Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
BECK
Max continued to growl as if he’d heard Nash, too.
I had to get Taryn out of here. Nash would kill her without a second thought, especially knowing that I cared for her.
Standing with Taryn still wrapped in the blanket, she didn’t so much as twitch, and that scared the shit out of me.
Max whined.
“I know, buddy.” My hand went down to scratch his big head again.
I was worried, too. She was burning up, and I didn’t know what to do to help her.
Max pressed tight against my leg, not willing to be far from his person.
I moved to the door and cracked it open, listening to the sounds from below.
Cocking my head, I heard something that didn’t belong.
There was the sound of dragging and a low moan coming from downstairs, maybe from the kitchen? It seemed like we’d missed a few.
Max’s growl deepened.
Then—the clicking sound.
I moved, picking Taryn up and holding her tight in my arms. Whatever it was, it would serve as a great distraction to get her out of here.
The stairs vanished beneath my feet, once again, as I took long strides, barely feeling each step as I descended.
I stepped into the main room, and the chaos hit all at once.
Lynn emerged from the hallway resembling something dragged straight from hell. Blood clung to her hair, and her eyes appeared clouded. Her mouth moved as if she were attempting to speak but had forgotten how.
I recognized her instantly, even though half of her face looked as if it had melted.
Nash and Bull had their backs to her, drinking long necks. I could have warned them, but screw that. Those two could handle themselves, or not. I didn’t give a damn either way.
She hit Bull first.
Hard.
Taking him down in a crash of limbs and teeth.
“What the hell—!” he shouted as he fell.
Nash stepped back, gun already up. “Move, fat ass, and I’ll smoke the bitch!”
Lynn twisted, snapping toward him, and slammed into his chest hard enough to send him stumbling back.
Chairs overturned, and wood splintered. The room turned into complete chaos.
Stain came out of the bathroom and froze at the sight of Lynn trying to rip Nash’s throat out.
I watched it all with indifference. There might still be some love left for him deep down inside me, but I wouldn’t step in on his behalf and put Taryn in danger.
She would always come first.
Lynn clawed at Nash, fingers gripping his shirt, pulling herself closer as if she didn’t notice the hits, shoves, or the harm he was trying to cause.
The same bitch that ran her mouth to my Fox—snapping, drooling, eyes empty, gone from anything she had been before.
I wasn’t upset by her loss; she deserved it.
Bull scrambled up behind her, grabbing her shoulders, trying to yank her back.
“Hold her!” Nash shoved her off hard enough to send her crashing sideways into the wall.
Bull went with her, trying to scramble away as she made her way back to her feet.
Nash’s eyes snapped to me, then to Taryn in my arms. “Put the bitch down. We need help.”
Something shifted in his expression. Cold. Calculating. “Do it if you want to remain part of this club.”
I gave him my own cold stare. “No.”
“Put her the fuck down and help me, Worthless.” He demanded, pissed at my inaction. “I’m your daddy.”
I didn’t move, barely blinking. “Not happening.”
The room stilled for half a second, and Nash stared at me in disbelief.
Then a crash came from deeper in the clubhouse.
“Fuck, there’s more of them!” Stain yelled.
Figures spilled from the hallway behind Bull.
Two.
Three.
More.
“Fuck!” Bull screamed, not able to take his eyes from Lynn.
Nash swore under his breath, backing up as his gun shifted between targets.
“Handle them!” He snapped at me. “Right…the fuck…now!”
I tightened my grip on Taryn. I could feel the heat of her through the blanket. The steady rise and fall of her chest.
Still here for now. Still human. And the only thing in this fucked-up world I cared about.
“Beck,” Stain said sharply. “We need to help your—”
I shook my head once. “No.”
His eyes flicked from me to her. Then back to the hallway filled with movement.
It was time for him to decide—me, or what remained of the club.
I met his gaze. “I’m leaving.”
Another second, and that was all it took.
Stain exhaled hard, then nodded. “Yeah,” he said, hesitantly. “Yeah, I’m going with you.”
Behind us, Nash cursed. “Don’t you fucking—”
I turned my back on him without hesitation.
Max was already moving, barking, clearing the path. The infected flooded into the room behind us in a wave.
Noise exploded.
Gunfire and shouting.
I didn’t look back.
The truth was, I didn’t really care. If those two made it, it would be without my help.
Stain was behind me now—watching our backs, gun up, covering angles I couldn’t.
I hit the front door with my shoulder, taking care not to jostle Taryn, and stepped through.
My bike sat where I’d left it. For the briefest second, I almost went for it. Then I looked down at her. No way I could keep her safe on a bike in this condition.
I turned away without hesitation and began analyzing my choices. The prez’s old truck sat crooked near the edge of the building. He hardly ever drove it, and it wasn’t in the best condition, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
I glanced at Taryn in my arms and knew I needed to set her down for a moment.
Stain motioned for me to hand her over to him, and I shook my head. He was a friend, but I didn’t fully trust him with Taryn’s safety. He’d chosen me, but that could change at any moment. Stain’s dad and grandfather had been lifers, so I knew that disobeying Nash was messing with him.
I laid her gently at my feet, and my arms immediately felt empty.
Max whined and stood over her, growling at Stain.
