We did lose it,” Reed said, giving her a meaningful look in the rear-view mirror. “Lee and me. Last night.”

  “Reed!” I didn’t want Eden to know about that. Ever.

  “You two had sex?” she shrieked. Her eyes went so wide I was afraid they would pop out of her skull. She turned her gaze toward me, no doubt waiting for me to contradict him.

  I looked away, my face heating.

  “Well, it’s about damn time.”

  “What?” That wasn’t the reaction I’d expected.

  She laughed. “The sexual tension between you two was getting ridiculous.”

  That was news to me. “What do you mean—”

  The van shuddered, and the engine died.

  “What the hell!” I glanced out the windshield. My blood chilled when I saw we were stopped near the corner liquor store again. “Reed, get the van moving.”

  “Working on it.”

  “What’s going on over there?” Eden tapped on the glass.

  I pushed her out of the way to look through the side window. Across the street, a dozen people shuffled around the empty parking lot shared by Eros and the sex shop.

  It took me two seconds to recognize Jess in the crowd. A large bald man lurched beside her. He was missing his left arm.

  “Oh, my God. That’s Max.” I struggled to breathe. My boss was a zombie too.

  A bloody hand slammed against the front passenger window.

  “What is that?” screeched Eden.

  There was no mistaking the lime-green bowling shirt. “Cal,” I said, staring at the remains of the sex shop owner in horror.

  Hunks of flesh were gouged from his face. One eye was missing and the other dangled from the socket.

  Guilt swamped me. If I hadn’t asked for his help last night, would he still be alive?

  The glass cracked.

  “Reed!” I shouted.

  Reed tried turning the ignition over again. The van engine made a grinding noise.

  No. This can’t be happening.

  The front passenger window shattered. Cal reached inside.

  “Okay, okay.” Reed’s way too calm words were punctuated by the sound of him twisting the ignition and pounding his foot on the pedals.

  Cal clawed in Reed’s direction.

  “Back off, man.” Reed said, trying to avoid Cal’s outstretched hands.

  “More are coming,” Eden shrieked.

  Dread filled me as I shot another look out the side window.

  The sight of the zombie horde lumbering across the street made my knees shake.

  Jess was at the head of the pack, her intestines swaying in front of her like macabre tentacles.

  I drew the knife from my waistband with shaking hands. Running wasn’t an option with Eden in shackles. “Reed!”

  He turned the ignition one more time, and the engine warbled to life. We pulled away just as Jess and her zombie crew reached the back of the van.

  Thank God.

  My relief was short-lived.

  Cal clung to the door, his skinny legs dragging on the street.

  “Goddamn it.” I sprang from my seat and moved into the front of the van. “Let go,” I shouted, stabbing at his spindly arms. Any sympathy I had for the man evaporated when he gnashed his teeth at me.

  “Stab him in the head,” Reed yelled. “You have to take out their brain.”

  I leaned across the seat and tried to stab Cal in his empty eye socket.

  The van jerked to the left as Reed swerved to avoid a child-sized figure lurching across the street. “Kid zombies. Now that’s just wrong,” he muttered.

  I nicked Cal’s ear.

  He snapped at me. His fetid breath scorched the hair on my arm as I barely pulled away in time.

  Shrieking, I dropped my knife onto the seat.

  “Move out of the way,” Reed shouted, grabbing his bat.

  I moved back as Reed leaned over.

  Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he swung the bat at Cal.

  Crunch. The side of Cal’s head crumpled in, like an egg that had been squeezed too hard. He went limp and disappeared over the side of the van.

  Reed settled back in his seat, bloody bat draped over his lap. “That was fun.”

  All I could do was stare at him. “Who are you, and what did you do with my friend Reed?”

  He gave me one of his infuriating grins. “This is my hallucination, right? I get to save my woman from the monsters.”

  At some point, I really was going to have to bitch slap him into reality.

  I glanced back at Eden.

  She was hyperventilating.

  At least she understood the gravity of what was happening. “Breathe, Eden. Just breathe.”

  She nodded, her fingers digging into her jumpsuit-covered thighs.

  I shoved my knife back into my waistband and sat down in the glass-covered front passenger seat.

  Eden let out a shaky breath. Her handcuffs jingled as she pushed her hair out of her face. “What the hell is going on?”

  I rubbed the side of my head, feeling a stress headache coming on. “All we know is that people are dying and coming back as zombies. It seems to have something to do with the canine flu vaccine.”

  She reached for her throat again. When her fingers found the bare skin of her neck instead of Sasha’s collar, they fluttered to her lap. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going with Uncle Duncan to the mountains.” If we’d missed his visit to the house, we’d still head up north. But we’d definitely squish ourselves in Cami’s car. I was done with this death trap.

  Reed turned the van down our street and whistled. “Did Uncle Duncan get a black Mercedes?”

  “No, why?”

  My question was answered when Reed pulled the van up to the sidewalk and two men in dark suits stepped out of the luxury car parked in our driveway.

  The shorter of the two men looked in our direction and grinned. Sunshine glinted off his gold front teeth.

  Nero.

