Zombie Playlist: A Rock Zombie Romance

by Kirsty Dallas

  The countryside was typical of this area, dry and flat, in varying shades of grey and brown with the occasional twiggy greenery interspersed. Silverleaf was at the back of the outer suburbs, so the infected became few and far between as the sun slowly began to sink low on the horizon. According to my map Silverleaf was tucked into the canyons of the McDowell Mountains, and at first glance it looked like a sprawling castle, minus the turrets. The buildings were made from cobbled stone which gave the place an old-world feel. A lush, smooth, green golf course butted up against the building. The contrast in colors against the stone walls of the club, the emerald green grass, and the surrounding desert was stunning. A few lights glowed, probably not as many as normal, but enough to bring a smile to my face. Noah and I were on our knees, peering over the top of the Ford’s cab as we watched our approach. A glance in my sister’s direction saw the same excitement churning in my stomach echoed in her face. This looked good. It looked better than good, it looked fucking heavenly. Noah might have some grand biblical idea of heaven, but this right here in front of me, it was as close to holy divinity as I would allow my mind to conjure.

  Terrence slowly drove us up the long drive and pulled the truck into a beautiful courtyard, its centerpiece being a gorgeous water fountain. There were two other vehicles parked there, and my smile grew so big my cheeks actually ached. More cars! Lawson helped with our backpacks, and Terrence escorted us towards the front door with an eager smile.

  “Your friend doesn’t say much,” Terrence noted. Lawson was standing right there but acted like he hadn’t heard anything.

  “Oh really? He usually talks the legs right off a chair that one,” I murmured, taking in our surroundings.

  “Well I understand his caution and reluctance to talk, we must be careful in this new world,” Terrence easily accepted Lawson’s silence. “So, this is Silverleaf. She sits on two thousand acres of land, and there are luxury homes surrounding the central building. Those homes have been cleansed and are now vacant. Because there are only twenty of us currently here, we find it more comfortable to all be under the one roof, but eventually we want to re-establish this community into a true Red Rage free zone, with families all living in harmony.”

  “Cleansed?” I asked, Lawson giving me a concerned look.

  “Of infected,” Terrence said as easily as one might say cockroaches. “We have patrols that are shared in shifts, four at a time constantly patrolling the land around the buildings.”

  It was then I noticed a rugged looking man leaning against the corner of a rustic brick wall. In the dim light it was impossible to make out his features, but he was tall with legs like tree stumps and a wide chest. He was also armed with a rifle slung over one shoulder.

  “Hey Dennis! Told you I’d find someone,” Terrence said, sounding rather smug.

  The armed man kept silent as he pushed away from the wall and disappeared into the shadows. Feeling nervous about our new surroundings and the strangers, I reached for Noah’s hand and linked my fingers with hers. Terrence led us up the stairs and through two opulent, arched glass doors. Once inside, my breath caught for a heartbeat in time. It was stunning, with smooth stone floors, walls and high ceilings with exposed timber beams. The décor was traditional old Spain with perhaps even a little French flair. The lights above us were lit, casting a warm glow over the space. I loved it, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I kinda loved extravagance. I’d been spoiled for the last several years. If I was touring and forced to live away from home, I demanded it be done in style, and Silverleaf was definitely my kind of style.

  “Wow,” Noah whispered beside me, and I squeezed her hand in agreement.

  “Terrence, you found survivors?”

  The surprised voice tore my gaze from the luxury around us, and I watched as another man approached, amazement etched into his handsome features. I guessed the man to be in his mid to late thirties, his jaw line strong, dark eyes with an intelligent gleam to them appraised the situation before him. He was tall and lean, wearing grey slacks and a white button-down shirt, a little formal for the zombie apocalypse if you ask me.

  “I most certainly did,” Terrence proudly replied. “Dr. Buckley, I’d like to introduce you to Lawson, Shiloh, and Noah. They are all healthy.”

