“Oh, come on babe, I think I had a right to be angry when you were carrying someone else’s baby even if you were raped.”
Everyone started looking wary, I think they thought there might be another huge argument, but I decided to end it there and then before it built up to one. Faster than he could notice I pulled my dagger out of my boot and held it up in front of his face.
“Call me babe again and I’ll remove the appendage that enables you to make babies do you understand me?”
There were actually a few chuckles around the table, but I was waiting for Eric’s response after he swallowed and turned pale while staring at the dagger.
“O-Ok Taylor.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.” I said sliding my dagger back into my boot and heading over to get something to eat.
Danielle grinned at me as she handed me over two bowls of food. “Have extra, you haven’t eaten for a few days.” I smiled at her and leant against the counter to eat one bowl as she said. “You’re a good girl for putting him in his place.”
“Someone had to.” I said realising how hungry I was after one mouthful of food.
She nodded. “Where did Lucian get off to, he said he would bring you down for some food.”
I shrugged looking away and pulling the bowl up closer to my face to hide the blush as I thought about our kiss. “He woke me up, told me to get dressed, but then said he had some other things to do, but I had to come down here and eat.”
I noticed when I swapped my empty bowl for the other one that she grinned in a way that made her look like she had knowledge that there was no way she could have. No one knew about that kiss except Lucian and I and it had been a mistake so it didn’t even really count as a real kiss.
“Here’s a glass of water too love, go and sit down I think Cora and Edward want to catch up.”
My eyes lit up at hearing that Edward was well enough to be eating in here and I looked around until I found them not sitting far from Eric. With a wave to Danielle I went over there and sat with my bowl of food and water.
“Hello you two.”
They both gave me big grins and Cora said. “Taylor, you’re here.”
I smiled. “I am, how you feeling Edward?”
“I’m better.” He said. “Peter said that you went to get my medicine, thank you.”
I patted him on the head. “No problem little guy.”
“I’m not little, I’m twelve years old.” He grumbled.
I chuckled. “Sorry Ed, my mistake.”
Cora giggled. “He’s just upset because I’m taller than he is now.”
“Am not.” Edward denied.
“So, where’s your brother today?” I asked stopping them from bickering.
“Oh, he went scouting again.” Cora said.
“He said you weren’t going though because you didn’t feel up to it, are you better now?”
I nodded. “I’m fine thanks.”
The sound of my name made me look over in Eric’s direction questioningly. “Isn’t that right Taylor?”
“Is what right?” I asked.
“I was just telling some stories about stuff that happened at camp.”
“Ok, well there aren’t a lot of cheerful ones there and a lot aren’t the sort of thing to talk about while you’re eating so what could you possibly be saying?”
“There were those good times though, when there were still a lot of animals and we would hunt and have meat. I miss meat, you remember that deer we had, and that wild pig and then there was that stag on our last night.”
I had just been nodding along in agreement, but when he said about the stag my head shot round so fast I heard my neck crack. He didn’t seem to realise what he had said though, he was still talking. He had made a mistake when he said about the stag, he had been out scouting and according to him he didn’t arrive until after the attack. The stag had been caught when he was meant to be out, there was no way he could possibly know about it because I certainly hadn’t said anything. How could he have known about it? I tried to think back to that night. The crazyness of it made it seem like a blur and unless I really thought about it there wasn’t much I could remember at all. One image that did come to mind though was Eric standing at the edge of the camp, that was ok though because he had been standing at the edge when I had shot the others.
The memory didn’t have bodies lying on the ground while he was watching though, no everyone was happy, he had been standing at the edge before the zombie attack, while we had been having the stag. What the hell did that mean? I wasn’t sure because it was seconds after that, that the zombies had attacked so why didn’t Eric die? There was only one reason that a group of zombies would leave a particular person alive and that was if they were ordered to attack in that area and not kill that person and there was only one reason they would be ordered to do that and that would be because they were working for them.
Chapter 7
It all made sense now, Eric had left that night and not come back because he was working with the soldiers, they kept finding me in our hiding places because he told them where to look. He was the damn bad guy and he was in this hotel probably ready to sell them out the second that he could.
I only realised then that Cora and Edward had been trying to talk to me. “Hellooooo, Taylor are you in there?” Cora asked with a giggle.
I looked and forced a smile. “Yeah, yeah, I just, I’ll be right back.”
“You turned a little pale are you feeling sick again?” Edward asked.
I shook my head. “Nope, I’m ok, but I should go.” I said before standing up.
I walked over to Eric and said to him. “Hey, can I talk to you privately for a minute.”
I saw Danielle looking over at us with a frown on her face. “Get Lucian.” I mouthed at her hoping she would get the message. I was glad when she nodded her head and disappeared from the room.
Eric stood up and looked at me with a grin before following me into a corner. “Missing me already?”
I smirked. “Not quite, just wanted to talk about that stag you said about.”
He frowned for a minute. “What about it?”
“I just find it interesting that you would know about it when you were out scouting.”
His smile faltered as realisation crossed his face. “Y-you told me about it.” He stuttered.
