Daisy and the Dead | The Complete Series | Books 1-6 Page 13

  I went outside and passed Ward bringing in fresh eggs. He stopped me.

  “Boss, can we talk?”

  “Make it quick.”

  His face turned pink. “I just want you to know that I’m loyal to you. I… I heard what happened with Campbell and I need you to know I’ve had no part in his lies.”

  I believed him. But I also knew he hadn’t defended me to those ears Campbell tried to spoil with his lies. And that shit wouldn’t stand.

  “I’m glad you are loyal, because I’d kill you if you weren’t. You know that, right?”

  His pulse pounded in his neck. Fucking chicken shit. Didn’t he realize that if I were going to kill him I wouldn’t sit around talking about it? I’d just do it.

  “Yes, Boss. I know, Boss.”

  “Ward, I want you to do something for me.”

  “Anything, Boss.”

  They were always so quick to do my bidding without hearing me out first. I smirked.

  “Follow Campbell. Listen to who he’s talking to. See if he tries to slip off. And if he does, follow him.”

  “Boss?”

  He was nervous and probably wondered if I was setting him up. Maybe he wasn’t as dumb as I thought.

  “You heard me. And you will get the coordinates to where he’s going and report back to me. Understand?”

  “Yes, Boss.”

  I walked past him, slapping him on the shoulder. “Good man.”

  This would be the only chance I gave Ward. If he proved to be loyal then he’d live. Maybe.

  I walked out to the main barn to make sure my car had been put away to my liking. Then I got to business. I popped the trunk and pulled out my guns. If for some reason things went downhill I wanted to be prepared. Guns, ammo, a few MREs, a change of clothes, and water were just some of the things I kept in there.

  Juan was the only other person allowed near my GTO and had helped me stock the trunk. He didn’t understand why I felt the need to be prepared. But I wasn’t stupid. These fuckers could turn on me at any moment.

  I finished a few more chores in the barn and headed back inside. If Daisy were awake she’d be hungry. I opened the door and strolled in. She was standing near my dresser with her mouth agape. Her eyes moved over my body in a slow assessment and my cock twitched. Fucking traitor.

  “Come on,” I growled out.

  I needed to get her out of that room before I threw her on the bed and really gave her an eyeful. She silently followed me toward the cafeteria.

  “Did this used to be a hospital?”

  She was observant. Which kind of bothered me.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “How did you find it?”

  An uneasy feeling made my stomach heavy. Was she a spy? Because that sounded like something a spy would want to know. And it wasn’t something a newcomer would dare ask me.

  “Just lucky that way,” I answered before opening the door.

  The room full of people sitting at tables grew silent when I entered. They, of course, were curious. I didn’t normally bring back people from camp raids and word had probably gotten out how beautiful she was. A possessive urge to put my arm around her crossed my mind. Where in the fuck had that thought come from?

  Marianne sat with the single woman and she gave me puppy-dog eyes before fixing a hard gaze on Daisy. Shit. That was the last thing I wanted to deal with today. I picked up my pace and went to the food line. People stepped out of the way letting me walk to the front. One more thing I’d never asked them to do.

  I looked over the selections at the same time Daisy leaned over.

  She whispered, “How in the fuck do you still have bacon?”

  I glanced down and saw her face was full of awe. “I’ll show you after we eat. And we only have bacon on Mondays.”

  We could probably have it more often, but it made it feel more special having it only once a week. Juan handed me my usual pickings and I left the line, going to my table. I sat and buttered my bread while Daisy talked to Bertha. Good. It’d be easier in the end if they got along. Bertha had a special knack for making sure the women I was through with didn’t try to kill me in my sleep.

  Bertha said something and Daisy glanced over her shoulder at me. And damn if my dick didn’t get hard. She finally got her food and came to the table.

  I stopped her when she pulled out the chair.

  “Did I say you could eat here?”

  Her forehead creased. “Are you serious?”

  “Ask me, Daisy.”

  Her jaw ticked and I held back a smile.

  Finally, she spoke through gritted teeth. “Sir, may I please sit with you and enjoy a nice meal?”

  Fucking smart-ass.

  Adorable as hell, though.

  My dick agreed with me.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Lose the attitude.”

  “Is that a yes or shall I find somewhere else to sit?”

  She looked around and some of the men looked our way. I shoved the chair out with my foot and she quickly sat. I took a sip of coffee as she raised her fork to her full lips.

  “Is it okay to eat or do I need permission for each bite?”

  “Daisy--”

  She grinned and dug into her eggs, devouring them. Her bread was next and she hummed in approval as she ate. Damn. It was sexy, but also made me wonder when the last time she’d had a meal was. She caught me staring at her.

  “What,” she asked, wiping crumbs from her lips.

  “How was your camp surviving? My men said there were minimal food supplies.”

  “Clearly we were doing a bad job since two of your men were able to take out nine of them.”

  “So this is the first time you’ve had a real meal?”

  “Technically last night was.”

  My stomach churned. Shit. I knew others outside the gates weren’t as lucky, but it gutted me to think about Daisy going to sleep hungry.

