Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies)

by Renee Charles

  Chapter Fifteen

  Summer waited at the door with a garbage bag suspiciously shaped like a stack of books and not much else. “I’ve got what I need.”

  “Is there anything I can carry for you?” Megan couldn’t help but offer, familiar with how it felt to choose what would be left behind.

  “I have my books in here. If you want to grab the soaps and crap from the bathroom, you could use the trash bag under the sink.”

  “Got it.” Megan did as instructed and even found three rolls of toilet paper under the sink, which she added to the bag, then followed Summer out of the room while Sam held the door.

  As they stepped on the elevator, two men in lab coats surrounded by a gaggle of soldiers came around the corner at the end of the hall.

  “Uh oh. Apparently they missed me sooner than I expected.”

  “Dr. Woods, stop.” One of the doctors ran toward them as the elevator doors slid closed.

  “Damn it.” Sam pulled out his gun and stepped between them and the door.

  “It’s okay Sam, they can’t get it open.” Summer put her hand on his arm. “The soldiers added a safety feature so if you get chased down the hall by a zombie, it can’t accidently slap the button to open the door back up. The last thing you want is to be trapped in an elevator with a zombie.”

  “It’s Megan’s biggest fear.” Sam glanced back at her over the top of Summer’s head.

  “Well, that and used car salesmen.” Megan shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

  Standing in the elevator waiting for the doors to open again, Megan watched her two companions. Sam stood closest to the doors with his legs braced and shoulders stiff, the tension in his muscles so palpable Megan swallowed instinctively. Summer stood behind him. Her long blonde ponytail shook slightly, the only hint of fear the young woman displayed.

  Megan looked down at where her arms crossed her chest.

  Pregnant? Her hand slid to her stomach. The thought of a baby frightened her more than the soldiers on the other side of the door. No diapers, no formula, no corner drug store for baby Tylenol. It would be impossible.

  The doors slid open, and Megan’s heart drummed in her ears. Sam stepped out into the lobby first while she and his sister followed a step or two behind. The soldiers didn’t seem to notice them at first. Only four of them as far as Megan could see. Two flanked the door while the other two chatted by the front desk. The hostage plan didn’t seem necessary after all. They seemed to have the element of surprise on their side.

  “Doctor Woods. Everyone is looking for you.” One of the chatters stepped in her path.

  “You found me.” Summer swung her bag of books hard and connected with the solider between the legs. He fell to the ground in a pile of moaning camo, just as Sam punched his partner square in the jaw. One of the soldiers from the door grabbed Megan from behind, and she dropped her bag.

  The word SING ran through her head as the self-defense classes kicked in. She put her hands together and thrust back with her elbow as hard as she could right in his gut. Solar plexus. He grunted but held on. Instep. Megan stomped as hard as she could on his foot. Nose. She made a fist and swung it up behind her, but caught his mouth instead of his nose.

  Fudge and brownies. She always missed that one in class too.

  Groin. She brought that same fist down between his legs as hard as she could. He instantly let go and she stumbled forward a step. He fell to his knees behind her with a low moan.

  Sam made short work of the last solider and took Megan by the hand. She reached down and grabbed the bag as he towed her toward the entrance.

  Summer stood at the door motioning for them to hurry. “Let’s go.”

  “Hold it.” The sound of a round being locked in the chamber of a big gun rang through the lobby.

  Sam stopped in his tracks, and Megan ran into his back.

  Two more soldiers entered from around the corner to their right. One of which had his rifle pointed at Sam. Summer put her shoulders back and stepped between the rifle and her brother. Megan drew in a sharp breath.

  “Don’t—” Sam threw his hands up.

  “Go ahead shoot me, because I am not staying here another damn day.” Summer swung her arms wildly through the air emphasizing her mandate.

  “Stand down, Corporal.” The older guy admonished. “Our orders are to protect the doctors no matter what, not start shooting at them.”

  “But Sarge, we have orders to keep them in the building.” The young man looked over at his superior, but kept his gun up.

