At its back, Devon pulled himself into the room, and he’d just crashed to the floor when the zombie got tired of playing games with me and lunged. I screamed and put my left hand out to hold him back, preparing to jam the knife in my other hand into its rotting eye socket. Just as the thing slammed into me, though, I stepped on yet another pill bottle. It slid out from under me and, with both of my hands occupied, there was no way to stop myself from falling.
I went down hard, my back slamming into the floor and pain pulsing through me as the growling zombie dropped on top of me. The air left my lungs in a burst, and I had to force myself to focus, to keep my hand on the zombie’s chest so I could hold him back. I gasped and filled my lungs, nearly gagging at the rotten air, and the world slowly came back into focus.
That was when I brought my knife forward.
I’d barely had time to aim, and when the blade of my knife sank into the zombie’s eye with a sickening squish, I could barely believe it. Immediately, the thing stopped moving, though, telling me I’d hit the mark, and I let the creature collapse on top of me.
It was only there for a few seconds before Devon ripped it away. He stood over me, worry radiating off every inch of him as he took me in, but I didn’t move. I was still trying to catch my breath.
“You’re okay? Tell me you’re okay!”
I nodded.
“Shit, Rowan.” Devon dropped to the floor at my side and grabbed my hand, pulling me up so I was sitting. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I scared the shit out of myself, too,” I managed to get out.
Mentally, I took stock of myself, noting that other than my throbbing back, I felt okay.
Devon looked me over again, his expression serious. “You sure you’re good?”
I looked down, studying myself, and frowned at the black goo splattered all over my favorite pink jacket. “I’m fine, but I’m not so sure about my jacket.”
He let out a strained laugh, and I looked up.
“I killed it,” I said.
“You did.”
Devon reached out and tucked some hair behind my ear, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he stared at me. He said nothing, but the expression in his eyes said he was holding something back.
“What?” I asked. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m just relieved.”
I smiled, once again unsure of what to say. He was looking at me so intently, his expression so serious. I could come up with witty remarks when he flirted with me, but when he looked at me like this, I didn’t know what to say or do. Didn’t have a clue what he was thinking.
“Devon, I—”
He cut me off by pulling me toward him.
His mouth covered mine, and whatever I’d been about to say vanished. His grip on me was strong, like he was afraid to let me go, and the kiss was deep. I could feel it in my toes when he ran his tongue over mine, and I clung to him as tightly as he was clinging to me, my hands gripping his muscled body while our mouths moved together. It took my breath away, made my head spin, and made me forget who I was or where we were, or what we were supposed to be doing. But I didn’t care. Not as long as his mouth was on mine and his arms were around me.
It was over before I wanted it to be, and by the time he pulled away, I was gasping once again. My lips were sore and my body aching, and the expression in Devon’s eyes said he knew exactly how I felt.
“When you asked if the pills had anything to do with you, I didn’t know you were thinking of doing it right now,” I managed to get out between breaths.
Devon shook his head, a small smile pulling up his lips as he stood. He took my hand and yanked me to my feet, grinning. “I’m thinking about doing it every second I’m with you. Believe me.”
Again, I flushed. God, he had a way of getting to me. It drove me crazy.
“I think,” I said, pushing past him so I could grab my flashlight, “we should table this conversation for the time being.”
“Probably a good idea,” he said from behind me.
Devon stayed by the window while I moved through the pharmacy, my flashlight aimed at the shelves. It only took a couple minutes to find the section that contained birth control, and once I had, I was more than a little relieved to see six packs of my brand.
Devon was definitely at the forefront of my mind when I grabbed them.
“Got it,” I declared as I headed back to the front of the pharmacy.
Devon was standing by the door, which was now open a crack. “Figured going out this way might be a little easier.”
“No kidding.”.
He grew serious, his smile fading until it was hard to remember it had been there a second ago. “We let our guard down, and we can’t do it again. I put you with me so Miller wouldn’t try anything, but maybe it’s a bad idea for us to be a team when we go out like this. In case you hadn’t noticed, I tend to get a little distracted when you’re around.”
“You and me both,” I muttered. “You’re right, but I think we can be adults and learn from our mistakes. From now on, we stay focused. Okay?”
He sighed but nodded. “Okay.”
“Good.” He moved to open the door, but I stopped him by putting my hand on his arm. “And for the record, thank you. Miller gives me the creeps.”
“He’s constantly staring at your ass,” Devon said, his frown growing deeper. “If he’s not careful, I’m going to beat the shit out of him.”
“He can look as long as he doesn’t touch,” I said even though the knowledge made me shudder.
Devon just shook his head.
He ripped the door open with a little more force than necessary, and we stepped out. Our carts were right where we’d left them, as was the M16. Devon scooped it up and put the strap over his head so the weapon was on his back, then we grabbed our carts and started moving again.
The store was as quiet as it had been when I climbed into the pharmacy, but it now felt twice as ominous as it had before. The zombie had taken us totally by surprise, but it had also been a very startling reminder of what we were up against, and Devon was right. We needed to focus and not get distracted. We needed to prove we could put our attraction aside while we were out because if we didn’t, it could mean a very horrible death for one or even both of us.
