“Brooke,” whispered a tiny voice in the backseat. “I’m Brooke.”
I turned around and found the little girl smiling shyly at me. I returned her smile and then started the engine. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Brooke. Let’s go and meet your new family.”
4
When we arrived back at my house, I washed the bloody mess still left on my boot with the yard hose then carried Brooke, who’d fallen asleep, inside. It was getting dark and I was glad to see Austin and Eva had lit more candles throughout the house.
Goldie began barking happily as soon as she saw us and then tried to jump on my legs to get a better look at Brooke.
“Not now, girl,” I murmured, trying not to trip over the excited dog.
I laid Brooke down on one of the cots my mom had used for the daycare and covered her with a light blanket. She was still filthy, but I figured she needed the rest more than a bath at the moment.
“Hey, where’d you find the little one?” asked Austin, coming up behind me.
I turned to find him standing very close so I took a step back. “Zombies where chasing her near the movie theater. We almost shot her, thinking she was one of them.”
He kneeled down and touched her hair. “Wow, I’m surprised she’s alive,” he said softly.
I nodded. “You and me both.”
Austin stood up and smiled at me. His shirt was open and it looked like he’d changed the dressing on his wound. I tried not gawk at his chiseled pecs but they were hard to ignore.
I swallowed. “Um, so how’s your shoulder?”
He lifted his arm and winced. “It’s... healing. It’d feel much better if I had something more for the pain other than aspirin.”
I frowned. “Didn’t they give you anything stronger at the hospital?”
“Hell no they didn’t. But, come to think about it, one of the other soldiers in my troop had some Vicodin stored in his duffel bag.” He rubbed his chin and stared off into space. “You know, I’ll bet it still there, too.”
“Where’s his bag?” I asked.
“We’d left all of our military vehicles about three blocks west of here,” he replied.
I touched his arm. “Hey, maybe Bryce can drive you back and you can pick it up.”
His face hardened. “The hell if I’m asking that guy for anything; he’s got something against me.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I lied.
He smirked and shook his head. “Wild, you’re not a very good liar.”
I studied Austin; with his blond hair, thick lashes, and wide “aw, shucks” grin, he reminded me of an All-American cowboy; a pretty handsome one at that. I figured Bryce felt a little threatened, which was ridiculous. My heart already belonged to him.
“He’s just being protective. Bryce has this insane idea that you’re sweet on me,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I told him to quit being such a dope; that you’re just trying to help.”
A slow smile spread across his face and his light brown eyes burned into mine. “Tell you the truth, that very same thought crossed my mind, as well.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Bryce or being sweet on me so I looked away and quickly changed the subject to food. “Did you hear that? I believe that was my stomach. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” I said, patting my tummy.
He shook his head and chuckled. “I’m fine,” he said, then followed me into the kitchen.
I opened up one of the cupboards and located some dill pickle potato chips. Setting the bag on the counter, I began washing my hands. “Want some?” I asked, glancing his way.
He leaned back against the opposite counter and winked. “Don’t let me come between you and your dill pickles.”
I laughed out loud. “She told you, didn’t she?” My mother must have mentioned that I was a dill pickle fanatic. I could eat them in my sleep. In fact, many nights I’d gotten up to have one for a late night snack.
He nodded and pointed to the towel I was drying my hands with. “She also told me about your little germ phobia. She actually thought it was cute.”
“Cute?” I said, smiling sadly. My mother found humor in almost everything. It made her that much more lovable. I missed her so much.
“Yes. She wanted to keep me awake during the ride to the hospital, so she kept rambling on about anything she could think of. Your mom’s a special lady. I admire her tremendously.”
I looked away so he wouldn’t see the tears gathering in my eyes. I knew my mom was safe now, and that it was my little sister who was in real danger, but it didn’t soothe the ache in my heart. I loved them both so much and couldn’t wait to get to Atlanta.
He cleared his throat. “So, besides finding the little girl, how was your trip to the dealership?”
I told him about my episode with the zombie and how he’d been wise enough to open the door.
He frowned. “Well, it certainly sounds like they’re evolving into something a little more dangerous.”
Just then, my father stepped into the kitchen and tossed me a brand new automobile charger for my cell phone.
“Awesome, dad!” I shrieked, throwing my arms around him. “Now I can charge my phone so mom can finally reach us!”
He frowned. “I lost my damn phone a few days ago, so yours is the only way we can communicate with her. Start charging it right away.”
I nodded, feeling giddy for the first time since Bryce had taken me by surprise and kissed me in the garage the other day.
My dad rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Listen, kids, I’m going to bed. I can’t remember the last time I’ve even slept.”
“Yeah, we definitely could use you alert when you’re behind the wheel,” I answered.
He nodded. “It’s about a twenty hour drive so I’d like to leave here at daybreak if that works for you? In fact, why don’t you get everyone to start packing some supplies for our trip? There’s bottled water and a boatload of non-perishable food items in your mom’s pantry.”
I smiled. “I guess her using all those coupons and stockpiling up on snacks for the daycare really paid off.”