  So, this was Dr. Christopher Buckley, the man who claimed to have a cure for Red Rage. Assessing eyes met mine before they danced across Noah and finally Lawson. Eyes said a lot in the man’s silence, and his were screaming intrigue, but not in a sexual kind of way. No, his interest seemed cold and thoughtful. Perhaps he was one of those doctors with a shitty bedside manner.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I hope you don’t find this offensive, but if you wish to stay here you must be checked over first.”

  “Checked over?” I asked, moving closer to Noah.

  “For infection, a general examination to check temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, all the normal things. We will also ask for a sample of your blood to compare with that of the infected.”

  “Terrence didn’t mention that,” I noted. “Lawson here is a medic, he can vouch for the fact that we are all healthy.”

  The doctor smiled, and even though it was handsome, it was also condescending and arrogant.

  “Maybe so, but we have twenty-two viable, healthy beings living here, and I am in charge of their safety. Early stages of infection can easily be misinterpreted for something as simple as a cold or allergies.”

  A woman appeared from a doorway behind the doctor. She was dressed in a rich red wraparound style dress that clung tight to her curves and finished just above her knee. Her hair was coiled into a perfect French roll, her makeup immaculate. Alright, these people were way too polished for a zombie invasion.

  “This is my assistant, Evelyn. She will take the women to a room to be checked, and I will be happy to conduct your exam, Lawson.”

  “We will stay together, if you don’t mind, Doc.” I hoped my voice sounded like steel because inside I was a mess of nerves. Lawson moved to stand behind me and Noah, a stance of security and loyalty.

  “The women might be more comfortable-“

  “We stay together, Doc. Otherwise we’ll just be on our way.”

  This time I knew my tone brokered no argument, and while the thought of leaving all this luxury almost made me whimper out loud, I didn’t want us separated. Not yet, not until we knew exactly what we were dealing with here and that we were safe, and perhaps not even then. Lawson had shot his way into our lives as a complete stranger, but he’d proved in a short amount of time that he had no nefarious intentions…other than an open offer to check out his dick. He’d proved on more than one occasion that he was willing to protect us. He was my new familiar, and these people were strangers. Dr. Buckley bristled at my aggressive tone, but gave a short, sharp nod and turned his back on us.

  “Follow me.”

  His words were nothing short of a command, and my own hackles rose. Dr. Dick – that was what I was going to call him from now on – stormed off, and I took my cue from Lawson, waiting to see what he would do.

  “It won’t take long, and it’s painless. As soon as Christopher has checked you all over we will be serving roast for dinner, with fresh vegetables.” The woman’s melodic voice broke the silence. I hadn’t even realized she’d been left standing awkwardly before us. Her sultry eyes perused Lawson, starting at his head and ending at his dirty, booted feet. She totally just eye fucked my…my what? He certainly wasn’t my boyfriend, I didn’t want a boyfriend. Except the way she just mentally licked Lawson’s body made me want to tit punch the bitch. Lawson reached out and took my hand, making me jump because I hadn’t been expecting it. With a gentle tug Noah and I followed him, and I held my chin high and tried my best to look down on the bimbo who towered over me in her four-inch heels. Heels? In a motherfucking apocalypse?

  Dr. Dick led us past a sitting area and counter that was obviously where guests and members checked in
. Another more intimate sitting area had tall glass windows which overlooked a gorgeous pool, its long length of sparkling blue water untouched and still as glass. I was already imagining myself stripped down to my lacey panties and demi-cup bra as I executed a spectacular dive bomb right in the middle. A set of arched doorways led in the direction of the pool, but we turned before reaching them, bringing us into a long corridor that passed a few closed doors. Finally the doctor came to a stop and used a key to open a locked door. Standing back, he signaled that we should precede him. I wasn’t keen on being the first to enter the room, but neither was I thrilled about having Dr. Dick at my back. I was even less thrilled about him getting close to Noah. So when Lawson strode through the doorway, his rifle still over one shoulder, I let Noah follow him in. Then with a charmingly fake smile I had perfected over the years, I nodded to Dr. Dick and allowed him to have my straight, confident spine as I entered the room.

