“We should do a sweep of each room.” Cage turned to Adam. “Ready?”
The door opened to a front staircase—downstairs, they could go in three directions: to the left was the dining room, to the right was the living room with a wood-burning fireplace and past the stairs was the kitchen. All the bedrooms were upstairs.
“Sweet,” Nicky said.
“Let’s do a quick check,” Adam said.
Rachel winked at Adam. “Cage, Dean and I will scout the bottom floor. You’ll stay and watch the others?”
A smile spread across his face. “Of course.”
“I didn’t forget your promise.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.” Adam moved in front of Finn, Lindsay, Nicky and Monica and watched Rachel move from room to room with Cage and Dean. She walked lithely like a cat. They’d been to hell and back over the last few days and she still looked incredibly hot. The blue shirt clung to her body and her dark jeans showed off her hips and—
“—next time?”
Adam blinked.
“Adam?” Finn asked.
“Sorry, kid, what did you say?”
“Can I go on the next scout?” Finn’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “I never get to go anywhere. I’ll never get better if I don’t get to practice with my weapon.”
Adam nodded. “Next time I go, I’ll bring you with me.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Bottom floor is clear.” Cage moved to the staircase.
“Do you mind if Finn and I take your spot on the upstairs scout?” Adam asked.
Cage’s eyes flickered to Finn. “Sure.”
Dean moved up the staircase. Rachel, Finn and Adam followed. The old wooden stairs groaned under their weight.
Rachel moved beside Adam. “Couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“It’s impossible for me to stay away,” Adam whispered. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from her.
Dean glanced over his shoulder. “Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
It was dark upstairs—all four doors were closed. They converged around the first door. Dean pounded against the wood and pressed his ear against the door. “I don’t hear any growling.”
“Open it up,” Adam said.
Dean opened the door to a bathroom. The next room was an empty children’s bedroom. Dolls and stuffed animals crammed the shelves and the walls were painted hot pink. It was too depressing to think about the little girl who’d once lived there—they quickly shut the door. The next bedroom had clothes scattered across the floor. Someone had started to pack, but the suitcases were still on the bed.
The group moved to the final door. Adam sighed—one more room to check and then they could have the entire house to themselves.
Rachel opened the door.
The smell hit first—a rotten, decayed odor that had become all too familiar. Adam followed Dean, Rachel and Finn into the room.
It was a mistake to let the boy go in front of him.
There were two of them. The man, presumably the father, sat slumped in the rocking chair beside the bed. The shotgun had fallen to the floor. Half of the man’s face was missing. Bright red blood and bits of tissue decorated the pale yellow wall behind him.
A woman lay in the bed. Adam knew she was a woman only because of the dress she wore. A shotgun blast had taken off half her skull. Her hands were crossed over her chest like she was in a coffin.
A murder/suicide.
Rachel blocked Finn’s view.
Dean moved to the shotgun. “No bullets. Do you want me to grab it anyway?”
Adam nodded. “Keep this door closed and tell the others not to go in.”
They backed out of the room and shut the door. Dean dragged a small table holding a vase of dead flowers in front of the bedroom door.
Adam silently followed the others downstairs.
“What’s wrong?” Nicky asked.
“It’s all clear,” Dean said. “Don’t go into the room with the closed door. I marked it with the table.”
“Why?” Monica’s eyes flickered upstairs. “What’s up there?”
“Just don’t.” Dean propped the shotgun against the wall. “I think we found a decent place to crash.”
“I’ll check the food situation,” Nicky said.
“Are you all right?” Rachel ran her fingers through Finn’s hair, smoothing the back section that always stood up.
“I’m fine.” Finn looked up at her. “That didn’t bother me.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s okay to be scared sometimes. I am. More than you think.”
Finn bit his bottom lip. “You get scared?”
“Yeah.”
“Like when?”
“When the zombie grabbed me in the SUV. I thought it was going to pull me out of the car and eat me in the parking garage. And I was scared when the gang members attacked us in the forest.”
