Page 24

Renee made herself sit there as she listened to death as it surrounded her. It could’ve been hours or days; it was impossible to tell. Yet, she forced herself because she was a coward. Not only for failing humanity but also for failing herself. Her stomach repeatedly reminded her she was hungry, but she ignored it.

When the door opened, and she heard his heavy footfalls, she didn’t look up at him. She knew he’d be furious at her and was positive Brie had told him everything. He lifted her up, but she continued keeping her eyes on her feet. His bloody hand touched her cheek.

“Renee.”

The way he said her name gutted her. The tears that threatened to fall for hours finally did. She cried because she despised herself. Because she made Brie angry. Because she’d hurt him, and because she wasn’t sure if she was going to keep trying to run from him.

She didn’t protest when he pulled her to his chest, even though it was covered in black blood and fragments of something . She ugly cried on him until she sounded like a five-year-old who was spent yet couldn’t stop. Zane kept smoothing her hair over and over. Why wasn’t he yelling at her? It made everything so much worse.

“Come, you need to clean up.”

He led her to the small bathroom, where she stood in the dark until he returned with a candle and a bucket of water. She twisted aside before she caught her reflection. Never had she wanted to avoid it so much. With a cloth, he wiped her face, which made her sob.

“Why aren’t you yelling at me?” she choked out. He said nothing and kept washing her face. “Aren’t you mad at me?”

“I’m furious. You lied to me.” He paused. “You betrayed me.”

“You should just let me go. Send me out there to die because I’m a traitor.” He’d called that other zombie a traitor, and she wasn’t any different. She’d meant to find humans and return to kill him.

He struck the mirror behind her. It shattered, causing her to flinch.

“I would never do that. I would never hurt you deliberately.”

She tilted her chin up. “Why? I don’t understand.”

His hands cupped her face. “Yes, you do.”

His irises were so bright in the darkness. He’d eaten his own kind.

“Is it over?”

“No.” His jaw worked. “I came to check on you.” His eyes moved over her face. Zane tugged her out of the bathroom to the table and pushed her into a chair. “You need to eat. We’ll finish this later.”

Renee stared at the cooked meat on the table. “What is that?” She was wary because he’d said there wasn’t any food which meant that was… one of the horde? A random animal?

“You promised me you would let me help you and that you wouldn’t fight me.” He reminded her.

“Obviously, my word doesn’t mean anything.” She stared at the floor.

His fingers snatched her face up by her chin. “That’s your choice. It can mean something if you choose to keep your word. You told me you trusted me. Prove it. Eat.”

Her eyes drifted to the meat. God, she was hungry. Only what if it was one of them? She’d never eaten a former-human, but would she really know? She had to decide if she trusted Zane or not. Decide if he would trick her into eating zombies. Her mind wandered to before he left, his sincere words. She picked up the meat and took a bite. It was a deer. The flavor was immediately recognizable.

“Thank you,” she muttered and ate.

While she did, he reattached the wood over the window and checked the other windows. At some point, he washed the yuck from his hands and disappeared outside for a while. She drank a bottle of water and put her head on the table. So stupid, always so stupid about everything. It was no wonder why she’d spent so much time alone after the zombies rose up.

Zane went in and out of the cabin a few more times. She caught sight of Brie closing the door behind him when he carried a large barrel in. Shit, that looked heavy.

“Come with me.” He held out his hand and led her into the bathroom.

The tub was half-filled with water. Her eyes snapped to him. “Why? I don’t deserve...” She paused when he put his finger over her lips.

“No, you don’t, but I don’t want you to ruin the bed. We’ll be here another night before we leave.” Zane lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor before unhooking her bra and placing it on the closed toilet. “You’re lucky there are clothes here. You didn’t have any other shirts.”

She nodded and undid her jeans. He helped her out of them and slid her panties down. As mad as he was, she didn’t miss how desire made his eyes heat.

“Do you have to go again?” She stepped into the cold water.

“Soon. I shouldn’t be here now.”

“You don’t have to stay. I really won’t run now, I swear.” She choked back her tears as she scrubbed.

“I want to believe you.” He leaned against the door frame.

Zane was so handsome, casually standing there. Even with blood and guts all over him. Even with the sounds of his horde killing each other. Somehow, with him near her, Renee’s fear and anxiety wasn’t as powerful. When she got to her hair, he helped wash her scalp; damn, it felt good. She dipped under the water to rinse. When she emerged, he caught her lips and kissed her with such passion it made her light-headed.

Wrapped in a towel and nothing else, he made her climb the ladder to the loft. Her backpack was slung over his shoulder as she eased into bed. It was so surreal. Although she felt relaxed, she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. No way would she be able to run away, she had finally accepted she wouldn’t succeed. Brie had warned her more than once.

Zane kissed her again. Forgetting he’d recently eaten; she opened her mouth to his and was amazed he still tasted like citrus. How the hell was that possible? His fingers glided down her torso and then down her leg. Renee nibbled on his lip, lost in him, until something cold wrapped around her ankle. A distinct metal click made her eyes fly open.

“Like I said, I want to believe you, but I can’t risk losing you, and I can’t stay.”

Renee stared at the metal cuff as her mouth dropped open. There was a chain from it to the loft’s railing. “You can’t…”

“I’ll come back to you. If you pull the rail down, it will make a lot of noise.”

“Zane! You can’t chain me up like an animal!”

“I told you not to run!” His teeth flashed. He was back to making threats. “You’re lucky I’m not doing something more drastic.”

“Oh, right, I forgot because you’re the asshole king. Maybe I should grovel and beg for your mercy!”

He advanced until he was hovering over her, teeth still bared. Renee had grown more aware of the blood and flesh stuck on him now. His hand grabbed her throat as he held her in place. Not squeezing, even though she could tell he wanted to.

“You should seek my forgiveness because you lied to me,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You should seek my forgiveness because you’ve made me a prisoner!”

“You didn’t act like a prisoner when you practically begged me to fuck you.”

Renee’s eyes burned, although she wouldn’t break down in front of him or allow him to see he’d hurt her. “You know nothing about me. Maybe that’s why I decided to run, because you wouldn’t follow through. You just teased me.” She instantly regretted every word that came out of her mouth but couldn’t stop herself. Renee wanted Zane to hurt, too.

He let her go and stepped back. “I let you see a part of me I thought was dead, and it meant nothing to you.” He turned and continued to the ladder.

Shit. She’d really made a mess of things. “Zane, no, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of it. Please, don’t go.”

Except it was too late. He was already down the ladder. The cabin door closed softer than she thought it would while she remained naked and chained to the bed. It sounded like a weird porno from before the end of the world.