Apocalipstick (Hell in a Handbag Book 1)

by Lisa Acerbo

  “Tell me more about how you survived on your own,” Jenna asked one morning while she pulled out small weeds invading her pumpkin patch.

  “One of the main reasons I was able to survive was my background being a naturalist and my wilderness training from camp.” Lilly filled Jenna in on her back story. “I was trained at a survivalist summer camp. My parents were extremely religious and believed God’s rapture was soon to arrive. In a way, I guess they were right. They were worried for my soul and sent me to learn to survive if I was left on earth.”

  “Maybe they were smarter than the rest of us.”

  “When the pandemic got bad and I lost them, I set off alone in the woods with my camping gear. It was tough going, but I know all the edible wild plants and how to trap small animals for food. Being alone all the time is awful, especially not knowing what was happening in the world. It was worth the trade off, meeting Tundra and her group.”

  “What trade off?” Jenna queried.

  “You know,” Lilly waved her hand around in a vague gesture.

  “I really don’t,” Jenna looked up from the pumpkin she held.

  “We share.”

  “Share what?” This conversation was getting weird.

  Confusion turned Lilly’s eyes owlish. “You really don’t know what I’m trying to tell you?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “You have to promise not to say anything if I tell you about it. Tundra would be so mad at me, and you do not want to make Tundra mad. She has an awful temper.”

  “I promise.”

  Lilly tore back the collar of her shirt. Scars clearly stood out against the pale pallor of her skin.

  “What happened? Did someone attack you? Did Tundra do this?”

  “I saw marks on Quentin. Aren’t you and Caleb in some sort of relationship, too? I thought the same thing was going on here, but you all appear happy. Not scared like I am. Am I wrong?”

  “I’m in a relationship with Caleb. We’re in love, but he’d never force me to do anything I did not want to do. I haven’t done that.” She put a hand to her neck.

  “I’m sorry I brought this up.” Lilly’s face colored. “You’re with Caleb. What about Quentin. He has marks on his neck. I assumed his situation was the same.”

  “Quentin had a recent near-death experience. He needs something or someone to help him recover. What they do in the privacy of their own room is none of my business.”

  “The dark haired one, um . . . Maybe her name is Arlene.”

  “You mean, Aiko.”

  “Aiko told Tundra about him. She said Quentin was a regular. I believe she called him a donor.”

  “A donor? Shit. Harsh.”

  “You won’t say anything, will you?” Lilly knotted her hands together.

  “Of course not,” Jenna replied. “I’m just confused. I’ve been so concerned with my own little world I’ve lost touch with everything going on around here. Listen though, the New Racers here are our friends and family. They would never make us do anything we don’t want to.”

  “Good to know.” Lilly smiled, but the light didn’t reach her eyes.

  The women worked in the garden until lunch time, conversation shifting to how the inn ran and the low-down on the people who lived there, relieving some of the tension between them. Jenna told funny stories about the group’s adventures before reaching the inn. Lilly’s tales were much darker, and she didn’t like to expand on the months she’d spent roaming with Tundra.

  Throughout the conversation, unease chomped at Jenna. At lunch, Lilly joined Mack and Jim, and Jenna went to seek out Quentin. He was in the kitchen helping to fill Jackie’s version of tortillas with meat and vegetables. Jenna drew him aside.

  When she had to speak, she wished she’d planned a little more. “Can I ask you something?” Her eyes flew to the marks on his neck. How could she have missed those?

  “Sure,” Quentin said. “I think it’s time we all forgive and forget.”

  “Then you might not like what I have to say. I’ve heard some rather weird stuff lately and wanted to know if it was true.”

  “What gossip is going around the inn now? People need to keep their mouths shut and their eyes on their own business.”

  “You and Aiko.”

  “You know all you need to. The details of my relationship are really none of your business. You’re perfectly content with Caleb. I bet the only reason you come to see me is because I’m happy and with someone who cares about me the way I do about them.”

