Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (35 page)

She took off her engagement ring, setting it on the counter. “I’m not doing this with you. The one person I counted on to watch out for me was the one who tried to kill me.”

“Baby, don’t do this to us.”

“The one person I asked for when I woke up was the one person banned from even coming near me.”

“I’m sorry! It’s not like what it seems.”

“The one person, who should’ve had my back, was trying to stab a knife in it.”

“Baby, please. Don’t do this.”

“You already did it.” She turned, walking out the door.

Twenty-Eight

The table had plates of food; biscuits, gravy, scrambled eggs covered in melted cheese, bacon, and potatoes. Brandon called it a celebration breakfast, but it wasn’t any different from any of the other breakfasts. They still were on ration mode and it was more about stretching every meal as far as he could.

Candice walked back downstairs, taking a seat at the table. “Good lord, where did you get all this food?”

Brandon arched a brow, looking over at her. “You forget we have a freezer where we keep a lot of food. We’re getting low on the bacon an’ sausage, so soon we won’t have ‘at any longer.”

“Ugh, no bacon sounds rough.”

Justice sat down. Right away, he noticed her bare finger, and the missing engagement ring. “I’m sorry if I caused anything.”

She waved her hand. “It’s all good.”

“Are ya okay?”

“I will be.”

“If there’s anything I can do just let me know.”

“If it wasn’t for you four guys, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’ll be okay. I just need to get over what almost happened. He has issues he needs to work out on his own.”

Leaning against the doorframe, Zach stood, shaking his head. “Talking about me now?”

“Just telling them what happened. It’s kind of obvious. I’m not wearing your ring.”

“Ya know I’m not sure who to hate more right now, you or me. I might have been wrong for trying to kill you, even though I had the best intentions, but what you’re doing is just as bad, because of him of all people?”

Turning to look at him, Justice arched a brow. “What the hell is he talkin’ about?”

Waving a hand, she shook her head. “Ignore him. He’s a jealous idiot.”

Looking at him, Justice sighed. “Really, that’s the best ya got after almost killin’ ‘er? Ya wanna turn it around an’ blame someone else? Don’t go there. You’ll just embarrass yourself.”

“Zach, don’t do this right now, just leave it alone. You don’t know what you’re talking about and you’re making assumptions in the totally wrong area.”

Pointing his finger at Justice, he groaned. “Leave it alone? He’s been working on you since we first met him.”

“No, I think that was Erica, actually.”

“Regardless, he’s one of those guys who play girls.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He uses them for what he can get then moves on to the next. You’re just a stepping stone for the likes of him and you’re too stupid to realize it.”

“Now I’m stupid?”

Brandon winced, shaking his head slightly, looking from one to the other. “Dude, you’re just diggin’ your grave deeper.”

Sighing, Zach shook his head, looking at her. “No, you’re not stupid. That’s not what I meant. You’re playing right into hands. By ending things with me you’re leaving the door wide open for Justice.”

Brandon looked from Justice to Candice, and then Zach. “Wait, you think Justice an’ Candice are hookin’ up?” He looked at Trevor. “Did I miss somethin’?”

Trevor nodded, chewing a piece of bacon, looking between them. “Yeah, but don’t feel bad. I missed it too.”

Rolling her eyes, Candice groaned. “God, you’re such a dip shit! I’m so tired of your jealousy. It has destroyed our relationship. You trying to kill me destroyed the rest of it.”

Running his hand through his hair, he exhaled “You’re never going to forgive me for that, are you?”

“You’re unbelievable. You were supposed to be the
only
person in this house who had my back, not the one trying to stab it. I woke up, happily looking for you and you weren’t there.”

“They wouldn’t let me see you.”

“You
tried
to kill me!”

“I love you Candice and I have for five years. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Rolling his eyes, Justice scoffed. “Tryin’ to kill ‘er while she’s tryin’ to get better doesn’t sound like true love to me.”

Picking up her plate of food, Candice walked past him to the kitchen. “Yeah, it counts for you killing my appetite.”

“Leave it buddy. You’ve lost ‘er. There’s no need for this to get ugly, just let it go. Don’t lose your dignity too.” Justice told him before turning and following her to the kitchen.

Snarling Zach growled as he picked up the knife. He visualized the two of them hooking up and saw red. He rushed forward; knife in hand, his intent and victim perfectly obvious: Justice. Standing at the kitchen, Candice noticed a gleam of light like someone flashed it in her eyes. Turning she saw the knife in Zach’s hands and that he was coming for Justice. She dropped the plate in the sink, racing back to throw herself between them to push Zach back. Only he thrust the knife forward and stabbed her in the side. Her face blanched from horror as she felt the knife go in.

