Page 22 of Reanimated Ruin (Hearts In Horror #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Cat

WE WERE ABLE to make it about halfway to Efferville before it got dark and the car started to run low on gas. What would have been a two-hour leg of the journey on a good day had turned into eight, with how many times we had to stop to push abandoned vehicles out of the road or detour entirely. We encountered a few infected here or there, but they were a whole lot easier to dispatch when they weren’t taking us by surprise or ganging up on us with their friends.

Jules still hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it, but after all of our close calls, Dom, Sadie and I were already growing indifferent to it. After you’d been staring down the gaping jaws of death, seconds away from potentially being turned into one of them, you adapted a real ‘them or me’ mindset.

We pulled up to a severely outdated motor inn called the Pepperwood Motel and decided to stop there for the night. It was a single story strip of individual rooms with doors that opened straight to the parking lot so it’d do for the night. There weren’t any other cars here, so we figured our chances of running into anyone or anything were pretty slim.

Luckily there was a gas station right next door, we’d be able to fuel up and sleep all in the same spot, then hopefully get to Rhiannon by tomorrow night. We pulled up to the main office first so we could grab keys to a room instead of breaking in and still be able to utilize the door’s lock.

“We should probably just stay in one room with two beds if that’s okay with you guys,” Dom said as he grabbed a room key. “There should be two people on watch from now on anyway, so it won’t really matter, buddy system, you know. We’re way more exposed out here on the road.”

I agreed and continued to rifle through the small concession stand for anything that could be useful to us. Sadie and Jules were still out by the car on lookout while we were inside, so nothing could sneak up on us and take us by surprise. Dom came over to help me as we started loading stuff into a cardboard box I’d found when we heard a thump come from the back office. We both snapped up, immediately silencing ourselves and grabbing our weapons. In these close quarters, I decided to go for my knife instead of the bat. Dom tried to go first, but I pushed him behind me, waggled the knife, and continued on down the hall.

When we got to the closed door, it was clear something was moving around on the other side. I looked at Dom and motioned for him to open the door while I got into a ready position for whatever we were about to find. When it swung open for a split second, I thought maybe we were dealing with a live person. From behind, it just looked like any other girl around my age, but when she turned around and started running towards us, it was clear she was anything but living.

There was a huge bite taken out of her neck and blood all down the front of her uniform. She had a name tag that said Tammy and her eyes were milky white with dark veins leeching up her face. There was red all around her mouth too, like she’d died gurgling on her own blood. I felt immense sadness for a brief moment then pushed it down and snapped into cold killer mode.

I let her get a little closer to me then kicked out at her knee. The blow threw her off balance and sent her tumbling to the ground. Once she was floundering on the ground on her back, I waited for her to turn over to try to push herself back up. I chose then to pounce, jumping on her and pinning her to the ground. I drove my blade into the base of her skull and she stopped moving.

I withdrew the blade, wiped it on her shirt, then re-sheathed it where it was fastened to my belt. I stood up and Dom was gaping at me. Fuck. The girl he used to know had never even been in a fight, so I didn’t know how to explain to him what he’d just witnessed. I’d had a little self defense training after my assault and then got pretty into while I was working at the strip club.

I was by no means an expert or even proficient. After all, it hadn’t stopped Harry’s attack, but the knowledge had proved itself valuable more than once. Also, when I was plotting my revenge on him, I may or may not have spent an unreasonable amount of time researching the best ways to kill someone. The most vulnerable spots on the human body. Who knew it’d come in handy long after he was cold and gone?

“I took self-defense classes after I moved,” I said dismissively, hoping that would be good enough of an excuse for him.

I didn’t want him to think harder about it and realize that it wasn’t just the classes I took that gave me the ability to strike with calculated accuracy. It was the fact that I had planned, prepared for and carried out a murder of a live human being. Well, at least he was alive the first time I killed him.

“Yeah, sure,” he stuttered out, agreeing, but still looking a little flabbergasted. “Fuck, well thanks for saving our skin once again.”

