Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (39 page)

“This doesn’t have anythin’ to do with what we discussed, does it? Just because I don’t wanna be your boyfriend doesn’t mean it’ll be the last time we do that.”

“No, I just like couldn’t sleep. No like hidden agenda.”

“Maybe tonight ya share my bed again? After all this work we’re about to do, I’m probably gonna need to vent my frustration.”

“Maybe. We’ll see if like you’re a good enough boy for like that.”

“I can’t promise I’ll be a good boy. It’s not in my nature. So we’re good then? I don’t have to worry about ya poisonin’ me?”

“Naw, like how would I know which like plate of food you’d grab? I couldn’t like possibly poison the whole like thing just in case the others grabbed it.”

Laughing, he kissed her forehead. “Well then, that’s good to know, because we had too much fun for that to be a solo performance.”

Brandon and Candice joined the others at the table. He sat down in the chair, pulling her into his lap. They laughed and teased each other, without kissing.

Sophia looked over, slightly concerned. “I’m happy to see you two getting’ along so well, but I don’t have to tell ya the dangers in this an’ what could happen, right?”

Candice shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. “No, we know what we’re not allowed to do. There were no bodily fluids shared at all, not even a kiss.”

“Okay, as long as ya understand how serious ‘at could be. Even just a little peck could bring about some changes.”

“We know. I’ve not kissed anything but his forehead.”

Brandon put his arm around her. “Yeah, we’re good with this. Wow, there seems to be a lot of happy faces ‘is mornin’.”

Trevor, Frank, Howard, and Ian walked in taking a seat at the table and they didn’t look anything close to happy. They grumbled and groaned as they settled down at the table.

“An’ then there are those ‘at don’t look happy.”

Groaning Frank grabbed a plate of food. “Man, I’ll be glad when we don’t have to keep watch any longer. When I can sleep all night long I’m not goin’ to know how to behave.”

Trevor looked around at everyone seated at the table. It almost looked like date night with the girls in laps and holding hands, everyone smiling and laughing. He grumbled. “We need to find more women survivors.”

“Yes, we definitely need more women.”

Alarmed, Candice sat up looking around, sniffing the air. “Do you guys smell that?”

Everyone at the table sniffed the air, some nodded, while others shook their heads.

“What does it smell like?”

She sniffed again. “Like something sweet. It’s like,” she smelled deeply, her eyes twinkling as she did. “You know when you used to go to the amusement park and you smelled Elephant ears?”

Trevor took a bite of his potatoes, arching a brow as he watched her. “I hope ya mean the pastry.”

“Yes, that’s it exactly.”

“No, but I smell this breakfast, an’ it smells good. Maybe that’s what ya smell?”

The door burst open and everyone scrambled to grab a weapon. Jumping to get the gun, Montana practically fell out of his chair. Grabbing a knife, Frank was ready to attack. Mark entered with the four women and froze. He stood in front of them with his arms wide in protection. The girls stood behind him, looking around curiously.

Alex looked surprised. “Maybe we should’ve called first?”

“Wait!” Candice yelled, stopping everyone in their tracks as she jumped out of Brandon’s lap and rushed to Mark. “They’re okay, but I think he’s the one who smells like Elephant Ears.”

Mark looked at her, sniffing the air around her, smiling. “No, it’s definitely you.”

Jumping out of his chair, Brandon reached forward and grabbed Mark, pulling him into a bro hug then released him, looking him over. “I’m so happy to see you, but dude where the fuck have you been?”

Mark hugged him before turning to the girls. “I told you I’d find it!” He pointed to the table and the food. “I’ll answer all your questions, but please tell me we’re in time for breakfast an’ there’s plenty to go around.”

Rachel looked around, curiously. “No, I only like made enough for us, but it like won’t take me long to like make some more.” She stood, taking her plate into the kitchen. “Please, like settle down and I’ll like make you guys something hot.”

“Thank God, I’m starved. I’ve been livin’ off Slim Jims, candy bars, an’ hard candy for days now.”