My dad’s eyes grew moist and he looked away. “Yeah, and I used to give her so much crap about it.”
I squeezed his arm. “Don’t worry, dad, she knows it’s just your way.”
He sighed. “Well, get that phone charged,” he said. “I need to find out what’s happening to our baby girl.”
***
After I went into the garage and plugged my phone into the truck, Austin followed me downstairs where we found Eva reading through a stack of children’s magazines on the loveseat in my dad’s Man Cave. Bryce was snoring softly on the sofa next to her.
“Having fun?” I asked her.
She snorted and put down the magazine she was leafing through. “God, I’m so bored. I’ve been trying to wake Bryce to see if he would play cards or something, but he’s being such a fuddy-duddy.”
I gave her an incredulous look. “Wake him up? Let him sleep! He’s going to be driving to Atlanta soon and needs the rest. My dad is trying to do the same thing.”
“Shucks, I can drive, too, if they need me,” said Austin. “We can take turns.”
“Austin, that’s not the point. As usual, Eva thinks the world revolves around her and who cares about anyone else.”
Eva smirked. “Wow, are you on the rag, Wild?”
“Nice comeback, brain-dead,” I snapped.
“Can’t we all just get along?” mumbled Bryce, who was now, apparently, awake. He had one of his eyes open and looked a tad grumpy.
Before I could respond, there was a pounding at the front door. The two dogs, Goldie and Chi Chi, who was Eva’s Chihuahua, began barking madly.
Bryce jumped off the couch and raced up the stairs, and I quickly followed. When he raised his rifle and threw open the front door, my heart sank.
5
“Oh God, what happened?” I asked.
Sara walked in with an arm around Kristie, who appe
ared devastated. They were followed by the rest of the girls, also looking very somber.
I picked up Megan, who was holding Kylie’s hand. The poor two-year-old appeared bewildered by everyone’s misery.
“Let me take her downstairs,” said Bryce softly, motioning to Megan.
I gave her a kiss on the forehead and then handed her over to him. When they were gone, I asked again. “Well, what happened?”
“It was... horrible,” shuddered Sara, Megan’s mother, who’s about six months pregnant.
I looked behind them toward the front door; someone was missing. “Where’s Hannah?”
Kristie covered her face and began sobbing.
“She… the zombies got her,” choked Paige who also started to cry.
I looked down and noticed her metal bat, which she’d carried everywhere with her. It was covered with something dark and grisly.
Sara cleared her throat. “When we arrived at the cabin, we found Kristie’s family… dead. There were two zombies in the house; one of them attacked and killed Hannah before we could do anything.”
I covered my mouth in horror, unable to speak.
Kylie, a miniature version of her mother, began crying. I reached over and took her into my arms. She was only thirteen and had been through so much living hell this week that she’d probably need therapy for the rest of her years, along with the rest of us.
“Oh, they’re back,” griped Eva as she trudged up the stairs, followed by Austin. The look of contempt she gave Paige was enough to set me off.
“Listen, Eva,” I snarled, “get the hell away from us before I go find my hammer and pound some sense into that gaping hole between your ears.”
Eva’s mouth dropped open and before she could respond, Austin grabbed her arm, pulling her back downstairs and away from my angry red face. When she was gone, I released a ragged sigh then turned to Kristie, who was actually smiling through her tears.
“Damn, girl, you’ve been hanging around us too long, haven’t you?” she said.
I shrugged. “No, it’s just P.M.S.”
***
About an hour later, Kristie and the other girls retired to the Daycare area to get some rest before we left for the road trip. There was nothing holding anyone back in Wolf Creek, so it was decided that they’d also accompany us to Atlanta. Safety was in numbers, and we didn’t need any more casualties in this zombie war.
I knew we’d need more food for the road trip, so I grabbed two large coolers from the garage and brought them to the kitchen where I bumped into Bryce, Bobby, and Megan. It was well after midnight and Bryce had taken a shower. He now wore nothing but a pair of low-riding blue jeans. He must have sensed that I was staring at his body, which was rock-hard in all the right places. He smiled wickedly and pointed toward his face. “Hey, Wild, my eyes are up here.”
I bit back a smile and turned toward his brother. “Hi, Bobby, how’s my favorite man?”
“I’m not a man,” he said, looking at me like I was nuts. Bobby was only six and so adorable that he made my heart ache. Their mother was killed by a zombie and now he was Bryce’s full responsibility, which, truthfully, wasn’t all that different from before. Their mother was an alcoholic and hadn’t always treated her youngest, who also had Down’s Syndrome, exactly the way a loving mother should.
I bent down and ruffled his dark hair. “What are you talking about? You help to take care of Megan and your big brother, don’t you?”
He nodded slowly and a smile grew on his face. “Yeah… you’re right!”
“Well, in my book that’s quite a responsibility. I’m going to call you my ‘little man’, if that’s okay?” I asked him.
He gave me a big hug and then turned to Megan, who was playing with Barbie dolls on the linoleum floor. “Megan, if you need a ride somewhere, I can drive you. I’m a man now!”
