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“I’ll give her back to you once we’re through the gate. I’ll leave her off on a corner somewhere in town and you can hurry your little ass out there to get her before the zombies do,” Blanche assured him.

Of course, it was a lie. Blanche had come to hate Jenni about as much as she hated anyone. She was going to enjoy making the little bitch her. . . well. . . slave. She wasn’t sure why she hated her so much, but it was probably because everyone seemed to adore the fucking crazy spic.

“Bitch,” Juan spat.

Blanche nodded and shrugged. She flipped the safety off. “Now, I have no problem shooting her if you don’t do as I say. ”

“You shoot her, I won’t let you out. ”

“No, no, someone else will let us out because then you’ll be our hostage,”

Blanche assured him.

“I don’t believe you,” Juan said after a beat. “You don’t have it in you. You wouldn’t even do guard duty. ”

Blanche shrugged, then looked over at Stephen. “Stephen?”

“Yes, dear?” he replied softly. He was obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Blanche shot him four times in the chest and watched with some satisfaction as a look of surprise gave way to horror on her husband’s face, then he collapsed.

“I will shoot her,” Blanche said calmly.

Juan backed up a few steps, shaken. Even Ray looked horrified.

“Damn,” Brewster muttered.

“I didn’t sign up for this,” Johnson said unexpectedly.

“What?” Blanche turned toward him, startled.

“I didn’t sign up for you killing people. You said we were leaving, that’s all. ” He was backing away from her, his hand moving toward his gun.

Blanche fired at him, hitting him twice in the chest. She made a mental count of her rounds and patted her pocket for the other clip. She was uncertain if she had started with a full clip or not.

“You’re fucking crazy,” Juan shouted at her.

“Start the car,” Blanche told Ray.

He hesitated, then obeyed, moving to the Hummer and picking up the keys from Stephen’s limp hand.

Well, at least her favorite two were left, Blanche decided.

Brewster still had a good grip on Jenni, but he was looking unsteady, unsure.

Blanche wondered if she had read these men wrong. She had expected them to be more ruthless. She sighed. Stupid Shane. He would have had her back.

Juan took a step forward. “Just take me, okay? Let her go. I’ll tell them to open the gate and you can drop me off somewhere. Okay?”

Blanche considered this. It was tempting but she really needed a maid to upkeep the mansion. Though she was loathe to admit it, she envied Jenni.

Juan may be Mexican, but he was rather hot.

She shook her head, trying to concentrate on the here and now.

“Now, Juan, don’t go messing up my plans,” Blanche ordered.

He stared at her, then shook his head, fear in his eyes. “You’re lying. I can see it. I don’t trust you. Give me Jenni and then just go. Just go. ”