Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (34 page)

Finally, Sophia sighed. “Zach, what was ‘at about?”

He shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“We came here because we were having issues.”

Rachel arched a brow, wincing softly. “So you like want to kill her to like get rid of your issues? Harsh.”

“No, the last real conversation we had, she accused me of cheating on her.”

“So you want to like kill her to kill off like your guilt?”

Zach rolled his eyes. “Wow, you really do think the worst of me.”

“Dude, you just like tried to off your fiancé. Like you deserve those thoughts.”

“I didn’t cheat on her. I promised I would never hurt her.”

“So like instead you tried to like kill her? I would think like she would prefer the cheating.”

Sophie shook her head. “Rachel, let ‘im explain.”

He sighed. “I feel like she’s hurting right now. I love her too much to just sit around and watch her suffer when tomorrow she’s just going to rip her veins open and drink her blood and turn into some monster. She was adamant she didn’t want us to allow her to go that far.”

Taking a drag off her cigarette, Rachel stared at him. “What makes you like think she will do exactly what like Erica did?”

“It wasn’t just Erica. It was everyone in this campsite. Everyone acted the same way.”

Sophia nodded. “Not all sufferin’ is bad.”

“What do you mean?”

“People who suffer with cancer know they’re gonna die. They can feel it in their bones, but they hold on for those few extra days even though they’re sufferin’. She doesn’t have a disease, Zach. She has a virus. We don’t know if she won’t be able to fight it or not. Just because everyone else succumbed to it doesn’t mean she will.”

“What are her chances, Doc?”

Rachel winced. “Like are you sure you wanna like know the answer to that question? They always say like don’t ask a question if you really like don’t want the truth.”

“Yes.”

Shrugging, Sophia took a sip of her coffee. “To be honest, I don’t know. I’ve never dealt with anythin’ like this before. I’m still keepin’ notes on everythin’ that happens just so we have a better understandin’ later.”

After putting out his cigarette, he stood, running a hand through his hair. “I need to go check on her.”

Rachel shook her head, slowly exhaling smoke. “I don’t know if like that’s a good idea. You just like had four guys facing the barrel of the rifle like in your hands, threatening to like shoot them if they didn’t move. You really think they like want you back down there?”

“I know I snapped. I’m sorry, but she’s my fiancée. I should be there when she wakes up.”

Sophia shook her head. “No. I would suggest ya stay away from there. You almost killed ‘er. If it wasn’t for those four men, ya would’ve done just that. Leave it alone for now, Zach.”

Twenty-Seven

Justice was on watch while Candice slept. He held the rifle in his hands, keeping his eyes on her. He positioned his chair far enough back that she couldn’t get him through the window if things went sour. As he watched her, he held his breath when she stood. She stretched, smiling, walking towards him. “I knew you were gonna make it! I’m so glad to see you!” He smiled, jumping up and unlocking the door.

She tilted her head from one side to the other as she stared at him. When he opened the door just a crack, she slammed into it, pushing it open all the way, which knocked him backwards to the floor. He slid back to slam into the far wall. Practically leaping across the room, she pounced on him. Leaning down, she bit a huge chunk out of his neck. The blood dripped down her chin as she chewed on his flesh.

He screamed out, feeling the pain in his neck like a million knives penetrating his flesh. The rifle slid to the floor, resting against the wall just out of his reach. Bracing his hands against her shoulders, he tried to control her. She snapped at him like a wild animal.

“Help!” He screamed as loud as he could. “It’s Candice!”

The first one in the room was Sophia. Rushing over to help him, she tried to get Candice off him. “What the hell’s goin’ on?”

“She’s a Freakazoid!”

“I can see that! What the hell happened? You were supposed to be watchin’ her!” She pulled out a hypodermic needle. Before she could follow through with her plan, Candice jumped off Justice, grabbing her. Holding her close, she bit a chunk out of her neck. Chewing on her flesh, she shoved her back with such force she hit the wall hard enough to give her a concussion. Turning back to Justice, she held him steady and dribbled the blood in her mouth down into his.

He choked, gagging, trying to get free from her. “Oh God, I’m gonna be sick.”

Sophia screamed, clutching the bleeding wound as she pulled herself up the wall. “Justice, what do I do?”

“Get the gun an’ shoot ‘er! It’s by the wall!”

Quickly she rushed over to the wall, picking it up. She was dizzy from the blood loss and concussion. She cradled it, resting on her shoulder, trying to aim. “Okay, brace yourself.”

“Just shoot ‘er!”

She aimed the gun, but it shook in her trembling hands. “I don’t know if I can!”

“If you don’t, she’s gonna kill me!”

Montana raced in, rushing over to Sophia. “Oh no. Please tell me this isn’t happenin’! Justice, you were supposed to be watchin’ ‘er! This is your fault.”

Justice watched as Candice pulled his fingers into her mouth. She chomped down on them, one by one, amputating them at the knuckles. He screamed as she chewed them while watching him. He felt his body slowly dying, wishing that he was just die already.

That was when his head fell forward and he jerked, waking himself from the continuous nightmare, looking around curiously. Reaching up, he looked at his fingers. They were all there. He breathed a sigh of relief, before looking in the room. Some dreams seemed just too damn real.

Candice was still leaning against the back wall, but as the light filtered in the room, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He arched a brow. Having had one nightmare after another that started the same way and ended with her attacking him or someone blaming him, he waited to see if it was another dream. “Candice?”

Smiling, she motioned to him. “C’mere.”

He jumped up, out of the chair, knocking it over in the process. “Guys, come quickly. She’s awake!” He yelled loudly before quickly putting in the combination and opening the door. Racing inside, he pulled her into a hug. “Oh my God! It’s so good to see you again. How are you feelin’? Are ya okay? Are ya in any pain?”

