What the Outlaw Keeps

by Samantha Leal

  Cass picked up Talin's head and handed it to Fawn. "Take him inside and give him a hand if he needs it… Sorry Talin, no pun intended. Do whatever he says…he’s gonna save us." Fawn just stared at the severed head for a moment.

  "Hello, my name is Talin." He said, with his most charming smile, "What's yours?"

  The smile calmed her down, "umm…hi, I'm Fawn," She held up a water bottle, "Are you thirsty?"

  Chapter 17

  The magic circle was only two thirds done… but the next wave of extra-dead zombies had arrived. Cass appeared calm, but she was just too numb to register any more shock.

  Cass watched the creatures shuffling across the lawn towards the compound. Some of them were surprising agile and quick. "Those are the cemetery zombies! Hurry up people!" She looked down at Talin, "We're lucky it took them so long to get here."

  "Maybe they stopped for lunch."

  The wave of zombies began to pick up speed, in response to the shouting and barked commands. They began to build a momentum like an oncoming stampede.

  "Christ, they're running." Cass said nervously.

  "Okay," Jack said to his shooters, "All you can do is slow them down, so aim for their legs. Use short bursts and hit the kneecaps if you can. But don't waste any ammo." The horde came within range, "Fire!"

  The first shots were effective. Cass shot the legs out from under at least two while Jack hit three. The other shooters missed but kept firing. The barriers of furniture and rubble slowed the zombies down … but only for a few moments.

  "We finished the circle!" Shouted a middle aged balding guy. He looked like he was having the worst mid-life crisis on record.

  Cass, Jack and the shooters quickly fell back into the dining hall, barricading the door behind them. Talin began the incantation as the zombies bashed at the doors and windows.

  Cass had a horrifying thought, "What if they're inside the circle when the spell is completed?"

  Talin just continued muttering the spell, louder with each passing sentence.

  A zombie ran headlong into a floor length window shattering the glass. Jack opened fire, shooting its legs out from under it. Another raced in behind it and pounced on Cass. They fell to the ground in a tangle of tanned and decaying flesh as they wrestled furiously. Its hands clasped around her windpipe. Cass felt herself becoming weaker, losing the battle as she did her best to keep it’s gnashing teeth away from her.

  Talin's voice reached a crescendo and stopped, "It is complete." He said.

  Cass was barely conscious when the zombie suddenly relaxed its grip. It stared at her for a moment…or would have if it still had eyes, until, in a rasping croak it said, "ahh…thank you," as if in relief. Then it went limp.

  The other zombies that had entered the circle weaved unsteadily and then collapsed as well.

  Cass examined her opponent's body, "It’s dead… again. I mean really dead…like supposed to be dead…oh you know what I mean."

  Jack looked out the window, watching in relief as the zombies outside the circle began to wander off into the jungle, "They're leaving," He shouted to the heaven’s as well as to the assembled crowd.

  There was tremendous excitement until Talin chimed in.

  "The circle makes us more or less invisible to them…but there is no need to tempt fate… So please keep it down!"

  The survivors complied.

  Fawn raced over to Jack, throwing herself around him with all her might. “Oh Jack, we made it!”

  Jack was surprised, as he actually felt his heart skip a few beats with her embrace. She was a cute kid, and truth be told he realized he had actually developed something of a bond with her. Maybe it was just the whole zombie thing that had kind of thrown them together, or maybe there really was something there…

  He hugged her back , kissing the top of her head, “Yeah, looks like we are going to be alright after all.” Maybe more than alright, he thought as he held her tight, caressing her back and nuzzling her to him.

  Cass picked up Talin's head and cradled it in her lap.

  She looked at him and smiled, "How long does the spell last?"

  "As long as the circle remains intact we are safe." Talin replied.

  Cass was beyond exhausted. It had been a hellish night, but they were finally safe, thanks to a circle of salt. She looked outside and did her best to smile. Surveying the carnage she knew they had paid a heavy price. It had been an insane night. Scores of tourists and soldiers had died, and then come back. Some of those were just so much hamburger, while many were even now wandering the surrounding jungles in search of human flesh. She had not had time to even think about the safety of the other villages on the island. They would be at the mercy of the horde. And then there was the whole my-boyfriend-is-just-a-severed-head thing to contend with. But she was confident that with his magic they could remedy that as well. They just had to bunk down for the night. With the new day they would figure out their next move. At least for now they were safe.

  Then the first drops of rain began to fall… thin rivulets of water were already coursing across the earth as it quickly turned into a downpour.

  THE END

  My Holiday Billionaire

  Pamela Avery

  Copyright ©2015 by Pamela Avery. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Thank you so much for your interest in my work!

  Chapter One

  Alexandra Jordan’s big blue eyes filled with unshed tears as the plane taxied down the runway, increasing its speed exponentially, before rising into the air, its powerful engines vibrating beneath her wings.

  She tossed her head, deliberately hiding her face beneath her cloud of riotous blonde curls as she stared out at the rapidly diminishing landscape. Her seat mate, a batty old woman in her nineties chattered incessantly, trying to draw Alexandra into conversation. After several minutes engaged in what turned out to be a droning monologue, the woman took the hint and relaxed back against her seat.

