Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (36 page)

Sophia watched her. “What happened for ya to catch ‘er?”

“She tripped and fell in the Sporting Goods section and I had her cornered. She waved her hands at me, and even cried. I swear I think she was trying to talk. However, I felt this need to extinguish her and I did just that.”

“You should’ve brought ‘em both back here.”

Shaking his head, Brandon cringed. “Ew, that wasn’t on our agenda for today. Besides, you keep sayin’ it wouldn’t matter since ya don’t have a microscope.”

“I’m just sayin’ it’s too bad ya couldn’t have brought ‘er back here alive.”

“Oh that’s never happenin’.”

Chuckling at Brandon, Candice looked at Sophia. “Do you think this is almost like a case of,” she paused, thinking of the right words. “Ya know how wolves can smell if your blood is diseased?”

“That’s a new one on me.”

“No, it’s true. There have been cases where dogs detected something was wrong with their owners. Wolves won’t eat certain people because they have diabetes or cancer; spoiled meat.”

Canting her head to the side, Sophia nodded. “What about it?”

“Do you think the Freakazoid could tell I survived the virus? Maybe they know to bite me would hurt them like the buck died when it bit me.”

Waving his hand, Justice shook his head. “No, because if so why did the buck attack ya? Surely the animals can sense the same thing since their smell’s better.”

Looking from Justice to Candice, Sophia nodded. “That’s possible. The animals could just revert to animal aggression, but people could sense ‘at about ya an’ want no part of it. It could be you’re now a virus carrier, but it’s a good virus. That would mean if ya come against those with the bad virus an’ they bite ya, it’d be like gettin’ an immunization for the flu after gettin’ it. I wonder if your blood could save someone who got bit.”

“Yeah, but wouldn’t ‘at interfere with the natural order if someone was gonna survive on ‘eir own?”

“Not necessarily. It’s like the flu. If ya get the flu an’ then get a shot, you’re basically bein’ given a low dose o’ the flu so your body knows it. This way it can fight it on its own. However, you’ve already got it so it’s gotta run its course. If ya get the shot before ya get the flu, the chances are good ya won’t get it.”

“That makes sense.”

Standing, Montana looked around the room. “Okay, guys get the weapons ready. We still need to unload the stuff we got today an’ sort it out because tomorrow we start our moat.”

Trevor jumped up. “That’s gonna be awesome, livin’ in a moat-filled area!”

Standing, Frank stretched. “Ugh, yeah, now we have to unload all this stuff we got. What time are we startin’ tomorrow?”

“Sometime after breakfast sounds good to me, but not too soon after.”

Sophia nodded. “Yeah, since Brandon is usually up by seven cookin’, it gives us time to eat if we start about nine. That way it’s not too early yet it’s not too late in the day an’ we can get a lot accomplished.”

Walking out the door, Candice looked back. “Sounds good, and I’ll be out in the front, near the ones on the ground to protect them should anything attack.”

Taking his place in line, Ian looked up. “Candice, don’t you ever wonder just how long that super hero strength is going to last? I mean it’s heroic for you to put your life on the line when you realize one day it could just stop.”

“Naw, if it goes then I still helped someone. I don’t think it’s going anywhere. The way Sophia talks about it, it left pieces of it scattered throughout my body. I think of it like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain, making sure everything runs smoothly.”

“So you think you’ve got a little Wizard in your body?”

Howard took up his position in the human chain, helping to bring in the new supplies. “That’s one way to put it.”

Shaking her head, Rachel helped pass the supplies back to the next person in line they had going on from the van to the front door. “Like can you imagine if like Erica had survived? We think we have like drama now?”

“Oh Lord, that’s true. We’d have to deal with all kinds with her.”

“Well, like I guess we should be like thankful to it for at least like one thing.”

Candice stood, keeping watch over them, shaking her head. “That’s just wrong.”

Thirty

After dinner, Candice was outside on the picnic table smoking a cigarette.