  She shrugged. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. We scrounged up what we could.”

  I saw right through her lie, but didn’t comment. What good would it do to press her about it? She picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it. Then she moaned. Loudly. And my cock strained against my pants to get out. People snickered around us, but all I could do was stare as she savored her food.

  “I’m not sure what kind of sorcery you’re using to get this bacon, but I approve, Sir.”

  “No magic. Just good old farming.”

  She shoved another piece into her mouth. I picked up a piece from my plate and dropped it on hers before taking a bite of my bread. I wasn’t totally innocent here – her hums of approval while she ate were definitely turning me on.

  “How long were you with them?”

  “Not long,” she replied.

  That wouldn’t do. I clicked my tongue against my teeth and she sighed.

  “Maybe three months. I’d need my notebook to tell you for sure.”

  Intrigued, I asked, “Notebook?”

  “Yeah, it was in a green canvas messenger bag along with a few photos. I’ve been keeping track of the days since the virus outbreak.”

  I’ll be damned.

  “Well, we’ll have to see if it turns up.” I pointed to her plate. “Finish eating and I’ll show you around.”

  She didn’t have to be told twice and inhaled the rest of her food. When we were done I showed her where to put her empty tray. I was pleased to see that none of the other trays had any wasted food on them. That was one thing I couldn’t stand.

  I led Daisy out a different set of doors than the ones we’d entered through.

  “The hospital is basically three big squares,” I said as we walked. “If you get lost you’ll eventually find your way to the cafeteria and can resituate yourself.”

  “How many people are there here?”

  I was cautious with my answer. “Inside the hospital there are about fifty of us. Then there’s the residential area you saw yesterday. Outside of that there are several more locations where my me
n stay.”

  “So what you’re telling me is you’re kind of a big deal?”

  She poked me in the side and I laughed.

  “Something like that.”

  “How do you determine who stays here?”

  “My most loyal men are here. The ones with families are in the homes. And the ones who work for me are spread out.”

  “And you keep the single women here?”

  “Yes, because it’s safer. Plus, my closest men are allowed first choice when looking for a spouse.”

  She snorted. “How kind of you.”

  “There are worse things that could happen to a woman, Daisy.”

  “And what if she doesn’t want to be with the man?”

  Ah. Were we still talking about the other women or her?

  “I’m not a complete asshole. If she’s truly unhappy with him I won’t make her stay. But so far every couple has worked out.”

  She was silent for a moment and asked, “So, is that what’s going to happen to me when you tire of me?”

  “Probably.”

  There was no sense in lying to her. She flinched and crossed her arms over her chest. I didn’t try to make idle conversation with her as we walked outside.

  The back of the hospital was pure goddamn luck. Before the outbreak it had been an empty field. I’m sure the owners of the hospital intended to expand, but they never got the chance. Because of that we had been able to build the barns, farm the land, and raise cattle.

  A hen walked in front of us, clucking to itself as she searched for insects. Ahead, one of the dairy cows mooed and somewhere one of the goats bleated. I never appreciated what living outside of the city was like before the virus, but now I think I would’ve enjoyed it.

  I led Daisy toward the barn and tried to fill the silence between us.

  Pointing, I said, “We built it six months after the outbreak. And luckily there was enough free land behind the hospital that we were able to harvest a crop the first year.”

  Men were now working in the fields, harvesting the last of the corn and wheat.

  “Since fall is setting in we’ve already harvested the vegetables and canned them to get us through winter,” I explained.

  “That’s impressive.”

  I shrugged. “What we don’t have my men will find for me. It’s part of the price they pay to live here.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  I met her gaze. “They die.”

  Because in my world – that’s how things were.

  Now

  Daisy’s face was grim as she moved to the floorboard. I knew she didn’t want to hide, but I’d be damned if I put her in danger. This still felt like a trap.

  She opened her mouth, but I cut her off.

  “I don’t want to fucking hear it. Just do it, Daisy.”

  She knew better than to argue and held her pistol in her hand, ready to fire if it came down to it.

  “I’m going to floor it.”

  She nodded as I revved the engine. I hated that I didn’t know what was ahead of us. Inhaling, I held my boot on the pedal and the tires squealed as they tried to gain traction. Smoke drifted around the car right before we took off. We sped down the single-lane road, taking sharp curves through the hilly area.

  Ahead, the wind turbines stood still, grave markers of a time slipping away from us. But it was hope. We were almost out of the hills. My shoulders relaxed and I glanced down at Daisy, winking at the same goddamn time the back windshield exploded into a million pieces.

  9

  Then

  I led Daisy back inside and took her to the front lobby. It was time to hand her over to Bertha until I knew what in the hell my plan was. The single women sat in chairs and on the floor. To an observer it probably seemed very casual, but each spot was earned. And each spot could be taken away without notice.

  Bertha smiled at Daisy, but I wasn’t prepared when Daisy smiled back. Air left my lungs in a whoosh, as if I’d been punched in the stomach. And then I noticed Marianne staring at me with that inviting look I wished I didn’t recognize. Fuck. Time to get out.