Frank noticed the girls and arched his head in their direction. “Mark, don’t be rude introduce us to your friends.”

He pointed to the girls behind him. “This is; Amber, Alex, Trish, an’ Heather.”

Montana stood and pulled Mark into a long hug as well. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive an’ ya made it. I was worried about you. So this is your tour? You kept your tour safe too? Wow, now that’s impressive.”

Trevor nodded, hugging him as well. “Hell yeah, can’t you see the commercial for that? We keep our tours safe through all disasters.”

Amber shook her head. “No, we’re not his tour.” Looking around, she chose Justice’s lap to have a seat and ate what off his plate while waiting for her food. “Oh sure, you found it. Mr. Hero actually did something right for a change.”

Alex rolled her eyes, moving through the door and looking at everyone. “Nice to meet you guys. Please ignore Amber. She’s always a bitch.”

Heather moved in behind her, looking around. “Yeah, we’re not like her.”

Trish chuckled. “It’s a good thing too, because the world can only handle one Amber at a time.”

Justice looked at her, sitting in his lap. “I dunno. I think I like ‘er. Rawr.”

Mark slapped Justice in the back of the head. “Damaged goods, bro. Trust me. You would do better with a bag of ice. Every day, since I brought her ass back to life I have regretted that decision.”

Montana settled back down, sipping his coffee. He stopped in mid drink, looking over shocked. “What do ya mean brought ‘er back to life?”

Trevor winced. “Well, there goes ‘at commercial.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, he saved all of us. We went down the rapids in a raft. We hit a rock and he didn’t stop till he got each of us. Amber was dead, and he worked on her until he brought her back. He didn’t give up on her.”

“Wow, ‘at’s impressive.”

Frank looked around, checking out the girls. “Damn, I’m glad ya made it. I’m especially glad ya brought some skirts back with ya, but where the hell have you been?”

Mark grabbed a piece of bacon, stretching out in the chair. “Dude, I have been survivin’ a nightmare. We’ve been camped out at the river.”

Amber scoffed, shaking her head. “No, you were in the trailer. We three were in a raft, sitting on the river, waiting for you to wake up!”

“Like I said, camped out at the river.”

Brandon snuggled back against Candice, watching him. “Nice mess waitin’ for ya on your return, eh? It’s a good thing you didn’t go to camp when ya got back. That place was a mad house.”

“I got back late. I figured I’d sleep in my truck an’ wait for my first tour. That’s when I met these girls an’ it’s been one roller coaster ride after another.”

Frank looked over at the girls, motioning them with his hand. “So, where did ya meet these girls? I thought every hot girl had been taken outta the equation.”

Candice looked over scoffing at him. “Well, thanks Frank!”

“I meant
available
girls.”

Mark shrugged. “I ran into them literally up a tree, an’ we’ve been through a rough week.”

Justice smiled, finger lightly tracing Amber’s hip. “You’re always lookin’ out, bringin’ back entertainment for the rest of us. Nice.”

“Dude, if you think that ice queen in your lap is entertainment; ya must like tamin’ rattle snakes.”

Amber pouted, turning to look over her shoulder at Justice. “Usually, I am entertained an’ not the other way around. I’d suggest ya call in the clowns if ya wanna be amused.”

“Rawr! Oh I’ll entertain you.”

Looking up at the ceiling, Trevor smiled. “Thank you, God.”

Rolling his eyes, Mark shook his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya, bro.” He grabbed another piece of bacon, nibbling on it. “Have you guys seen what’s goin’ on out there?”

Brandon nodded. “Well, we’ve seen what’s goin’ on out in the camp. The first night we went through here tryin’ to make sure everyone was okay was a real nightmare. I’ve never been one to like huntin’, especially not people.”

“Oh I’ll bet. When the girls were tellin’ me what happened I had to see it to believe it.”

Alex smirked. “Yeah. He kept accusing us of being some gag from Brandon and Trevor.”

Trevor laughed. “Dude, you thought we did all that as a gag?”

