“Austin?” I said, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat. “How was my sister when you last saw her?”
His eyes clouded over and he took my hand. “She was struggling, I can tell you that.”
I looked down so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. “I hope they can help her. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose either of them.”
He lifted my chin up and stared into my eyes. “Your mom’s a fighter, you’re obviously one, too. If Allie takes after either of you, then the odds are in her favor.”
I nodded but the tears still escaped, the enormity of my family’s situation was overwhelming.
Austin wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “Shh…it’ll be okay. We’ll find a way to contact your mom. Shit, if I have to take you to her myself, I will.”
“Cassie?” interrupted Bryce as he walked in the door with Eva trailing close behind.
I moved away from Austin and brushed away my tears. “Um, this is Austin. He’s the soldier my mother had rescued.”
Bryce frowned. “Okay? So, where is she?”
I explained everything that Austin had told me. When I told Bryce that he’d be joining us, he shook his head.
“No, he should stay here. The zombies are getting pretty out of hand out there. They need soldiers to protect the crisis unit.”
“Sorry, but I’m coming with y’all. I made a promise to Kris that I’d find a way to keep Cassie safe, and I’m not going back on my word.”
Bryce and Austin stared at each other and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
“Well, I think that’s a great idea,” said Eva as she stepped next to Bryce. She looped her arm through his. “We need all the help we can get fighting off those zombies.”
I scowled at Eva. “We? You’ll be staying here. You don’t have to worry about fighting zombies, not like you helped much anyway.”
Eva glared at me. “You don’t have to be such a bitch.”
My mouth dropped open and before I could show her how much of a bitch I could really be, Bryce interrupted. “Eva’s coming with us. Her mother’s been bitten and they’re flying her to Atlanta, too. She has nowhere else to go, Cassie.”
A wave of guilt rushed through me. “Oh, I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t know.”
Eva shrugged her shoulders and looked away.
“Well, why doesn’t she just go to Atlanta to be with her mom?” I asked Bryce.
“They said she couldn’t. They are quarantining all bite victims,” he replied. “They won’t even allow her near Veronica to say goodbye.”
“Oh, well she should stay here so they can keep her updated on her mom’s condition.”
Bryce shook his head. “The zombies are getting too out of hand for this small group. It’s not safe to stay here anymore. In fact, we’d better get moving now before we end up getting stuck here.”
Just then Kristie and Sara walked in. “Oh, thank God you guys are here. Look, we have to get out of here…now,” said Kristie. “The zombies are either getting smarter or their just plain lucky. They’ve broken through the entrance now and the soldiers won’t be able to hold them off too much longer.”
Austin pulled on a T-shirt. “Let’s get going,” he said. “I’ve got some grenades, we might need them.”
Kristie smiled at Austin. “Well hey there, soldier. I take it you’re the newest member of our team?”
He shrugged. “I’m just coming along to protect Cassie. I made a promise her mother.”
Bryce scowled. “That’s very noble but she doesn’t need your protection, she has me.”
Austin nodded towards Eva. “Looks like you already have your hands full with that one.”
Bryce took a step away from Eva and folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve done fine without you.”
“Hello? Guys, I can protect myself,” I said, walking towards the door.
The two men stood glaring at each other, neither of them saying anything.
Kristie snorted. “Okay, everyone, time to leave. The testosterone in this room is going to either make me go nuts or grow a pair; frankly I don’t want to do either.”
I walked out the door and started towards the location of our SUV. Sara and Kristie caught up with me quickly.
“Men, you can’t kill ‘em…unless they try and eat your brains,” said Kristie with a wry grin.
I stopped walking and turned to Sara and Kristie. “I just wanted to say thanks to both of you. I know each of you lost your husbands and yet you’ve still found the strength to help me try to find my mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
We were still hugging each other when Eva, Bryce, and Austin caught up.
“You boys work it out?” asked Kristie, pulling away.
Bryce shrugged and Austin smiled. “Nothing to work out, darlin’. I’m coming with whether Billy likes it or not.”
“It’s Bryce,” he muttered, walking ahead of him.
“Southern boys,” said Kristie as we started walking. “I once had me a cowboy. Oh, the things he could do with that rope…”
Chapter Twenty-Five
There were several dead zombies lying around as we neared the parked SUV. Three of the soldiers were repairing the glass on the door where the zombies had broken through.
“You guys leaving?” asked one of them. “Through this mob?”
“Yes,” replied Bryce.
“Well, they are getting pretty damn restless out there,” said the soldier. “Be careful.”
We got into the SUV and the soldiers reluctantly opened the garage door. Kristie was in the driver’s seat again so that Bryce would have his hands free to shoot, if needed. Bryce sat next to her with his gun ready.
“Damn, those zombies stink,” muttered Austin sitting close to me.
“Vicks works wonders,” I said, handing out my jar.
He nodded in approval and rubbed some under his nose.