“I’m gonna move her back into the room and close the door. It doesn’t feel right just leaving her here sprawled out in the open.” I moved to start dragging her by her arms, thankful she was face down now so I wouldn’t have to look into her lifeless face.

“Here, let me help you,” Dom said and moved to grab her feet.

We placed her down gently on the floor. There was a small throw blanket on the back of a chair and I decided to lay that over her. I don’t know why this one was hitting me so hard, maybe because she was the youngest one I’d been this up close and personal to. Maybe I saw myself in her. We had similar builds and the same dark hair.

I shuddered at the thought of becoming one of them. As bad as it would be to turn, what I couldn’t stomach the thought of was leaving Rhiannon alone in this world. Not now, with it full of more monsters than ever. I could only imagine how terrified she must be.

“Hey,” Dom said softly, and touched my arm. “You okay? I said your names a few times, but you didn’t respond.”

“Yeah, sorry, today’s been a lot and I just think the past couple of days are starting to catch up with me.” I stopped blankly staring at the shrouded figure in front of me and shifted my gaze to his eyes. “What if we don’t make it to Rhiannon in time? What if I end up like her just trying to make it there?”

“Come on, don’t think like that,” he stepped closer, putting both hands on my shoulders and ducking his head down to look me directly in the eyes. “We’re going to make it there, all of us in one piece, and she will be okay. Think of all the things you’ve already been through. You didn’t survive all that just to be swept off the playing board now. You’ve clearly only gotten more bad ass in our time apart and you’ve met your equally terrifying counterpart, Sadie. I’m honestly not even sure if you need us with you at this point or if it’s the other way around.”

Dom could be flippant sometimes, rarely taking life too seriously, but when he chose to, he could be so wise. Even back then, somehow, he always knew exactly what to say to me in a moment of weakness. He was always there to pick me back up and dust me off when my image of myself was slipping.

I had to think it was nothing other than fate that brought the two of them into my life when the whole world was crumbling around us. While Sadie was perfect, the girl best friend I always wished I’d had, I couldn’t see myself being able to make it through the past few days without my guys.

I smiled at him weakly and reached up to touch a hand to one of his.

“Come on, let’s go find our room and get you washed up, then ready for bed,” he said as he ushered me toward the entrance. “Don’t even try to argue with me when it comes to first watch. You’re exhausted and the three of us can figure it out amongst ourselves.”

I didn’t fight him in the slightest. That sounded good to me because I was just about dead on my feet. Dom filled the others in on what happened in the office on the brief car ride over to our room. When we got there and opened the door, the smell of must and mildew hit me.

The room looked like we’d taken a time machine to get here rather than a car, something straight out of the seventies. There was gaudy floral wallpaper covering the walls that was starting to peel up in places, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. There were beds and four walls behind a door that locked. It would do.

I stripped out of my bloody clothes and decided to just abandon them entirely. There was no way I’d be able to wash them anytime soon, and they smelled absolutely rancid. After my shower, I opted for one of my extra outfits, putting on a long sleeve shirt and leggings instead of my pajamas.

I didn’t feel one hundred percent secure here and wanted to be prepared if I awoke to danger. Flimsy shorts and a tank top left too much skin exposed, bare and unprotected from potential hungry mouths trying to bite. And not the good kind, not the kind that soothed the hurt with soft nipping kisses.

When I came out of the bathroom, Dom was lounging on a chair, looking at a brochure from a stack on the dresser. It looked like one advertising good family fun in the area. I doubted anyone would be doing anything even remotely considered ‘fun’ for quite some time. He looked over at me, eyes scanning me from head to toe.

“Awh, what, no shorts or tank top tonight? I was sitting here, barely containing my excitement at getting another peek,” he purred with a sultry smirk.

“I’m more concerned with being dressed and ready if something happens during the night than I am with giving you an eyeful,” I shot back and playfully rolled my eyes.