  “Unfair. Think about it. Does Aiko care about you, or is she using you? Lilly said Aiko called you a donor when she was speaking with Tundra. What does that mean?”

  “You should ask the same thing about you and Caleb. Maybe he’s the one using you. Maybe you’re so caught up being with him, you let him use you any way he likes.”

  “It’s not like that with Caleb.”

  “You know what, Jenna? I don’t care. Be with whoever you want, whenever you want. You believe the new girl but ignore what I have to say. Just leave me alone. You make this so hard.”

  “Because we’re friends. I don’t want to see you hurt or used.” She reached out a hand to him.

  “We were friends at one time, and I actually thought we might be again, but you obviously can’t let me be happy. I don’t want to be friends. If you won’t leave, I will.” Quentin stomped out of the kitchen.

  Jenna stood hurt and angry, a cascade of emotions running through her. Finding an empty table in the dining room, she sat alone. Flinging away her plate drew curious stares. She pulled it back and forced a couple bites.

  What’s the right thing to do?

  After lunch, she and Lilly joined up again for afternoon chores where they endured the joy of laundry duty. Lilly worked hard to make Jenna laugh with funny stories of the times before the pandemic. Afternoon merged into evening. When the women had finished their work, she sought Caleb out even more sure Lilly didn’t deserve this.

  Caleb made her wait. First, he had a project to plan with John, and then he forced her participation in a long and feverish game of Parcheesi with John and Victor. Jenna conceded defeat early because John and Victor spent the entire game claiming good naturedly the other cheated, and she had more fun watching them bicker than attempting to win.

  She finally coerced Caleb back to her room. He arrived with a change of clothes and guitar. Could it be he had plans to move into the small space with her? His dirty socks, toothbrush, and tattered books had already found a place to call home amongst her possessions.

  This was a very different discussion they needed to have, but it would have to wait.

  “Planning on playing your guitar for me?”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Then why bring it here?”

  “I’m going to practice later.”

  “You could practice now or in a few minutes. We need to talk.”

  “I’ll work on it later. It’s not ready.”

  “What’s not ready?”

  “The song I wrote for you. Soon. I promise. What do we need to talk about?”

  Caleb yanked her on his lap and kissed her neck, but she shifted back. “Can’t I distract you?”

  Snuggling against him on the chair, Jenna said, “Talk first. I need your help processing a conversation I had with Lilly earlier.”

  “Someone’s serious?” Caleb teased her hip with his fingers.

  “This is serious. There is something weird going on with Tundra, but I promised Lilly I wouldn’t say anything. If I tell you, you have to keep it between us.”

  “Anything,” Caleb said. “You know that.”

  “Something wrong with the New Racers in Lilly’s group.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Lilly spotted the scars on Quentin and thought Aiko used him to donate blood. She thought you controlled me the same way and used my blood for your own pleasure.”

  “Can’t be right.” His brow knotted into a V-shape. “You must have
misinterpreted what she said.”

  “She said Tundra and the rest of the New Race in her group make her, Mack, and Jim do things they might not volunteer to do otherwise.”

  “What things? Are we talking in addition to blood?”

  Jenna’s head snapped up. “Blood donations definitely. I didn’t want to push about what else. I explained to Lilly we’re a couple, but we do things differently here. She got all embarrassed and didn’t want to say more. Something bad might be going on with them. I don’t know what to do about it.”

  “It does sound strange.” Caleb rubbed his forehead. “Could Lilly be fabricating the story because she didn’t want you to know she was having a relationship with someone? Maybe she was embarrassed about it and thought if she made up a story, you’d think better about her?”

  Jenna tilted her head. “Lilly knew something was going on with Quentin. Why would she fabricate a story if she was in a relationship? Quentin’s in one, and we’re in one. It’s pretty normal around here.”

  “There might be alternative explanations.”

