“If you’d have found me, you could’ve stayed safe with me.”
A fury like Dex had never seen crossed Zianna’s face. She pushed past Ian, marched up the stairs, and squeezed Laiken’s collar. “How dare you! You didn’t want to die? What about me? I thought we had something special.”
“We do.”
She spat in his face. “That’s where you’re wrong. Where were you hiding? I deserve that much.”
Laiken cleared his throat. “I discovered a hollow spot in the wall in my room. I’ve been working little by little to make a safe room. It’s not so much a room, really. It’s barely a closet.”
“You have a closet, you fool.”
“Yeah, but the spot I built is perfectly hidden. Not even you noticed it.”
Zianna shoved him against the wall and stormed down the stairs. “I’m so done with you.”
“Z, baby.”
She spun around. “Don’t. Whatever we had—it’s over. You coward.”
His mouth dropped open, but he didn’t say anything. Zianna left the room, and a moment later the front door slammed shut.
Ian moved closer to Laiken and shoved his gun against Laiken’s neck. “You seriously did all that? Built yourself a hidey-hole and abandoned your family while zombies attacked our house?”
Laiken’s face paled. “You didn’t see how many zombies there were.”
“Shut up.” Ian turned to Bob. “We’re going to take care of you, Laiken. Right, Bob?”
“You’d better believe it.”
Laiken shook his head. “Hear me out—”
Bob’s nostrils flared, and he held up his sword. “We already did, and you know what happens to those who betray our family.”
“I didn’t! I just—”
Ian grabbed his arm and yanked him down the stairs. “Enough.”
Without another word, Bob and Ian dragged Laiken from the house.
Lucy turned to Dex, her eyes wide. “What are they going to do?”
“I don’t know. Probably leave him alone in the woods to fend for himself.”
If Laiken was lucky, that would be all Bob and Ian did to him. He probably wouldn’t, though. Dex doubted he’d escape with his life.
Radley gave him a look that told Dex she thought the same thing.
“No.” Tears shone in Lucy’s eyes. “They’re going to kill him.”
Dex pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. He should’ve known better than to try and protect her. She was too smart for that. “You’re probably right.”
Radley cleared her throat. “Maybe we should unpack the Hummer.”
Dex shook his head. “I’m not touching their stuff.”
“It’s not their stuff. It belongs to the family—which you’re part of. I’m telling you, by tonight, the three of you will be best friends.”
“Still, I’m not going to do anything to cross them. How about Lucy and I check on Zianna while you unload the stuff?”
“Sure.” Radley pulled her hair into a ponytail and headed for the garage.
Lucy met his gaze. “Maybe I should help.”
“I don’t want either of us touching anything until Bob and Ian trust us. If anything is missing, they’ll blame us. And if they so much as a look at you sideways, I’ll be forced to kill them.”
Her eyes widened. “Let’s find Zianna.”
Chapter 35
Dinner was delicious but the conversation a bit awkward. Bob and Ian had brought some fresh meat, so they ate a hearty deer stew that Radley had made while everyone else continued working on the house and yard.
Bob and Ian still eyed Dex, and vice-versa. Nobody spoke a word about Laiken, who hadn’t returned with the men. Zianna had been especially quiet since Laiken’s appearance.
“How many groups have you been part of?” Bob stared at Dex.
Dex swallowed the food in his mouth and held the other man’s gaze. “Just a couple. It only took two attempts on my life to develop a deep distrust of people.”
Bob’s brows came together. “How many people have you killed?”
“Only those trying to kill me.”
“How many?”
What was this? An interview? Dex set his fork down. “I’ve hardly kept count. It’s not something I’m proud of, but this is a kill-or-be-killed world we live in, and I don’t intend on being killed.”
“How many zombies have you killed?” Ian asked.
Dex held back a laugh. “Way too many to count.”
“Under what circumstance would you kill a person?” Bob asked.
“Like I said, anyone trying to kill me. I don’t want to hurt people. But if it’s them or me—it’s going to be them, every time.”
Silence settled over the table.
“How did you meet our family?” Ian asked. “We didn’t hear that part of the story. It started with Silverly burning to the ground.”
“One building,” Dex corrected. He hated to admit the truth of how he’d first met Radley, Zianna, and Laiken. “They saved me.”
Bob arched a brow. “Really?”
“This I gotta hear.” Ian leaned forward.
Dex took a deep breath. “I’d never heard of a vaccinated wanderer. They stopped me before I got bit by one who looked human.”
“You never heard of them?” Bob’s brows came together. “How’s that possible?”
“Because I don’t come from around here. Never seen one. Never heard about the vaccines. Most other parts only have the normal ones.”
“And her?” Ian nodded toward Lucy.
“I saved her from Silverly.” Dex explained how he’d come across it after Radley and the others had helped him.
Bob turned to Lucy. “Are you vaccinated against the zombie virus?”
She nodded.