Finn dragged his heel across the wooden floor. “I was scared when we were stuck in the hallway at the football stadium. I didn’t think we’d get out in time.”
“Yeah, that was scary, too.”
Adam walked over. “Let’s find some food and blankets. We need a break.”
They walked into the kitchen just as Nicky opened the refrigerator. “Damn it, the fridge is off. Hey, Linds, turn on that light switch, will you?”
Lindsay flipped the switch and nothing happened.
“No electricity,” Cage said.
Rachel turned the dial on the stove. “The gas works.”
Monica twisted the faucet knob. “Water’s on. Hot water.”
“Sweet.” Nicky raided the cupboards. “There are canned foods and a bag of potatoes. Dude, it’s like we hit the lottery.”
“We can actually have a real dinner.” Cage tossed a can of green beans in the air and caught it.
“Let’s bring in our bags and gather wood for a fire in the living room,” Adam said. “Check the drawers for flashlights and candles. Find a tool kit with some nails and a hammer and board up the doors and windows. Let’s secure this place and then we can enjoy the rest of the night.”
“What about the barn?” Nicky asked.
Adam leaned over the counter and looked out the window. The sky was a bruised shade of purple. “Let’s deal with the barn tomorrow.”
“Can I pick some corn?” Nicky asked.
“Sure,” Adam said. “Just don’t get lost in the fields.”
~ ~ ~
Rachel worked on the stack of corn while Monica peeled potatoes. Adam was excited to have a hot meal. They’d found more food in the pantry, so cured sausage, potatoes, corn and canned yams were on the menu for dinner. It was practically a feast.
Adam covered the windows in the kitchen with plywood they’d found in the laundry room. Apparently, the owners had thought of boarding up the place, but something changed their mind. Something made them commit murder/suicide. Who were the five zombies that rushed the door? Siblings? Cousins?
“Do you think that’s enough?” Monica asked Rachel.
Rachel peeked into the pot. “Maybe like three more. Nicky can eat for five people.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Adam pounded the nail into the wood and watched Rachel from the corner of his eye. It was becoming his new favorite pastime—he could watch Rachel for hours.
“He’s funny,” Monica said. “Nicky, I mean. I’m glad Dean and I found you guys.”
“Me, too,” Rachel said.
Monica dropped the peeled potato into the pot. “You all are together?”
“Hmm?” Rachel removed the coarse hairs from the cornhusks.
“Nicky is with Lindsay, right?”
“Yeah, they’re together. Don’t go for Nicky. Lindsay will go crazy.”
Monica laughed. “She already gave me an I’ll-claw-your-eyes-out look. It makes sense, though.”
“Nicky and Lindsay?”
“No, not really. I mean, protecting and holding on to what you
have. Especially now. Time is short. We have to live our lives to the fullest every day, because we probably don’t have too many of them left.”
Rachel studied Monica’s face.
Adam smacked the nail with the hammer.
“I guess you’re right.” Rachel’s eyes darted over to Adam and then quickly back at Monica.
“You and Adam are together?”
Rachel’s eyes flickered back to Adam.
The corner of his mouth twitched as he held the nail in place, the hammer hovering above it. He patiently waited for Rachel’s response—just like Monica.
Rachel regarded him for a long moment. He’d give his right arm to know what she was thinking. Her eyes twinkled when she turned back to Monica. “Yeah, I’m with Adam.”
Strange sensations rippled through Adam. I’m with Adam. He replayed her words and the way her pouty lips moved when she’d said his name.
Monica nodded. “I thought so.” She looked at Adam. “You’re easy on the eyes. I figured you were taken, which means Cage is—”
“Outside.” Adam tossed the hammer on the counter. “Cage is helping Dean gather firewood.” His eyes were still on Rachel. He couldn’t look away.
In his peripheral vision, he vaguely noticed Monica looking back and forth between Rachel and Adam. Monica quietly placed the potato on the table and slipped out of the kitchen.