“Look! Sweet Jesus, they’re getting in,” said Eva as two zombies barreled through the garage door before it was closed all the way. The soldiers shot them in the head and they dropped.
Bryce opened his window and shot two more that tried sneaking in.
“You have a gun, cowboy?” Kristie asked Austin.
“Lost it a couple days ago. I found a couple of grenades, though,” he said, holding them up in the air.
“Careful driving,” mumbled Bryce.
Zombies were definitely getting more ferocious as we drove through the parking lot. The smell of blood was drawing more of them towards the hospital and now there were hundreds attacking each other.
“How in the hell do we get out of here?” growled Kristie.
“I guess now is as good of time as any,” said Austin as he opened up his window and leaned out. “Get ready.”
He launched the grenade at a crowd of zombies blocking our path. Less than ten seconds later, body parts were falling from the sky and landing on the SUV.
“Drive!” yelled Bryce.
Kristie hit the gas and we drove over the remaining mutilated zombies, all of us bouncing around in the SUV.
Eva closed her eyes. “Lord help us,” she said softly.
Another group of zombies were coming straight for us and Austin threw another one, clearing the path yet again with a loud explosion.
“Yes! Well, thank God Austin decided to come with us. Otherwise we’d of had a hell of a time getting through these bastards,” said Kristie.
Bryce looked out the window and mumbled something expletive.
When we finally made it out of the zombie-infested parking lot, I wanted to scream for joy. But I knew we weren’t out of danger yet. Zombies were still wandering the streets, looking more aggravated and alert than ever.
“What’s going on with these guys?” asked Kristie. “They seem like they’re in some kind of frenzy or something.”
“They are,” said Austin. “They need blood to sustain, and if they don’t get it, they actually become mor
e violent and ferocious. Once they start to lose more of their body mass, though, they’ll eventually slow down.
“Great,” I sighed.
“What makes you an expert on these things?” asked Bryce.
Austin shrugged. “Bits and pieces of things I’d heard from other soldiers. They’ve been studying their behaviors.”
“Do they know for sure if you’ll turn into one if you’re bitten?” asked Eva.
He nodded. “They believe you will. Some of the people who’ve been bitten are showing signs of very erratic behavior, similar to the zombies. Some have just…died,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he glanced at me.
I looked out the window and sighed heavily. It sounded pretty hopeless for my sister. I was thankful that my mom was with her, but I could only imagine the agony she was going through in Atlanta. I only wished I could get out there somehow so she wouldn’t have to face it alone.
When we’d finally made it back to my house, everything seemed surreal. There weren’t any zombies wandering in the neighborhood or even the yard, just a shiny black GMC Sierra parked in our driveway.
“Were you expecting company?” asked Bryce, getting out.
I shook my head and ran up the steps. As I put my hand on the doorknob, it burst open and I gasped in surprise.
“Daddy!” I screamed, jumping into his arms.
“Oh, thank God,” he replied, holding me tightly.
“Where’ve you been?” I cried.
He put me down and grimaced. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say the traffic was bad coming home.”
I smiled and wiped the tears from my face.
“Did you…did you find anything out about your mom or sister?” he asked sadly.
We went inside and I told him everything I knew while he sat in silence. When I was finished he didn’t say a word, he just stood up and went downstairs.
“He needs some time,” said Kristie softly.
I nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to my room to be alone for a while.”
Bryce squeezed my hand as I stood up. “Let me know if you need me, Wild.”
On my way to my bedroom I stopped in the kitchen for some water. Eva was sitting alone at the counter, staring at her clasped hands. She looked up. “Oh, it’s you. Tell me, what…what do we do now?” she asked, her face a mess of tears and make-up.
I was about to respond when my dad stepped into the kitchen. He was dressed in military camouflage and carrying two very impressive rifles that I’d never seen before. The determined look in his eyes gave me the chills.
“What next?” he asked, setting the guns down. “We go find them, all of them.”
“But is it safe?” I breathed.
He looked at me. “Cassie, we’re a family and I won’t be apart from any of you, ever again. We’re going to Atlanta as soon as possible.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Oh yes,” he said, a half-crazed look in his eyes. He lifted one of the guns back up and smiled humorlessly. “Let the games begin…”
***
End of Book One
Book Two – Running Wild Available Now!
Venom
(A Night Roamers Short – Slade and Chelsey’s Story)
By
Kristen Middleton
Copyright©2013 Kristen Middleton
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author.
Prologue
The music in the club was beginning to give her a headache, but Melody ignored it. She was about to go to an after-party with the band members of Venom, who’d just finished their last encore at Club Nightshade. She was also pretty confident that if she played her cards right, she’d be in the lead vocalist’s arms before dawn.
Slade.