“Lucy’s the only one,” Radley said. “The vaccine didn’t work on anyone else, right?”
“That’s what the doctors said,” Dex mumbled.
Bob and Ian looked at her with respect.
“You can’t be turned?” Ian asked.
Lucy shook her head. She had to be pretty nervous since she wasn’t speaking. Dex reached under the table and held her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
“That’s amazing.” Bob turned to Dex. “So, what’s your plan? Do you want to be part of this family, or do you plan on being a lone traveler?”
Dex hesitated. He’d grown to like being around Radley and Zianna and having the house as a home base, but on the other hand, he still needed to find out what had happened with his family.
“Well?” Ian asked.
“I was on my way to find out what happened with my family.”
“Do I sense a but?” Bob asked.
Dex took a deep breath. “I do like this group you have here. Radley and Zianna have shown me that there are good people in the world still.”
Bob pressed his palms on the table. “How far away is your family?”
Dex frowned. “The community I grew up in is pretty far away.”
“Community?” Ian’s eyes widened. “Explain.”
“It was a walled-in neighborhood that ran like a small town. I…” Dex’s voice trailed off. He didn’t want to talk about finding his mom as a monster trying to eat him for lunch. “I found one of the members turned. That’s why I want to get back. I need to see if my family is okay, or if the entire place was taken over by the wanderers.”
“Do you think the community still stands?” Bob leaned forward.
Dex shrugged. “No idea.”
“But there’s a chance?” Bob exchanged a glance with Ian.
“Hopefully.”
“You think they’d take us in?” Ian asked. “A full community would offer more protection than a small family.”
“I don’t know if they’d accept newcomers. Things might’ve changed a lot since I left.” And they’d kicked him out after he snuck outside the walls one night, so there was no guarantee they’d even take him back.
“Stay right th
ere.” Ian rose and gestured for Bob to follow him. They went outside, closing the door behind them.
“What’s going on?” Lucy asked.
Dex stared at the door, feeling a little dizzy. “I’m not entirely sure. They might want to travel with us.”
“And leave our house?” Zianna exclaimed.
Radley shrugged. “I don’t know what they’re thinking.”
They continued eating the stew in silence. After what felt like hours but was probably no more than twenty minutes, Ian and Bob returned. They came over to the table and both looked at Dex.
Bob cleared his throat. “We have a proposition for you.”
Chapter 36
Dex raked his fingers through his hair. “What’s your offer?”
Bob leaned closer. “We travel with you to your old community. Our Hummer will get you there twenty times faster than traveling by foot. We can run over any zombies or cannibals that come our way. In exchange, you vouch for us to the leaders. It’s a win-win.”
“What about our house?” Zianna exclaimed. “We just got done fixing it up. Now we’re going to abandon it?”
Ian shook his head. “I’m going to stay here and watch the place. If they won’t take us, we still have the house.”
“What about Laiken?” Zianna’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Bob scowled. “We don’t talk about him anymore.”
A high-pitched sound came from Zianna’s mouth. “Excuse me.” She fled the table and her footsteps thundered up the new stairs.
Bob tugged on his hair. “We don’t honor traitors in any way.”
Dex nodded. “Can’t blame you.”
Ian held Dex’s gaze. “What do you say about our offer?”
“Will you give me a few minutes to think about it?”
Bob grabbed a plate. “Take all the time you need. We’ll be right here.”
Dex’s mind spun as he got up from the table and headed outside for some fresh air. He leaned against the outside of the house and stared at what remained of the garden. He and the others had salvaged what they could—anything that hadn’t been smashed or sprayed with bodily fluids from the wanderers. It hadn’t been much.
For that, he couldn’t blame the others for wanting to go with him to the community. They never had a shortage of food there. Sure, they rarely feasted, but at least they had three meals a day, small as they were.
The community even had electricity and running water, though Dex had no idea how they’d managed that. His family was in law enforcement, and that was what he knew about. He was going to go into it once he was done with school, but that was before he’d escaped and been left with no way back in.
Dex’s heart constricted and his breathing grew haggard. Would he be accepted back in? Could they forgive the mistake he’d made so long ago? He’d only been a child. It was unlikely, but it was a risk he had to take.
If he brought others along with him, would that help his cause or hinder it? Each person in the group could offer something to the community. Bob and Ian could join the supply runners. Radley and Zianna could join nearly any work group. They both had many skills that would help. What about Lucy? She could do a lot. She was smart and a hard worker. He worried they wouldn’t believe it because of her speech.
Dex’s mind continued racing as he considered the pros and cons of bringing the group to the community. He had to admit, traveling in the Hummer would both cut down on time and work to protect them. Also, if the community wouldn’t let them in—or if it had been destroyed by wanderers—they’d be able to return to the house quicker.
The front door opened. Lucy stepped outside and closed the door behind her. “Are you okay?”
“Just trying to make a decision.”
“You don’t want them to go with us?” Lucy leaned against the wall next to him. She smelled sweet, like fresh flowers.