Zach stepped back, horror written on his face for what he just did. When he stepped back, he pulled the knife back too, with wide-open mouth and eyes. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened.”

Brandon dropped his fork, mouth open as he stared at Candice in shock. “Good night! Did anyone else see how fast she moved? It was like watchin’… I think it was Superman that moved that fast!”

Trevor looked from Brandon to Candice. “Did he just stab ‘er?”

Justice had turned around just in time to see it all take place and grabbed a clean rag from the kitchen. “Sophia, bring the bag!” He yelled before turning and racing to Candice.

Lifting her shirt, she danced around looking for a sign of blood or a wound. “Where is it?”

He grabbed her, holding her still, as he helped her search, lifting her shirt and checking her over. “I saw him cut you.”

“I know he did! I felt it going in!”

As she danced around, Zach dropped the knife. It clattered to the floor as he whimpered, covering his face in horror. “Oh my God, baby. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to stab you!”

“This just isn’t my fucking week.”

Sophia rushed over. Between the three of them, they searched for the wound that should have been gushing blood, only there wasn’t any. “Where did he cut ‘er? I don’t see anything!”

Trevor looked over, arching a brow slightly. “Whoa! Did I miss somethin’?”

Brandon nodded. “Yeah, Zach went after Justice with a knife. Only he stabbed Candice instead. Now, Justice an’ Sophia are lookin’ for the stabbin’, but I don’t see any blood.”

Shaking his head, Justice shrugged. “There is no blood. There’s not even a mark.”

Candice pointed under her ribs. “It felt like it went in right there.”

Zach cried. “It was an accident!”

Candice, Justice, and Sophia watched as the wound, which was a straight line across her flesh, healed itself closed.

Sophia swallowed, stepping back. “Am I dreamin’, or did I see what I think I just saw?”

Justice shook his head, touching where the gash was, feeling nothing but smooth skin. “Nope, I saw it too, an’ now it’s gone.”

Candice nodded, arching a brow. “Yep, I saw it.”

Frank grabbed Zach, spinning him around, pressing his back into his chest. He pulled his hands around his head, interlocking his fingers, keeping him in a tight headlock. “I think we need a jail for you. You’re like some wild card, dude.”

Brandon shook his head, watching Zach. “Man, what the hell’s your problem? You couldn’t kill ‘er before so you’re gonna do it now that she survived the virus? You’re one fuckin’ piece o’ work.”

Trevor took a bite of his biscuit. “More like a hot mess.”

Candice looked at Sophia curiously. “Okay, so what does that mean?”

Sophia shrugged. “I dunno, but if I had to guess I’d say that virus gave ya somethin’ a lot better ‘an just life. It gave ya the ability to rapidly heal too.”

Brandon looked confused. “What are you talkin’ about? Is ‘at possible?”

Justice pointed at her ribs. “The cut, where he stabbed ‘er with ‘at big ass knife ‘at should be bleedin’ all over her, an’ probably killin’ ‘er just healed itself. It mended closed an’ there’s not even a scar.”

“Get the fuck outta town.”

“No seriously, it was like it didn’t happen.”

Frank blinked, still holding onto the squirming Zach. “Whoa, so it killed Erica, but turned Candice into a super hero? How fuckin’ cool is ‘at?” He jerked his arm down, tightening around Zach’s neck. “Maybe we should lock this idiot up in the room.”

Zach cried, struggling against Frank. “I didn’t mean to cut her. It was an accident.”

Sighing, Candice shook her head, pointing at him. “Let ‘im go.”

“Hell no, what if he succeeds in killin’ ya next time? Third time could be the charm, ya know?” Frank argued, not releasing his catch.

“Release him.”

Sighing, he did as she ordered. “I’m tellin’ ya. He’s a wild card.”

Zach looked down at the floor. “I’m so sorry. It was an accident.”

Candice nodded. “I know. You meant to hit Justice. Do you realize if you had stabbed him, he would be dead right now?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I just saw red.”

“You need to get control of your issues, and your actions. We need to work together here, not try to kill each other.”

“Maybe you and I should go and talk things through. We can work through this. Please baby, don’t give up on me.”

“No. We’re through, but that doesn’t mean you need to start killing people.”

Shaking her head, Rachel took a bite of her eggs. “Like drama, drama, drama; it’s like a soap opera around here.”

“I never got into those because they always seemed so unreal and annoying.”

“Yeah, well now we’re like living in one.”

Ian looked around, quietly eating his breakfast now that his appetite had returned. “I still offer my services. Sometimes it helps to just talk things through instead of raw aggression.”