Brandon chuckled. “I never thought we were that good.”

Candice took a drink of her coffee, pointing at Mark. “When Justice and I went to Walmart it was worse. It’s like there was some massacre that happened there. You can tell where everyone was standing in line like they were waiting for their turn to die.”

He looked at Candice. “So, why do you smell like funnel cakes? It’s like the most delicious aroma to me. It’s drivin’ me crazy.”

“So you smell it too? I know! I can’t smell anything else right now but that sweet smell. Wait, did you have the virus and survive?”

“I did. You too?”

“I did. Maybe that’s it? Maybe we can smell the virus in each other?” She looked at Sophia. “Is that possible?”

She looked from one to the other as she took a bite from her bacon. “It’s possible. I mean, if the Freakazoid at Wal--”

“If the what?” Amber interrupted.

“It’s what we call those sick people walkin’ around. Since the Freakazoid could smell the virus in you, I don’t see why you couldn’t smell it in others as well.”

“Yes, but it smells so good. It’s like,” Candice blushed.

Mark nodded. “Yeah, I’m attracted an’ drawn to that smell. It’s like an aphrodisiac to me.”

Brandon looked at Mark wide-eyed then shook his head. “I can appreciate that, but she’s mine, bro.”

Justice looked from Candice back to Mark. “Wait, so you’re like some super hero as well?”

He nodded. “It took five days o’ the most intense pain I felt in my life, but I’m fine now. Nothin’ can hurt me an’ I swear I have the strength o’ Superman.”

Rachel brought out more breakfast and each of them grabbed a plate, wasting no time eating.

“Oh my God, this is so much better than a Slim Jim in the morning,” Heather said, eating her eggs, moaning softly before nodding. “Yeah, he’s been saving our lives since he found us. Even though I know he wanted to desert us more than a few times he never did.”

Rachel brought out a few more plates for them. “Why were you up the tree?”

Ian sat back, watching the girls and Mark as they ate. “That’s an odd place to find girls. Maybe I should look up more often if you’re the birds in the trees.”

Alex rolled her eyes, chuckling softly. “No, it wasn’t like that. We weren’t in the site when all hell broke loose. We didn’t come back to the site, until… I’m guessing it was you guys who were shooting up the place. The trees were the safest place to hide, next to the water. The water might have been safer, because some of those creatures can climb, but none of them like the water.”

Continuing to snuggle against Candice, Brandon gasped. “Oh shit, we left you? Which site were you in? We checked the grounds that night, yellin’ for anyone alive.”

Amber rolled her eyes, munching on a piece of bacon. “We were part of the sorority girls.”

Howard looked up at the girls, glancing around the room to everyone else. It was almost taboo to mention this name. “So then you knew… Erica?”

“What do you mean
knew
Erica? Did Queen Bee finally drown in her honey sweet goodness?”

Rachel sat back down, sipping on her coffee, glaring at Amber. “Are we like talking about the same Erica? That bitch like wasn’t anything remotely close to sweet?”

Candice smirked. “I think she meant that sarcastically, though she did have a fondness for baby mice.” Everyone chuckled.

“Ugh, like don’t remind me about that.”

Sophia nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry to tell ya that your friend--”

“She wasn’t our friend,” Amber told her interrupting her. “I don’t think she had any friends. She was our sister. You don’t have to
like
your sister, but you do have to stick with her.”

Looking at Amber, Heather nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly how we feel about you.”

“Whatever…”

Shaking her head, Candice looked at Amber. “Wow, you seem just like her. If it wasn’t for the fact her head was blown off right in front of me, I would swear you were her. Yes, your sister had to be terminated due to her illness.”

Seeing Justice was getting too friendly with Amber, Rachel smiled at him, pointing to the kitchen. “Can you like help me with something, please?”

Nodding, he patted Amber’s behind. “Hop up for a sec. I’ll be back.” When she got off his lap, he stood and followed Rachel to the kitchen. He looked around. “Okay, what do ya need my help with?”