A Mad Zombie Party - Showalter Gena (книги без регистрации TXT) 📗

“I’m willing to risk it.”

“And it’ll be your loss.”

We head back to the table.

“—last boyfriend,” Raina is saying to Camilla.

Camilla opens her mouth to reply, sees me and stays quiet.

The waitress arrives, and we place our orders.

Raina offers me a nervous smile. “Alice—I mean Ali—tells me you’re a boxer like Cole.”

The truth and yet...not. “I taught him everything he knows. He still needs some work, and he’ll never be able to beat me, but I’ll never give up on him.”

Ali beams at me. Cole chokes on a drink of orange juice, and Camilla pours another packet of sugar into her cup.

“Would you like some coffee with your sugar?” I ask her.

“No, thanks. Did you see the sign? You have to pay for every refill,” she whispers as if it’s some terrible secret. “My first cup is my last.”

Because she can’t afford more? Something clenches in my chest. Before I can talk myself out of it, I lean over and give her half of my coffee. She blinks at me, baffled, and it irritates me, because I’m just as baffled.

“If you die of dehydration, you can’t be my bodyguard,” I growl.

“Bodyguard? Surely she’s not... Are you two...?” Raina waves a finger from me to Camilla, Camilla to me.

“No,” we answer quickly, both horrified by the prospect.

“Not even friends,” I add.

Raina frowns in confusion. “Then why—?”

“Tell me about you,” I interject in a rush.

She blushes, shifts nervously in her chair and stutters the word I as she tries to think of something to say. Wonderful. I’ve made her uncomfortable. I’m off my game. Clearly. I probably couldn’t charm a rabbit out of a hat.

“I’ll start,” Camilla says. Taking pity on the girl? “I’m nineteen, and like the boys I’m a boxer. I recently had a falling-out with my brother, my only family. I’m afraid of spiders and I adore cherry Life Savers.”

I can’t imagine her being afraid of anything. “Don’t forget your tire-slashing fetish.”

Ali narrows her eyes and points her fork at Camilla. “Did you slash his tires? Wait. Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’ll have to hurt you.”

Cole takes her fork and sets it on her plate. “No utensil fights. I’m still healing from the last one.”

“Fine.” She nudges him in the stomach, saying, “Your turn. Tell us all about you.”

“Are you sure you want that? We’re in a public place and you tend to rip off my clothes when I—”

“Oh, my gosh. Shut up.” Ali pinches his lips together.

Raina watches their interaction, transfixed.

Cole leans back, freeing his lips while draping his arm behind Ali’s chair. “I’m an adrenaline junkie and Ali-gator is my favorite high. I also like cherry Life Savers.”

“How am I keeping my hands to myself?” Ali says drily.

“I don’t know. Did I mention you taste better than those cherry Life Savers?”

Ali fans herself.

“Well.” Raina clears her throat. “I’m a big fan of the University of Alabama. Roll Tide! I’ll be starting in the fall. Though I haven’t decided on a major, I’m leaning toward nursing.”

I keep her talking the rest of the “date,” asking questions about her past, her likes and her dislikes. She tries to question me in return, but I shut her down every time. My business is my business, and I’ve only ever shared with the three people closest to me. Cole, Bronx and, once upon a time, Kat.

Kat, who can’t wait to get rid of me.

My coffee cup shatters, my grip suddenly too tight. Hot liquid spills over my hand and the floor as sharp porcelain cuts into my skin. The pain is nothing. I barely notice, but Raina gasps and almost faints at the sight of blood.

Camilla pats the girl on the shoulder. “Uh, don’t take this the wrong way but I don’t think nursing is the career for you.” She rushes off to gather a cool, wet cloth. “Before you ask,” she says to me, “it’s clean.”

I snatch the rag before she can attempt to wash the wounds. If I had two broken legs and couldn’t reach a bag of Oreos—probably a fate worse than death—I still wouldn’t allow her to help me. I don’t even want her acting as my shield, and if it wasn’t for Kat, I’d just take my chances.

Live right, or die trying.

* * *

“You’re an awesome slayer, but you’re a horrible date,” Camilla says as we climb into my truck.

Needless to say, I won’t be seeing Raina again. Nice girl, but totally not my type. “I’m sure you’ve been on worse.”

“Uh. Hmm.” Camilla says no more and stares out the window.

“Don’t tell me they’ve all been winners. I’ll know you’re lying.”

“I’m not telling you anything. I’m enjoying a little peace and quiet. Well, trying to.”

Something about her snotty tone... “You have been on a date, haven’t you? Answer, and you’ll get your peace and quiet.”

Her nails dig into her knees, her knuckles quickly turning white. “I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

Do I detect...remorse? “You don’t have to go on a date to get screwed.” I know this firsthand, considering my behavior the past four months.

“Oh, just shut up,” she says.

A deflection, which is an answer all on its own. “You haven’t been on a date.” I’m completely floored. Like Raina, she’s not my type, but I have eyes and even I have to admit she’s an insanely beautiful specimen.

“Boys were too afraid of my brother to be seen with me in public,” she says, hurt practically dripping from her tone. “That’s what I told myself, at least. They never stuck around long enough to explain their reasons.”

So, the boys hung around her secretly, almost as if they were ashamed of her, and then took off after they’d gotten what they wanted.

Did my hit-and-runs hurt like this?

Damn. Guilt winds around me and squeezes the air from my lungs.

I’m curious about Camilla’s experiences, but I don’t like that I’m curious. I stop asking questions, and she offers no more details. The silence continues as I go about my day, running my errands.

First up—Shady Elms. I plan to do my own tracking. Unlike Cole and Ali, Camilla knows where Dart Girl started and ended. We track her to a corner street, where a car must have been waiting for her. There are no lamps nearby, no buildings, which means no security footage.

Camilla is ticked, which is why my next stop is the gun range. She can work off some steam.

Located in the middle of nowhere, the large metal building is painted camo-style to blend into the mountain behind it. As we sign in, the guy behind the counter stares at Camilla as if she’s wearing a sign that says, Eye-Rape Me. Please. I’m surprised she pretends not to notice rather than blinding his eyes with a one-two punch.

“Hey,” I snap, and he jolts. I don’t have to say a word. The displeasure I’m projecting speaks for me.

He ducks his head and starts to wipe the counter clean. “Uh...right. You two are in stalls thirteen and fourteen.”

We cover our ears and make our way to our assigned spots. There are six other guys here, and each does a double take when he catches a glimpse of Camilla. Again, she pretends not to notice. Or, hell, maybe she doesn’t notice. Kat would have—

I lock up the wayward thought, before it leads me to do something stupid.

Motions jerky, I load my .44 and aim. Boom. Boom, boom, boom. I keep my shots to the torso. After I unload two rounds, I compare my hits to Camilla’s. Well, well. She prefers to hit the head and groin. Should have known. Fighting dirty is her MO.

I’m impressed.

“Working through a few issues?” I ask her as we leave, our headphones off and gear stored in the truck.

“A few?” She laughs without humor. “You have no idea.”

No, I don’t, because I don’t know her.

And I don’t to want to know her.

We head to the post office, where I mail paperwork for one of my classes. Then, it’s to the gym for a very necessary workout. I begrudgingly obtain a guest pass for Camilla. Does she say thank-you? No. She doesn’t say anything at all, just skips off to use the elliptical, run the treadmill and even lift a few of the lighter weights. I pay no attention to her. Nope. Not even a little. I punish the boxing bag for everything I’ve been dealing with, every punch exorcising emotion. By the time I call it quits, my knuckles are black and blue.