  I said to Bertha, “Show Daisy what her chores will be. I’ll be back by dinner.”

  Without saying anything else, I left. I went outside, inhaling deeply. Of course my freedom was short lived. Grey walked up to me. He was one of the rare men who didn’t go by his last name within my group. Instead, it was his long, wizard-like beard that gave him his name.

  “Boss.”

  “Grey.”

  He didn’t hesitate in diving right into the issue. He never did.

  “One of the outlying camps needs a reminder of who they work for. Lester’s group.”

  “Oh?”

  “The fuckers were caught setting food aside.”

  “Any idea who Lester was setting it aside for?”

  Grey nodded. “Wyatt and Smith.”

  My jaw clenched. “Is Campbell involved?”

  “I can’t say for sure. But I bet we’ll find out in a bit.”

  “Gather a few men and meet me by the gate in ten.”

  He nodded and walked way. I went to get my pistol. By the time I reached the gate Grey was waiting with his men. I wasn’t surprised in his choice – he used to be in a motorcycle club and the men he picked had once answered to him. Now they answered to me.

  “Are you ready to show some fuckers a lesson?”

  The men cheered.

  “Then let’s go fuck some shit up!”

  My ears rang as the motorcycle engines fired up. I climbed on the empty bike next to Grey.

  He grinned at me. “Lester’s going to shit his pants when he hears us coming.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  And it was. The motorcycles served two purposed. One, they were quick and could easily maneuver on the junk-ridden roads. Two, Lester and his camp would hear us coming miles away. One of the few camps that didn’t have a second exit, they wouldn’t be able to run.

  I let Grey lead the group down the road. We traveled in a different direction than yesterday. My chest tightened as we passed by what used to be the airport. After the world went to shit, people began looting and, for some reason, thought the airport was a good place to do so. Then some idiot started a fire, burning most of the terminal down.

  In some ways I should be glad that the airport was gone. Had it remained standing I would’ve had to take it over. It was too close to the hospital for someone else to run it. But it would have been impossible to keep people out. Hell, keeping other survivors from the hospital had nearly gotten me killed.

  Early on I decided that there would have to be rules set in place or my position would be quickly overthrown. The people who made it to the hospital first were looking to be saved and put their faith in me. But we all agreed that there had to be a limit to those I could save. I’d like to say I had been noble when turning people away, but that’s not how it was.

  My first kill wasn’t a zombie, but a man who pulled a gun on me when I stood in front of the ‘welcome’ sign in the lobby and told him he had to leave. My second kill was his wife, who pulled a knife out. And my third kill was the teenaged boy who screamed in rage at me. But I’d done what I must and others soon got the message that we weren’t to be fucked with.

  As my trusted numbers grew, we slowly took over the housing addition that sat to the east of the hospital and secured four blocks of homes. With that win we were able to let more people in. And that’s how my world was built. But sometimes I wondered what would’ve happened if I had let that man and his family in. Would things be the same or would I be dead?

  Grey lifted three fingers in the air, a signal that we were getting close. I responded by hold my fist up and the engines revved. The men were ready, too.

  We sped toward the camp. People scurried as we drove through the open gate. Fucking idiots. Who left a gate open? Unless they were expecting someone else? We passed the makeshift homes until we reached the lone shack that belonged to Lester. He
came out wearing overalls, staying true to his hillbilly roots. And the asshole looked like he hadn’t bathed in years.

  “Boss,” he said through the cigar stump in the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t know we were being graced by your presence today.”

  My eyes narrowed and I said to Grey, “Go and see what you turn up.” To Lester I said, “Just in the neighborhood.”

  He was silent, but his throat bobbed.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

  I didn’t think he was dumb enough to have the goods stashed in his own house – but it didn’t hurt to look around.

  Again, he swallowed loudly, but led me inside. The shack smelled as bad as Lester and I resisted gagging, though my stomach roiled. Disgusting bastard. I was fairly certain he was using a pot in the corner as a toilet if the flies were any indication.

  “I’d offer you something to drink, but I don’t got anything right now.”

  “And why is that?”

  He blanched. “Boss?”

  “Why don’t you have something to offer me? Are you not getting out there and scrounging up things like you’re supposed to be?”

  “We go out every day, Boss.”

  “Then are the pickings not good? I didn’t see any starving people out there, but maybe I missed them.”

  “No one is starving, Boss,” Lester answered in confusion. “We’ve been fairly successful on our outings.”

  I was giving this asshole rope and he was hanging himself with it.

  “Maybe I’m just bad with math, then.”

  “Boss?”

  I stepped on the cinderblock that was being used as a makeshift back porch. Lester followed me, waiting for me to speak. But something had caught my attention. A new building that couldn’t be seen from the road because it had been built to camouflage into its surroundings.

  I turned to Lester, pulling my pistol from the holster, and held it to his head. “You have three seconds to explain before I blow your head off.”

  I cocked the gun.

  The cigar stump quivered against his lips. “It’s… it’s not what you think.”

  Grey came around the corner of the shack and said, “You’re going to want to see this.”