“It’s still a little hard to breathe and my face feels like it’s been used as a tennis racket. Other than that, I’ll live.”
“That piece of crap. I’d love to feed Marcus to the zombies,” I said, studying her battered face.
She closed her eyes. “You and me both. I just can’t believe that none of these guys turned into zombies,” she said. “Drug dealers don’t believe in vaccinations or what?”
“Maybe they were too busy selling drugs and beating up broads,” I answered.
She snorted. “No doubt.”
I grabbed one of the fluffy white hotel robes and took a quick shower while Paige slept. As I was toweling off, someone began pounding on the door.
I put my robe on and let Donnie into the room. “I’m surprised you even knocked,” I said to him as he handed me a bag.
He eyed my robe and smiled lecherously. “You know, you are legal in most states. Zombie shit or not.”
I pulled my robe closer to my body and scowled. “For what you’re talking about, that’s still illegal.”
He burst out laughing. “You’re witty, I’ll give you that.”
“It’s better than being an asshole,” I said, eyeing him up and down.
His face darkened. “You have no idea what kind of an asshole I can be.”
I raised an eyebrow and stared at him. “You mean it gets worse?”
He instinctively touched his holster, which I noticed was empty. A look of surprise flashed across his face for a brief second.
“Lost your gun?”
He snorted. “I don’t need a gun. I’m not afraid of a little smartass like you.”
Donnie was a scary-looking thug, well over six feet and muscles that meant business. I’m sure Tony used him to intimidate or even take out anyone who pissed him off.
“I’m not afraid of you either,” I said, lifting my chin.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, both of us trying to out-intimidate the other. He did a much better job of being scary, but I had learned to focus through my martial arts class. I could stare right through him for as long as needed.
The sound of the elevator interrupted our special moment.
He smiled coldly. “I forgot to introduce you to the guard who’s going to be babysitting you. Looks like he’s arrived.”
I walked out of the room and glanced over at the man coming out of the elevator. I tried to keep calm but the truth was, I’d never been so surprised in my life.
“Hi, Donnie,” said the newcomer.
Donnie smiled and cracked his knuckles. “Glad you made it. It’s De Luca, right?”
27
“Yeah, Bryce De Luca.”
“Okay, De Luca. This is the girl you need to keep an eye on. What is your name, anyway?” he asked turning toward me.
My heart was pounding and my hands shook so bad I had to hide them under the robe. “Um, it’s… Wild.” I wasn’t about to get on a first-name basis with this criminal.
“Figures,” Donnie grunted.
“I don’t care how wild she is,” said Bryce, with a smirk. “I’ll handle her.”
I bit back a smile and looked away.
“Well, it looks like you’ve already intimidated her, De Luca.”
When I looked back at Bryce, a look of amusement briefly flashed through his eyes.
“Good. Then I won’t have to put her in her place,” he said.
“I like you already, kid,” chuckled Donnie.
I turned to Donnie. “I’m sure you do. It appears that he has same caveman mentality.”
Donnie waved his hand. “Eh… she’s pretty harmless. If she does give you any lip, though, just ignore her. Tony wants her unblemished, if you know what I mean.”
“You mean I gotta keep my hands to myself?”
The thought of Bryce putting his hands on me sent a rush of heat through my entire body.
He laughed. “Yeah, restrain yourself. Even though the broad population has dwindled almost down to self-love, you’d get more than what you bargained for with this one. She’s not as sweet and innocent as she looks.”
With a remarkably straight face, he answered, “Good to know.”
Donnie nodded. “Other than that, don’t let her out of this room and restrain her with force if you need to. Same with the other broad.”
“I got it.”
“Okay, now get back to your room, Wild. We’ll let you know when the next show is.”
I took one more glance at Bryce before I went back into the bedroom. He looked like he fit in perfectly with the group of criminals, especially with the new designer suit and wingtips.
“What’s going on?” asked Paige when she saw me.
“Bryce is here,” I whispered.
Her mouth dropped. “Is he being held prisoner, too?”
I shook my head and smiled. “No, he’s pretending to be one of them. In fact, he’s our new guard.”
She smiled and grabbed my wrist. “Oh, my God, we might really be getting out of here!”
A minute later Bryce slipped quietly into the room. He smiled. “Funny meeting you here.”
I ran over and threw my arms around him. “I can’t believe you’re here,” I cried.
He held me tight. “Believe it or not, I was actually here because of someone else.”
I pulled away. “Who?”
“A boy. God, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Even more beautiful than I remember,” he said, drinking me in with his own.
“Wait a second, Bryce, a boy? Bobby?”
He shook his head, looking confused. “Bobby? No a teenager.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s fine,” he said, studying my face. “Long story and one I’ll explain when we’re out of here.”
“I’ll be back,” said Paige, getting up from the bed. “Um… I’ll just use the bathroom. Give you two a minute.”
He touched my cheek. “For a while, I didn’t know if you were just a dream. I kept seeing flashes of your face in my head. Your eyes… your lips…” he said.
“What do you mean a dream?”