We didn’t talk as we worked, and even though I was aware of everything he was doing, it had nothing to do with chemistry. I stayed alert, keeping my eyes open and watching his back while he watched mine. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be moving. Still, I made as little sound as possible. Just in case.
We had one cart full by the time we reached the outdoor stuff, but it took only one quick scan of the aisle to realize Meijer wasn’t nearly as stocked with camping gear as I’d hoped it would be.
“Shit,” I muttered as I grabbed a few lanterns and dropped them into my cart. “I thought they’d have more.”
“We’ll have to hit up another place,” Devon said.
I grimaced inwardly, but knew he was right, so I didn’t argue.
He put a camping stove into the cart then grabbed all the fuel the store had for it, which wasn’t a lot. A couple walkie talkies followed, which was something I hadn’t thought about but would definitely come in handy. There were binoculars too, and fishing poles and lures, although I had no idea what to do with them or how in the world a fish would be fooled by the little metal things. Other than that, however, we didn’t get many of the items on our list, which I was not at all happy about.
“I’m sorry,” I said as we pushed the carts out of the aisle.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because I thought they’d have more. I’ve never actually gone shopping for camping stuff.”
Devon shot me a smile. “Rowan, you’re okay. You can’t control what a store carried.”
“Thanks,” I said, returning the grin.
On impulse, I stopped beside the air mattresses and grabbed one with a built-in battery powered pump and shoved it under the cart, then g
rabbed two more.
Devon gave me a questioning look when I stood.
“So people don’t have to keep sleeping on the couches.” I started walking again, my mind wandering to where everyone had crashed last night. “Where did you sleep, by the way?”
“Why, did you miss me?”
I shot him a look. “Forget I asked. We can’t wander back into that territory.”
He snorted out his agreement.
I took a detour to the back of the store on the way to the food, thinking about Lexi and Mike. When the toys came into view and I slowed, Devon shot me a look, but he didn’t protest.
“Just a few things to keep them occupied.” My gaze moved to the right where the clothes hung. “Shit. We should get them some clothes, too. I mean, I don’t have a clue what Lexi has with her, but it’s not going to work when the weather gets cold.”
Devon panned his flashlight around. “Looks like most of the stuff is still for the summer.”
“Makes sense,” I mumbled. “A lot of businesses shut down before the store could start getting fall deliveries, then they put travel on hold, making things even worse. We’ll have to figure out where we might be able to go to get the kids some winter clothes before it gets too cold.”
“We will,” Devon said reassuringly. “This is just one stop of many.”
“I’m starting to realize that,” I grumbled.
I steered my cart to the left, heading down the book aisle. There I grabbed things off the shelves at random, barely registering what I was doing before heading to the next aisle. Devon followed, not commenting as I grabbed Play-Doh, a couple Lego sets, and a doll for Lexi. I paused before I put it in, looking the little thing over. She had dark brown skin and cheeks and lips that were painted pink, and she was wearing a pink dress. She should have been cute, but something about the wide, lifeless eyes staring at me suddenly gave me the creeps.
I tossed her into the cart, fighting back a shudder, and headed out of the aisle.
“Okay. Food,” I said, feeling better about having gotten something for the kids even if I was pretty sure the doll would haunt my dreams tonight.
Devon still didn’t say anything as we turned our carts onto the main aisle, but he was smiling to himself as we walked side by side.
“What?” I asked, my gaze darting from him to the area in front of us.
“I’m just impressed you thought to do that.”
I shot him a confused look. “Get toys?”
“Yes, Rowan. Get toys. A lot of people wouldn’t have thought of it. Hell, I didn’t. But it’s a nice gesture, and it makes sense. Lexi is five. She needs a distraction from all this.”
“And Mike needs something that will remind him he’s still a kid.”
“Exactly,” Devon said, punctuating the word. “And you’re the one who thought of that.”
Even if I wasn’t the most emotionally prepared person for this world, it was nice to know I’d thought of something no one else had considered. Maybe it was a sign that I could adapt, or maybe it was just a fluke. Either way, I beamed under Devon’s praise.
7
The food section loomed in front of us, as dark as the rest of the store with the exception of three bobbing lights. Two of them were close together and toward the middle, but the third was to the left and several aisles over from the others. I could only assume Miller had gotten fed up with playing nice and wandered off on his own.
Devon must have come to the same conclusion, because he grumbled, “Fucking Miller.”
I paused when we reached a crossroad, looking between the bobbing lights as I tried to decide what to do. “Should we head that way and see what he’s up to, or meet up with Kiaya and Lisa?”
“Might as well get Miller out of the way,” Devon said with a sigh of frustration. “I can’t figure out why he decided to come with us.” His head snapped my way, and his gaze moved over me, warming every inch of my body. “I mean, I know why. I just don’t understand what he’s thinking. You haven’t given him a hint of encouragement.”