Bryce chuckled. “You have no idea what you’ve started, Wild.”
I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “Guess what, Bobby? There’s a new little girl close to your age in the Daycare area. Her name’s Brooke.”
His eyes lit up. “Can I play with her?”
“In a little while,” I said. “She’s probably still resting.”
“Okay,” he said.
“Bobby,” said Bryce. “Why don’t you go and start packing your backpack. We’ll be leaving in a couple of hours and you don’t want to forget anything.”
Bobby nodded and took off downstairs, followed by Megan.
“So,” murmured Bryce, stepping into my personal space. He stared into my eyes and my heart began to race. “It looks like we’re alone, finally.”
I licked my lips. “Looks like it,” I whispered.
He tilted my chin and brought his lips to mine. As he started kissing me, a fiery heat spread throughout my entire body, making me quiver. I slid my arms behind his neck, pulling him closer and he released a ragged breath.
“Wild, what are you doing to me?” he groaned and slowly began kissing my neck. His mouth was hot as he burned a trail down my neck and then back up, finally catching my lips again with his own. He pressed against me and my hands slid down and touched the small curve of his hard, muscular buns. He sucked in his breath, pulled away, and closed his eyes.
“What?” I asked, wondering why he’d stopped.
He looked at me again and whispered, “God, you’re innocent… but so damn… enticing.”
His eyes were smoldering with such intense desire that I tingled in places that I’d never even known existed.
“Bryce…” I murmured, pulling him back toward me.
He cupped my face with his hands and brought his soft lips back home to mine, kissing me with so much tenderness, that it brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to lose myself in his kisses forever, and forget about the madness around us.
“Oh, shit,” stammered Austin, walking into the kitchen. He lifted his hands in the air. “Sorry, guys.”
Reluctantly, we pulled apart. Bryce turned to Austin and fixed him with a level stare. “I’ll bet.”
He shrugged. “Believe what you want. We’re almost packed and I just wanted to see if Cassie needed any help.”
Bryce folded his arms across his chest and stood up straighter. “She doesn’t need your help, Tex. Why can’t you get that through your hick brain?”
I swatted Bryce; he could be so cruel when he was angry. “That’s totally not fair, Bryce.”
He frowned. “You just don’t see it, do you?”
I shook my head. “I think that you are seeing too much. You’re acting like an angry bull when there’s no red blanket being waved.”
Austin rubbed his jaw and smirked. “Out of respect for Cassie and her family, I’m going to ignore your ignorance and not kick your ass.”
Bryce took a step toward him, his blue eyes blazing murderously. “I’d like to see you try, asshole.”
Austin’s mouth twitched as he stepped forward, and I immediately positioned myself between them. “Okay, that’s enough.”
At that moment Kristie stormed into the kitchen, her face stricken. “Save it, boys, we’ve got some real problems right now. Bobby and the new girl are missing!”
6
Before I could register the meaning of her words, Bryce bolted out of the kitchen and down the stairs, hollering for Bobby.
Austin sighed and soon followed suit.
I turned to Kristie. “How do you know he’s missing? I thought you were sleeping?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Kylie woke me up and said she’d left Bobby and the new girl alone so she could use the bathroom. When she returned to the Daycare area, both children were missing. She was concerned because the little girl said she wanted her mommy and Bobby had promised to drive her at some point.”
I groaned and charged downstairs to check the garage, just in case; if a zombie could figure a way to open a door, who knows what a couple of kids might accomplish. I sighed with relief to find both the van and t
he Yukon still sitting there; although there were no sign of the children. When I stepped back into the house, Bryce was fully dressed and rushing to put his shoes on with a rifle resting on the floor next to him.
“They’re both gone,” he growled. “So is that puppy we found.” He then stormed out of the house.
Goldie’s gone, too?
I ran to the deck where I’d left my war hammer, grabbed it, and then charged back toward the front door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Austin, appearing out of nowhere. He folded his arms across his chest, reminding me of my dad when he’s about ready to scold me.
“Outside,” I told him. “I have to find those kids.”
“Bryce is already out there looking. It’s late and much too dangerous for you.”
I shook my head. “It’s my fault they’re missing. I have to help search for them.”
He sighed. “That’s totally ridiculous; it’s not your fault, Cassie.”
“It is. I actually told Bobby he was a man and now he’s trying to actually be one. I have to help. Now please, for the love of God, move out of my way.”
He bent down and grabbed his combat boots, which were also sitting next to the door. “Fine, then, I’m coming with you.”
Kristie and Paige joined us on the landing.
“We’re coming, too,” said Kristie, raising the Smith and Wesson I’d given her the other day. She motioned toward her oldest daughter. “Besides, Paige could use some extra batting practice. She almost missed the zombie coming after me in the gas station early this morning.”
Paige’s jaw dropped. “Hello? You were the one that said you could take him! It wasn’t my fault he reminded you of Josh Duhamel and you froze up!” She turned to me and sighed. “She’s been hot for that guy ever since she saw him in those ‘Transformer’ movies.”
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 17