  “Let her go, boy. We start shooting the doctors, who the hell is going to get us out of this mess? Hell, I’d leave too if I thought I had somewhere to go.”

  The soldier lowered his gun. “Me, too.”

  “You can’t do this.” The soldier Summer had hit with the books moaned from the ground and pulled the trigger of the hand gun no one had seen him pull.

  Sam howled and his leg swept out from under him. His hands slapped the marble when he landed on his belly.

  “Sam!” Megan screamed, and Summer fell to her knees at his side.

  The young solider with his rifle on them swung his aim to the soldier on the ground. “Sarge said stand down. Drop your weapon soldier. That’s an order.” He moved between them and the soldier on the ground.

  He complied then grabbed his man parts and moaned again. “Bitch.”

  “Sam, can you stand up?” Megan lifted his arm over her shoulders.

  “Hell yeah.” He struggled to his feet, and Megan struggled to steady him.

  “Go.” Sam nodded toward the door, and Megan moved forward.

  The metallic smell of fresh blood filled her nostrils and made her stomach turn. She fought the urge to stop long enough to throw up again. Not now.

  The soldiers shouted at each other behind them, trying to sort out what their orders were exactly.

  Summer swept up under his other arm. “I need to treat that wound.”

  “We need to get the hell out of here first.” Sam argued and hobbled at the same time.

  “Agreed.” Megan pushed the door open and supported part of Sam’s weight at the same time. They maneuvered outside and picked up the pace. Megan saw the Suburban up the street and a flood of relief overwhelmed her. At some point the Suburban had begun to feel like home, and Megan knew if they made it to that car, everything would be all right.

  “Keep moving.” Sam hopped on his good leg while Megan and Summer held on to him as best they could. Megan’s own feet, still slow to respond from the drugs, felt like she was running in sand, towing an anchor. But she moved as fast as her body allowed. She only lost her balance once when Sam shifted his weight and dug in his pocket for the keys. He hit the door locks and made for the driver’s seat.

  Men with guns spilled out of the building behind them still arguing among themselves and unorganized But no shots rang over their heads, even though Megan braced herself for it.

  Megan climbed in right after Sam and pushed him over into the passenger seat. “I’m driving.”

  “Sam, I need something to tie off and cover that wound before all kinds of bacteria get in it.” Summer opened the back door while she spoke.

  Megan pumped the gas pedal bringing the engine to life while Summer climbed in. The second she shut the door, Megan laid rubber under the tires.

  “Rip up my shirt back there. I washed it yesterday.”

  Megan watched in the rearview mirror as Summer ripped the sleeves off the shirt Sam wore the day he rescued her off the roof. She pulled her eyes back to the road while Summer leaned over the seat and tended to his bullet wound.

  “I think it missed the artery.” He spoke with his teeth clenched.

  “That’s on the inside of your thigh, you giant baby.” Even as Summer mocked her brother, Megan didn’t miss the quiver in the young woman’s voice.

  “It passed in and out, right through the muscle. There is a lot of tissue damage, but it will heal, if we keep it clean.”
Summer yanked on the makeshift bandage, and Sam yelped.

  It took an Amazonian effort for Megan to ignore the conversation next to her while she focused on the road ahead, and sped through town like a maniac. She went over a small bridge too fast and her butt left the seat momentarily, her cue to let off the gas a little bit.

  “Where are we going?” Megan reached for her seatbelt with one hand while she steered with the other.

  ****

  Sam ignored the searing pain that shot from his leg to his hairline. Panic coiled within his gut, spurring the need to get his family out of here.

  “Back to Allan’s. It’s only three hours away if we push it. And we can spend the night there safely.”

  Megan took a corner a little too tight and fishtailed. Both women gasped as she counter-U-steered and straightened out.

  Damn it. He should be driving.

  “What about the evil stripper chicks?” An unmistakable edge of fear laced Megan’s voice.

  “We’ll blow through there. Keep an eye out for their truck. Run them off the road if we have to.”

  “Who’s Allan?” Summer sat back in her seat.