  It had obviously been someone’s office prior to this little survivor invasion. A large mahogany desk took up most of the wide space, two leather wingback chairs sat before it, a luxurious leather office chair on the other side. A glass door led to a small courtyard outside the room, the area currently shrouded in dark shadows. Turning around, I found something that resembled a massage table without the face hole thing sitting along one wall.

  Lawson pointed to the bed, a question in his arched brow. He obviously found the sterile bed a little odd too.

  “Silverleaf has a well-appointed first aid room, but until we’ve checked you over we will use my office, we don’t want to risk contaminating a sterile space.”

  “But you’ll risk your office?” Dropping my backpack to the floor, I looked over the room.

  Dr. Dick shrugged, “there are many more rooms I can use as an office, the medical room is one of a kind.”

  The door to the courtyard swung open from the outside, and the man I’d spied in the shadows upon our arrival strolled in. He was a behemoth of a man. His neck had to be the size of my thigh, his arms and legs puffy in that over-the-top kind of way. His brow was heavy and leaned over his dark eyes. His jaw wide, and lips thin. He reminded me of the Hulk. With two intimidating men now in the room, my heart sped up, and my palms began to sweat. This was all too reminiscent of my time in Quartzsite.

  “This is Dennis, he’s in charge of security. He’s going to observe the exams. It’s simply to ensure everyone’s safety.”

  Lawson raised a disbelieving brow and returned his attention to the doctor. He didn’t however let the Hulk out of his peripheral vision, his body still subtly angled in his direction.

  “Who wants to go first?”

  Noah, Lawson, and I all glanced at each other, none of us apparently willing to offer ourselves up like a sacrificial lamb. Lawson was of cause first to move, handing his rifle to me.

  “You can put that down, there is no need for it in here,” the doctor calmly suggested.

  Lawson looked at Dennis who stood stoically by the door he had come through, his own weapon in plain sight. Pointing at the weapon, he glanced at the Doctor.

  “As I said, Dennis is head of-“

  “We heard you,” I said, cutting off Dr. Dick, and the flare of anger in the good doctor’s eyes told me he didn’t appreciate the interruption. No matter how pretty Silverleaf was, I was beginning to feel more and more nervous about coming here.

  “Like he’s head of your security, Lawson is head of ours, and when he’s not, I am.” I moved the weapon into a comfortable position. At the gun range, I’d shot plenty of different kinds of weapons, rifles included. Although the handgun still rested uncomfortably in the back waistband of my shorts, I was going to do all I could to keep its existence a secret. With a reassuring wink, Lawson turned his back on the men, trusting me to protect him while he was vulnerable, then he sat himself up on the gurney and stretched his arms wide.

  Track Seventeen: The Doors, People Are Strange

  CHAPTER 17

  The examinations by Dr. Dick were over quickly and apart from the giving of blood, non-invasive. Noah threw a fit about the needle, and after much coaxing and bribing her with the promise of food and a hot shower, we compromised, and she allowed Lawson to draw the blood. He was gentle with her, quick, efficient. Noah claimed she didn’t even feel the needle stick in her arm. I should have had him draw my blood because Dr. Dick was not gentle, and I’m positive I saw a satisfied gleam in his eye when I flinched.

  We’d been given a room which was actually quite large. It had already been prepared with a double mattress on the floor, and a sofa had been dragged in. A beautiful sink with raw, timber cabinets sat against one wall, a matching armoire filled with perfectly rolled fluffy white towels in the corner. Glass doors led out into a private courtyard. Apparently, there was a hot tub out there, a freaking hot tub, but it was too dark to see anything. This room had a small bathroom attached to it, which was just as shiny and gorgeous as the rest of the establishment. Noah was showering and had been in there for almost an hour now. I had no room to complain though because I’d been in there an hour and a half. We would probably miss dinner, but the hot water was just too good not to indulge ourselves.