Instead of answering, his lips met mine with such tenderness that it caused a rush of heat throughout my entire body. Just as I melted into his arms, he pulled away.
“Sorry,” he said. “We’re obviously in a lot of danger. I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we have to get you and your friend out of here.”
“You mean Paige?”
His eyes widened. “Uh, yeah. Jesus, someone did a number on her face.”
“This schmuck named Marcus.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I met him. Real ladies man.”
“In his own demented mind.”
“Is it clear?” asked Paige from the bathroom.
“Unfortunately,” said Bryce, tugging playfully at my robe.
“Stop,” I said, laughing. “You can come out, Paige!”
She smiled. “Is it me, or did the temperature in this room rise a few degrees?”
“Very funny,” I answered, although I hadn’t felt this much excitement in days.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but put some clothes on, Wild. We need to get moving,” said Bryce.
I picked up the bag that Donnie had given me and looked through it. There was a pair of hiking boots, a size or two too big, a black lacy tank top with spaghetti straps, and an incredibly skimpy pair of white jean shorts. I wasn’t going to complain though, it was better than wearing just underwear. Plus the built-in bra would cover more than the double-D baggy one I’d had to endure.
Bryce reached into the bag and held up a white thong. “You forgot these.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I mumbled, grabbing them.
I’d never been much for picking my underwear out of my crack. It was ironic how Donnie picked out something that was a pain in the ass, just like him. Just another reason for making these shmucks pay.
28
“So, I say we just sneak out of here,” said Pai
ge. “Then come back with reinforcements and kick some major ass.”
I stared incredulously at her sudden surge of courage. Less than an hour earlier she’d been trying to talk me out of escaping and wreaking vengeance on Tony and his band of mob brothers. Now with Bryce around, she was full of piss and vinegar.
“I can’t leave yet. I have to find Luke,” he said.
“Who’s Luke?” I asked.
He sighed. “He’s an innocent kid who got caught up in this crap because of me. He’s staying in the hotel somewhere, and I’ve got to get him out of here.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’d also like to help Carly and the others get out of here, too,” I said. “I’m afraid if we wait, it’s going to be too late for them.”
“I don’t think you’ll have a chance of saving Carly right now,” said Paige. There are too many guards where they’re keeping the girls. You’ll never get any of them out of there.”
“Maybe we just need to create a distraction,” I said. I’d been thinking about a distraction for the last couple of hours.”
“Like what?” asked Paige.
“Zombies,” I said. “We need to bring them in to keep Tony and his boys busy.”
Bryce nodded. “That might work.”
“Yeah,” I said. “They’ve got to have a back entrance or loading area in where we can sneak the zombies in.”
Paige snorted. “Sneak the zombies in? You’re kidding me?”
“Seriously,” I said. “We round them up somehow, lure them in, and set them loose. While these guys are shooting zombies, we get the girls out of here.”
Bryce ran a hand through his hair. “It might work. It’s pretty far-fetched, but it might work.”
Just then, there was a loud pounding at the door. “Hey, De Luca! You in there with them broads?” hollered a familiar voice.
“Marcus,” I whispered.
Bryce got up and took out his gun. He unlocked the door and stared down at Marcus, who was holding two bottles of red wine.
“Looks like you got the right idea,” smiled Marcus, staring at me and Paige. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Bryce shook his head and then got into character. “No, the girls were fighting and I had to step in, you know what I’m saying?”
Marcus nodded and then held up the wine. “I just came by to offer a celebratory glass of wine to Ms. Wild here. She kicked some major zombie ass and I wanted to personally congratulate her.”
“No thanks,” I said quickly. “I’m not a drinker.”
“Come on,” said Marcus. “This is a good year and a very expensive brand. One little glass won’t hurt you.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here,” I said to Marcus.
“I know one thing, this guy shouldn’t be in your room either,” he said with a scowl. “He’s supposed to be guarding on the outside. I’m his superior, however. I can be anywhere I want.”
Bryce cleared his throat. “Well, I think it’s time we both leave and let these two girls get some sleep. I’m sure Tony wants Ms. Wild well-rested so she can put on a good show for him,” said Bryce.
Marcus put the two bottles of wine on the table and removed a bottle opener from his pocket. “How about you go and do your job by standing outside that door, and I’ll make sure these two have everything they need in here,” said Marcus. “Comprende?”
“Listen, asshole,” hissed Paige with her fists clenched. “I, for one, have had enough of your bullshit. You’re a pathetic excuse for a man, and the only thing we need is for you to get the hell out of here!”
Marcus took a step toward her, his eyes burning with anger. “If you don’t shut your trap right now, bitch, I’m going to find another use for it, and I guarantee you won’t be happy.”
Paige glared at him. “I doubt you’d know how to make any female happy.”
Marcus’s face grew red and he raised his hand toward Paige to slap her. Before Bryce or I could react, Paige hauled off and kicked him hard in the nuts.
“Whore!” he screamed, rolling to the ground.
“That’s right, bitch!” she hollered down at his face. “I can fight just as dirty as you!”
“Shit, I think my nuts are bleeding,” he moaned, his face a dark cherry red.