“Good boy.” I got the rusty door open and lifted her again fast, laying her across the seat, adjusting her so her head didn’t roll.
Max jumped into the cab, planting himself between her and the open door.
“Watch her.” I dropped under the steering column, ripping the panel free.
I grabbed two wires, stripped them, and twisted them together.
The engine coughed, then roared to life.
Stain climbed into the back without being told, already turning to scan the lot.
“It’s clear for now,” his eyes narrowed at me. “You'd better hope Nash dies in there, or there’s going to be hell to pay.”
I gave him a brief nod. I’d deal with that situation when the time came.
The streets blurred.
Stain called out directions from the back. “Left—cars blocking the road ahead. Keep straight—go to the right.”
He didn’t waste words. All of his instructions were clear and precise.
Max stayed pressed against Taryn, bracing her as we hit the turns.
We’d barely driven ten miles when the engine started spitting and sputtering.
“Fuck!” I banged the wheel.
Why in the hell didn’t I check the damn fuel level?
Stain leaned in the back window. “Don’t tell me—”
“It’s fucking empty,” I growled.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked sarcastically. “It’s not like this night has been fucked right from the start.”
The truck died as soon as the words left his mouth.
“Max, guard!” I barked and stepped out. “Come on. Let’s check the vehicles we passed for gas.”
Stain rummaged around in the truck's bed and grabbed a rusted gas can and hose.
“Looks like this has happened before.” He raised an eyebrow.
I grabbed them from him, then moved. Crouching by the first car I came to, I twisted the gas cap and pushed the short hose inside. I’d just started filling the can when I heard panting.
“What the fuck, Beck?” He bent and grabbed his knees, sucking air into his lungs. “You moved fifty yards in seconds.”
I was trying to decide how to respond when I saw three infected coming straight at us.
“Three o’clock.” I pulled the hose free of the car, then twisted the lid on the can.
“I see them.” Stain pulled the gun from his waistband.
I grabbed his hand, “No. Find something else. The more noise we make, the more of those things we’ll attract.”
Stain nodded and grabbed a tire iron lying nearby. Someone had clearly tried to use it as a weapon. I hoped they had succeeded, but I doubted it.
He didn’t wait for it to come to us but ran up and bashed its skull in.
We ran quickly back to the truck.
Max was still guarding Taryn. The ugly dog was really growing on me.
I quickly filled the tank, then jumped back into the truck. We had barely driven a mile when it started smoking.
“Fuck this piece of shit!” My patience was at an end.
It seemed like everything was against us at this point.
“There’s a dealership up ahead.” Stain pointed to the left.
I smirked; maybe my luck was turning around. I stopped the truck, then bailed out with Taryn in my arms and Max close on my heels.
“Right side!” Stain called.
I adjusted without thinking as an infected came out between two cars. I grabbed the knife from my waist and stabbed it in the head without breaking stride.
Shit! There were tons of trucks on the lot, but it didn’t matter. We weren’t getting access to them without becoming dinner.
“Go!” Stain yelled, taking out another one with the tire iron.
We hit the service bay, slamming the door behind us.
I lowered her carefully to the floor, Max at her side.
“She’s not gonna make it if we don’t find somewhere safe to go,” Stain whispered.
“She’ll make it. Taryn is the strongest person I’ve ever met.” I narrowed my eyes. “And I won’t accept anything else.”
He held up his hands, “I’m not disagreeing with you. Just stating facts.”
“Keep the facts to yourself.” I snapped.
He raised both hands in surrender. “This is your rodeo.”
Damn right it was.
I knelt down and checked Taryn’s pulse to reassure myself she was still alive.
I glanced at Max, “Stay with her.”
He didn’t blink, angling toward the open bay, head low, ears forward, a low growl building in his chest.
Good dog.
Stain shifted near the door, watching the darker edges of the bay.
I exhaled slowly and stood. “Let’s move.”
Max’s eyes tracked our movements.
“Don’t let anything near her, or I’ll feed you to those things,” I murmured.
He growled at me, and I chose to take it as an agreement.
I motioned to Stain, and we exited the service bay in search of a vehicle. Every step I took away from her felt wrong, but it had to be done.
The showroom opened up in front of us.
Bright.
Too bright. Dawn was starting to break.
Pale sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the front, creating clean lines across the polished tile that still shone as if someone had mopped it that morning.
Like nothing had happened to change our world.
Rows of vehicles sat perfectly spaced, angled just enough to look expensive, untouched, and out of place now. Chrome gleamed brightly. Windshields caught the light, reflecting it in sharp flashes, making it hard to focus.
Too many reflections. Everywhere I looked, something moved—
Except it wasn’t movement; Just light bouncing off glass.
Stains' shadow broke and reformed as he moved ahead of me.
“Shit.” Stain muttered. “Deadheads could be anywhere in here.”
A sales desk sat to the right, with chairs slightly out of place, and a computer monitor still faintly glowing as if someone had walked away mid-sentence and never returned.
Keys hung on a board behind it.
I felt exposed.
The silence pressed in harder here.
No wind from outside and nothing in the distance.
Just the faint creak of the building settling and the soft echo of our boots on the tile, with each step carrying farther than it should. I felt like I heard a clock ticking down in my head. We needed to find something fast, because we weren’t alone in here.