Page 24 of Creepy (The Zombiepidemic #1)

S unlight flowed in through tall windows when I woke in a luxurious bed.

A bed in the Bentley Hotel, I presumed. So, recognizing daytime, I slowly found my bearings.

Staring at the equally tall ceilings, I figured I must’ve passed out after Dillon performed CPR on me last night.

Good thing he’d taken the training as Captain of the swim team while he attended Tulane University in New Orleans.

There wasn’t much I didn’t know about Dillon.

Those happy times floated into my memory and back out.

He’d tried to kill me last night and nearly succeeded.

Maybe I didn’t know Dillon too well anymore.

I would’ve never thought him capable of killing me, even attempting it.

My head still throbbing, it was a miracle I could keep up with what had been going on in the present at all.

Not alone, I could hear rustling in the next room.

I moved up on an elbow when I could feel someone watching me.

I was in Dillon’s suite, I supposed since he loomed shirtless in the doorway to the adjacent living quarters.

“You’re awake. Good.”

“Yeah, good. I’m alive. No thanks to you.”

Dillon moved like he’d planned to come over to me but stopped himself. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans, he rambled, “I had no idea you wouldn’t be able to hold your own better out in the arena.”

“You asshole.” He was blaming me.

“I never planned to let you die. And I didn’t know...”

“What did you plan?”

“My guard said you were with another man. Troy. In his house all night.”

“You mean, you had Rowan spying on me all this time?”

He shrugged. “Only recently, since we heard people were moving back this way.”

“What’s wrong with Rowan? Did you feed him to some zombies, too?”

“Maybe.”

I sucked in a breath in surprise, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. Geezus. “Why in the hell?”

Dillon stepped forward. “He was already snooping around you, before.”

“So, you maimed him, and he works for you now?”

Dillon wiped all emotion from his face. “He survived. He’s a Stayer, now. What about this Troy? I never figured he’d be your type.”

“Why because he’s black?”

“No, Sissy. Because he’s a star. He’s quite famous. Was. When you were with me, you always hated the attention of politics. Figured an NBA star would turn you off as well.”

“I was never turned off by you, Dillon, or your career path. You left me, remember?” As I said the words like I had a million times, about him leaving me, I knew they weren’t exactly true anymore.

He changed the subject. “Troy’s a powerhouse and wise in ways men around here aren’t. He’ll make a hell of a Stayer.”

At least I knew Troy was alive. “Have you talked to him about this?”

Dillon brought his hands from his pockets and stuck them in his pits. “Did you sleep with him?”

I sat up completely, carefully, understanding I was still weak. Thankfully, someone had dressed me in a tasteful robe. “No,” I lied and swallowed hard. “He saved me from a zombie attack.” I touched my neck and noticed it’d been re-bandaged.

“That’s not what Troy said happened. Not all.”

My face scrunched up. I told Troy not to tell anyone we’d slept together. Maybe they tortured him.

Dillon stepped closer, his hands out now. “What did you expect me to do? What do you think I’m expected to do here? Just let you sleep around.”

I mimicked his hands. My voice cracked. “So, you kill me?”

Dillon barked, “No. I would not let you die. Just wanted to...”

I threw my hands around some more. “Scare me to death?”

“No.” Dillon blew out a breath. “We Stayers don’t let outsiders disrespect me like that. I’m important here, Sissy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not so important that you can choose not to kill me, apparently.”

Dillon about turned red. “I’m a goddamn King to these men,” he bellowed before softening his voice. “Do you know what that means, Sissy?”

Startled by his outburst, I shook my head.

“Kings can fall. I couldn’t let it slide. You’ve got to believe it was all for show. I never meant for it to go so far.”

“Well, I had broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and probably a concussion already before your lackey locked me in with a dozen hungry zombies. But if you’d talked to Troy, you’d have known that. What did you think would happen?”

Dillon hung his head momentarily. “I didn’t.

.. I didn’t know Rowan would find you and bring you.

Not so soon.” He crossed the room to sit on the bed at my feet.

Dillon looked me right in the eye. His eyes echoed his words.

“He’s not right in the head. Believe me, I never planned to let them go through with it. ”

“Kyle said you ordered it.”

“I did. I ordered my men to bring you to me but on Monday night. To put you in the arena if you didn’t give yourself up by Monday. Not last night. Anyway, I thought you’d come to me first. Use the goddamn radio I gave you.”