Brandon walked out, nudging her as he hopped up on the table. “Mind if I join ya?”

“Nope, pull up a table and have a seat.”

He looked up at the sky. “It’s a beautiful night out tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s really pretty. It’s strange. The world is one messed up place, but the stars are still as beautiful as always and totally unaffected.”

“I used to look up at the stars when I was little. I always thought I was gonna be an astronaut one day.”

“
You
wanted to be an astronaut?”

“I’m gonna pretend not to be hurt by that shocked tone an’ the look on your face.” He laughed. “Yes,
I
wanted to be an astronaut. I was eight years old! I visualized me drivin’ a space ship, floatin’ around in space where there wasn’t any gravity. I knew life had big plans for me.”

“Don’t count yourself out of the running for something big just yet. Maybe there’s a reason God put you in this campsite. After all, you know he works in mysterious ways.”

He took a drag off his cigarette. “That’s true. Well, as soon as I discovered girls, I didn’t think o’ space ships again.”

She laughed. “I can imagine that would take away from your highlight reel.”

He poked her. “Okay, Miss Giggle Pants, what were your big dreams when you were eight?”

“At eight, I wanted to be a ballerina. I wanted to twirl around like the pretty ladies on TV. My dad was an opera, ballet, classical musical type guy, so it was watch what he wanted or go do something else. I wanted to be an astronaut after I watched Space Camp, but I think I was older than eight.”

“That was a great movie! I loved it. But ya do know that was a love story, right?”

“Yes, I know it was a love story, but did you know in every movie you can find a love story there?”

“Speaking o’ love stories… what do ya think’s goin’ on with Sophia an’ Montana?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he called ‘er baby, an’ he’s not the type to just call anyone a pet name.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it’s because it’s the end of the world and people are looking for that
one
person to share their last moments with. It makes sense to me. I mean really, who wants to be alone for that. Times like these seems to bring certain people closer. There’s no longer that waiting period of dating, and then getting married and so forth. You just hook up.”

“What about you?”

“What about me? How did we go from Sophia and Montana to me?”

“I’m curious. Who would ya wanna spend the rest o’ your life with, durin’ this catastrophe if ya could pick anyone?”

She looked over at him, laughing, shaking her head. “Okay, does it have to be someone at this camp?”

He laughed. “Yes, it has to be someone here. If you tell me ya can’t find one person in this camp…”

“I thought it was obvious who I’d choose.”

“Please tell me it’s not Justice.”

She laughed. “Why the hell does everyone think I wanna hook up with Justice? Hell no. It’s you, silly.”

“Me?”

“Why do you look so shocked? Hell, we had chemistry during our first zip lining tour together.”

“Well, that’s true, but why me? Why not one o’ the other guys?”

“I have a lot more in common with you. Even more than I had with Zach. I can talk to you about anything and everything. We also have a lot of fun together doing nothing at all. I look at you and I see the man who could be my best friend as well as my lover. If I have to face the end of the world with someone it would be you.”

He nodded. “That makes perfect sense. I guess it’s a good thing that’s how I feel about you.”

“That’s such a copout.”

“That’s another one o’ your traits. I like your sarcasm. I know we’re in for some tough times with the world fucked up. We’re either gonna have to fight a lot or stay hidden back here an’ take our chances. At least with you, I know ya won’t run off an’ desert me. You’ll stand by me. You can handle your own an’ ya don’t take shit.”

“Yes, but there’s still one thing you’re forgetting. We don’t know if you can get anything that I have, so there won’t be anything happening. No loving, kissing, or sharing anything.”

“I know, but it doesn’t mean we can’t get closer, just not too close. How about we watch a movie later? I have one o’ the laptops ya grabbed.”

“Ooh, so it would be kinda like dating, minus the whole fluid sharing?”

He laughed, looking out at the woods, biting his lip while shaking his head. He looked back at her, nodding as he nudged her. “That just sounds all kinds o’ wrong, but yes datin’ minus the bodily fluids. Until we can share said fluids, we can still cuddle.”