  I shuddered, a pit forming in my stomach.

  What is Javier’s man doing at our house?

  “Stay here,” I ordered Reed and Eden. “I know these guys. They’re bad news.” Ignoring their questioning looks, I opened the van door and stepped out.

  Nero’s grin widened as I approached. “Hola, señorita. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  I stopped in the middle of the lawn, a few feet from the gravel driveway. My gaze bounced between Nero and the six-and-a-half-foot tall man with him.

  “I’m Nero and this is Carlos.” Nero said, motioning at the muscular man. The action opened his suit jacket just enough to reveal the handgun holstered at his hip.

  “Why?” I hated the waver in my voice.

  “Señor Diaz is inviting you to stay with him.” Nero’s smile failed to reach his eyes. The darkness in them made me want to run back to the van.

  “N-no, thanks,” I stuttered.

  “The city is too dangerous now. Señor Diaz will keep you safe.” His tone held a hard edge.

  I took several steps back. “I’ll be fine here with my family.”

  “They are welcome too. Carlos, bring them.”

  Carlos strode over to the van.

  “Leave them a
lone,” I shouted.

  Nero raised a hand to stop me from following Carlos. He put his other hand on his weapon. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

  I swallowed hard. My mind spun as I remembered all the horrific things I’d heard about Javier’s gang.

  A moment later, Carlos returned with Reed and Eden in tow. He walked them past me, stopping only when he reached the Mercedes.

  Reed looked excited. “Now I’m hallucinating gangsters! Sweet!”

  Eden, looking much less thrilled, stumbled behind them in her shackles.

  “Who is this? A sister?” Nero’s grin widened and his snakeskin boots crunched in the gravel as he walked down the driveway. When he reached Eden, he stroked a finger down her cheek. “You’re almost as pretty as your sister, jailbird.”

  I clenched my hands into fists. “Get away from her.”

  Nero’s smile faded. He walked back toward me. The menacing expression on his face matched the deadly gleam in his eye. “You will speak to me with respect.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Faster than a striking cobra, Nero backhanded me.

  “Lee!” Reed struggled to get out of Carlos’s grip.

  Holding my stinging cheek, I glared at Nero. “We’re not going anywhere with you.”

  Nero raised his hand as if to strike me again.

  “Don’t touch her.” Yanking away from Carlos, Reed charged Nero and tackled him to the ground. He got in two or three good punches before Carlos rushed over and slammed his fist into the side of Reed’s head.

  Reed tumbled off Nero and landed on his back, a dazed look on his face.

  “Stop!” I screamed as Carlos repeatedly kicked Reed in the head.

  I pulled my knife and jumped on the big man’s back. Before I could stab him, Nero ripped me off Carlos and flung me into the grass. My knife flew out of my hand.

  “Fucking bitch,” Nero spat down at me. He stepped around his partner and pulled out a gun.

  All the oxygen rushed out of my lungs as Reed’s death flashed before my eyes. “Don’t shoot him. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “No—” Reed started to say before Nero pistol-whipped him across the face so hard he sprawled out on the driveway, unconscious.

  Nero pressed his gun against Reed’s forehead. “I’ve changed my mind. Only the girls are invited.”

  Panic choked me. “Please don’t shoot him.”

  Carlos grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me to my knees. “Get up and get into the car.”

  A familiar voice interjected. “Let her go, son.”

  We all turned to see my uncle limping up the driveway. His revolver was drawn and pointed at Carlos’s head. “Put your hands up. Now.”

  Carlos released my hair and put his hands up.

  The knot in my chest loosened. Everything’s going to be okay. I grabbed my knife and got to my feet.

  Uncle Duncan took the huge man’s sidearm and handed it to Eden who’d been frozen like a statue this entire time. My uncle then shoved Carlos toward the Mercedes. “Now you get into the car.”

  With a quick glance at Nero, Carlos slid into the driver’s seat.

  Nero laughed. “And here I thought picking up the stripper was going to be boring.”

  “It’s time for you to leave, son.” Uncle Duncan slowly ambled to Reed’s side. He looked down at Reed’s bleeding face and frowned.

  “Don’t call me son.” Nero aimed his gun at my uncle.

  Eden pointed the gun she was holding at Nero. “Drop your gun or I’ll shoot.”

  Nero glanced back at her. “Shoot then, little jailbird.”

  Eden’s hands shook so hard, her handcuffs rattled. “I’ll do it. I swear.”

  Nero made a dismissive sound.

  Uncle Duncan straightened his shoulders. “Look, son. I’ve already called the cops. I’d suggest y’all get moving before they get here.”

  “Fine, we’ll go. But not without you, señorita.” Nero walked over and grabbed my arm.

  “Go to hell.” I sliced him across the face with my knife and ran toward Reed and my uncle.

  The sound of a gun safety clicking off had me spinning back around.

  19

  Lee

  The gangster pointed his gun at my head. “No one marks Nero Benitez,” he shouted as he pulled the trigger.

  Crack.

  Something heavy crashed into my side, pushing me to the ground. Ears ringing, I looked up in confusion.