“Oh well, maybe some other time then,” he said as he rose from his seat and passed by me, heading to the bathroom. “Sadie insisted on being on watch with Jules, said ‘there should be one of the girls with one of us at all times if we insist upon being such damsels in distress’, but really, I think she likes getting under his skin.”

I sat on the bed, laughing to myself as he shut the bathroom door and started the water. I tried not to think about his wet, tattooed naked skin, only separated from me by a flimsy door that I would bet money isn’t locked. It was hard to not imagine myself in there with him, slick skin slipping up against one another. Licking the drops of water off his hard chest.

I didn’t know what was wrong with me, the feral animal inside me once again gnawing at her cage. Last time I’d kissed both of them, it quickly escalated into more than that. I was speed running bases, my body screaming at me to round third and steal home.

I knew it was probably a stress response, my body desperately trying to ease some of the tension and anxiety coursing through my veins. Searching for any kind of distraction from the daily horror we were witnessing. I couldn’t help it, though. The second he stepped out of the bathroom shirtless and wearing only a pair of sweatpants, my eyes filled with hunger. He stopped toweling off his dark hair to stare back at me with a smirk.

“You keep looking at me like that and you’re not going to be getting much of that sleep you’re in dire need of,” he said, as his eyes darkened with lust.

I looked him up and down, spending extra time gawking at his abs, then crawled off the bed. He watched me as I slowly prowled over to him and placed my hands on his chest.

“What if there’s something I need more than sleep?” I asked in a husky voice, sliding my hands down from his chest to his stomach. He bit his lower lip and cursed.

“As seriously tempting as that is, trouble, you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up. Today was a lot, I’m not going anywhere. Come on, I’ll tuck you in,” he tried to reason with me softly.

“I don’t want to sleep right now, I want you,” I whispered and stood up on my toes to start peppering sloppy open-mouthed kisses up his neck.

He let out a deep moan from the back of his throat and began walking me backwards toward my bed with his hands on my hips. He lifted me up, my arms going flying around his neck to steady myself, then sat down on the bed with me in his lap. With his hands kneading at my waist, finally, the noise in my head began to fall into the background.

The only thing dominating my thoughts was how good it felt to have his hands on me. They roamed up my body from my hips, one sliding around to the back of my neck to grip it and move my face to his. He began kissing me like he was starving and my lips were his only hope of salvation, the other hand sliding up under my shirt to palm my bare breast.

His tongue darted out and swiped across my lower lip, I opened my mouth and let him in to dance mine against his. When I did, he groaned again, then tugged on my hard nipple, causing a current to run right down my spine to my core. I wanted to strip off all my clothes and throw myself at him. Instead, I rocked my hips against his and a needy whimper rippled up from my throat. He kissed his way down my neck and bit down when he got to my shoulder. He wasn’t gentle about it and I loved it, grinding down on his hardened length underneath me.

The hand around the back of my neck came around to lightly grip the front, firm but not hard enough to cut off my breathing. He licked up the side of my neck then tugged on my earlobe with his teeth causing my whole body to shudder. I was aching for him. I wanted him so badly it hurt. Each spot where our bodies touched sent sharp lightning bolts through mine. My inner walls clamping around air, desperate to be stretched full of him. I wasn’t above begging but didn’t want to come off as pathetic, so instead I reached down and tried to slip my hand into his pants.

“Woah, woah, woah, slow down,” he murmured, grabbing my hand and locking it to his chest. He stopped kissing me to look at me. “We really shouldn’t go further than making out, not tonight. You’ve had a long day. Maybe we should wait until your head is a little clearer. I don’t want you to do something you’re not ready for cause your emotions got the best of you.”

“Come on, Dom, I know what I’m doing,” I pleaded, trying to lean forward to kiss his neck again, but he only dodged my attempt. My sexual frustration bubbled up, causing me to snap a little. “Why do you guys treat me like I’m made of glass and incapable of knowing what I want? I’m not fragile or na?ve. It’s just sex. It’s not like it has to be a big deal or anything. I get it, with Jules there are feelings involved and it’s messy, you don’t have to worry about that. It doesn’t have to be like that with us. I can do casual, I promise.”