I shook my head. “I didn’t Eric and strangely I remember you standing next to the camp just before the attack, strange that you survived don’t you think?”
I saw the moment when he realised he couldn’t talk his way out of it, his face turned menacing and he snarled. “You just don’t know when to keep your nose out do you?”
“You did it didn’t you?” I hissed shoving him in the chest.
“So what if I did?” He growled drawing everyone in our direction, great why did these things always have to have an audience.
“You fucking killed them!” I screamed feeling a rage build up inside me only born from wanting revenge for the people you love.
He laughed, he actually laughed at me. “You were so blind, all this time and you never noticed anything. It was to fucking easy.”
“You bastard.” I yelled kicking him in the stomach jolting him backwards hard enough that he rolled over the top of the table.
He pulled a dagger from his boot and jumped up in a defensive position before slicing out at me. I dodged backwards before punching him in the jaw and pulling a pistol out aiming it at his face.
“Give me one good reason not to pull this trigger and I’ll put the gun down.”
He snorted. “You won’t kill me, you can kill zombies and soldiers yeah, but you can’t kill someone you know, you don’t have the guts.”
“I don’t know you.” I hissed. “I thought I did, but you’re someone else.” Despite that though, he was right, the way my hand was shaking with the gun was enough proof of that. I wouldn’t be able to shoot him and he knew it and he took advantage of it.
/> Before I could blink he kicked the gun out of my hand sending it sliding across the floor and lunged for me. He sliced my stomach before spinning me around by the hand, pressing his arm across my chest and pulling my back up against his front before pressing the dagger into my throat.
I was now facing the door to the room as Lucian ran in with Danielle, Liam and Jack on his heels. He stopped dead when he saw the predicament I was in.
“What the hell is going on?” He growled his eyes burning into Eric as he took a stop forward.
“Uh, uh, wait right there or Taylor here takes her last breath.”
“You’re a bastard.” I hissed trying to tug away from him. I winced and stopped when I felt the dagger pierce my skin.
“Careful now babe, wouldn’t want you to take your own head off.”
“I told you not to call me ba-.”
“Not to call you babe?” He interrupted. “Yes, that’s right, but I don’t think you’re in any position to be telling me what I can and can’t do, do you?”
“You’re such an asshole.” I hissed as I moved my hand, if I could just distract him long enough I could grab the pistol and shoot him.
I was certain that Lucian saw what I was doing and I had to admit he was very good, he didn’t even glance down at my hand as he spoke to Eric. “Ok, tell us what you want and then you can let her go.” Lucian said calmly.
“Well, if you let me take her, you’re all free to go. Of course I can’t tell you what the other soldiers will do because I’ll have to tell them of course.”
I snorted and moved my hand a bit further. “Right, like they didn’t kill everyone at camp. You’re a liar, you’ll be here first chance you get.”
“You should shut your pretty little mouth babe.” He said pressing the dagger tighter into my throat drawing more blood.
I let out a little squeak and my eyes drooped slightly as the blood loss from my stomach began to affect me.
“There must be something, you’re willing to trade for her.” Lucian said sounding a little desperate.
My hand was getting closer to the gun, I almost had it. When Eric shook with his laughter I was thankful, it gave me a jostle in the right direction until I had the handle of the gun in my hand. “What could you possibly trade?”
Lucian smirked and I knew he knew I had the gun. “Ammo.”
“Ammo?” Eric asked in confusion seeming unsure of his smirk.
“Sure.” I said. “You get one bullet in return for my freedom.” I hissed directing my gun at the top of his leg and pulling the trigger at the same time.
He howled in pain and when the grip on his dagger slackened enough to get me out of any immediate danger I grabbed his wrist shoving it further away from my neck before turning on the spot, kicking him between the legs, punching him in the face, grabbing his hair and tugging it backwards until his neck was exposed. Within seconds my sword was unsheathed and pressed against his neck.
“There’s going to be a time that I won’t consider you as someone I know anymore, so you better pray you never meet me when that happens because I can promise you I won’t hesitate.”
“You’re bluffing.” He muttered.
“Am I? Maybe you should ask a few of your soldier buddies that I came across if I was bluffing. If you can find all of the pieces that is.”
He gulped and I pulled my sword away before hitting him over the head with the butt of my gun knocking him out cold.
I put my sword and gun away before grabbing the discarded one on the floor and putting it back in its place. Then I looked over at everyone who wore looks ranging from amazement to fear. My eyes automatically sought Lucian to find Elizabeth wrapping herself around him as she cried. I pulled my gaze away from them feeling pissed and jealous as hell, what the hell did she have to cry about anyway? It had been me in his arms a little over an hour ago, didn’t take long for things to change.
“Ok, well since no one else is going to say it, I will.” Liam said walking over to me and patting my back. “Nice job.”
Gordon strolled in then and let out a low whistle at the mess as he looked at me, Eric and the surrounding area. “Should I ask?”
“I’m kind of curious myself.” Jack said looking at me.
I glared over at Eric’s still form. “He’s a fucking traitor, end of story.”