  “The reason she said anything in the first place was because she observed scars on Quentin and assumed the same thing was going on here. It doesn’t make sense she would lie to create such a crazy story and get the New Racers in her group in trouble unless it was real.”

  “If this is true, we need to do something. Let’s ask Peter about it. I promise no one else will hear any of this. Maybe he knows more about situations like these. He was alone longer than anyone else in our group, and he traveled with New Racers before joining us. He’s never openly discussed what went on with them.”

  “I promised not to tell. What if it gets out that I’m a snitch? Let me think about it tonight. I’ll try and get information out of Lilly tomorrow.”

  “I’ll talk to Tundra over the next few days and find out what is going on from her. Aiko likes her. I’ll get her opinion without letting on about what you said.”

  “Aiko likes Tundra. Shocker. Make sure they don’t suspect anything.”

  “I have perimeter duty in a couple minutes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all. How about we meet before sunrise. Do you mind waking early tomorrow?”

  “For you, anything.”

  “Thanks.” He flashed a smile.

  Her gaze lifted, and she found him waiting. There was an unspoken question lighting his eyes.

  “Don’t you need to leave?”

  “If I’m a few minutes late no one will care.”

  She pushed closer to him, and the movement was all he needed. He kissed her, and she kissed him back until his taste became part of her soul. His fingers caressed her cheek, heating her spirit and her skin. She drank him in, knowing she’d never get enough. His kiss, urgent and demanding, challenged her to give him more.

  He nipped at her neck.

  She groaned.

  “I want to taste you. I want you to share your life with me in every way.”

  She was confused. “I want it too, but I’m scared.”

  “I’d never hurt you.” He nipped at her again.

  Every part of her body warmed, ready. The emotions overwhelming. Jenna pulled back, dizzy, and out of breath. “We should stop.”

  “We should,” he agreed, “but I don’t want to.”

  “Do you always get what you want?”

  “Usually, but for tonight, you’re right.”

  Another groan escaped. This time, she wasn’t sure if it was from disappointment or desire, yet she said the most rational words she could muster. “You need to go on watch.”

  The erotic tension building between them melted away like snow on a warm morning. He headed for the door.

  One part of Jenna wanted to drag him back and let him do everything he wanted to, but thoughts of Lilly invaded her mind and made her realize they needed to figure out what was going on.

  “I’m really worried. I hope Lilly’s not in any danger. Be careful when you question Aiko and Tundra, but I need answers.”

  21

  Caleb left a few minutes later, but sleep wasn’t in Jenna’s future. Grabbing a sweatshirt, she went to find one of the new arrivals, if any were still awake.

  She checked the work schedule. Tundra, Aiko, and Caleb would be on first watch tonight together. Jealousy scratched from under the skin. Of anyone available, Caleb had to get Aiko and Tundra, Jenna’s least favorite people. Still, that might give her a chance to approach the humans in Tundra’s group without interference. If what Lilly said was true, Jenna wondered how she could have missed the signs with Mack and Jim. Her preoccupation with Caleb did this. Losing her edge could mean her death.

  She had to remember the world would never be safe. For anyone.

  All three were hard to find. As much as they liked the accommodations at the inn, they tended to avoid gatherings in the evenings. She banged on each of their doors before finding the three in a secluded corner of the inn.

  “How’s everyone?” Jenna asked.

  Lilly jumped at the words, gaze lifting from her cup of instant coffee while liquid sloshed over the side of the cup. “Good.”

  Mack and Jim remained stoic and silent.

  “Can I join you, or are you in the middle of something important?”

  “Sure, sit,” Lilly said.

  She sat cross legged on the floor. “How is everyone settling in?”

  “Good,” said Mack, sending her a rare smile. A big, burly guy, his black beard had grown long, and he’d kept it that way. Dark hair peppered his arms and sprung from under his shirt. His muscular build, tattoos of waves and mountains, and crooked nose spoke to the possibility of a life of extreme sports. “You most definitely have better food than on the road. I hear you have a green thumb and have become a garden master. Must be a lot of hard work, but it’s so worth it. Dinner was amazing.”