“I think I can handle that.”

After a half hour, the two walked back inside, holding hands. Zach looked up. Shock spread across his features as he saw them. “Wow, so I guess I had the right idea, wrong guy.”

Brandon winked, clutching her hand as he pointed at Zach. “We’re just gonna go watch a movie.”

Justice leaned against the wall, shaking his head. “You kids go have fun!”

“Yeah, like have fun with that.” Rachel watched, unhappily before she began cleaning up the dinner dishes, taking them from the table to the sink.

Justice stood watching her. “Wow, so it looks like everyone’s hookin’ up around here.”

“Yep, like it looks that way.”

“I thought for sure you an’ Brandon were gonna hook up.”

“You thought like I was going to hook up with like Brandon? No, like I’m not the pretty one. Guys like him go for like the pretty ones, or smart ones.”

“I guess ‘at’s true.”

“Like why did you think that anyway?”

He shrugged. “Well, it’s obvious ya have a thing for him. Anyone can see that.”

“Apparently everyone but like Brandon. Then again, like I’m one of the plain girls.”

Kicking off the door, he stood behind her, lightly running his finger over her shoulder. “Not always. I don’t find ya plain at all. I think ya have a beauty an’ charm about ya that none o’ the other girls have.” Leaning in, he softly pressed his lips to her neck.

Pushing him away, she turned, looking at him. “Like what are you doing?”

“I thought it was obvious. I got this thing for you.”

“Like you do?”

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead, keeping his finger under her chin. “Yes, I do.” He looked into her eyes. “I know you felt them too.”

“Like I’ve been feeling something.”

Licking a trail on the back of her neck, he planted soft kisses before pulling it her into him. “Do ya feel that?”

Looking up at him, her eyes fluttered with desire. “Oh like you have such a way with your hands.”

Smiling, he pulled back. “Yeah, well if you’re feelin’ lonely, I could use some company. Come an’ see me in my room.”

Reaching behind him, she gripped his rear, thrusting into him. “Like has anyone told you that you like have amazing blue eyes and like a perfect, white smile? You have like a wicked way of tempting women you know?”

“It’s my gift.” He pulled her into his room and shut the door.

Once inside, he didn’t waste any time getting her in the mood. He pushed her into the wall as his fingers gripped a handful of hair. He crushed his body to hers, pressing his crotch hard into hers, grinding against her. He was dominant. He planned to take what he wanted as his other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her to him. Crushing his lips with hers in a very passionate kiss, he heard her moans of pleasure. His hands snaked around, grabbed her behind, fingers curled around it as he pulled her into him, grinding hard against her without breaking the kiss.

She interlaced her hands round the back of his neck as she moaned out through the kiss. “Mm, don’t tease me. Please me.”

Justice pulled away long enough to gaze into her eyes before he smirked. “Stop talking.” Then wiggled his finger in his ear scratching at an itch. He wiggled his head and then kissed her once more with more passion than the first time, if that was possible. His hands moved quickly to her pants where he made short work at getting them opened and thrust his finger down her panties and straight up between the folds of her nether region.

When Rachel moaned, but showed no signs of being in pain, he pushed in and out of her. She pumped against his hand. He put one finger, then another, then a third inside of her, wiggling them around inside of her. She gripped his shoulders with her hands, breaking the kiss, moaning loudly. “Oh my God!” Biting her lip, she rolled her eyes back. “Mm, damn, you’re driving me crazy.”

“Maybe ya want me to stop?” He asked teasingly as he whispered in her ear before tracing it with his tongue. He pulled her lobe into his mouth, nibbling gently with his teeth while still sucking. His fingers rapidly thrust inside her with a rhythmic motion as his thumb grind against her clit. “Mm, ya like?” Then he trailed his lips down her neck. There he continued his assault with his mouth as he sucked, nibbled and bit at her tender flesh.