Adam took the corn from Rachel’s hand and put it in the bowl. She awkwardly held her hands in front of her until he gently guided them around his neck. Adam wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and closed the space between them. Her heartbeat thumped against his chest.
Adam hadn’t been this nervous in years.
Rachel rose on her toes and Adam bent to kiss her.
He kissed her softly at first, grazing his lips against hers before he slipped in his tongue. Rachel’s hand fluttered from his neck and rested on his chest. Adam guided her backward until they leaned against the refrigerator. He inched his mouth down her neck and then back up to her lips. He nibbled her bottom lip before kissing her again.
She crushed against him and he had to swallow back a groan.
Footsteps creaked down the hall. “How much longer until dinner?” Nicky asked from the other room. “I’m starving.”
Adam stepped back.
Rachel’s blue eyes were wide, excited. “I…uh, I should finish dinner.”
“Yeah,” Adam breathed. “I should finish boarding up the windows.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Adam dove in and kissed her again. She smiled against his lips and kissed him back. Before he pulled away, he planted another on her forehead. “See you in a bit.”
~ ~ ~
“Are we all sleeping downstairs?” Adam stretched.
“No way,” Nicky said. “There’s two perfectly good rooms upstairs with actual beds. I haven’t slept in a bed in over a week. I’m long overdue, my friends.”
“I’m not sleeping up there.” Rachel cringed.
Nicky shrugged. “That means I have a better chance of getting the bed. There’s a kid’s room and a regular bedroom. Finn should have the kid’s room—he’s the only one who will fit in the small bed. Rachel doesn’t want to sleep upstairs, so that means Adam’s out, too. What do the rest of you want to do? Rock, paper, scissors for the bed?”
“I’ll stay down here,” Finn said.
“Is it safe to separate?” Monica asked.
“The windows and doors are boarded,” Adam said. “It’s safe, but if you want peace of mind, you can sleep in the same room as the others.”
“I’m sleeping downstairs,” Monica said. “In the living room.”
Dean nodded. “I’ll stay down here, too.”
Nicky turned to Cage. “What about you?”
Cage lifted his hand in a dramatic gesture. “I’ll rock, paper, scissor you for the big bedroom.”
Nicky rested his forearm on Lindsay’s shoulder. “All right, Quarterback—”
“I’m kidding. You and Lindsay can have the big bed. I’ll take the other room.”
“You won’t fit in that kid’s bed,” Dean said. “It’s half your size.”
“It’s okay,” Cage said. “It will be nice to have some privacy.”
“Score!” Nicky put his hand in the air for Cage to high-five. “See you in the a.m. Come on, Linds.” He tugged Lindsay up the creaky stairs.
“Something tells me the queen-size bed isn’t the only thing Nicky is excited about,” Adam said.
Rachel watched them go upstairs. “A bed would be nice, but I can’t be anywhere near that other bedroom.”
“I think Finn felt the same way.”
Cage stuck his hand out at Adam. “Are we good?”
Adam nodded. “We’re good.”
Cage’s eyes flickered to Rachel. “And are we—”
Rachel threw her arms around his neck. “We’re good.”
Cage smiled. “Good night, guys.”
Monica divided the blankets and pillows. Finn curled up on the recliner and closed his eyes while Dean claimed a spot on the floor near the fireplace.
“Rachel, do you want the couch?” Monica yawned.
Rachel bit her lip. “No, you can have it.”
“Sure.” Monica winked. “Good night, you two.”
“Night.” Adam held two blankets and a pillow. He wasn’t sure what he should do with them. Was Rachel going to sleep by him? Was it too soon to assume they’d lie together? Adam wasn’t expecting anything, but he wanted Rachel near him.
The bottom of Rachel’s hair was wet from the shower. She peeked up from beneath thick lashes. “Where do you want to sleep?”
He glanced around the crowded living room. Dean was already snoring. “Dining room?”