“With some guys, it doesn’t matter.”
Again, I thought of the moment when I’d been sure someone was watching me get dressed.
“I know the type. Believe me.”
Working as a cop, I was sure he’d been exposed to all kinds of deviants.
“You’ll tell me if he tries anything, won’t you?” We were standing still, and Devon narrowed his blue eyes on my face as his frown deepened, and in the shadowy store, it looked exaggerated and slightly grotesque. “I mean, I don’t like the guy, and I think he’s kind of a creeper, but I haven’t seen anything so far to worry me. Still, I want to be sure you’re safe.”
I looked away, not wanting him to see the uncertainty that bubbled up inside me. “I will.”
Devon was quiet for a moment, but I didn’t look at him, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Still, I knew he was watching me, and the hair on my scalp prickled under his scrutiny.
I held my breath, waiting for him to ask more questions, but after a moment he let out a deep sigh and said, “Let’s get this done.”
He turned left, heading for the single light that could only be Miller, and I followed without comment.
The little orb bobbed across the store, growing brighter the closer we got and giving off just enough light that I was able to read the signs hanging from the ceiling. Miller was in the soup aisle, so it wasn’t at all a surprise to find him loading cans into his cart when we finally turned a corner and he came into view.
He must not have heard us coming, because he spun around, dropping the can in his hand as he reached for his gun. It was the first time he’d reacted to any kind of danger when we were out, but the way his hand shook as he pulled the weapon and aimed it our way didn’t instill any confidence in me. He looked like a child trying to appear dangerous, not a man who’d been serving in the military until all this happened.
Devon put his hands up. “Shit, Miller. What the hell are you doing?”
The can he’d dropped had landed on the floor and rolled a few feet, coming to rest between us. I pushed my cart forward until I reached it, then scooped the thing up.
Miller lowered his gun, and even with the shadows playing across his face, the relief in his eyes was obvious. “Sorry. I’m jumpy as hell in here.” He turned and once again started grabbing cans off the shelves. “I split up from the girls so we could get this done faster. It was stupid for all three of us to stay together.”
It was the first genuine emotion Miller had shown since we’d met, and it made him seem suddenly more vulnerable, and a hell of a lot more human. It also served to remind me of something. He may have been an ass and annoying as hell, but he wasn’t that much older than me. While I didn’t know his exact age, I guessed him to be around twenty-two, which was still immature—as much as I hated to admit it—and too young to have lost everything and find yourself all alone in the world. Maybe Lisa was right, and being an asshole was just his way of coping. Maybe, somewhere deep inside, he wasn’t such an awful guy. I had to hold on to that hope, because otherwise he was an asshole who just liked to irritate people.
“You should have stayed with the others,” Devon snapped, clearly not coming to the same conclusion I had.
Miller froze in the middle of grabbing more cans and glared our way but didn’t reply.
“No sense getting all worked up over it,” I said, leaving my cart so I could head over to help. “You can’t go back in time, and we’re here now.”
The corporal visibly relaxed, but Devon’s frown deepened.
I gave Miller a small smile, doing my best to make sure it stayed friendly and neutral and wasn’t the least bit encouraging so he didn’t get any ideas, then I got busy grabbing things off the shelves. He did the same, and after only a few seconds, Devon came over to join us. We stuck mainly to things that didn’t require adding water. Soups that weren’t condensed, packaged and canned tuna, lots of chicken broth for those things that did
require water—the extra protein would be helpful. It was an overwhelming process, trying to figure out what we’d need and imagine how we’d prepare it with no electricity. We managed, though, and once we’d gotten a good haul from that aisle, we moved onto the next one. Then the next one.
When we reached the section of taco shells, I let out a low groan. “I’m going to miss Mexican food.”
“Don’t even mention it,” Devon said. “I could eat ten tacos right now.”
Miller was busy filling his cart with beans when he said, “There was this great Mexican place down in San Antonio. God, that place was amazing. I went there with my brother just a few days before businesses started shutting down. Had a margarita the size of my head and a burrito that was just as big.” Miller smiled to himself as he grabbed a couple cans of black beans off the shelf. “Best damn Mexican I’d ever had.”
Devon and I exchanged a look.
It was only the second time since we’d met that Miller had shared any real personal information, and last time we’d practically had to wrestle it out of him. Basically, the only things he’d told us was that he was from Delaware, had joined the Army right out of high school, and had been living in Texas when all this started. And that he’d had a shitty childhood. Now we had a brother to add to the equation, which was something I could use to maybe get a little more information out of him—and hopefully force him to be more of a team player.
“So, you had a brother?” I asked, not looking his way.
From the corner of my eye, I saw his body stiffen. “Yeah.”
The word was short and final, like the last nail in a coffin.
So much for getting him to open up.
“I always wanted a sibling,” I said, not willing to give up completely. “But I also knew it was never going to happen. My parents had already been married for thirteen years by the time they adopted me, and even though they would have liked to have more kids, they were satisfied with one.”
Far Series | Book 2 | Far From Safe Page 15