  “He’s got a camp north of here. A safe place we can stay for a couple days before we head up to the cabin.” He glanced over his shoulder at his sister.

  “What cabin?” Megan asked.

  He glanced back at Megan. Hadn’t he told her about his cabin? He thought…

  “What cabin?” She turned and glared at him.

  ****

  The campfire glowed orange and red. Over the tops of the flames, Sam watched Megan pass out candy to every child in camp. The smile she wore lit her eyes. She laughed up at the stars when one of the children sucked on a piece of licorice then offered it to her. Sam’s heart swelled. He had no idea what the future held, but he knew his future lay in her, figuratively and literally.

  Problem being, she hadn’t spoken to him since they got out of the car. In fact, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him all afternoon. Sam shifted his leg and dull pain tugged at him. Summer had stitched him up with thread from the sewing kit Allan’s wife lent them, but the wound burned and ached at the same time. However, he could walk, or limp as the case may be, and for that he was grateful.

  Megan’s eyes found him over the tops of the flames. She caught him staring, but he’d be damned if he’d turn from her gaze. She held his stare, but the emotion brewing in her face did not bode well for him. Her eyes flitted away to the child next to her who asked for another piece of candy.

  Although her anger was as transparent as the smoke that wafted between them, he didn’t understand why she was pissed. It couldn’t be because he’d drug her away from Vegas? She could not have possibly wanted to stay there with the doctors poking and prodding her, or worse.

  He assumed she’d be happy to get the hell outta Dodge. He assumed…but he didn’t ask. Damn. It was the same complaint every woman he’d ever dated had about him. He never asked. But this was a no brainer. They sliced into her, for Pete’s sake.

  She’d been talking to him until he told her about the cabin. Maybe she wanted to stay here. It didn’t seem right using up these people’s resources, when he had a fully stocked shelter of his own waiting for them up North.

  If he wanted to show Megan how he felt about her, he was going to have to let her choose. Not an easy thing to stand by and watch. Sam hadn’t made his millions letting other people take the lead. Too many icebergs and not enough lifeboats. Giving up control meant letting someone else drive the ship. The mere thought of it filled him with an aggressive energy that made him want to chop another cord of wood. But this time he would have to give up that control or lose the woman he loved. Another no brainer.

  When the fire waned and families began to wander away, Summer came and knelt next to him. She’d been chatting with her friend Linda since she got back. “Hey, Linda graciously offered me a bed for the night.”

  She turned and looked over to where Megan sat with a sleeping toddler in her arms.

  “Fix this, big brother. Before you lose her.” Summer kissed his cheek and got up to go with Linda.

  “Any suggestions?” He smiled up at her.

  “Ask her how to fix it. This is not an acquisition or hostile takeover. You can’t just absorb her into your bottom line. I always knew it would take a strong woman to capture your heart. Well, you found one. Don’t expect her to just roll over and take orders from you like your office staff does—did.” Summer patted his back. “I love you big brother, but sometimes the business tycoon in you gets in the way of everything else. Don’t let it get in the way of this or you will lose her.”

  “Yeah? Since when did you become such a romantic?”

  “You forget this all the time, but I am a grown woman.” She kissed the top of his head like their mother used to do and turned to go.

  Sam caught her hand, and she turned back.

  “Thank you, Baby-Girl.”

  Summer shook her head at the hated nickname, but smiled nonetheless.

  Sam let her fingers slide out of his and turned to find Megan over the top of the flames again.

  Sam watched her hand the sleeping child off to Allan’s wife. She stood up, straightened her shirt and slipped away from the fire.

  It was now or never. Sam got up and limped after her.

  “Megan.” He stopped her just outside the firelight. “Where are you going?”

  She turned to face him. “I’m staying with Allan’s family.”

  “I hoped you’d stay in the Suburban with me. Summer made other arrangements.”

  Megan turned away and crossed her arms over her body. “Oh. I just assumed she’d want to stay with you.”

  “Megan what’s the matter? Are you angry I took you away from Vegas?”

