by Dia Cole
“But you came back with your mind intact. You sister wasn’t so lucky. Maybe she was initially able to fight off the virus with the accelerant, but once she died, the virus completely took over. ”
“So we could have saved her if we’d given her the serum or your blood after death?”
“I think so. Do you know what this means, Lee? We can keep people from turning.”
He kept talking, but the buzzing in my ears drowned out his voice.
I could have saved Eden.
My hands trembled.
Dominic frowned. “Of course you’ll likely need constant infusions of the serum or blood to keep the virus from progressing.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “That must’ve been why Mike started asking for vials of accelerant. He was trying to keep Eden from turning.”
“She’d stopped sleeping and eating.” Guilt ate at me as I remembered all the odd behaviors that I’d so readily dismissed as lovesickness.
How could I’ve been so blind?
“We couldn’t save your sister, but we saved you and we can save others.”
A cold feeling spread inside my belly. “But the virus is still inside me. What if we can’t keep it from progressing? There’s no telling when I could lose control.”
He closed the distance between us. “As long as I keep you fed, I don’t think you will.”
His scent surrounded me, warming my insides. My gaze was drawn to the pulsing vein at his jugular. I held my hands up as if to ward him off. “Stay back. Right now it is taking everything in me not to jump on you and bite you.”
Instead of looking at me with horror, he grinned. “You like the taste of my blood.”
“Yes,” I confessed.
His eyes glittered down at me. “Drinking it seemed to have an interesting effect on you.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Mmm-hmm.”
“It had a interesting effect on me too.” He cupped my chin, tilting my gaze up to meet his. “I enjoyed the experience.”
“Really? Even after I…” I lowered my voice. “Attacked you.”
His dark gaze glittered down at me. “Especially when you attacked me.” His mouth hovered over mine. “Are you feeling hungry?
All I could do was nod.
He nipped the bottom of my ear. “We can’t have that.”
I felt my control snapping like frayed rope. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer.
He let out a strangled gasp.
I realized I was crushing him. “Sorry,” I said, releasing him.
“You’re so strong,” he said, the wonder back in his voice. He stumbled, catching himself before he fell into me.
“You’re not okay,” I said in an accusing voice. I studied his face, for the first time noticing the paleness of his lips and the white brackets of strain around his eyes. “You’ve lost too much blood.”
He waved a hand in the air as if to brush off my concern. “I heal fast.”
“Even super soldiers need some recovery time.”
His laugh was a low rasp. “I’ll show you recovery time.”
My mouth dried as his hands went to his belt.
The sound of a vehicle had us both freezing in place.
“Someone’s coming,” I said, moving back over to the walkway.
Dominic shrugged on his torn, bloody shirt and joined me in peering out over the railing.
A black Hummer zoomed down the street and screeched to a halt next to the minivan. The front passenger door opened and Viper jumped out.
“He’s wearing my vest.” Dominic said, pointing at Viper who looked around anxiously while talking into his hand. “What the hell is he doing?”
I let out a gasp of horror. “He’s talking to someone on your radio.”
8
“Shit, they must’ve found a replacement battery for the radio.” Dominic fisted the railing. “Corporal Ross’s channel is the only one in range.” His shoulders tensed and he looked seconds away from confronting Viper and the van.
He was in no condition to challenge the bikers and I wasn’t ready to stack my new abilities against their firearms. I tugged on Dominic’s arm. “We can’t let them see us.”
He refused to crouch with me.
Thankfully, the Biters around the minivan drew the attention of the bikers.
Viper drew one of the knives from the vest and began taking the Biters down.
“That’s my favorite knife,” Dominic said, sounding outraged.
Spider leaned over the little boy sitting beside him in the front seat and shouted something.
The back door opened and Tweety and the guy with the ponytail stepped out. Tweety attacked the Biters with an ax while Viper and the ponytail guy transferred all our supplies from the minivan to the Hummer.
I swallowed back a cry when I saw them grab my backpack.
Dominic tensed. “Christ, they’ve got the pills.”
Oh no. My promise to Eden.
My fingers tightened so hard around the railing that the metal bent in the shape of my grip.
After throwing our supplies into the Hummer, the bikers jumped back in.
The Hummer spun around and sped away in the direction it’d come.
The few remaining Biters staggered after them in slow pursuit.
Dominic’s jaw flexed. “Corporal Ross wouldn’t talk to them.”
Given their last interaction, his confidence in Darcy seemed misplaced. “Who knows what story they fed her.” A hundred plausible scenarios came to mind. “Maybe they said we were injured and they’re trying to bring us home.”
Dominic grunted, his expression remaining skeptical. “She wouldn’t compromise the mission or the safety of the civilians.”
“If she thought she was saving our lives she might. Either way, we can’t let those bastards ambush our people.”
I’ll stab myself in the skull before I’ll let Spider and his gang hurt Reed.
“Agreed.”
“Then we need to find another vehicle. And fast.” Hopefully, it wouldn’t be as much of a pain in the ass this time around.
“What’s wrong with the van?” Dominic said, taking the ladder down.