Not knowing if I believed him, I ignored his excuses.

Noticing he’d shaved his face, I recalled telling him I liked him better that way just the other night, after our passionate time in the tub.

Like he could tell I was softening, he reached out and touched my leg ever so softly.

I zipped it away from his reach and hardened my feelings.

“Never believes me,” he mumbled more to himself.

“I read your letter,” I admitted.

Dillon’s eyes whooshed away from me to stare out the window. “None of that matters now.”

“So, why give it to me at all? Why didn’t you explain at the time?”

“At the time, I flew back from Florida to explain that I wasn’t having an affair.

That woman they photographed me with, we were not lovers, but no one knew we were related.

Catrina Perez is my half-sister. Yes, she’s Cuban.

My father wasn’t the only one unfaithful.

My mother had her own affairs. But none of that matters.

You know what happened next. You sent your brother and his asshole friend to kick my ass. They almost put me in the hospital.”

“What?” I asked, confused before it clicked.

Joey had just told the story to his friends at the diner.

He and Wade went to kick Dillon’s ass when we broke up.

But I never realized when that had happened in the grand scheme of things.

I never put two and two together. “I didn’t know Joey beat on you before I talked to you. ”

“Like I said. None of it matters now.”

I repeated, “I had no idea that Joey did that. Not at the time. And I certainly didn’t send them. It’s not like he told me they were gonna. Though, he’s bragged about it a lot since. I figured it wasn’t until after you and I talked, and... ”

“You broke off our engagement.”

“Only because I thought you’d left me for some actress. I didn’t know... anything. I never got your letter.”

Dillon’s gaze fell on me again. “I’d assumed you were tired of all the negative press.”

I had been tired of it, but I didn’t tell him that and that I’d have never left him over it. “I don’t know why Papa kept the letter from me. Do you?”

“Don’t blame your Papa. I’m sure he didn’t want you to get hurt by that mess, same as me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why give me the letter now?”

“I didn’t find it myself until after my father’s funeral. By then, it was too late.”

“But why now? Because I might move on?”

“Yes, Sissy. I wanted you to finally know that I didn’t leave you.”

It was hard, but I ignored his honest words.

He did just try to have me killed. Regardless, I’d play on his sympathies to take care of more pressing matters.

“Well, my brother’s back now. I don’t have anyone else in the whole universe but him.

You know what Joey means to me. Would be nice if we weren’t in this current mess, and I could visit with him. ”

He said nothing but turned more forlorn by the second. My plan to invoke his pity was working. I went on, “Instead of visiting, we spent yesterday worried about rescuing Troy. He’s having a baby, ya know, not Troy, Joey. The girl he brought with him from Indiana is pregnant with his child.”

Dillon raked his hands through his hair, both of them, a clear sign he was distraught. “About Joey...” he began.

Shivers ran over me as an impending doom filled the air. “What about Joey?”

“Your brother and his friends came looking for you last night.”

“Fuck, what did you do?

“I did nothing.”

“What did your stupid crew do to them?”

“I didn’t know...” Dillon repeated his words from earlier, and I realized he’d known something horrible this whole time.

My voice shaking, I asked, “Didn’t know what?”

“I didn’t know your brother was never infected. That he’s not a survivor. I didn’t know his girl was pregnant either.”

“Dillon, tell me right now,” I demanded. “Is my brother alive?”

“He’s not dead. Not yet.”

I sprung up from my seat to hit him.

He caught my hands. “Sissy, I just found out and came straight to tell you.”

“And the others?”

“Kyle said Joey had three people with him. One’s dead. I don’t know who yet.”

“What did you do to them?” I screamed as hot tears blinded me.

“I promise, I did nothing. I’ve been here beside you all night.”

I broke my hands away and tried to stand. Each step was a challenge, but I made it to the doorway. I had to go see my brother. “Where is he?”

“Hugo’s crew is fetching him. He’s not here. I told you, I didn’t do this. They got attacked late last night before they made it here.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that? You fed me, someone you used to love, someone you promised...” I took a breath through my tears as they came harder. “... Promised to love forever, to the fucking zombies last night.”

“I promise. I didn’t do this.”

“Who did it then? You control the Stayers. You’re responsible. You give the orders. You’re King around here.”

“Sissy, I don’t control the zombies.” Dillon made his way over to me. “You’re hurt yourself. You need to take it easy. Your brother... ”