Twenty-Nine

It was a couple of hours later, the group sat around the picnic table in the break room. Tempers flared and everyone was getting on each other’s nerves. On one side of the room was Brandon, Trevor, Montana, and Sophia. On the other side was Rachel, Howard, Ian, Frank, and Zach. Justice stood in the middle of the room beside Candice.

Montana looked over curiously. “Okay Candice, why did ya call this meetin’?”

Pushing off the wall, she stood in the center of the room, looking at each of them. “Okay, we need to decide what we’re going to do here.”

Looking up at her, Brandon furrowed his brows. “Well, what’re we talkin’ about? What is it we need to decide?”

Trevor nodded. “Yeah, I feel like I missed a memo or somethin’. I’ve been gettin’ that feelin’ a lot lately.”

“Yeah, you an’ me both.”

Justice smirked. “When Candice an’ I went out to see if this was goin’ on everywhere or just here at the camp, we found out the awful truth. It’s happenin’ everywhere, or at least all o’ West Virginia.”

Zach watched him, angrily. “Yeah, we know all that, but thanks for the recap.”

“The point is, now that we know, what the hell are we gonna do?”

Montana slowly nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Ah, I get what you’re sayin’. I personally think this place is just as good as any. We’ve got everythin’ we need here. We’re back far enough from the main road so not everyone would think to look back here.”

Sitting up in her seat, Rachel nodded. “Yes, but like that might not be a good thing.”

“How so?”

“Well, like if we’re back in the woods where people don’t like look, what would like possess anyone to come back here once this like whole thing is over and done with?”

“She has a point,” Candice said, sliding back to sit on the table. “
If
this thing is going to end. What if this is the way of the world now and we’re stuck like this forever? We need to think of the real possibility that this is it. It’s not going to get any better.”

Montana sat back, interlocking his fingers behind his head. “We could turn this into a fort with safety measures.”

Sipping his hot coffee, Howard nodded. “I agree. Maybe we could even put a few traps out. Then we won’t have to keep watch all the time.”

Rachel looked around the table. “Like what kind of traps are you talking about? I mean like you have to make sure it’s something like we’re not going to fall in to and like get stuck.”

“Agreed. I’m not interested in being stuck out there. Knowing my luck, they’d figure out how to get to me before I figured how to get out.”

Montana looked around at each one of them. “So are we in agreement to stick around here an’ make this safer?”

Brandon nodded. “I think that’s our best bet. We can’t get any better than what we have. We just need to make it safer.”

Trevor raised his hand. “You know what would be cool? If they don’t like water, we wouldn’t have to worry about them gettin’ to us if we had a moat. A moat surroundin’ everywhere we have to be. Not only would that look bad ass, but it would protect us when we have to be outside.”

Arching a brow, Rachel looked at him. “Did you like say a moat? Like how the hell are we going to make a moat? Is that like even possible?”

Nodding, Brandon smiled. “Ya know it would be easier than ya think. We could dig a trench around the buildin’ an’ fill it full o’ water. Then make a few places that we could safely pass through. We could totally do this.”

Shaking his head, Justice looked at the three of them. “Ya do realize what you’re talkin’ about, right? Ya know how long ‘at’s gonna take an’ how much we have to dig? You’re talkin’ about a lot work outside where it’s not safe.”

Montana brought his hands back to rest across his stomach, leaning back in his chair. “Not necessarily. We’ve got the bobcat an’ the caterpillar, not to mention the dump trucks, an’ the bulldozer. We could have ‘at done in a week, if we hurried.”

“Yes, but we’ll still be outside where it’s not safe.”

Sighing, Rachel sat back. “Well, I guess like a few of us girls could climb up a tree and like watch out too. From what Erica said like they couldn’t get her when she was up the tree.”

Montana clapped his hands. “I like ‘is plan. We can start tomorrow an’ there’s nothin’ that says we can’t be finished in a week. We won’t be rushed on time. We’ve got plenty o’ machines to dig up the land. I think we can do this.”

“I think it’s like a little much, but like whatever works.”

Looking around at everyone, Howard smiled. “Does that mean we’ll only have another week for keeping watch?”

Ian nodded. “Thank God, if I have to go many more nights getting woken up for watch I think I might lose it.”

“Good, it will be nice to be able to sleep all night long. Instead of drifting off as the guy on watch comes to wake us.”

Brandon chuckled. “Look at that. The shrink goin’ crazy. Now that’s funny.”

“Okay, now that we’ve all agreed to stay here that means we’re gonna need more supplies,” Montana said. “I checked inventory an’ we should clean out the Walmart an’ bring the stuff back here. We’ve got the room an’ it’ll stop the need to go into town, plus Walmart is closest.”