“The bikers took the keys.”
“You mean these keys.” He held up the rabbit’s foot key chain.
I eyed them in disbelief. “I saw one of the bikers frisk you and take a set of keys.”
Dominic grinned. “He’s now the proud owner of a smoldering SUV currently parked at the Western Warehouse. I was carrying a spare set in case something happened to Corporal Ross.”
A tiny bit of the weight on my shoulders lifted. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Dominic’s mouth fell open when I leaped from the walkway and landed on the sand below. He quickly schooled his face into an impassive expression. “There are no style points in the apocalypse. Move it, soldier.”
As he stalked off toward the van, I shook my head. It figured that even after getting superhuman abilities he’d still lecture me as though I was a little kid.
I took half a minute to locate my sneakers under a pile of rotting corpses and then caught up with Dominic at the minivan.
Black flies buzzed over the pile of unrecognizable body parts strewn across the roof. The formerly white van was stained red.
My lips curled in disgust.
Eden was always a messy eater.
I caught a whiff of something tantalizing. Before I could help myself, I swiped my finger through the rivulets of blood dripping down the side of the van. I lifted my finger to my mouth.
Dominic cleared his throat. “We don’t know what effect regular human blood might have on the virus. You should stick to my blood.”
I froze in place feeling like a criminal caught in the act. “Right.” I wiped my finger off on my pants.
There was a flash of pink in my peripheral vision. I turned and spotted Eden crouched on top of a single-story house down the street. I froze in fear. “Dominic, she’s back.”
He cursed and stumbled in his haste to get to the driver’s seat.
Shocked at his uncharacteristic gracelessness, I followed him around the side of the van. “Maybe I should drive?” He’d lost a lot of blood between baby Howler bites, a gunshot wound, and my dark appetite.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re obviously not fine.”
Damn thickheaded man.
He shook my hand off. “Get in. She could be here any second.”
Heart pounding, I ducked into the open side door.
The door slid closed and he peeled away from the curb.
I stared out the back window waiting for her to race after us.
She didn’t.
“Why isn’t she chasing us? And why didn’t she attack us back there?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care,” he said, never taking his gaze from the road. We were nearly out of the neighborhood when he slowed the van to a crawl.
We were passing the house where we’d initially seen Grace.
Like before, she stood in the window, staring out at the street like a heartbroken waif.
Not even trying to resist the impulse, I reached out the broken window and flipped her off.
Her forlorn expression morphed into one of shock.
Dominic stepped on the gas. “Was that really called for?”
Feeling defensive, I sat back in the seat. “She betrayed us to the bikers, her brother shot you, and she stabbed me. So, yes. It was called for. And if I ever see that bitch again, I’ll make her sorry she was ever born.”
“Don’t judge too harshly. People will do nearly anything to survive.”
I looked down at my knife.
I’ve done some terrible things in the name of survival too.
My gaze flickered to Dominic’s profile.
I almost betrayed him to get the serum. I shivered realizing that if I’d done that, it would’ve meant my end because apparently I needed a constant influx of his blood to prevent the virus from taking over. With a jolt, I realized that my fate was linked to his. “You know, I can’t live without you.”
His gaze met mine in the rearview mirror. “Yeah.” His lips curved into an arrogant grin.
My face heated. “I mean, I need your blood to stay alive. Or whatever you call my current condition.”
His grin widened. “I’d imagine Ross could help you out if anything should happen to me.”
I shuddered at the mental image of me having to ask Darcy for her blood. “No, thank you.” My outlook brightened as I thought of the remaining hunky soldiers back at the safe house. “Good thing there’s always Jace and Ren.” I purposefully left out Hunter. That soldier scared the bejeezus out of me.
At the mention of the men in his squad, Dominic’s smile vanished. “You don’t drink from anyone but me.”
Something inside me basked in his possessive tone. “Is that an order, Sergeant?”
“You bet your sweet ass. Now get up here.” He slapped my butt as I climbed over the console and sat in the seat next to him.
Without a windshield, the citrus-smelling air whipped my hair around me. My eyes watered when a rogue orange blossom flew into my face. I made the mistake of pulling down the sun visor mirror. “Holy hell.”
Calling me a hot mess would be too generous. Thick streaks of black mascara pooled under my eyes and ran down both cheeks. As if that wasn’t bad enough, chucks of zombie gore were tangled in my hair. I let out a muffled cry and tried to clean myself up. “Why didn’t you tell me I looked like a dead raccoon?”
Dominic reached over and squeezed my thigh. “I still think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, but the words died on my tongue when I saw the emotion churning in his gaze. Lust. Devotion. And something more.
Anxiety bubbled up inside me. It was one thing to allow myself to love this man when I thought I had seconds left to live. But things seem different with an unknown number of tomorrows stretching out in front of us.
Feeling uncharacteristically shy, I couldn’t help venturing into dangerous territory. “Are you sure you want…this?” I gestured between us.
He reached out to grab my hand. “More than anything.”
“But what about the no-fraternizing-with-civilians rule?” I held my breath as I waited for his response.
