didn’t want to admit recognizing. His own blood lust wouldn’t let her go. Brian wouldn’t make it out of there as a human or alive, either. But the mother would be destroyed. Dominic didn’t tolerate female zombies around him for anything. And for the first time, I wondered what his aversion to the opposite sex meant.
Brian burst from the SUV, his hands empty of his weapon. “Mom!” His cry echoed around the parking lot. His mother raised her eyes, lifting her hands toward him for help. He ran toward her. “Mom. Are you okay?”
Before Brian could reach her, the boy on her right reached up and ripped her throat out, silencing her mid-scream. Brian cried out, falling to the ground as she slumped before him. He crawled the last few feet to her body, pulling her jerking form into his arms. Sobs rumbled through him. Part of him would never forget this moment, but in the next, Dominic wouldn’t let him avenge it, his plan plain as day… at least to me.
Heather’s cries from inside the car added more pain to an already torturous moment.
I clenched my fingers, even as the two zombies who had dropped Brian’s mother lifted him to his feet, kicking the now-dead body to the side. They dragged Brian to Dominic, suspending him between them with little effort. His crying hadn’t stopped.
As moved as I was by his remorse and circumstance, I couldn’t help but wonder if he would have been able to avoid the next move, had he been less emotionally reactive and more instinctually in tune.
Dominic embraced Brian and slid his teeth into his skin. I turned my head. If I was completely honest with myself, for only a moment, I’d understand that part of my revulsion arose from my desire to be the one biting into the flesh. It was the same part that sought out the discarded body laying mere yards from my feet.
Abandoned flesh. But human flesh. For all intents and purposes, I was a vegetarian – only ate herbivores – ish. We didn’t need to discuss the mountain lion I’d enjoyed not that long ago.
Heather’s cries turned to screams, distracting me. What the hell?
I swung open the door and froze. Dominic knew about James’s presence. It’s the only explanation for what I saw. Now I had to decide between attacking my brother or letting him devour the girl I was falling for.
Chapter 10
How many nights would I have left to regret my actions? I jumped into the SUV and wrapped my arms around James’s torso, including his arms that stretched and reached for Heather. “Damn it, James. What’s wrong with you?”
I yanked and pulled and finally wrestled him across the front seat and onto the pavement. He snarled and nipped at me, his teeth millimeters from my skin. I jerked back from him, yelling over my shoulder to Heather. “Lock the damn doors!” A well-placed kick shut the front door and I pivoted between James and the car as Heather shut the back door and I waited for the mechanical click.
My brother’s face had twisted into a parody of itself – angry and consumed with hatred. If I believed in demons, I’d suggest he was possessed, but I don’t. Hell, I just discovered zombies are real – do I have to believe in more? I held up my hands to shoulder level. “James… buddy, what’s the matter?”
He laughed, low, cackly, not like him in the least.
Adjusting my gaze past his face, I set my jaw. Dominic had turned and folded his arms across his chest, the slightest smile graced his puffy lips. For some reason, Botox came to mind. He reminded me of the chicks on the strip. The lazy glint in his eye matched that in James’s.
The anger washed from me. I wanted to be angry – I really did. But James was my brother. I think I was falling for Heather, but I know I loved James. I was so damned tired. “Okay, Dominic. What do you want?”
Brian moved on the ground beyond Dominic’s feet, his jerky motions drawing my attention. James didn’t move as Dominic turned to see what distracted me. He waved his
Brian burst from the SUV, his hands empty of his weapon. “Mom!” His cry echoed around the parking lot. His mother raised her eyes, lifting her hands toward him for help. He ran toward her. “Mom. Are you okay?”
Before Brian could reach her, the boy on her right reached up and ripped her throat out, silencing her mid-scream. Brian cried out, falling to the ground as she slumped before him. He crawled the last few feet to her body, pulling her jerking form into his arms. Sobs rumbled through him. Part of him would never forget this moment, but in the next, Dominic wouldn’t let him avenge it, his plan plain as day… at least to me.
Heather’s cries from inside the car added more pain to an already torturous moment.
I clenched my fingers, even as the two zombies who had dropped Brian’s mother lifted him to his feet, kicking the now-dead body to the side. They dragged Brian to Dominic, suspending him between them with little effort. His crying hadn’t stopped.
As moved as I was by his remorse and circumstance, I couldn’t help but wonder if he would have been able to avoid the next move, had he been less emotionally reactive and more instinctually in tune.
Dominic embraced Brian and slid his teeth into his skin. I turned my head. If I was completely honest with myself, for only a moment, I’d understand that part of my revulsion arose from my desire to be the one biting into the flesh. It was the same part that sought out the discarded body laying mere yards from my feet.
Abandoned flesh. But human flesh. For all intents and purposes, I was a vegetarian – only ate herbivores – ish. We didn’t need to discuss the mountain lion I’d enjoyed not that long ago.
Heather’s cries turned to screams, distracting me. What the hell?
I swung open the door and froze. Dominic knew about James’s presence. It’s the only explanation for what I saw. Now I had to decide between attacking my brother or letting him devour the girl I was falling for.
Chapter 10
How many nights would I have left to regret my actions? I jumped into the SUV and wrapped my arms around James’s torso, including his arms that stretched and reached for Heather. “Damn it, James. What’s wrong with you?”
I yanked and pulled and finally wrestled him across the front seat and onto the pavement. He snarled and nipped at me, his teeth millimeters from my skin. I jerked back from him, yelling over my shoulder to Heather. “Lock the damn doors!” A well-placed kick shut the front door and I pivoted between James and the car as Heather shut the back door and I waited for the mechanical click.
My brother’s face had twisted into a parody of itself – angry and consumed with hatred. If I believed in demons, I’d suggest he was possessed, but I don’t. Hell, I just discovered zombies are real – do I have to believe in more? I held up my hands to shoulder level. “James… buddy, what’s the matter?”
He laughed, low, cackly, not like him in the least.
Adjusting my gaze past his face, I set my jaw. Dominic had turned and folded his arms across his chest, the slightest smile graced his puffy lips. For some reason, Botox came to mind. He reminded me of the chicks on the strip. The lazy glint in his eye matched that in James’s.
The anger washed from me. I wanted to be angry – I really did. But James was my brother. I think I was falling for Heather, but I know I loved James. I was so damned tired. “Okay, Dominic. What do you want?”
Brian moved on the ground beyond Dominic’s feet, his jerky motions drawing my attention. James didn’t move as Dominic turned to see what distracted me. He waved his
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