his eyes burn.
“I think you’d fight until you can’t fight anymore,” came the quiet rejoinder. “But one more watching over her can’t hurt, right?”
“She’s standing right here, you know.” Kimber’s exasperation came through loud and clear. “Men.”
“You’re welcome to join us,” Duncan said to Bishop. The man was a good fighter, and as he said, having another person to watch out for Kimber wouldn’t hurt. Duncan didn’t plan on letting her out of his sight, but another set of eyes with a warrior heart was welcome. “What about your friends?”
“Dave’s down with a cold, the big wuss, and Mark and Henry are out on patrol.” Bishop lifted his brows. “I can get them back by radio. You want them to come, too?”
Duncan shook his head. “One more is fine, three more turns us into a goddamned parade.” He started down the hallway then led the way down the stairs. They made it out of the apartment complex without difficulty—the heavy duty wire fencing the residents had put up around the building was holding the zombies at bay. Right now there weren’t any lingering around, which was good. But he didn’t let himself think that they’d be that lucky the rest of the way. The moon was up, not quite full, but bright enough to light their way. They wouldn’t have to use their flashlights.
Maddalene’s compound was only a mile and a half to the southwest, but it might as well have been a hundred miles away since they had to dodge zombies to get there. “Stay close,” Duncan murmured. He pulled his tire iron from the loop on his belt and gripped it in his left hand.
Duncan could have chosen any weapon, but he liked the way a tire iron handled. He could swing it like a bat or use it as a bayonet to stab into a zombie’s head to scramble its brain.
Before the Outbreak, necromancers were the only ones who could send a zombie back to its grave. Now, the only way to put them down was to damage the brain so they could no longer function, which was a hell of a lot messier.
He glanced around at the group behind him. Catching Kimber’s eyes, he asked, “Are you ready?”
She gave a nod. Reaching out, she clasped Natalie’s hand and asked her the same question. Natalie whispered a shaky “Yes” and drew a deep breath. Kimber looked at Duncan. “Let’s do this thing,” she said and let go of Natalie to grip her hatchet.
She looked determined and brave and scared and too lovely to ignore. He dropped a kiss on her lips.
Her breath hitched then the usual scowl curled her lips. “Don’t do that.”
He noticed she hadn’t moved away from him. Her mouth said one thing but her actions clearly communicated something else. “Do what?” he asked, letting his hand sweep slowly up her arm.
“Kiss me.”
Deliberately misunderstanding, he murmured, “If you insist,” and lowered his head to touch his mouth to hers again. Her lips softened under his, coming open on a gasp as he swept his tongue along the seam of her mouth. When he lifted his head she blinked up at him, then the familiar scowl darkened her features. He felt a grin coming and fought it back. Now wasn’t the time to continue his assault on the defenses she’d built up against him. They needed to get moving.
“If you two lovebirds are finished, can we maybe go already? I’m really looking forward to fighting off ravenous zombies so we can go cozy up to some hungry vampires.”
He slid a glance at Natalie. “Smartass,” he muttered. He opened the lock and undid the chain.
Aodhán pushed the gate of the metal fencing open and they all went through, waiting for Duncan to latch the gate before turning toward Main Street. “All right, then,” Aodhán said. “I’ll be with you for the first mile.”
“Are you sure you’ll be all right going north on your own?” Kimber asked, her voice soft and concerned. “One of us should go with you.”
“I’ll move faster on my own, lass.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “But
“I think you’d fight until you can’t fight anymore,” came the quiet rejoinder. “But one more watching over her can’t hurt, right?”
“She’s standing right here, you know.” Kimber’s exasperation came through loud and clear. “Men.”
“You’re welcome to join us,” Duncan said to Bishop. The man was a good fighter, and as he said, having another person to watch out for Kimber wouldn’t hurt. Duncan didn’t plan on letting her out of his sight, but another set of eyes with a warrior heart was welcome. “What about your friends?”
“Dave’s down with a cold, the big wuss, and Mark and Henry are out on patrol.” Bishop lifted his brows. “I can get them back by radio. You want them to come, too?”
Duncan shook his head. “One more is fine, three more turns us into a goddamned parade.” He started down the hallway then led the way down the stairs. They made it out of the apartment complex without difficulty—the heavy duty wire fencing the residents had put up around the building was holding the zombies at bay. Right now there weren’t any lingering around, which was good. But he didn’t let himself think that they’d be that lucky the rest of the way. The moon was up, not quite full, but bright enough to light their way. They wouldn’t have to use their flashlights.
Maddalene’s compound was only a mile and a half to the southwest, but it might as well have been a hundred miles away since they had to dodge zombies to get there. “Stay close,” Duncan murmured. He pulled his tire iron from the loop on his belt and gripped it in his left hand.
Duncan could have chosen any weapon, but he liked the way a tire iron handled. He could swing it like a bat or use it as a bayonet to stab into a zombie’s head to scramble its brain.
Before the Outbreak, necromancers were the only ones who could send a zombie back to its grave. Now, the only way to put them down was to damage the brain so they could no longer function, which was a hell of a lot messier.
He glanced around at the group behind him. Catching Kimber’s eyes, he asked, “Are you ready?”
She gave a nod. Reaching out, she clasped Natalie’s hand and asked her the same question. Natalie whispered a shaky “Yes” and drew a deep breath. Kimber looked at Duncan. “Let’s do this thing,” she said and let go of Natalie to grip her hatchet.
She looked determined and brave and scared and too lovely to ignore. He dropped a kiss on her lips.
Her breath hitched then the usual scowl curled her lips. “Don’t do that.”
He noticed she hadn’t moved away from him. Her mouth said one thing but her actions clearly communicated something else. “Do what?” he asked, letting his hand sweep slowly up her arm.
“Kiss me.”
Deliberately misunderstanding, he murmured, “If you insist,” and lowered his head to touch his mouth to hers again. Her lips softened under his, coming open on a gasp as he swept his tongue along the seam of her mouth. When he lifted his head she blinked up at him, then the familiar scowl darkened her features. He felt a grin coming and fought it back. Now wasn’t the time to continue his assault on the defenses she’d built up against him. They needed to get moving.
“If you two lovebirds are finished, can we maybe go already? I’m really looking forward to fighting off ravenous zombies so we can go cozy up to some hungry vampires.”
He slid a glance at Natalie. “Smartass,” he muttered. He opened the lock and undid the chain.
Aodhán pushed the gate of the metal fencing open and they all went through, waiting for Duncan to latch the gate before turning toward Main Street. “All right, then,” Aodhán said. “I’ll be with you for the first mile.”
“Are you sure you’ll be all right going north on your own?” Kimber asked, her voice soft and concerned. “One of us should go with you.”
“I’ll move faster on my own, lass.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “But
Similar Books