  I should be happy, Alexandra told herself. I should be ecstatic, over the moon; I should be the one talking the old woman’s ear off!

  She had won a trip to freaking Hawaii and was flying first class for the first time in her entire life; plus she was going to spend two exotic weeks at a five-star resort; all expenses paid, and yet she could barely summon a smile.

  She knew why, of course, her eyes filling anew as she ducked her head; she was mourning the death of her relationship of five years. It had ended just two days ago when she had borrowed Andrew’s phone to show him the email she had received about winning the trip. She had seen a text message that came in at that very second, “Hey Baby…remember, I’m serious…no more unprotected sex!. Pleeeease bring condoms! I miss you!”

  Her mouth tightened now again as she recalled how her hand had shook as she looked up in shock, her disbelieving eyes zeroing in on where her fiancé was calmly sipping the bowl of soup she had made for him.

  “Who is Cindy Jacobs?” she had asked in a shrill voice she barely recognized as her own.

  Andrew had paused, his hand arrested half-way to his mouth and then he had blithely informed her, his eyes turning hard as he obviously braced himself and said, “She’s the woman I love.”

  Alexandra shut her eyes now in remembered pain as she recalled the strange tunneling sound she had heard after that. A part of her had been afraid she might even be having a small stroke at the time.

  Andrew had simply glared down at her as he rose to his feet and announced he had been dying to tell her that he had had enough, but now was as good a time as any. Then before her shell-shocked eyes, he had marched into the bedroom, grabbed a small duffel bag, and was heading towards the door before she could so much as sneeze.

  The worst part was that whenever she remembered that
encounter, what stood out most in her mind’s eyes was the apparent disgust etched onto his features as he looked at her. The pain was still there, but she wished she could believe it when she told herself that he didn’t deserve her. Her weight had always been a sore subject for her and he had known exactly what button to press. At the same time she knew her own self-worth and she wanted to be with a man who saw her as beautiful. She knew that she had to believe it first though. As he had left he had actually had the balls and gall to say “And lose some weight!” Thankfully, in this one instance she did not regret her temper. Before she had a chance to stop it, she had slammed her fist into his nose before shutting the door in his face. What a dick, she thought now.

  At the time, she had promptly dissolved into tears but he didn’t know that, so that was alright.

  She had been so devastated that she had actually considered not going on the trip at all. Her best friend and partner, Claire Davies had practically shoved her out the door insisting that Beautiful Designs, their Interior design company, could survive without her for two weeks. Beautiful Designs was her pride and joy; through sheer grit and determination, the company had risen from being a tiny corner shop to a corporation responsible for at least two hundred employees with branches in three states. The best part was, they were still growing and if she had anything to say about it in the next ten years, it would become a mega-corporation. She was the CEO but sometimes, like today, she felt about as clueless as the janitor.

  In hindsight, she realized he had actually been gradually moving out on her for a while which explained why he had needed no more than a second to stroll out with just one little duffel bag containing all his belongings.

  Raw pain shredded her heart anew and she leaned her head against the headrest of her seat and let the tears flow freely, unchecked as the powerful plane continued to burst through the sky. With every second she was getting further away from what was, and closer to what could be, she realized. Maybe the trip would be good for her.

  ***

  “Sí Señor,” the hotel Manager crooned, bowing so low it was a wonder his head didn’t touch his knees as he smiled up with sycophantic worship at the tall, powerfully built man in front of him.

  Alexandra tried not to roll her eyes as she watched the pair. The tall man murmured something in what was obviously meant to be a low tone. Given his very deep baritone voice, however, it carried right to her. She noted disinterestedly that he was speaking Spanish and tried not to start tapping her foot in impatience as the Manager started opening drawers and flipping ledgers in a flurry of urgent movements.

  Unable to bear the wait any longer, she said waspishly, “If you two are done with your bromance moment perhaps you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of a bar. Watching the pair of you is so painful I could certainly use a big, strong ─” her voice trailed off into silence as the large man turned to look at her.

  All thoughts fled as she locked eyes with what had to be one of the most amazing specimens of human being she had ever laid eyes on. He had a tawny mane of windswept hair that scattered around his head in a most becoming and arresting manner. He also had the most captivating pair of dark, dark eyes she had ever seen. They were so dark they were almost black and so intense she could have sworn she could fall into them. His features were finely chiseled with a granite jaw, a long aristocratic nose, and a firm upper lip. His lower lip was surprisingly full. His shoulders had to be at least a mile wide. There was a quality about him, something that reminded her of a big jungle cat about to spring. His tuxedo spelled class and money and was so impeccably tailored and well-fitted on his large, slim frame that she knew it had to have been custom-made. Expertly, her eyes picked out the unique Dormeuil Vanquish II cut of his tux. The man was the last word in gorgeous and very wealthy by the look of things. That tux had to have cost something in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand dollars!