She led the way into the dining room. Adam folded one of the blankets in half and laid it on the hardwood. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so awkward. He lowered to the floor and Rachel crawled in beside him, pulling the blanket on top of them. The ground was hard, but it was nice to have a separate room, even if there wasn’t a door.
“Who needs a queen-size bed?” Adam stared at the ceiling.
“Do you think they’re giving out hotel rooms in Vegas?”
“I hope so. It would be nice to have a room with a bed and a bathroom.”
“That was probably the best shower I’ve ever taken. The water was actually warm,” Rachel whispered. “I’ve had a hot bath, my stomach is full, the house is secure and we’re in the middle of nowhere. This place is good.”
Before he could stop himself, Adam ran his hand down her arm. “I like it here, too.”
Her eyes softened. “Is it stupid to drive another thousand miles to a safe zone we know nothing about? Should we try to make a life here?”
Adam could imagine living here with Rachel—maybe putting up a fence to keep random zombies out. Rachel could plant a garden. He’d learn to hunt. The vision was appealing.
But it wasn’t just the two of them. There were six other people Adam had to worry about. He stroked her arm. With each touch, goose bumps prickled over her skin. She’d moved closer. It was dark, but the fire in the living room gave enough light that he could see her big blue eyes on him.
Waiting for his answer.
“It wouldn’t work with all of us,” Adam whispered. “It’d be too hard to feed eight people. There’s nothing around—no stores, no places to raid. Our food supply would run out and we’d be in trouble when winter hit. Sooner or later, either of two things will happen.”
“What’s that?”
“Either they’ll find a cure and this epidemic will be over or they won’t. If they don’t find a cure, the zombies that invaded the cities will run out of people to eat and they will leave in search of more food. Eventually, hordes of zombies will cross through these rural areas and we’d be sitting ducks.” Adam ran his hands through her damp hair.
“That’s too bad.” Rachel exhaled. “I like it here.”
&n
bsp; “I like you here with me.” Adam’s hand slid down to her hips. He gently squeezed, feeling her hipbone under his fingers.
Her lips parted, and he rocked her forward so she fell against his chest. She fit perfectly beside him and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
Rachel’s hand wandered to his jaw and she rubbed her palm against his stubble. He turned into her touch and lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft and plump, and soon his tongue was searching for hers. He gently rolled on top of her, bracing most of his weight on his forearms, while her hands trailed up his back.
Their bodies melted together and for the rest of the night, there were no zombies, no death and no revenge.
There was only each other.
Chapter Nine
Cage woke up not knowing where he was. It took a few minutes to remember why he was on the floor, sprawled out on top of a too-small mattress, in a pink-painted room filled with stuffed animals and dolls.
For an incredible moment—one that he wished he could recreate—he’d forgotten everything that happened in the last week. His mind was completely empty of zombies. Of the farmhouse in Iowa. Of Rachel, Nicky, Lindsay, Adam, Finn, Dean and Monica. Unfortunately, it all came tumbling back as the morning sunlight filtered in through the dusty windows.
Cage stretched—he’d slept well. It was the first time since the outbreak that he’d slept through the entire night. He gathered his stuff and went downstairs. He had no concept of time and didn’t know if the others were still sleeping or already going about the day’s business. A wonderful aroma filled the air and Cage followed the smell to the kitchen.
Coffee.
Dean sat at the table with a steaming mug.
“Is that—?” Cage asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Dean pointed across the kitchen.
Adam held out the pot to Cage while Rachel sat on the counter beside him grinning. “Dean brewed some on the stove,” she said. “It’s heaven.”
Cage drank coffee with Adam, Dean and Rachel while the others slowly woke up. Despite the peaceful night they’d had, the consensus was they needed to leave for Vegas as soon as possible. They still had over thirteen hundred miles of driving to do.
They searched the barn for weapons and Dean showed them how to siphon fuel from an industrial-sized tractor. It was enough gas to fill up the van, the Mustang and a gas container. They packed food, extra blankets and raided the bathroom cabinets for Band-Aids, alcohol and ointments.