“Oh, crap,” I said, biting back a smile.
Marcus opened his eyes and looked at Bryce. “Kill her,” he wheezed.
Bryce took out his gun, stepped over to Marcus and hit him in the temple, knocking him out.
“Did you kill him?” asked Paige.
“Nah, he’s just out,” said Bryce, grabbing Marcus’s gun. “Let’s tie him up and hide him. Then we’ll move.”
We took a couple belts from our bathrobes and tied his hands and feet, then stuck him in the bathtub.
“I think Luke is staying in the penthouse with Tony, who believes that he’s his nephew. I need to check it out.”
“Obviously we’re coming with,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’d prefer that you hide in a different suite until I come get you.”
“It’s too dangerous to split up,” I said.
He ran a hand through his dark hair and then nodded. “Fine,” he said, handing me the gun. “Let’s just go quickly. I think Tony’s playing poker in the restaurant down below anyway.”
We decided to take the stairs since it was too dangerous to use the elevator. Plus, I didn’t trust the generator. The idea of getting stuck in the elevator seemed more frightening than dealing with zombies or any of Tony’s men.
After ten flights, Paige was gasping in pain from her injuries. “I can’t do it, guys,” she said. “My side still hurts and it’s getting worse.”
Bryce nodded. “Okay, listen, Paige, take Marcus’s gun and stay here in the stairwell. If you hear anyone else coming, get the hell out of here. There’s a women’s bathroom on the main level, north of the concierge counter. Hide in one of the stalls and we’ll come get you.”
She nodded. “Okay. Hurry up.”
I gave Paige a hug and then followed Bryce up to the thirty-seventh floor, where the penthouse was. We stopped at the stairwell.
“Okay, now what?” I asked.
29
He looked at me. “I’m going to knock on the door.”
I stared at him. “Seriously? You’re just going to knock on the door and ask for Luke?”
“Yeah, he’s probably alone, and besides,” he said, raising his gun, “I have this.”
“Wow, that’s ingenious.”
He smiled, sheepishly. “Well, do you have a better idea?”
I smiled bitterly. “No, I guess not.”
Bryce pulled me into his arms. “How about a good luck kiss?”
I looked into his blue eyes and licked my lips. “Um, okay.”
I guess Bryce’s version of a simple kiss was a whole lot different than mine. His mouth crushed against my lips and I held on as the familiar rush of emotions swept through me. I slid my hands up to the back his neck into his wavy black hair and moaned as one of his hands slid across my chest and squeezed. After a while, he moved his mouth away from my lips and down my neck, making me tingle all over. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered against my skin, his breath hot.
“Me too,” I squeaked.
He laughed and released me. “Sorry…” he said.
I blushed. “It’s…”
A noise from somewhere down below startled both of us.
“Shit,” he whispered as the voices became louder.
I grabbed his arm. “Crap, I hope Paige is okay.”
Bryce frowned and then opened the door leading into the hallway, pulling me through.
“She’s a smart girl.”
“I know.”
“Okay, Wild, there it is,” he said, pointing to door labeled “Penthouse.”
I nodded and followed him as he took out his gun. “Wait, stay to the side over there,” he said. “By the elevator.”
When he was satisfied that I was out o
f the way, he knocked softly on the door. A few seconds later, a woman opened it.
“Well, would you look who the cat dragged in,” chuckled the woman.
“Belinda, I missed you,” answered Bryce. “I just had to see you again. And to thank you for getting me this job.”
I couldn’t see who this woman was, but she sounded generally happy to see Bryce.
“Let me guess, the sex was the best you’d ever had and you still can’t get me out of your head,” said Belinda.
My stomach tightened. What?!
“Something like that,” said Bryce. “I also wanted to see how Luke was doing.”
“He’s here but sleeping right now. Why don’t you come in before Tony gets back and we can catch up,” she said. “Maybe have a little… nightcap?”
“So, you’re alone?”
Belinda chuckled. “Why, are you horny?”
I clenched my fists.
“When there’s a beautiful vision only a few feet away, it certainly does get my blood pumping,” he said.
I couldn’t resist any longer, I took a quick peek around the corner and my jaw dropped. A cougar, with overly-processed bleach-blond hair, leathery skin, and long, red nails was flirting with Bryce and he just stood there with a stupid grin on his face. To top it off, she wore black stilettos and a leopard-skin bodysuit that pushed up her obviously fake boobs.
“Oh, you are a naughty boy, aren’t you?” she giggled, touching his dark hair.
“That’s me,” he said. “Naughty boy.”
The woman, who had to be closer to sixty, flung her arms around Bryce and pressed her lips to his.
“That’s it,” I growled, coming around the corner. “Get your paws off my boyfriend before I show you how naughty I can be.”
Belinda stepped back. “Boyfriend? Who the hell is she, Bryce?”
He sighed. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Belinda shook her head. “Well, that’s not cool, cheating on your girlfriend. I thought you were better than that.”
“What?” I asked. “You’ve been cheating on me with her?” You’ve got to be kidding.
“Listen, can we go inside and talk about this?” asked Bryce.
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 41