  She tried to look for marks on his neck, but if the bites existed, they stayed hidden. “Thanks. The group has really come together to make this place home,” Jenna said.

  “Your group is lucky.” Jim sat stiff. His face was clean-shaven, and he’d buzzed his hair back to a crew cut. His intelligent eyes assessed Jenna when he spoke.

  “We support each other, and I love the garden almost as much as the horses. I hope we’ll get a whole menagerie of farm animals soon.” Jenna smiled. “Lilly’s already pitched in. Anyone who wants to weed is more than welcome. Some mornings, I get outside and my work is done. Someone around here must have a secret green thumb. I wish they’d tell me, so I could thank them.”

  “I loved the greenhouse too,” Lilly said. “It was great to see. and the plantings are going to be amazing when up and running.”

  “I’m working on it. The windows are all fixed and the flats for the plants are up. If anyone wants to move plants with me in a couple of weeks, I’d love it.”

  All three of her companions were eager to help with the greenhouse project, but when the conversation continued, Jenna’s gaze wandered. Scars dotting Lilly’s thin, pale neck and arms were the most obvious. When Jim’s long-sleeve shirt rode up, she could see scars running along his arm. If Mack also had marks, he hid them well.

  The evidence against the new arrivals was weak. The scars appeared healed or healing. They could have easily been part of the rough time on the road. Everyone has scars these days, both internal and external.

  Jenna chatted away with the group and was beginning to think maybe the situation had been blown out of proportion. Once relaxed, they all seemed happy and thankful for their new place to call home.

  The hand squeezing her shoulder had Jenna pivoting. Aiko stood behind her.

  “Sorry to interrupt your little pajama party Jenna, but a word please.”

  “See you guys later,” Jenna said.

  Aiko flicked her plaited hair behind her, one hand balanced on her sculpted, curvaceous hip. She puckered candy pink lips.

  “I thought you
were on watch with Caleb?” Jenna asked.

  Aiko ignored her question. “You have no right to get involved in Quentin’s life, or ask him what he’s doing, and who he is doing it with. You made your choice, and Quentin made his. Believe me, Quentin made the best decision.”

  “No offense to you, but he’s my friend. I didn’t try to upset him. I wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing for himself. Maybe the problem is a lack of communication between the two of you. He’s always welcome to come talk to me. He’s a big boy and can express his own opinion on the subject.”

  Aiko chuffed. “I know all about you. You believe you’re tough, you’ll get any man you want, but face it, you are only human. You’re nothing when compared to us. Why would anyone want you when they could have someone better, someone from the New Race? Caleb is only with you for one reason. A food supply. Once he gets over the initial thrill, don’t doubt for a minute, he’ll return to one of us. Get ready for disappointment.”

  “Caleb and I care about each other.” She spat the words through gritted teeth.

  “Listen and listen well.” Her icy voice froze the words she spoke. “Tundra has a whole new philosophy, and I admire her for it. There is a new way of life coming, and humans are at the bottom of the food chain. Enjoy your time with Caleb now, because when he sees the light, he’ll recognize you for what you really are—a tasty treat.” Aiko cackled and tore from the room.

  Jenna stood alone and confused. Tundra and her group were serious trouble, but she had no idea what to do about it.

  As the days went by, trouble did not visit the inn. In fact, everything ran efficiently and without problem throughout the weeks following. Temperatures dropped, but the New Race could install solar panels and gather enough wood to last the winter. The greenhouse was up and running thanks to Lilly, Mack, and Jim. Emma, Jackie, and Jenna perfected their skills at canning foods and learned to make killer tasting preserves. Gus brought back chickens to add to the menagerie, and all the animals thrived. They’d be able to feed the animals over the winter with all the hay the group gathered, and corn grown. Even Streakers had turned rare, with only one far-away sighting when a scavenging party went out.