Candice nodded. “Okay, so I’ll go through the stores and get the shopping done, which means I need a list of things we need. I’m the only one that can get in and out without getting killed.”

“I dunno if that’s a good idea.”

“It’s a great idea. Besides, I’m the only one who can do it. You guys could wait for me outside in the trucks.”

Shaking his head, Brandon looked at her. “No, we don’t know what weakness, if any, ya might have with this thing. We sure as hell don’t know how long it’s gonna last either.”

“Well, while it still works, I should go in and get everything. We can turn this into a home with all the luxuries we might need.”

“Oh this is gonna be bad ass! We can get movies, games, big TVs--”

“Beds, furniture, an’ things to help would be better.” Montana told them. “I understand ya want games, movies an’ all that, but we still have to be careful with how much we leave the generator on. Maybe you could get some battery operated games with plenty o’ batteries, but only after the chores around here are finished.”

“Yes daddy.”

As per the conversation the night before, the small group consisting of Frank, Trevor, Brandon, Montana, and Candice headed out to the Walmart for supplies. They had a rather large list of things they were to pick up for everyone. When they arrived back five hours later, they had picked up more than just supplies.

Brandon was the first one through the door and he was overly excited. “You guys aren’t gonna believe this!”

Rachel and Sophia sat in the break room and looked up alarmed.

“What happened?” The way he screamed, Sophia jumped up and ran over. She immediately checked him for any signs of infection. “Are you okay?”

“It’s not me. It’s what happened to Candice.”

“What do ya mean it happened to Candice? That poor girl can’t get a break.”

“Yeah, but hang on, she’s comin’ in an’ she’ll tell ya.”

She slapped him in the arm. “Boy, don’t do that! Ya made think somethin’ bad happened to her.”

“Oh no, it’s not bad. I mean it
is
bad, but we found out somethin’ that only you’ll know the answer to the question that,” he shook his head. “Hang on, she’s comin’ in. She’ll explain.”

Furrowing her brows, Rachel looked confused. “Like I hope she can explain it better than like you just tried.”

Sophia nodded in agreement, reclaiming her seat down again. “As long as I don’t need my medical bag, an’ no one was hurt.”

The door opened and Candice walked in limping. When she left, her shirt didn’t have the holes it had upon her return. Her jeans, jagged, as if she went through a shredder. “Wait till you hear what happened. While we were loading things in the truck, I was attacked by a buck.”

Sophia jumped up and raced over, inspecting her for any injuries. “Oh my God! Are you hurt?”

Montana walked in, laughing slightly. “That thing hit ‘er ten feet in the air.”

Trevor followed him in, chuckling. “I swear, I thought I saw her bounce when she hit the ground.”

Sophia looked from one to the other and back to Candice, shock written on her face. “Oh my God!”

Giggling, Candice shook her finger at Montana and Trevor. “You’re not helping here. I feel a little twinge in my hip when I walk, but I landed on it. Trust me. It’s a lot better than it was when I first hit the ground.”

“What!” Turning, she slapped Brandon again. “I thought you said no one was hurt!”

“Ow, quit hittin’ me! I didn’t do it!” He winced, backing up a safer distance from her. “I didn’t say no one was hurt! I said she could explain it to ya.”

She turned back to Candice. “You were attacked by a buck?”

Montana shook his head. “She wasn’t so much attacked as much as she was hit an’ then took up a flyin’ lesson until she crashed.”

Furrowing her brows, she glared at him. “I don’t think ‘at’s funny.”

Candice laughed. “The point is, it fought me and tried to gore me, and even clawed me a few times too.” Sophia’s eyes got bigger with each injury the buck caused, and Candice raised her hands in defense. “I didn’t get hurt from it. It just felt like he was pushing on me. Granted when I fell on my hip, it hurt, but I think that rapid healing is working because it doesn’t hurt anymore and it was more like a huge pressure. It’s the best way to explain it. However, when he bit into my arm--”

“Well, you’ve had just the busy little adventure, haven’t you?” She grabbed her arm. “Where did he bite ya? I don’t see anythin’.”

“There’s nothing there. Remember, I can’t get hurt.”

“That we know of. You take just way too many chances without actually knowin’ if ‘ere’s a way for you to get hurt.”

Rachel pointed at her, nodding. “Like even super heroes have like weaknesses.”

Brandon pointed at Rachel. “’at’s what I’ve been sayin’ all along. She gets too reckless not knowin’ how long it’s gonna last.”