Just thinking about him made her tingle all over. Damn, the guy was hawt and had a voice that made her want to jump his bones. With those hypnotic green eyes, and that sexy infamous half-smile of his, she knew she wasn’t the only girl lusting after him in the club. But, she’d definitely mastered the skill of flirting and had eventually gotten Slade’s attention. She’d done the pouty lip thing and made sure he’d gotten an eyeful of cleavage, dancing as close to the stage as possible, twerking with her girlfriends until every guy in the club had been drooling. It had obviously worked because she’d gotten a note from one of the waitresses with an invite to some party being hosted by the owner of the club, compliments of the band. Thankfully she’d gotten the fake I.D. the week before or there was no way she’d have been able to step inside of the club, let alone party with the band afterwards.
Leaning forward, she applied another layer of dark cherry gloss to her lips, and then fluffed out her long blond hair. She stood back and smiled, recalling how Slade’s eyes had been transfixed on those same lips. Obviously, he liked the rich crimson color.
“You ready to go, Melody?” asked her best friend Taylor, who was frantically texting someone on her phone. “It’s getting late and I told Ricky I’d stop by after we left the club.” She looked up and giggled. “Booty call, baby.”
“What about us?” asked Veronica, looking pissed. “I thought we’d agreed that I was staying at your place tonight, Taylor?”
“You’re welcome to wait in the car. It won’t take long,” she replied. “He’s like a jack-hammer.”
Melody and Veronica looked at each other and then burst out laughing.
Taylor bit her lower lip. “Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not in the mood for thirty seconds of Ricky. You know, I’d almost rather go eat somewhere. We could go back to that diner up the street. Remember how awesome their food was last time we went?”
Veronica’s eyes lit up. “Ruth’s? Girl, I’m starving. Let’s do it.”
“Uh… sorry. I can’t guys,” said Melody. “I’m meeting someone.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Who?!”
Melody stared at her side-view in the mirror, sucking in her stomach and thrusting out her chest. She was glad she’d worn her new leopard-colored pushup bra with the matching thong. She wondered if Slade liked animal print. “Wish I could tell you, but it’s kind of a secret.”
“Excuse me,” replied Veronica, putting her hands on her hips. “We’re you’re best friends. You have to tell us!”
She hesitated, wanting to share the news, but her friends had big mouths. “I can’t. Look, I’ll tell you tomorrow. I just don’t want to blow my chances tonight.”
“Blow your chances? He’s not married or anything is he?” asked Taylor.
“Please,” replied Melody, rolling her eyes. “I’m not into married guys. I just can’t tell you who it is because I promised not to say anything.”
“That’s just weird,” said Veronica.
“If you knew who it was, you wouldn’t think so,” she replied with a sly smile.
“Are you going to be okay? I feel uncomfortable taking off like this and not knowing exactly what’s up,” said Taylor.
Melody dug into her Louis Vuitton purse and took out a small bottle of perfume. She spritzed some into the air and then stepped into the fruity mist. “Don’t worry about me. Everything is totally cool.”
Veronica studied her face. “He’s not some freak, is he? You know him pretty well?”
Melody smiled. “Of course, and he’s not a freak. Chill out guys.”
Veronica sighed. “We’re just worried about you.”
Melody zipped up her purse. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine. Take off and get some breakfast.” She winked. “While I go and get me some dessert.”
Veronica laughed. “Girl, I hear that. Ne
xt time get some for me too. I haven’t had sex since Jerome and I broke up last summer.”
“We know,” said Taylor. “You complain about it at least twice a day.”
“You would too if it wasn’t for the ‘Jack Hammer’,” she replied.
“Speaking of… maybe I should meet up with Ricky,” said Taylor, biting her lower lip.
“Oh, hell no,” replied Veronica. “I’m not going to be the only one not getting some tonight.”
Taylor laughed. “Fine. I’m sure the food will be more satisfying than thirty seconds of Ricky, anyway.”
“Especially if you order the cheesecake again,” said Melody. “Remember how much you loved it?”
“Mm… that’s right. Well, call us tomorrow,” said Taylor, dropping her phone into her satchel. “And give us the dirt.”
“You know it,” she replied, hugging her. Melody turned to Veronica and hugged her as well. “I’ll fill you both in on all the steamy details.”
“You’d better. But not before noon,” said Taylor. “I’m going to hold you to it.”
After Veronica and Taylor left, Melody glanced at her reflection one more time.
This time, Slade, you sexy bastard, she thought, you’re going to make me sing. All night long…
Chapter One
Chelsey
“Chelsey, wake up.”
I opened my eyes and groaned when I looked at the alarm clock. “Mom, I have two more hours to sleep and I was up late studying. What the heck?”
She switched on the light and stepped closer to my bed. “Sorry, honey,” she replied, looking grim. “I wasn’t sure if this could wait.”
I rubbed my left eye. “If what could wait?”
She pulled her light blue robe in tighter. “Your Aunt Jody called,” she said. “Melody didn’t come home last night.”
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