  My uncle stood where I’d been, a crimson stain blooming across the front of his favorite denim shirt.

  “No!” I cried. He’d taken the bullet meant for me.

  “Uncle Duncan!” Eden shrieked.

  He gave her a sad smile and collapsed.

  I scrambled over to his side. “I’m so sorry.” Hot tears ran down my face as I pressed my hands to his chest, trying to stop the bleeding.

  My uncle opened his mouth as if to say something, but all that came out was a spurt of blood that stained his silver mustache red.

  The sounds of moaning and clicking filled the air. Zombies were close. A lot of them. That should’ve filled me with terror, but all I could think about was the man dying in front of me.

  Carlos started the car and rolled down the window. “Nero. The dead are coming. We need to go.”

  Something warm and metallic pressed against my head.

  “I’ll give Señor Diaz your regards, bitch.”

  I glared at the asshole pressing a gun against my head. Nero hurt Reed and shot my uncle. He deserves to die. Letting out a battle cry, I knocked the gun out of his hand, picked up Uncle Duncan’s revolver, pointed it at Nero’s face, and pulled the trigger.

  Bang.

  The side of Nero’s head exploded.

  The car door flew open. Carlos jumped out and rushed toward me.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  He crashed to the ground like a fallen tree.

  Eden stood behind him, a smoking gun in her shaking hands.

  Stunned, I blinked at my sister. I’d never thought her capable of murder.

  “Good girls,” Uncle Duncan wheezed. His eyelids fluttered shut and he let out his last breath.

  He’s gone.

  A scream boiled up inside me. I wanted to shout out the unfairness of his death. And all the deaths of the people I’d loved. But screaming wouldn’t bring them back.

  “Sissy.” Eden hopped over. “A bunch of those things are coming. What do we do?”

  I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and shoved Uncle Duncan’s gun into my waistband. Then I picked up my knife and Nero’s gun.

  Either we barricaded ourselves in the house or drove one of the cars out of here. I looked down at Reed’s bloody face and made a split-second decision. “Help me get him into the house.”

  While Eden and I struggled to drag Reed up the driveway, the spine-tingling sound of clicking teeth grew in volume.

  Unable to help myself, I glanced down the street. The size of the horde lumbering toward us stole my breath. Movement out of my peripheral vision had me glancing in the opposite direction.

  Jerry, still shirtless, lumbered across his yard. He must’ve been coming to investigate the gunshots.

  I had to warn him. “Jerry, get back inside your house.”

  Jerry canted his head in my direction. The blood streaming from the tattered skin of his neck looked like a crimson scarf in the bright light.

  Crap. He’s one of them.

  Letting out a garbled noise, he shambled toward us.

  There was a crashing noise. Mrs. Munoz from two doors down stumbled out her front windows. She was saturated in so much blood it looked as if she’d bathed in it.

  Seeing us, she lifted her head and moaned. The blood-chilling sound was echoed by her two children, who appeared behind her.

  Oh, God. Everyone’s turning into monsters.

  “Lee!” Eden gasped. “We have to hurry!”

  Grunting, we dragged Reed through the lawn litt
ered with red plastic cups.

  As we pulled him up the front step, a hysterical laugh bubbled from my lips. Just hours ago, my biggest worry was who’d clean up the mess from the party. Now, I didn’t know if we’d survive the day.

  Eden wrenched opened the unlocked door and together we dragged Reed into the house.

  As soon as we were all in, Eden slammed the door closed and turned the dead bolt.

  As if that will keep them out.

  I swung my gaze around the living room, realizing we had the same floor-to-ceiling windows Mrs. Munoz had just crashed through. “We need to cover the windows.”

  Eden ran to the entryway closet, opened the door, and rummaged through it.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  She held up an old collar of Sasha’s. “I need this.” She buckled it around her neck.

  “Seriously? If the zombies don’t kill you, I will. Go grab the other side of the couch.”

  Eden took two steps forward and froze. She’d caught sight of Cami writhing under the television set.

  “Eden.”

  She jerked her head up. “What?”

  I pointed at the couch. “Help me push this to the window.”

  “Right.” She hobbled over and then gasped when she saw Ronnie’s body lying on the floor.

  I smacked her arm. “Focus.”

  The sounds of clicking and moaning were getting louder. The zombies had to be right outside.

  “Okay,” she said in a shaky voice. "Let's do this."

  Between the two of us, we managed to push the couch against the largest window and flip it over so it blocked most of the glass.

  “Do the same thing with the other furniture,” I shouted as hands slammed against the windows.

  I grabbed the recliner and dragged it in front of an open window while Eden moved one of the big speakers against another window.

  Glass shattered.

  “They’re coming through,” Eden shrieked, her eyes wild.

  We backed away from the windows.

  Bloody arms and legs pushed their way inside.

  “Shoot them,” I screamed, raising Nero’s gun.

  Eden raised Carlos’s gun and fired on the first zombie, who pushed his way past the couch.

  It was Jerry.

  “The head. Aim for the head,” I cried, remembering Reed’s advice. I glanced over at his unconscious body lying in the hallway.