Pulling her arm gently back, Candice touched Sophia’s shoulder. “You need to calm down before you hurt yourself with worry. I’m fine. The point of the story is when it bit me, it keeled over and bled out of every hole it had. Or at least I think it was out of every hole. I didn’t really check.”

Sophia stopped fussing, as her face grew pale. She staggered as she sat down. Shock written on her face as she looked up at Candice. “I need to see this animal.”

Rushing to her side, Montana took her hand. “What’s wrong, baby? Ya look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

Looking at each other Trevor and Brandon both mouthed the same thing at the same time,
Baby
?

Patting his hand, Sophia sighed. “I’ve had my suspicions about what this virus could be. It’s a bleeder an’ though there are a few of those out there, none that attacks so severely, an’ kills so easily. Usually this virus only attacks the human race an’ the monkeys so it confuses me about the other animals an’ how it mutates everythin’.”

“What disease are you talkin’ about?”

“The scariest disease out there; the virus serial killer: The Ebola Virus.”

Wincing, Brandon sank down on the top of the table. “Okay, I’ve never heard o’ that.”

“You’ve never heard o’ the Ebola Virus? Weren’t you listenin’ when we talked about it last week?”

“No, I’ve heard o’ the virus, but never the whole
virus serial killer
.”

Trevor nodded, turning back to Sophia. “Refresh my memory on ‘at.”

“Very contagious. You can get it through inhalin’ if someone with it sneezes, coughs, or even breathes on you. You can get it through touchin’, kissin’, or any other way for bodily fluids to be shared.”

“Sounds like some o’ those sexually transmitted diseases.”

“I wouldn’t be against sayin’ that a mosquito could spread it as well.”

“Now that would be a hell of a way to get an STD,” Brandon told them nodding. “Everyone an’ their brother would be usin’ ‘at excuse. Dracula gave it to me.”

Furrowing her brows, Rachel looked over at him. “Like how would Dracula give like an STD?”

“Because he was just a mosquito.”

“Like did I miss something?”

Trevor smirked. “Ignore him. As you were sayin’, Sophia.”

She sighed. “The first thing people get is a fever with chills, headache, an’ anorexia with muscle pain.”

Nodding, Candice winced. “I had that in the beginning; no eating, chills and a serious headache.”

“As it progresses, there’s nausea, vomitin’, sore throat, stomach pain, diarrhea, an’ it just gets worse. Bleedin’ occurs from multiple sites, includin’ the digestive tract, lungs, an’ gums, followed by death in seven to sixteen days. It causes severe damage to the liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, ovaries in women, an’ testes in men. The platelets an’ linings of arteries are severely damaged, which is why there’s so much bleedin’.”

Looking from Candice to Sophia, Montana sighed. “Is it possible this is another strain of it? I mean, can’t they evolve or branch out?”

“I dunno. I’m not sure what attacked Candice, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Ebola. It doesn’t cure. It kills. However, this deer, it just might have it. Was it sluggish or slow in its attack on ya?”

Scoffing, she shook her head. “Hell no. He gored me with everything he had.” Pulling out her T-shirt, she showed the many holes. “If it wasn’t for the fact I can’t be hurt, I’d be dead ten times over. He didn’t slow down or back off until he bit me and tore the skin off of my arm. That was when he couldn’t stand up and just kinda bled out.”

“That… it could be… but that’s not possible.”

“Maybe not, but I’m telling you what happened.”

“No, I mean it sounds like… did it get any o’ your blood in its mouth when it bit you?”

She chuckled. “I wasn’t getting close enough for an investigation, but he did rip a piece of my arm so I can only assume it got in his mouth.”

“I would still love to see this animal.”

Trevor shook his head. “Well, that’s not possible, but that’s not all she found out.”

Taking a seat on the table, Brandon nodded. “Oh yeah, what happened in the store might prove some o’ these people are pretty smart.”

“What do ya mean?” Sophia looked at Candice accusingly.

She shrugged. “The woman who bit me was there again. I ran into her. Only when I looked at her, she sniffed the air, turned, and ran from me. I had to chase her all around the store until I finally caught up to her. I killed her when I shoved an ax through her brain.”

“Sounds like ya had a pretty busy day. Are you tryin’ to get killed? You’re tryin’ to give me heart failure, aren’t ya?”

“Sophia, it didn’t kill me or even try to. It wouldn’t fight me at all. It ran as fast as it could away from me.”

“Start from the beginnin’ an’ tell me what happened.”

“Okay, I went into Walmart and I had already gone out for two trips already. I was on my third one when I heard a noise behind me. I saw her and started walking towards her. She sniffed the air, took a few steps away, and turned and ran.”