“Ooooook, do we put him out with the zombies?” Gordon asked Lucian who to my annoyance was still comforting Elizabeth.
“Only if you want him to run off to his soldier buddies and tell them where we are.” I spat.
“He’s one of them?” Gordon asked. “But we tested him, he can’t be.”
I snorted. “He’s a good liar, I trusted him for months and turned out he was responsible for the attack at camp. He was there right in front of me all this damn time.” I dragged my hands through my hair as I tried to get a hold of myself, I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. “I fucking kissed his dirty lying mouth.” Shaking my head I turned towards the door. “I’m taking a shower.”
“I think that cut needs stitches.” Liam pointed out.
“It’s fine.” I grunted marching towards the door before anyone could stop me including Lucian who was still all close with Elizabeth.
When I reached my room I slammed the door closed behind me and pulled all of my weapons off, throwing them on the floor before punching the wall as hard as I could trying to erase the anger I was feeling. How could I not have noticed? I should have avenged the people not been walking around with the one responsible, he must have known that they would kidnap and rape me, he was just lying the whole damn time. How was I ever supposed to forgive myself for not noticing? My Dad would be disgusted to think that I had, had a relationship with him. Lucian’s Mum would have been appalled at my choice in men, they probably would have all seen straight through him, but somehow I had missed it. Eric was right I had been blind to it, blinded by fear or pain or the need to hang on to the last person who was alive around me. Something had made me lose the ability to see what was right in front of me. Maybe those adverts were always right, I should have gone to fucking Specsavers.
I ground my teeth together in frustration before punching the wall again as hard as I could. “Stupid, traitoring, asshole bastard!” I hissed punching with every word.
My knuckles were pounding and bloody within a few minutes. I then leant against the wall and sunk down to the floor ignoring the sting of the cut across my stomach. The loss of blood didn’t even seem important anymore, it wasn’t a serious cut beyond feeling a little weak and it wasn’t about to kill me so it didn’t matter.
At some point in the next few minutes the door must have opened and closed, but I didn’t hear it, the only reason I did know was because Lucian crouched down next to my curled up form before picking me up and walking over to the bed.
I felt so safe in his arms and that was when the hold I had on my tears finally broke, there was so much force behind the sobs that I thought my body was going to crack and fall apart. Lucian just sat on my bed silently and held me in his lap wrapping his arms around me. The fact that he had been with Elizabeth just now didn’t matter at that moment the tears just kept coming and they wouldn’t stop. I cried for the loss of my Dad and everyone else at camp, I cried for my sister, I cried for all the pain, I cried for the soldier kidnaps, I cried for Eric’s betrayal, I cried for the miscarriage of the baby I wouldn’t have wanted, I cried for everything. Lucian didn’t say anything throughout my outburst, he just held me silently as I sobbed against his t-shirt and clung to him. I felt his fingers run through my hair and down my back sending shivers down my spine that weren’t unpleasant to say the least, which made me remember Elizabeth because I shouldn’t be feeling like that. Try as I might to convince myself to climb off of him and apologise though, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My sobs had tuned right down until they were sniffles, but I was so warm and comfortable in his arms that I just didn’t want to leave. My eyes were drooping and the thought of
getting into bed over staying right where I was seemed completely unappealing. My body was just so exhausted after pouring my heart out that I couldn’t stay awake anymore and I fell asleep with the sound of Lucian’s heartbeat against my ear and the feel of his fingers running through my hair.
I woke up suddenly with a pinch of pain in my stomach before letting out a groan. I was certain that I wasn’t in Lucian’s arms anymore because I was lying on my back, but I obviously was confused about the odd pinching on my stomach so I forced my eyelids to open. The first thing I saw was Jason leaning over me, I lifted my hand up to rub my eyes thinking I must be dreaming.
“He’s just stitching you up Blondie.” Lucian said from beside the bed.
I looked in that direction to find him looking at me. The pinches from my stomach continued so I returned my gaze to Jason hoping he was nearly finished because it was getting a little uncomfortable being repeatedly stabbed by a needle.
I gave a sigh of relief when he finally sat up announcing he was done before his gaze landed on my hand and he asked. “What happened there?”
I tried to stop myself, but my body betrayed me by glancing at the wall where I had punched it. There were marks there, only noticeable if you knew where to look though. Lucian’s gaze of course immediately went to the wall before turning back to me with a frown.
“Did it accomplish anything?” He asked.
I grunted. “I had to punch something ok, the wall was handy.”
He sighed and Jason said. “I’ll just clean and cover it up to stop infection.”
I frowned not liking the idea of someone poking around my raw, throbbing knuckles because I knew it would sting like a bitch so I quickly said. “It’s ok, I’ll do it I’m just about to take a shower anyway. Just leave the stuff here and I can do it afterwards.”
Jason frowned and hesitated before Lucian sighed and said. “I’ll make sure she gets it done Jason, it’s ok, you can get to bed now sorry I disturbed you so late.”
“Anytime son, just make sure she gets that cleaned up.”
Demon Hotel (Zombie Apocalypse Series, Book 1) Page 9