He went rigid beneath me, his hands recoiling away from my body as if my skin had burned him. His face hardened like I’d said something to piss him off, but that wasn’t my intention. I was only trying to ease any concern he may have.

I was attempting to assure him that I didn’t expect anything from him. I knew he tended to stay away from anything serious. As far as I knew, he’d never even had a girlfriend, just girls he’d hooked up with more than once, but it never went any further. I just didn’t want to scare him off by giving him the impression that I’d expect a relationship if he slept with me.

“Hey,” I started gently, reaching up and touching his cheek. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I wasn’t trying to imply anything by it. I just meant that things aren’t complicated with us. We’re just friends who are attracted to each other and fool around sometimes. It doesn’t have to be any more than that.”

“Just get off of me, Cat, please,” he said flatly, refusing to look at me and staring past at the wall behind instead.

I slid off his lap onto the bed to sit next to him, but as soon as he was free of me, he stood up. He stalked over to his bag and angrily threw on a shirt and a hoodie over it. Then he sat down in the chair by the door and began to silently put on his shoes. What the hell was I missing here? I jumped up from the bed myself, now growing irritated by his sudden mood swing.

“You’re not going to tell me what I did wrong? So you just get to run away when you don’t feel like explaining yourself, but if I were to, bet I’d get an earful. ‘All Cat does is run away when things get tough’,” I lowered my voice to mockingly imitate his. “I don’t even deserve the decency of knowing what exactly I did to piss you off? No, instead you’re just gonna storm off abruptly when we were fine a few seconds ago.”

He looked up, pausing tying his boots to glare at me and speak through gritted teeth.

“I’m fine. You didn’t do anything. I’ve just abruptly come to the decision it’s for the best if we stay platonic. What you’ve said caused me to have an epiphany. Wouldn’t want to come between you and Jules’s feelings . No use throwing away all that potential love on a quick fuck with me. It’s not like I’m relationship material anyway, isn’t that right?”

He stared straight into my soul as he said this, the look on his face contradicting the words coming out of his mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was upset with me for implying there were no feelings between us. I mean, I know I’d be interested in being more than friends with benefits, but I didn’t think he would. The only reason I was trying to hold back how I felt about him was because I didn’t want to scare him off.

“Don’t worry about it, trouble. You’re really not my type anyway,” he said cooly and shrugged. “I’m sure it’s just us being cooped up together more than anything. It’s not like we have a lot of choices. Maybe I’ll bark up Sadie’s tree if it’s cool with you.”

Ouch, can’t say that didn’t sting like a bitch. I couldn’t even try to pretend like that didn’t have an effect on me. I knew I was barely containing the hurt on my face.

“Go fuck yourself, Dom,” I muttered, turning around and climbing into bed then throwing the covers over my head. Attempting my very best to shut out the entire world.

“Probably would be my best option, now that you mention it.”

After he said that, I heard the door open, then shut, leaving me alone in the room. When I knew he wasn’t going to turn around and come back in, I let the tears fall. I couldn’t understand why he shut down all of a sudden then started saying things just for the sake of being mean, it seemed. It felt like I’d cried more in the last few days than I had in my entire life.

I thought I was strong, but maybe I was as fragile as the boys believed me to be. I knew it would shatter me to pieces if I had to watch Dom flirt with Sadie and try to sleep with her. I doubted she’d take the bait, but just seeing him attempt to would kill me.

A few minutes after he stormed out, I heard the door open and close once again, much softer this time than lock. I didn’t bother moving to see who it was, trying my best to sob silently, but I was sniffling and my breathing ragged. The blankets lifted slightly, then I felt the bed dip behind me and a feminine arm slip around me.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened, Dom came up to the roof pissy as all hell, so I can only imagine you don’t feel like talking about it right now either,” Sadie whispered. “He took over my watch and sent me down to bed. I didn’t argue cause I figured you might need me.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“That’s what friends are for,” she said, stoking a hand down my hair and holding me as I cried myself to sleep.