  Currently I was sprawled on the mattress, a pamphlet about Silverleaf Club in my hands as I read about our accommodations. If we hadn’t been in the grips of an apocalypse, I’d be texting every single person I knew to tell them about this exquisite place. Lowering my reading material, I peeked over the top. Lawson had taken a ridiculously quick shower – his loss - and was dressed in his customary military cargos with a million pockets, and a black t-shirt stretching across his chest. His beard had begun to grow out, though it wasn’t unruly, but rather tidy and sexy. It would have passed the scratchy, coarse stage and was probably a little softer now. His hair was military buzz cut short but would no doubt gain length fast. I liked the thought of it a little scruffy, something I could run my fingers through. Would it have a curl? Perhaps flick out around his nape? A waving hand suddenly appeared before my eyes. Blinking, I stopped my leisurely inspection of the stunning man before me and took in his frown.

  “Is your hair curly or straight?” I asked and immediately regretted it. Why the hell had I said that out loud? Lawson’s brows dipped with confusion. “Did you want something?” My question came out unnecessarily gruff, but I hated feeling stupid, and right now I felt downright ridiculous. Pointing to his handgun, and then me, I realized he wanted to know where my gun was. Lifting my baggy Led Zeppelin tank top, I showed him the gun that was shoved into the front waist band of my jean shorts. Lawson’s gaze dropped from my eyes and his frown disappeared, a look of hunger replacing it. Indicating the safety on his own gun, I rolled my eyes and dropped my shirt. “Yes, it’s on. There’s no way I’m shooting myself in the vagina.” Lawson grinned before he suddenly dropped to his knees beside me.

  His hand reached out to touch me and I stilled, my body frozen in anticipation as I watched him carefully grab a fistful of my tank top, before he pushed it up my rib cage. It had been some time since such a fervent gaze had followed the dips and curves of my body. Quarterback and his crew did definitely not fucking count. The heat from Lawson’s thighs licked the side of my body. So tempting, so beautiful. Cullen and I hadn’t been intimate in over six months, and I’d missed it. Sex was like an aphrodisiac that always left me feeling like a big limp noodle afterwards. I missed feeling like a noodle. My entire body recognized the glassy lust in Lawson’s eyes and tightened in hope. He nodded toward the weapon, his gaze indicating he wanted to reach for it...or something else perhaps?

  Swallowing hard, I nodded. Hell yes he could reach for my weapon, and by weapon I totally didn’t mean my gun. Those big, calloused, capable hands moved for the front of my shorts. His hands were so different from Cullen’s. They weren’t perfectly sculpted, in fact, one had a crazy jagged scar down the back of it. Even though he’d showered, his fingers were still stained with dirt. A working man’s hands, I thought, a
s the backs of his knuckles brushed my tummy. I couldn’t help the ticklish squirm followed a sharp intake of air. Lawson’s heavy-lidded gaze left my body and searched my eyes. For a long moment, neither of us moved. Then, he wrapped his hand around the butt of my gun and pulled it free.

  There were more delicate touches, completely deliberate but almost in an unintentional way, as my top was lowered, and Lawson moved back on his haunches. My entire body was heated, my heart thrumming rapidly. The touch had been innocent, and barely more than a whisper across my skin, but it felt as if it had been permanently burned into my flesh. Lawson stood, and the lustful look on his flushed cheeks disappeared with an arrogant smirk. His free hand dropped to the button on his cargos, and he stared at me, a challenge in his eyes. What the hell, maybe just a peek would help me stop thinking about all the naughty things I wanted to do with this man. The hardness nudging at the fabric beneath his zipper was impressive, definitely bigger than Cullen. It was nice to know I had affected this man as much as he affected me. It would be cruel if this were just a one-way infatuation.

  “Oh my lord…” Noah groaned as she threw open the door to the bathroom. “That was the best shower ever.”

  Lawson grinned, his hand moving away from his very obvious desire for me, and Noah threw her dirty clothes in a pile beside the bed.

  “You’re timing is impeccable, Boo.” Throwing the pamphlet aside, I rolled to my feet. “What are you doing with our weapons?” I asked, now feeling a little frustrated with unfulfilled need.