“It’s not that. I’m not sure how the community’ll react to a group of people driving up in a Hummer. It’ll put them on the defensive.”
“But they know you.”
“Knew me,” Dex corrected. “When I was a kid.”
“You don’t think they’ll take you?”
He drew in a deep breath and held it a moment. “I escaped. I didn’t mean to. It’s just that I wanted to see a wanderer for myself. Once I did, I couldn’t get back in.”
Her bright green eyes widened. “They kicked you out?”
Dex frowned. “It was the risk I took. I was too stupid and naive, never thinking they would actually do it.”
She slid her soft hand into his. “We can come back here.”
He nodded. “I know, but that’s not what worries me the most.”
“What is it?”
Dex’s throat closed up for a moment. He looked away. “I’m afraid the rest of my family have turned into wanderers like my mom.”
Lucy squeezed his hand. “I’m your family now.”
A warmth spread through him. He pulled her close and held onto her tightly. “That you are. You’re the first person I’ve been able to trust since I left my family. Thank you.”
“No. Thank you.” She squeezed him. “You freed me.”
“In a way, you freed me, too.”
She looked up at him and tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
He cleared his throat. “It’s hard to explain.”
Lucy studied him but said nothing.
The door opened, and Zianna came out. “What are you doing?”
“Thinking,” Dex said.
Zianna arched a brow. “Thinking? Looks like a lot more than that.”
“Bob said I could take all the time I needed.”
She glanced at him and Lucy. “I doubt he meant this.”
“Do you need something?” Dex tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. The person she’d loved most—stupid as he’d been—had just been killed.
Zianna frowned. “Guess I just want to see that community. It sounds like an oasis.”
“If they’ve managed to keep the wanderers out all this time.”
“You don’t think they have?”
Images of his mom as a mindless monster flashed before him. He cleared his throat. “It’s hard to say. The things were trying really hard to get in when I left. That was eleven years ago. A lot could’ve happened.”
“Maybe.” She turned toward the door. “I’ll let them know you’re still thinking.”
“Shouldn’t be much longer.”
Zianna stepped inside and closed the door.
“Did you decide?” Lucy asked.
“Mostly. As much as I like the idea of taking the Hummer, I can’t help but feel like it’s potentially a death trap.”
She arched a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Being locked inside a vehicle with a man we don’t know.”
“Zianna and Radley trust them.”
“They also trusted Laiken,” Dex muttered.
“He didn’t try to kill us.”
“That’s up for debate. By hiding when we were under attack, he kind of did try to kill us.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t?” Dex asked.
Lucy shook her head. “He was a coward. That’s all.”
“You have a point. A good one, actually.” He raked his fingers through her long, soft hair. “Cowards are far more dangerous than people like Bob and Ian.”
“I think we can trust them.”
“Let’s hope.”
Her eyes lit up. “Are they going with us?”
Dex nodded, holding her gaze. Her floral aroma enveloped him and her nearness overwhelmed him. His pulse hammered throughout his body.
She moved her hand from his side to his face and cupped his jaw. Her lush lips parted slightly and curved up into a smile. “Thank you.”
Without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth on hers. Her lips were so soft and sweet. Heat ran through his body, and his heart thundered like never before. The entire worl
d faded away, and only the two of them existed.
Lucy relaxed in his embrace and kissed him back. Her fingers moved from his beard to his hair and she grasped it, pulling tightly.
Dex pressed his palm against the small of her back and cupped the back of her head, bringing her even closer. He deepened the kiss, and a new thrill ran through his body.
The front door creaked as it opened again.
He pulled away from Lucy and gasped for air. “We’ll be right in with my decision.”
“Okay.”
With Dex’s mind and emotions swimming, he couldn’t tell whose voice he’d just heard.
The door slammed shut.
He turned to Lucy, whose expression was equally dazed. “Was that okay? I don’t want to do anything you don’t—”
She leaned closer and pressed her soft, sweet mouth onto his. Then she pulled away and smiled sweetly, her face flushed.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He grinned.
Lucy nodded. “You can do that any time you want.”
He cupped her chin and brushed his lips against hers. “We’d better head inside before we’re interrupted again.”
She just smiled.
Heart still thundering, he threaded his fingers through hers and headed inside, unable to feel the ground beneath his feet.
Chapter 37
Dex loaded a box into the back of the Hummer. His eyelids fought to stay open. They’d been prepping for the trip all night. Now it was morning, as evidenced by the birds singing outside.
Once everything was packed for their trek, they would get a full day's sleep and head out just as dusk fell, allowing them to travel the maximum number of hours in darkness in order to remain unseen for as long as possible.
Ian was convinced that they could reach the community before light. Dex had told them of his travels since leaving the community, and given that information they were all convinced he'd zigged and zagged a lot—on foot—mostly staying in the same general area.
It made sense, given that he had often stayed in a single place as long as possible. He’d managed to live in a few places for close to six months.
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