  Alexandra tried not to grind her teeth as it occurred to her that sometimes God did give with both hands.

  The man grinned lazily, his dark eyes gleaming down at her as he said, “Big, strong what? Cup of coffee, I hope. Not much chance of you getting much else here miss.”

  Alexandra bristled at that. At twenty-eight, she was curvy and voluptuous with large breasts and broad hips, a smooth, unlined face and in her opinion, healthy strong arms. She’d always resented it though, and now was no exception, especially when he made it sound like she had been going to say ‘big strong man’. So she was not the most attractive woman in the world. That did not give a total stranger the right to comment on her looks.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” she began in a low, dark, warning tone “But I don’t like the insinuation.”

  Amusement glinted in his eyes as he deliberately raked his eyes down her pretty gamine features. She had wide blue eyes; full blonde curls that made him think of his little nephews and their favorite cartoon character Goldilocks; she had full, pouty lips that invited a man to lean down and taste them, a pair of delectable-looking boobs the size of small throw-pillows, and delectable hips that just made him want to wrap his hands around them. She was a complete knockout in his eyes.

  He felt his blood stir as it hadn’t done in a while and he immediately squelched the unexpected surge of desire; the last thing he needed right now was to be attracted to any female of the species.

  With deliberate insolence, he gave her a measuring look that swept from the top of her blonde hair, down her tee-shirt, past her shorts, past miles and miles of smooth legs and down to her flip-flops. He needed desperately to put some distance between them, he decided. Besides it was fun to rile her up like this.

  He said coolly, “Whatever you say.”

  Then he turned around to accept the key to his Suite from the Manager’s outstretched hand.

  “I hope you at least had the decency to give him a tiny room facing an alley,” she grumbled as she gave her details to the Manager.

  The man gave her a wide-toothed grin, “Very funny, Miss.”

  “I don’t hear anyone laughing,” she observed sarcastically.

  “He owns half the hotels on this Island including this one. He can have any room he wants,” the man informed her as he returned her documents and key to her.

  A flow of rapid Spanish had her looking towards the elevators in time to see a bell boy almost trip over his own feet in his haste to relieve the Spaniard of his briefcase. Alexandra rolled her eyes once more as she headed towards her room. With the reverence everyone was paying the stupid man, you would have thought he was the President of the United States!

  Chapter Two

  Alexandra Jordan was feeling blue for the umpteenth time in two short days; she was miserable, for want of a better word! She had been in Hawaii for just two days and she was ready to run for the hills.

  The place was every bit as exotic as she had ever imagined, true, but it was also a tourist destination which meant that everywhere she looked, people were in pairs. It was so disgusting, it was like freaking Noah’s Ark, she thought churlishly. Thank goodness that odious Spaniard had had the good sense to hide his face because with the mood she was in, if he so much as called her a child tonight, she would plant her fist in his face and leave it there to take root and grow!

  “Would you like a refill?” the waiter asked, hovering solicitously at her elbow, with a faintly harassed expression on his otherwise bland face.

  Alexandra shut her eyes; the man had been bending over backwards trying to please her all evening and she had not given him so much as one smile of appreciation! Nor had she even acknowledged his efforts with one word of gratitude. She was, she admitted to herself, becoming a bit of a ….well, a bitch.

  “I’m sorry Tom,” she said kindly now, beaming at the waiter, her teeth flashing white in the dark and her cheeks dimpling cutely up at him. “I was a bit preoccupied just then. Please, do top off my wineglass,” she ordered mildly.

  Tom grinned at her, mollified as he filled her glass to the
very brim. When he made to take off though, she stopped him with a hand on his arm, “Hey Tom, leave the entire bottle behind please.”

  “Uh, this is a very powerful wine ma’am. One of the finest yes, but a glass could put a grown man under and  begging pardon ma’am you are no man. Just be careful. It is very potent.”

  “Oh Tom, look how funny you are,” she laughed as she knocked back half her glass in one gulp.

  She saw Tom’s eyes widen before he hastily turned and walked away, leaving the bottle behind.

  Twenty minutes later, Alexandra blearily made her way to the elevators, stifling her laughter as she staggered on. The other guests gave her a wide berth. She pressed the buttons for her floor and slowly sank to the floor of the elevator to wait the ten or fifteen seconds. Too soon, the elevator bell dinged right before the doors opened and Alexandra staggered towards the door of her room, trying hard not to laugh at her clumsy movements.

  Her key card wouldn’t work no matter how hard she slotted it into the opening. In frustration, she kicked the door; then winced as her foot bounced off solid oak. She had probably broken every last toe on that foot, she thought hazily.

  Her confusion tripled as the door swung open from inside and the Spaniard filled the doorway, his eyes as hard as ice chips as he glared disbelievingly down at her.

  “Well someone’s due for an Oscar,” Alexandra noted as she brushed past him and into the room.

  “What?” he asked tautly, disbelief stamped onto his features at her sheer audacity.

  “I should be miffed to find you here, but I’m just too wasted to scold you right now,” she slurred cheerfully as she slumped across the big, wide bed sitting right in the middle of the room.