  “What?” The moonlight lit her face as she peered up at him in confusion. “No. That place was horrible. Thank you for saving me.”

  Sam stepped closer to her. She was all that he needed. If she wanted to stay here, he would gladly do so. He dipped down and whispered in her ear. “You’re welcome.”

  Her arms fell and he felt the starch leave her body.

  “Stay with me tonight.” He intentionally let his words brush her cheek.

  She closed her eyes and swayed. Sam smiled.

  Angry as she was, she was not immune to his charm. He would discover the reason for that anger later. Right now, all he wanted to do was make her sigh. Sam slid his fingers down the length of her arm until he found her hand.

  “Come on.” He gave her hand a little tug until he felt her resistance melt away.

  Megan fell into step with his unsteady gait and let him lead her to his rig. When he opened the back, she climbed in and he followed, shutting the door behind him.

  Mesmerized, Megan watched the steel bands of his arms work while he undid the laces of his boots. Having watched him wobble to the Suburban made her heart ache, so she tried not to think about the wound in his leg. She’d come so close to losing him in every way, all she wanted to do right now was be close to him. Be a part of him and give him everything she had to give.

  His arm snapped out and grabbed her foot. Sam loosened the laces of her sneaker and pulled it off. Then he pulled off the other one. Megan’s breath came in little bursts as his hands roamed up her legs to find the button of her pants. He shucked them from her in one swoop then turned a devilish smile on her. While his hands worked the buttons of his shirt, his eyes never left her.

  Megan shivered, not from the cool evening air, but from her body’s response to his proximity. When he pulled the shirt off his broad shoulders, Megan joined him on her knees and his musky scent enveloped her. His fingers grazed her hips as he collected the edge of her T-shirt in his hands and lifted it over her head.

  No longer embarrassed by his attention, Megan felt glorious under his scrutiny, like a Siren calling him to her. She tugged the ponytail holder from her head and set her hair free to flow around her shoulders. Sam flinched whe
n he reached around her to unhook her bra, so she pulled away and did it herself. Then he pushed it from her in a deliciously slow movement.

  All that stood between them were his pants and her underwear. He wrapped his arm around her waist and crushed her to him. Her breasts stood at attention when they met the warm flesh of his hard chest. Sam took her mouth in a possessive kiss, and Megan allowed herself to be conquered. His tongue caressed and toyed with hers, and Megan sighed into his mouth. She felt him smile against her lips as he laid her back onto a makeshift pillow made from a bundle of clean clothes.

  “One last thing.” He slid his hand down the length of her arm and gathered her wrist in his hand.

  He tugged the strap and Megan’s heart raced. She pulled her hand to escape his scrutiny but he held fast.

  “I want to see it.”

  “No. It’s ugly.” Megan shook her head.

  “It’s the only part of you I haven’t seen.” His fingers worked the latch and the wristwatch fell off. He lifted her hand to the moonlight, and even she could see the white scar glowing in the light.

  Sam raised his gaze to capture hers while he lifted her wrist to his lips. He brushed the marred skin so softly, his kiss was but a whisper.

  Megan shivered again. “I’m so sorry, Sam.”

  “You’re sorry?” His brows knit together in confusion.

  “I should have told you. I wanted to, but I was afraid you would respond like everyone else. I should have known better. You’re better than that.”

  He curled his wrist and tucked her hand into his chest, his gaze tortured with uncertainty. “I don’t know if that’s true. Maybe I would have responded just like everyone else.”

  “No. I’ve seen your heart. I’ve seen you ache for what had to be done and your strength to do it anyhow. You are a good man.”

  “You are so beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her once on the lips. “Inside…” He kissed her again. “…and out.”

  Her heart screamed in protest. She would have told him to stop saying such things when he didn’t love her, but Sam captured her mouth in earnest and his passion made her objections melt away. Sam brought every wanton desire in her to the surface. She relished in them like a rich chocolate dessert, unashamed of her need for him. Megan would allow him to fulfill that need, if only for one more night.