Weakly, she hugged him back. “I’m thirsty, hungry, I need a shower, and my throat is killing me, but damn am I glad to see you.”

“I’ve never been happier to see someone in my life. This place just isn’t the same without you.”

“I’m sure you’re just exaggerating.”

Helping her up, he shook his head. “Nope, I’m not. It was a morgue around here.”

“Why?”

“No one really talked. We didn’t joke around, an’ we barely ate. We all just sat around waitin’ for you to wake up.”

“Aw, well I’m okay now, so things can get back to normal.” She looked around. “Where’s Zach?”

“After he tried to kill ya, we banned ‘im from even lookin’ at ya.”

“What?”

“He hasn’t been allowed downstairs since last night.”

“What do you mean he tried to kill me?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. He kept yellin’ how you were sufferin’ an’ he didn’t want ya to suffer just to die anyway. He threatened to shoot me, Brandon, Trevor, an’ Frank if we didn’t get outta his way.”

“Zach did?”

“Yes. He shoved the barrel right in our faces.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, we’ve been takin’ turns keepin’ watch over you an’ keepin’ him away at the same time. Sophia had to push him outta the room. Montana even took him off watch duty, which the other guys weren’t happy about.”

“Well, I’m up now, and I’m starving. Help me get to the kitchen so I can get something to eat.”

Once they were in the break room, he helped her sit at the table. He ran in each bedroom yelling the same thing, “Hey guys. She’s awake!”

Brandon hopped up and raced in to see for himself, sliding as he did. He rushed over, hugging her. “You made it! How are ya feelin’?”

Hugging him back, she patted his arm. “Starving, but other than that I’m good.”

Justice brought her in a plate of watermelon. “Here, my grandma used to tell me when ya need to be hydrated, or ya just got drunk off your ass, the best thing to eat is some good old fashioned, juicy watermelon.”

Popping a piece in her mouth, she chewed. “Mm, that’s just what the doctor ordered too.”

Sophia and Montana rushed in, both hugging her from either side.

“Oh, I’m so happy to see you,” Sophia said, kissing the top of her head. “Let me get my doctor’s bag an’ make sure you’re okay.”

Montana smiled. “You were sorely missed, my Dear. Please, don’t do that again.”

She smiled, returning the hug. “Trust me. I’m not planning on it. Once was enough.”

Sophia returned, opening her black bag. “How’s the area where you were bitten?” She took out the stethoscope, listening as she held it pressed to her back.

“I’m not sure how it is now, but while I was suffering I thought my whole arm was in a fire.”

“Well, let’s take a look at it an’ see how bad the scar is.” Pulling off the bandages, she sighed. “You know there’s gonna be a deep scar. I think if we put some,” she paused as she cleaned off her arm.

Her silence alerted Candice, and she turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

She grabbed the rag swiping it across her arm. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“What is it?”

“There’s no scarrin’, nothin’ missin’, not even a scab. It’s as if ya didn’t get hurt at all.”

Justice peered around her and whistled. “Holy shit, she’s right!”

Brandon touched her arm. “Wow, not even a scratch.”

Candice tried to look. “How is that possible?”

Sophia shrugged. “I dunno. It must be somethin’ to do with the virus. It stopped your bleedin’, ran its course, an’ healed your scars.”

Rachel ran in and hugged her. “Oh man, like you had us all scared to death.”

Zach raced in the room, rushing over to her holding her, crying softly. “Oh baby, I’m so glad to see you’re okay. I thought for sure you were going to die.”

She patted Rachel and Zach. “Nope, I guess it takes more than some virus to take me out.”

Trevor sat down. “So was ‘at like a wild ride, or what?”

“Yep, one I never want to take again.”

Sophia hugged her again, crying softly. “We found out some really good news from your experience.”

“What’s that?”

“That some people do survive.”

“Yep, but damn do those people need a shower.”

Justice brought out more watermelon. “As soon as ya finish your watermelon you can. You should drink a little water too. That way you aren’t passin’ out while you’re in the shower.”

Brandon stood, walking in the kitchen. “That’s not food. I’m gonna make us a breakfast celebration.”

Trevor clapped, and cheered. “Oh yeah, that means we’re gonna be eatin’ real food again!”

“Turnin’ the generators on now so she can shower an’ I can cook.”

Candice looked over at Trevor. “You say real food. Was he serving up mice again?”

“I heard that.”

After her plate of watermelon, she took a quick shower, scrubbing her hair with three washings to get it clean. When she finished, she stepped out of the stall and dressed quickly in the clothes that Sophia set out for her. While towel drying her hair, she was surprised by the knock at the door. “Come in.”

Zach opened the door, and after stepping inside, he leaned against the wall watching her. “I’m so glad to see you made it out in one piece.”

She glanced at him as she continued to dry her hair. “Yeah, I heard about you trying to end my suffering.”

“Baby, it wasn’t like that.”

“Then tell me what it was like.”

“For all I knew, for all any of us knew you were dying. You weren’t going to live to see another day. You just kept rocking, hitting your head into the wall. I could tell you were in pain and I didn’t want you to suffer.”

“Good news. I made it.”

He sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry.” He blinked when she turned to glare at him, “Not that you made it, of course I’m happy about that. I’m sorry I didn’t have enough faith in you to know that you would beat this.”

“Yeah.”

“Can we just wipe the slate clean and forget about everything like we used to?”

“We did that over stupid arguments. Your trying to kill me isn’t the same as forgetting to take the trash out and dealing with a smelly garage for a week. You wanted to end my suffering so bad that you threatened to kill four men in the process.”

“I wasn’t going to kill them.”