Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) Read Online Free PDF Page B

but he didn’t know what else to say.
    She nodded with her back to him. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually fall apart like that. Say what you want about zombies. At least they don’t try to rape you.”
    “This the first time?” He steeled himself for the answer.
    She turned toward him, lowered her eyes and nodded again.
    “You’ve been lucky.”
    “It hasn’t been a problem ‘til now.” She folded her arms across her chest and stared off into the woods. “At first, everyone seemed so helpful. Mostly just figuring out what to do next. Then as things got worse, people got nasty.” She reached down and busied herself with her pack again while she spoke.
    “As time goes by people seem to be getting worse and worse. Now, I guess it’s every man for himself. Welcome to ‘Thunder Dome.’“ She waved her arms in the air.
    Sam smiled at the old movie reference. One of his favorite B-flicks, a guilty pleasure he would admit to no one.
    Some of his more messy business negotiations popped to mind. He’d once seen a man offer his daughter’s “companionship” to the Chairman of the Board in a vie to keep majority control of his business. Sam dropped him as a client. Back in the day, Sam’d do just about anything to turn a buck, but even he had his limit. Pimping out family members definitely crossed a line. One Sam didn’t even know he had until that day. “People tend to use adversity as an excuse to behave badly.
    She shrugged and then zipped her pack. “The thing that really gets me is these were good people once.”
    “Maybe.”
    “Probably.”
    “There she goes arguing again. At least some things don’t change.” He turned his back to her and put the guns away when an apple hit him between the shoulder blades. “Hey, I might want to eat that later.”
    He was a smart-ass. A cute smart-ass, but a smart-ass, nonetheless.
    “Why are you going to Vegas?” He organized his car while he spoke, but his tone warned her he had something on his mind. She’d worked for a principal once that used that very same tone to gather one’s attention before she spoke. It grated on Megan’s nerves then. Now was no different.
    “I told you last night—”
    “No, you told me about Vegas. You didn’t tell me why.” He pinned her with a look that meant he was being serious now and she squirmed.
    She hated lying. Only lowlifes and thieves lied. Oh, and grade school teachers trying not to get shot.
    “That’s where society will rebuild itself. I’m a teacher. Don’t you think I should be a part of that?” Ha! Argue with that answer .
    His stare told her he knew there was more to it and he was waiting for the rest of the answer. Well, let him wait. She’d done battle with fourth graders too many years to be taken in by a boyish smile and clever repartee.
    He shrugged and finally ended their staring contest “Okay, that’s your story and you’re sticking to it. But it’s a dangerous plan.”
    Megan tried not to sigh out loud in relief. No sense in letting him know he had the upper hand. “Yes, it is dangerous.”
    He threw his arms up in the air.
    “I’m confused. How is this your problem?” Boy, you give the man an apple, he starts getting all bossy on a girl.
    “After today, you would ask me that? I can’t just let you wander off into the sunset with a thousand mile hike ahead of you.”
    “What did you have in mind, giving me your car?” Megan teased.
    “No. I was thinking more along the line of an escort.”
    She laughed, but he continued to glare at her.
    He’s serious. He intended to take her to Vegas. Oh, bad idea . Her hand automatically went to the watch with no direction from her.
    People did not react well to her bite mark. They either freaked out or drew a gun on her. Sometimes, both. She’d learned to keep the scar hidden at all times. And she traveled alone. Much easier than trying to point out the bite mark had healed and the fact she still had a pulse, unlike her creeping counterparts.