“Fuck the rules,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips for a kiss.
The incredible feeling of his lips on my skin stole my breath. My thighs trembled and I wanted so badly for him to park the van.
I’ll dive into his lap, claim his lip, and tear open his n—
With a gasp I tugged my hand free.
What’s wrong with me?
“And what if I become a monster?”
He shot me an intense look. “I won’t let that happen.”
My stomach rumbled, and my gaze flickered to his pulse.
What if it’s already too late?
Seemingly unaware of my internal crisis, Dominic turned onto John Wayne Blvd.
With a flash of relief, I noted the absence of any Biters.
Hopefully, the horde is long gone.
He parked the van in front of the Western Warehouse. Or what was left of it.
Since our visit this morning, the roof had collapsed. Only a few tendrils of smoke curled up from the rubble.
“We’ll go the rest of the way on foot. I don’t want to tip off the Sidewinders.”
My throat tightened at the reminder of the bikers and what they could be doing to Reed.
God, he has to be okay.
We jumped out of the minivan and backtracked to the office building. Ducking behind a car in the parking lot, we surveyed the front of the office complex.
It was clear of Biters and gang members.
We waited ten minutes before I shot Dominic a questioning look. “If they didn’t come here, where did they go?”
“They must’ve picked up the safe house channel.”
“Shit.” Dread coated my stomach.
The Sidewinders could be trying to get into the school right now.
Dominic made a fist. “We get our people out and we get back home as fast as we can.”
I nodded. “Your men wouldn’t let the bikers into the safe house, would they?”
Instead of answering, he motioned me to follow him to the courtyard gate.
The wide-open gate.
“Didn’t you latch it when we left?” That was a dumb question. The real question was who, or what, had opened it.
He cautiously stepped through it. “Be ready for anything.”
As we continued on, the only sound was our shoes trampling the wet foliage on the cobblestone walkway.
Dominic stopped in front of the now shattered insurance office break room window. Shards of glass littered the ground.
The room was as deserted as the courtyard. “Where are all the Biters?” The cat lady and her coworkers were nowhere to be found. “They couldn’t have just vanished.” A cold sweat broke out on my neck.
“I don’t like it,” Dominic said, scanning the windows of the offices around us. “Come on.”
I followed him to the door at the end of the courtyard. The blinds were still drawn tight, obscuring the view into our break room.
Dominic reached for the handle on the door.
It swung open, nearly clocking him in the face.
Grady rushed out carrying Dominic’s duffel bag. Seeing us, he dropped the weapons bag and let out a shrill cry.
“Just where the hell are you going?” Dominic said, making no move to help Grady lift the heavy bag off his foot.
“D-Darcy wanted me to bring the weapons to the car,” Grady gasped, picking up the bag.
“What car?”
“Since ya’ll were taking your sweet-ass time, Darcy found us a vehicle. It took her half an hour, not half a day. She’s waiting out front.”
Dominic’s gaze narrowed. “We didn’t see any cars.�
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“Maybe you were too busy playing ride the flagpole with her.” He nodded in my direction.
Dominic’s shoulders tensed.
We didn’t have time for this. “Where’s Reed?”
“Darcy said to leave him. He’s not gonna make it.” He nodded back at the office.
“What?” Outrage made my voice so high, I was surprised it didn’t shatter the break room window.
“Hey, don’t off the messenger. I’m just following orders.”
Dominic glared down at him. “I make the orders and we’re not leaving Hippie behind.”
My breathing returned to normal. I tossed him a grateful smile.
Grady shrugged. “Whatever.” He hefted up the bag and started back the way we’d come in.
Dominic stepped into his path. “I’ll need you to help me carry him.”
I stared at him in shock.
Dominic never asked for help. How bad off is he really?
Grady’s face flushed. “I gotta go. In case you’ve forgotten, Rosie needs those pills by tonight.” His gaze bounced between Dominic and I. “You still have the pills, right?”
He must’ve seen the answer on our faces. His eyes went wide. “Tell me you didn’t lose my baby’s pills?”
Dominic held up his hands. “Calm down, we know who has them and we think they’re headed to the safe house.”
Grady made a sound between a hysterical laugh and a cry of pain. “You think? You wanna stake my daughter’s life on a hunch? Fuck you.”
Dominic gritted his teeth. “It was my fault the pills were lost. I’ll make it right. But first help me with Reed.”
Grady’s body trembled with rage. “I’m not helping you with shit.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened. “You’ll do what I say or forget about going back with us to the safe house.”
Anyone could see that Grady was close to losing it. Dominic’s high-handed tactics would only make him blow sooner. “Dom, I’ll help with Reed.”
“No. I don’t know what we’ll find in there.”
Translation, he doesn’t know what state Reed is in and he doesn’t want me freaking out. Too bad.
“I’m going.”
“I’ll get Reed out, just stay here. Please, baby.”
No part of me wanted to wait on the sidelines, but the longer we fought about it, the more time Reed could be in jeopardy. “Fine. But just because you said baby.”