For a moment, every muscle in my body froze. The pepper spray bottle dropped from my trembling hand and hit the pavement with a thunk.
This can’t be happening.
The man staggered closer. The horrible sound of his teeth clicking echoed in my ears.
Coming to my senses, I turned and ran through the alley. I made it to the parking lot and frantically scanned for Uncle Duncan’s beat-up truck. It was gone. Other than a few parked vehicles, the lot was deserted.
Oh, crap. I’d taken too long. He'd left me.
A whimper escaped my lips.
Light blazed from the windows of the sex shop like a homing beacon. I rushed through the door. Bells jangled as I slammed it behind me.
A fiftyish man with a thick paunch glanced at me through the rows of multicolored dildos lined up across the counter. “Good evening. What can I—”
With my chest heaving, I panted, “Zombie.”
The man, who’s thinning red hair and lime-green bowling shirt made him look like an over-the-hill leprechaun, shook his head. “Sorry, no zombies. But we have an entire section dedicated to vampire role-play. It’s over by the lubes.” He motioned to the left of the store.
“There are zombies outside.” I knew I sounded crazy. I half expected him to throw me out of his store.
Instead, the man nodded. “I knew it was just a matter of time.” He leaned down and grabbed a shotgun from behind the counter. “It’s closing time.” He marched to the door and flipped the sign hanging on the handle from Open to Closed. “My name is Cal.”
“I’m Lee.”
“This is only the beginning, Lee. I’ve been watching the news. Things are going to get bad. Real bad. I give it forty-eight hours before they overrun the city.”
I swallowed hard. “Shouldn’t we call the police?”
His laugh sounded like a wheeze. “They can’t help us. Our only chance is to gather weapons and supplies and wait the worst of it out. I have a well-stocked underground shelter.” He gave me a head-to-toe scan and licked his lips. “You’re welcome to join me.”
My skin crawled and my internal creeper alarm flashed red. “Um, thanks, but I need to get home.”
He frowned. “Suit yourself. Can I give you a lift?”
Hmm. Creepy sex shop owner vs. zombies. Damn. This is a no-win situation.
Taking my silence as a refusal, he shook his head. “At least let me walk you to the street.” He pushed the door open.
“Thanks.” I followed him out.
As we walked past the alley, I couldn’t help stopping and peering through the darkness.
It looked empty.
Did I imagine it?
I rubbed my eyes. Maybe I did. I’d been working a lot lately. And, if I was being honest, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten over four hours of sleep.
Cal darted ahead, stopping every few feet to survey the handful of vehicles occupying the unpaved parking lot his store shared with Eros.
Country music filtered out of the strip club. I stopped in my tracks. Jess used that song in her routine…
How can she be inside dancing when I’d just seen her—
The realization of what had really happened slammed into me like a cement truck.
Goddamn it. There were no walking dead. There was just a bitchy stripper with a chip on her shoulder and a love for cruel practical jokes. I should’ve known better. It was just like the time she’d put talcum powder in my hair dryer or the time she’d glued all my makeup to the counter. She’d laughed and told everyone in the club how she punked me.
Jess was a genius with stage makeup. It wouldn’t have taken much to do a convincing zombie look. White contacts, fake blood, and leftover Halloween props…
I kicked at the gravel, wishing it was her head. Of all the nights for her to test me… if I wasn’t so damned tired, I’d stalk into the club and slap the smug expression off her face.
“Shh,” Cal hissed at me as he darted around vehicles like some kind of wannabe SWAT officer.
The ridiculousness of the whole thing caught up to me. I let out a strained laugh. “Thank you, Cal. I’ve got it from here.”
“But… the zombies.”
“Someone was just playing a joke on me. I appreciate your help though. You’d better put the gun away. There are some pretty bad dudes in the club who might think you’re looking for trouble.” I nodded at several black Mercedes that belonged to Javier and his goons.
Cal’s eyes widened. “The threat is real. You need to prepare yourself for the apocalypse.”
Okayyy. This conversation just took a left turn into crazy town. “I’ll see you later.”
Cal grabbed for my arm. “You’ll die if you go out alone and unarmed.”
He’s insane. Heart in my throat, I backed away.
Cal followed me, tightening his grip on his shotgun. “You need to come with me now.”
7
Reed
“Come on, Reed,” Aubry urged, her huge breasts hanging in my face. Some kind of magic must’ve kept them from busting out of their confinement, because neither the tight corset she wore nor the laws of gravity were on their side.
Forcing my gaze from the outline of her pale pink nipples to her model-beautiful face, I shook my head. “Sorry, not tonight.” Or any other night.
“Don’t you want to…?” She trailed off, looking confused.
I’d bet the stack of twenties in my pocket that my refusal was a first for her. Most guys would probably jump at the chance to get in her pants.
But I wasn’t like most guys. And there was only one pair of pants I wanted to get into. Lee’s.
Still, I didn’t want to be rude. Trying to soften the rejection, I said, “Thanks for keeping me company and for inspiring that killer line in my song.”
Aubry blinked. “You realize I’m offering to rock your world right now.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to have to pass. My friend Dexter would love to talk to you.” I jabbed my finger in direction of the crowded kitchen.
Aubry frowned. “Is it because I bit you? If you’re not into that, that’s okay. I can do vanilla too.” She suddenly looked younger and more vulnerable.
“It’s not you, it’s me.” Or rather, it’s an even more beautiful brunette that stole my heart years ago.
“That’s what my ex said too.” Her eyes took on a glassy sheen.
Ah, Jesus. I hated when they cried. Why does this keep happening to me? Ronnie and Dexter spent every waking minute hitting on girls, while I purposefully kept my distance. But it was always me they came after. It made no sense.
“It’s cool. I get it.” Her lower lip quivered, and I could tell she was close to losing it.
“Panorama plays in five,” Ronnie shouted from the hallway.
A loud cheer went up among the partygoers, and they began spilling into the living room.
Aubry let out a muffled sob.
Morgan and Sam looked up from their instruments to stare at her.
“What’s her damage?” a woman in a pink tank top said loudly from the lap of the guy sitting in Gran’s old recliner.
Deciding Aubry didn’t need an audience, I stood. All at once the jungle juice hit me and I had to fight back a wave of vertigo. I took a deep breath and the dizzy feeling went away. Making a promise to stay away from the stuff, I grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.”